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Here's an anecdote that might amuse, at my expense. When I first saw Fed hit this particular type of backhand, I naively thought it was a great, ad lib. A one of a kind shot under duress. I mean nobody would deliberately hit a shot that requires going from running full tilt to standing on his tiptoes both feet tight together with his hands extended behind him. I'd face plant if I tried this. 
Please click the link to see this month's Tour Portrait here: https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...erer_backhand/
Then, as I took photos of him, I saw that Fed was doing this over and over. For Fed, it's a standard backhand, one of seemingly a dozen-plus "standard" backhands. And the resultant shot isn't a desperate return, it's a laser-targeted bullet. On TV, I saw Francis Tiafoe hit a huge forehand approach to Fed's backhand corner, and move over to cover the down-the-line pass. So, Fed, flew over and on his tippy-toes hit a slice-laser passing shot right on the line. Degree of difficulty: Spinal Tap set the amp to 11.
Fed has so many backhands. He also hits a variant of that shot with his "wings up" on follow through. Inside Tennis' Bill Simmons refers to that as Fed's "Winged Victory of Samothrace" shot after the ancient Hellenic statue in the Louvre. Overwrought? Perhaps, but what other tennis player inspires sports writers to attempt poetry?
Three images: 1) Fed's WIngs-Down Backhand from the Indian Wells finals in 2017.
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2) Fed's full swinging backhand from the Laver Cup Chicago, 2018.
image_913.jpg
3) The original model: The Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre.
image_912.jpg
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Please click the link to see this month's Tour Portrait here: https://www.tennisplayer.net/members...erer_backhand/
Then, as I took photos of him, I saw that Fed was doing this over and over. For Fed, it's a standard backhand, one of seemingly a dozen-plus "standard" backhands. And the resultant shot isn't a desperate return, it's a laser-targeted bullet. On TV, I saw Francis Tiafoe hit a huge forehand approach to Fed's backhand corner, and move over to cover the down-the-line pass. So, Fed, flew over and on his tippy-toes hit a slice-laser passing shot right on the line. Degree of difficulty: Spinal Tap set the amp to 11.
Fed has so many backhands. He also hits a variant of that shot with his "wings up" on follow through. Inside Tennis' Bill Simmons refers to that as Fed's "Winged Victory of Samothrace" shot after the ancient Hellenic statue in the Louvre. Overwrought? Perhaps, but what other tennis player inspires sports writers to attempt poetry?
Three images: 1) Fed's WIngs-Down Backhand from the Indian Wells finals in 2017.
image_914.jpg
2) Fed's full swinging backhand from the Laver Cup Chicago, 2018.
image_913.jpg
3) The original model: The Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre.
image_912.jpg
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