My left leg kicks up when I hit my 1hbh.....why

[Ballinbob]

I have this problem with my backhand where my left leg keeps kicking up when I make contact with the ball, especially on higher balls with my 1hbh. I have an extreme grip for my 1hbh and therefore high balls are no problem, but I don't think it's correct technique to hit with my left leg kicked up like that. i've never seen a pro do that. On low balls my leg stays put though.

What does this mean? Am I transferring my weight wrong or putting weight on the wrong ball?

Or am I completley crazy lol?:shock:

[Wes_Loves_Dunlop]

Well, when i hit some backhand slices, my left leg comes up a bit. I think its because the ball is higher, you are able to extend higher on one leg than on two, so i think its just your bodying reacting to the high ball.
If it hinders your game, i wouldn't suggest it, but if it doesn't, no harm in it

[Ballinbob]

Well, when i hit some backhand slices, my left leg comes up a bit. I think its because the ball is higher, you are able to extend higher on one leg than on two, so i think its just your bodying reacting to the high ball.
If it hinders your game, i wouldn't suggest it, but if it doesn't, no harm in it

No it doesn't hinder my game but I'm afraid it's just bad technique. Like I'm not sure if putting all that weight on one foot is bad or if thats going to lead to some other bad habits

I hope you're right though. My backhand has improved so much over the years, and i really don't want it to go backwards again

[Skanavis]

Hey I do that all the time to. I dont know why either but im pretty sure ive seen federer do it so I dont think its a flaw at all. As long as your balanced I don't think its an issue.

[autumn_leaf]

i'm pretty sure it's normal. in fact when i posted my 1bh vid some people told me to finish on my front leg to encourage weight transfer.

[S H O W S T O P P E R !]

When I use a 1HBH (mostly for approaches, attacking sitters and volleys) I kick my right leg up during the torso uncoiling (I'm left handed.) Without it, my backhand gets the net. With it, I can fire bombs from the backhand. :)

Don't worry, it's probably helping your backhand.

[acehole]

have you considered restless leg syndrome? it the leading killer of orphaned june bugs. dude i'm just kiddin. had some sugar today, and i dont really eat sugar, soooooo..............

[aimr75]

ive seen fed do it.. so dont think its an issue. I notice i do it on higher balls too

[charliefedererer]

On the one handed backhand you transfer your weight to your right leg, and as you strike the ball and follow through on high balls the left leg lifts off the ground as you lean toward the ball with the right side of the body. Your back (left) legs lifts off the ground to counterbalance the weight of your upper body that is leaning into the ball.
(Why is this different than the forehand?
Well the contact point of the backhand is about two feet ahead of the forehand contact point because this is the distance between your shoulders, and your hitting arm is connected to the body at the shoulder. For the forehand, your weight is initially loaded on your your back leg, and as the upper body leans into the shot, most of your weight is transferred forward onto your front foot, but your back (right) foot maintains contact with the ground to help push off.
In other words your center of gravity on the backhand passes to a point forward of your front foot, while on the forehand the center of gravity passes to a point almost to your front foot, but not beyond it.)

[Solat]

Well the contact point of the backhand is about two feet ahead of the forehand contact point

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/noniandwal/tennis/contactptcomparison.jpg

http://www.agoodhost.com/flashkit/computer_says_no.jpg

[Slicendicer]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/noniandwal/tennis/contactptcomparison.jpg

http://www.agoodhost.com/flashkit/computer_says_no.jpg

The FH is pictured AFTER Fed hits the ball, and the BH is LATE and BEFORE Fed hits the ball... try again. The contact point should be the same with either stroke... as far out in front as possible. Word.

[Storm_Kyori]

Could you guys post a vid of that? For some reason I find it to be odd, that it "kicks" up.

[Ballinbob]

Well I guess it's normal then? I just felt awkward doing it, but I don't know how else to hit high balls. Thanks for all the advice though guys, I learned alot.

So lifting my leg up just is just me transferring my weight into the ball, which is a good thing right?

[Wes_Loves_Dunlop]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/noniandwal/tennis/contactptcomparison.jpg

WTF, the second pic shows fed hitting wit his left hand.

[35ft6]

It depends on what grip you have, but with my forehand grip being something between eastern and SW, and my backhand an extreme eastern, I for one hit my top spin backhand more out in front than my forehand.

[jrod]

Well I guess it's normal then? I just felt awkward doing it, but I don't know how else to hit high balls. Thanks for all the advice though guys, I learned alot.

So lifting my leg up just is just me transferring my weight into the ball, which is a good thing right?

Last summer I was hitting with the club owner/pro and he had just returned from the US Open where he attended a seminar run by Pat McEnroe and some other coaches from the USTA. One of the questions asked was "Is the 1HBH dead?". There was much discussion and debate with the obvious citations of Fed vs Nadal. Then someone asked how can a 1-hander compete with the 2HBH? The recommendation made was to set up early with your outside (left foot if a righty) and step into the ball transfering your more of your weight into the shot.

To exaggerate this idea the coaching technique encouraged was to lift your back leg as you strike the ball which effectively requires the student to both set up early and tranfer more of their weight into the shot. My 1HBH noticably improved once I wired this in, although I don't necessarily lift my back foot much anymore.

So my sense is, if you are really doing this you must be set up properly and doing a good job of transfering your weight.

[harr]

WTF, the second pic shows fed hitting wit his left hand.And all the writing in the picture is backwards.

[charliefedererer]

The FH is pictured AFTER Fed hits the ball, and the BH is LATE and BEFORE Fed hits the ball... try again. The contact point should be the same with either stroke... as far out in front as possible. Word.

Federer does not hit a left handed forhand. No fair flipping your image to try and prove your point. I will grant you that hitting from an open stance, the contact points on the forehand and 1HBH will be closer, but I was referring to hitting from a closed stance.

The following is clip is a good example of Roger hitting his one handed backhand in slow motion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX7CcDIkMhE&feature=related
If you stop the video at 9 seconds in, you can see how in front his contact point is on his backhand.
You may also notice he lifts his left leg as he transfers his center of gravity forward over his right leg as he approaches contact.

You can contrast this with his forehand on the following slow motion video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmhvKafCYsk
Stop the action at 19 seconds into the video at the point of contact.
Notice that like his backhand, he is hitting the ball in front of him, but clearly not as far in front of him as on his 1HBH.
BUT HE IS HITTING THE BALL JUST AS FAR IN FRONT OF HIS RIGHT SHOULDER ON BOTH THE FOREHAND AND THE BACKHAND. BECAUSE THE ARM IS CONNECTED TO THE BODY AT THE SHOULDER.

(I think this is one of the reasons it is often easier to learn the two handed backhand. The two handed backhand (for a right hander) is hit with the left arm dominant, so the contact point is at the same distance in front as on a forehand. On the 1HBH it is further out in front, so we have to learn two different contact points in front of our body, one for each side.)

[<3tennis!!!]

its perfectly normal, infact sometimes its a good thing when you are driving through the ball it makes sure your weight is tranferring into the ball

[charliefedererer]

Well I guess it's normal then? I just felt awkward doing it, but I don't know how else to hit high balls. Thanks for all the advice though guys, I learned alot.

So lifting my leg up just is just me transferring my weight into the ball, which is a good thing right?

Well I guess it's normal then? I just felt awkward doing it, but I don't know how else to hit high balls. Thanks for all the advice though guys, I learned alot.

So lifting my leg up just is just me transferring my weight into the ball, which is a good thing right?

Right.
And it is not just you and Roger Federer who do this.
James Blake does it as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CKZXKbTHRw&feature=PlayList&p=F57FF036A92A4A31&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=51
And Gustavo Keurten:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8rWuNWiPYc
I'd say the four of you seem to be pretty good.

[tricky]

Hmm, it depends on what you mean by "kicking up."

If the left leg is mostly straight as the left foot comes up, then that's fine. That's usually the case when you have to hit a high ball.

If the left knee is well bent as the left foot comes up, then there's an issue with your footwork step patterns (usually the wrong order) and 1H BH technique (not loading and driving off the back leg.)

[harr]

Federer does not hit a left handed forhand. No fair flipping your image to try and prove your point.Flipping the image doesn't make it show something different, it's just to make it clearer.

He has, however, chosen someone with a straight arm forehand, which means the contact point will be further forwards than is usual.

The video you posted shows Federer's torso facing the net, so it's exactly the same case as Solat posted (except you can look to see whether you're before or after contact).
BUT HE IS HITTING THE BALL JUST AS FAR IN FRONT OF HIS RIGHT SHOULDER ON BOTH THE FOREHAND AND THE BACKHAND. BECAUSE THE ARM IS CONNECTED TO THE BODY AT THE SHOULDER.Don't people with different grips usually hit different distances out in front?

[BullDogTennis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RORTYH588cE

federer does it. i think it just shows you have good forward movement into the ball.

[luthertn]

well when i see people do 1hbh and they lift their legs ,they are not bending low enough ,either they are standing to stiff and still and just hit it ,it usually goes up but if your low enough u wont be able to lift up ur legs cuz its too hard

[Ballinbob]

awesome advice guys, thanks a ton. And thanks for the tip about setting up early with my left foot jrod that helped alot when I tried it today. I find that power comes easily with a 1hbh, and setting up early with my left foot just made my backhand better all around

Good thing i made this thread, this cleared up alot of things for me. I guess its ok to lift your leg as long as your mechanics+footwork are good. I can see now how it helps with weight transfer