Tweeners

[tstar7]

In case you don't know what a tweener is (or at least what I call them), it is when you run back (for a lob for example) and hit the ball between your legs. Has anyone done this sucessfully? If so, any tips on how to do them?

[chrisab508]

Isn't a tweener a racquet for new players to tennis? those ones with large headsizes like 110 sq inches?

And no, i've never gotten one of those shots in.. never tried it before.

Chris

[kevhen]

Tweeners are racquet for intermediates that fall between beginner 110's and advanced level 85s. They usually are around 100 square inches and slightly headlight.

[tstar7]

I still don't know if they have a name but I know now that they aren't tweeners. LOL. Anyway here is a link that shows how to do it.

Between the Legs Shot (http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/tennis/skills/newsid_3413000/3413055.stm)

[MegacedU]

Tweeners are racquet for intermediates that fall between beginner 110's and advanced level 85s. They usually are around 100 square inches and slightly headlight.

I second this :)

[kevhen]

Why do all the 3.0-3.5 level players want to know how to hit the Between the Legs shot anyway?

[MegacedU]

They like to pretend they'll someday make it into 4.5+ land.

[kevhen]

They will make it to 4.5+ land hitting the ball between their legs????

[Thereallovebone]

They will make it to 4.5+ land hitting the ball between their legs????

No, but they might make it to the emergency Urology unit of their local hospital.

[Kaptain Karl]

Reminds me of my college team. Back then the "Buarest Backfire" was the trick shot everyone was trying. (Smaking the ball backwards over your shoulder as you're running to -- or beyond -- the baseline.) Our #4 thought he was "Hot Stuff" ... tried the Backfire in a dual match ... and hit himself square between the eyes with his racket, almost knocking himself cold!!! (It'd be a HOOT to see him try the betweener shot.)

- KK

[YEMntFtb]

Yeah I'm hitting that shot atlest once a match, only last ditch effort, I make like 7 out of 10. If the lob is coming in too high don't bother, you've got to wait for it to get low almost on the ground to hit in successfully.

[erik-the-red]

For interesting "look at me" shots, I prefer the scissor-kick backhand.

[POGO]

I like how people change meanings of words and change them around to make it more confusing.

What about we change "ace" to when we step on the baseline when we serve instead of calling it foot fault?

[Indiantwist]

I never used a Betweener but i have a ugly Uptweener. This is almost opposite of the between the legs shot.
All you do is run for the ball with back opposite to the net, catch the ball high and swing the racquet from front to back (over your head). This would result in a deep lob to the opponent. The best/worst part of this shot is it is tough to judege this shot and hence opponent is likely to scramble.

[kevhen]

But the Uptweener is not really going between anything. I hit that shot too when trying catch up to a lob. Threw one up last night about 60 feet up and the wind carried it over the net and back into play and the guy missed his overhead.

[Indiantwist]

I felt that from a Grip and scrambling perspective they are similar. In terms of execution they are 180 degress apart. Betweener is hard and requires some level of expertise. Uptweener is easy and almost all 1.0-3.0 players use it.
People with Badminton skills have the Uptweener really easy (as most of them use that shot for some deception/change of pace/cross cout drop shot in badminton)

[TennisD]

I hit plenty of Tweeners. I like the shot a lot actually. I don't practice it, but I've gotten good enough at it to be able to make passing shots, and actually direct it to the corners as I run back. I don't do it in a match unless it's a last ditch effort, but in practice, I tend to do it when I can. I think it's a great shot, because if you hit it right, it's unpredictable.

I mean, look at it this way, a guy like me can hit it hard, into what corner I want. But the opponent can't tell where I am going? I can also lob it, etc.... so that makes it a viable shot.

Once you learn it, the thing is all about timing. Getting it the first few times is hard, but after that, it's a breeze

[darkhorse]

I want to learn how to do it, and I probably could, but I'm just afraid to try it. I'm young, I have my whole life ahead of me.

[Kaptain Karl]

I want to learn how to do it, and I probably could, but I'm just afraid to try it. I'm young, I have my whole life ahead of me.This, folks, is a wise TW poster....

Actually, the Betweener is less versatile than the Jai-Lai shot on either side. I prefer playing the percentages of the Jai-Lai shot (when in the "last resort" of such a low percentage predicament).

- KK

[papa]

Tweeners are racquet for intermediates that fall between beginner 110's and advanced level 85s. They usually are around 100 square inches and slightly headlight.

Although I agree with you on the second sentence, I would not associate the words "beginner" or "advanced" with the size of the head. Many pros are playing with larger racquets these days and many who play with the smaller heads are far from being very good. Racquets range all the way to 135 sq in which is the maximum allowed - Weed, for one, makes a racquet that size but most companies are producing larger racquets these days.

Balance is one of the few things that players can actually control themselves using lead tape. Many of the newer racquets are around 10 oz and as Kevhen said are headlight. I don't really like a head light racquet but the demand must be there or they wouldn't be making them.

[kevhen]

How many on the men's tour play with oversized racquets? Don't the women use oversize to add more power to their games? Which women still use oversized? The Williams used to use large headed racquets (maybe to go with their egos). What size is Agassi's?

[kevhen]

How often does everyone hit these between the leg shots? I don't seem ever in position to do it. I guess I take a different route to the ball.

[montx]

If any of you had read a previous post I made, I couldn't hit my own balls, fortunately because my thighs stopped my racquet head. Oh by the way, I missed the ball too.

[papa]

How many on the men's tour play with oversized racquets? Don't the women use oversize to add more power to their games? Which women still use oversized? The Williams used to use large headed racquets (maybe to go with their egos). What size is Agassi's?

Don't have a count but its way more than most think - the stigma associated with using larger racquets has pretty much gone by the boards. Most models of racquets are available in three or more sizes now. What the pros do is interesting but not the deceiding factor of what size head you should use because they (in most cases) are extremely gifted individuals who also work very hard in maintaining their skills. Many use racquets that are individually tweeked for their game so what your seeing in not necessarily what you might be able to purchase off the shelf anyway.

If your hitting a couple of thousand balls a day and have aspirations of taking it to the professional level than it might be relative as to what racquets (specific models) they use - I don't think many here are in that position however.

[kevhen]

So who has stats on how many on the ATP tour use oversized racquets? I don't think many do but many more on the WTA use them. I know myself I prefer tweener racquets. The smaller the head, the more it twists on off-center hits, and the harder for me to add spin without hitting the frame, as well as a reduction in power in the smaller, lighter head. The larger the head, it just feels like there is a loss of control with oversized, so I like the 100 sq inch tweeners and I prefer the 27.5sfor that little extra pop on the serve from extra length and leverage.

But I am just curious as to what the pros use and maybe even what the average 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, etc uses for headsize.

I started as a 3.0 with a 110 (10.5 ounce) went to 102 (11 ounce) as a 3.5 and prefer my 100 (12 ounce) as a 4.0 and even just got a new 95 (13 ounce) but still feel the 100 is the best racquet for my game and level of play.

[Saito]

No, but they might make it to the emergency Urology unit of their local hospital.
:lol: :lol: :lol: my friend almost made it there yesterday

[Baseline Basher]

Isn't the technical name the Sabatweeni, since Gabriel Sabatini invented it? I read that somewhere...
We call them tweeners, just because Sabatweeni is too large to say in conversation...:P

[Kaptain Karl]

Isn't the technical name the Sabatweeni, since Gabriel Sabatini invented it? I read that somewhere...I wasn't aware of Sabatini "inventing" this shot. Do you have a source for this information?

(I don't know WHO started it ... I just didn't think it was she.)

- KK

[remilard]

The first person I saw do it on TV was Yannick Noah, I have a feeling the shot predates both he and Sabatini though.