switching from a 2HBH to a 1HBH

[kicker75]

I'm looking to switch from a 2HBH to a 1HBH. What are the most important things mechanically to adjust when making the switch? (I hit the 1HBH with an eastern backhand grip and make contact with the ball when it is about a little over a foot in front of my body with a closed stance.)

Should I get down lower for a 1HBH? Should I hit with a more closed stance? Anything else?

[srv vlly]

i just recently switched as well. so firts off congrats and good luck. it will take longer to control the shot. stay low through the shot, and make a complete follow through. the hardest thing starting out will be hitting down the line, and short balls.

[Geezer Guy]

... (I hit the 1HBH with an eastern backhand grip and make contact with the ball when it is about a little over a foot in front of my body with a closed stance.) ...

That sounds JUST like how I hit my 1HBH. I get great topspin, and can really crush the cross-court ball. I cannot be quite as agressive hitting down the line, but have a very "dependable" DTL topspin shot.

I'd say that you really need to get in position early, and set up for the ball. Get your racquet back early, step into the ball (not across your body) and drive it. When I have problems, it's because I'm late and trying to hit the ball when it's even with me instead of out in front.

[kicker75]

Thanks for the comments. How about hitting high balls? With a 2HBH, I can hit them easily, and sometimes even jump into the shot, and still hit with pace. I'm finding that with high bouncing balls, the 1HBH I'm having trouble with, usually hitting a high slow arcing shot. I cannot get drive on high balls with the 1HBH. To remedy that problem temporarily, I hit 1HBH slice (which I can do well on high balls), but of course, they're defensive and my opponents tend to attack me with high heavy shots to my backhand. How do a drive a high 1H topspin BH?

[FiveO]

Thanks for the comments. How about hitting high balls? With a 2HBH, I can hit them easily, and sometimes even jump into the shot, and still hit with pace. I'm finding that with high bouncing balls, the 1HBH I'm having trouble with, usually hitting a high slow arcing shot. I cannot get drive on high balls with the 1HBH. To remedy that problem temporarily, I hit 1HBH slice (which I can do well on high balls), but of course, they're defensive and my opponents tend to attack me with high heavy shots to my backhand. How do a drive a high 1H topspin BH?

Try the link to this thread:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=50063&highlight=high+bouncing

[jtreed2000]

It's funny... I went from a 1H to 2H. Lack of control was killing me. I could rip em xcourt with heavy spin (still do when I want to show off), but only when the "conditions" are right, haha. W/ two hands I have much more control and consistency though.

About the high balls, that's one disadvantage of a 1H. Work on your slice from that position. A heavy topspin ball from your opponent also means you won't have to work as hard to put spin on it yourself. I tend to hit a short/low slice off these balls b/c if they use it as an approach shot it's likely they'll have to hit up on it (to get it over the net). That buys you more time and gives you a higher ball to work with. You can also step up and take it on the rise or out of the air, but this takes excellent timing. I have a reliable swinging volley on my FH side and I'm working on doing the same w/ my BH. Stepping a few feet inside the service line as opposed to 10 feet behind the baseline seems more logical. This is much easier to do with a 2H. Don't think I've ever seen a 1H swinging volley in the pros, probably for good reason. Good luck!

[austro]

I am working on the same issue (high BH balls). For me the key is to achieve proper shoulder rotation BEFORE hitting. if I focus on doing that, I usually cope better. Of course, being able to move backwards fast helps. I guess it's just a difficult thing to master and takes time and practice.

[Rickson]

I'm looking to switch from a 2HBH to a 1HBH. What are the most important things mechanically to adjust when making the switch? (I hit the 1HBH with an eastern backhand grip and make contact with the ball when it is about a little over a foot in front of my body with a closed stance.)

Should I get down lower for a 1HBH? Should I hit with a more closed stance? Anything else?
Close your stance for sure. An open stance limits your reach on a one hander.

[Mattle]

Hey there. I play 1hbh myself. The main thing has been mentioned: you need to be ready sooner, make contact out infront of knee. you can make a high 1hbh stroke, but you need to be very skilled first with your 1hbh. And even when you get skilled, i won't recommend it for being a standard stroke. When you play 1hbh, you should be a really great slicer. You should be able to slice agressively, both approach and drop shots. Slice should be your main stroke for high balls if you don't have the time to go back and hit it. for example not even Federer is using 1hbh for high balls all the time. He's using the slice, taking it early, going back and hit or some times he take the chance, hit it on high contact point.

[Rickson]

Hey there. I play 1hbh myself. The main thing has been mentioned: you need to be ready sooner, make contact out infront of knee. you can make a high 1hbh stroke, but you need to be very skilled first with your 1hbh. And even when you get skilled, i won't recommend it for being a standard stroke. When you play 1hbh, you should be a really great slicer. You should be able to slice agressively, both approach and drop shots. Slice should be your main stroke for high balls if you don't have the time to go back and hit it. for example not even Federer is using 1hbh for high balls all the time. He's using the slice, taking it early, going back and hit or some times he take the chance, hit it on high contact point.
Justine, at 5'5", gets many high balls to her backhand and she drives more of them than slices. Slice is one way of handling high balls, but it's not the only way.

[Mattle]

[QUOTE=Rickson]Justine, at 5'5", gets many high balls to her backhand and she drives more of them than slices. Slice is one way of handling high balls, but it's not the only way.[/QUOT

You are right, i'm not saying that you can't drive one and i believe that justine hardenne can do it. (awsome backhand)
But if you look at standard players with 1hbh, all can do the slice. Of course it's different whether you use 30 % slice 70 % hit, or 50 / 50. Dosen't matter, but when you're switching, you NEED to learn the basics, which are drive, flat at the knee and slice. Later you can work on taking it on the rise of hit it high...

but i agree with you rickson:)

[Midlife crisis]

I hit one handed and have no problem driving a shoulder to head high backhand with good speed. It takes a significant amount of shoulder and upper back strength to swing a racket effectively at that high, and I concentrate by doing reverse flys (standing up, bent over 90 degrees at the waist, and then lifting barbells from straight down to at least the height of my back, with the backs of my hands pointing upward, just like hitting a backhand). I've increased my strength in this motion by about 40% in the past few months and my ability to hit this shot has improved immensely. I now do two sets of ten with 30 pounds and find that level of strength is about right with a 380-400 swingweight racket. You need the strength because gravity is not there to assist with accelerating the racket, and you're working the muscles in a position where they are not biomechanically most effective.

If the ball is head high or higher, I find I can hit a slice very hard and still get it in the court consistently. It's easy to add a bit of sidespin on that shot too, so it doesn't have to be that defensive of a shot, and it works if the person is at net too. The only real prerequisite is getting to the ball in plenty of time to make the swing, which won't be as fast from the takeback to the contact point. The other minor thing is that you might feel a bit more comfortable making this swing by using a more extreme eastern grip (is there such a thing as a sw backhand grip?).

[Baseline Basher]

One day, I just decided to switch, and my OHBH was so ON. It was better on my first day than my TH ever was. Epic, I know...

[Rickson]

Kicker you dont say if you already have a 1H slice backhand (many two fisters do) If not, then you are dealing with two diferent animals here as the technique for sliced backhand is diff than for ts/drive backhands.
by the way, i really dont recommend a closed stance backhand unless it turns into a cross over step as in a backhand approach shot or a backhand volley that is a putaway
So you'd recommend an open stance for a one hander? I'd recommend the crossover stance before an open stance because of the limited reach the open stance gives the 1 hander.

[Marius_Hancu]

check the Sticky (topmost thread), if you haven't done so
my posting on 1HBH

do lots of lunge exercises, you need flexibility

[arnz]

When talking about the closed stance, is it that the right foot (for a right hander) is directly in front of the left foot and the whole body is turned sideways? Or is it just that it is in front but not necessarily in direct line to the left foot, meaning it could be off to the right but still the whole body is turned? I think of an open stance as both feet parallel to each other and the front of the body facing the net. Hope I'm making sense here

[jtreed2000]

Yea, I think your first sentence is what "closed" is to most people and the last sentence describes a completely "open" stance. From my experience and a little reading... an open stance generally allows a neutral recovery and a closed stance allows a better stroke because you can torque your body and get some pop on it. There are varying degrees of each of them, like 3/4, 1/4, etc, so it's not an exact science. How much time you have and the type of shot you want to hit will determine where your feet/body need to be. Try them to see what they do for you. Federer is the best mover out there. Of course we can't do what he does (his movement is incredible), but you can still learn a few things.

One of the shots I like is the inside out FH on a short ball to Roger's backhand. When pushed for time, he approaches the ball directly in front of him. Wehumans would normally hit to the duece court while we prepare to get our feet planted for a big FH. But watch Roger. He will pivot on his left foot at the last second, AND SWING into the ad court, while his right foot comes/follows behind him. With this movement, he has two directions to hit into rather than one. Very unique. It's an easy way to take a little off the ball and get the necessary topspin to clear the net at the same time. I've tried it but it requires a lot of balance. I have started returning some forehands with my left foot across my body, like a volley. He does this sometimes. You have better balance, but get less rotation/power. It seems easier to recover though, partly b/c you're not getting the ball back so fast. I think this is actually taught, but normally inside the baseline when stretched wide. Pretty cool.

[munk3y]

im a relatively short guy, and i didnt learn the slice until recently lol. so i'm hitting all these high backhand balls will my 1HBH. Mind you i got pretty decent with it. Then i got sick of it so i learn the slice. I also like to do 1HBH approach shots and attack with my 1HBH when i get a short ball, as apposed to the usual forehand attacking shot.
And using an open stance in 1HBH gives you less control and power. i dont recommend it.

[jtreed2000]

I'm short too, so I got a lot of high balls to my 1HB when I used it. I still slice the really high ones, but it's easier to use topspin with a 2HB. The 1H slice BH is a must have shot.

I hit from an open stance when my feet get lazy. My opponents love it b/c they can send winners right past me; balls land shorter than usual. It's a defensive position for the apathetic player, ie, instructors feeding balls. Hitting from an open stance when I used a 1HB caused all kinds of problems. 2HB is much easier, IF the ball is near the strike zone.

[jtreed2000]

You are right, NBM. I learned that with golf. To do this the way you're describing, you have to be flexible and time it a little better. In golf, the ball isn't going anywhere so that's one less thing to worry about. I wrote that wrong, above, but you still ...I do anyway.. turn my shoulders a little more past my hips for added pop. That's torque also, but the rest of the body is involved.

[AngeloDS]

It's not hard to take it up high. The problem is doing something with it. A lot of people can come in and quickly attack.

The problem a lot of people have with the one handed backhand is timing and contact point. They usually take the ball late, and they don't step into the ball when they hit. They're kind of sideways. That was my first bad habits that I had to kick. Taking it a bit earlier than normal, taking it out in front and stepping into it.

[Bungalo Bill]

So you'd recommend an open stance for a one hander? I'd recommend the crossover stance before an open stance because of the limited reach the open stance gives the 1 hander.

You are right Rickson.

It is nuts to recommend an open stance over a nuetral or a closed stance for the onehander. We are not talking about a closed stance where it turns the body so much sideways that it inhibits the hips from getting into the shot. We are simply talking about stepping across on an angle but allowing yourself to step into the ball.

However, with that said, it doesn't mean that a player will never learn the open stance for the onehander.

Although you may save time with an open stance, the majority of professional players will setup classically to hit the ball.

The onehander is built for a neutral stance, whoever said open stance first is crazy.

[Bungalo Bill]

...closed stance robs you of recovery time and makes your prep time steps longer <which can be huge>...

That is if you have no clue how to teach anyone on how to perform a recovery step!!!

The closed stance is a stance that tends to be abused because players OVER compensate through laziness, being out of shape, and developing their ability to get a jump on the ball.

The closed stance is not the problem it is everything that happens BEFORE the closed stance. A closed stance does not mean being TOO closed were the hips are blocked. IT means stepping across the center line fo your body.

Plus, if a player is hitting the ball properly, these days they must swing that back foot around for recovery. This is what players should be learning. This should be done on every stance except for a true open stance were the feet are already apart.

Every player that uses the closed stance (especially onehanders) needs to learn to bring that backfoot around and make that part of finishing the stroke.

[Slazenger]

Justine, at 5'5", gets many high balls to her backhand and she drives more of them than slices. Slice is one way of handling high balls, but it's not the only way.

Justine has a very western grip for her backhand.
For players with the classic eastern backhand grip, it is more problematic to hit the high balls.

[Slazenger]

Uh oh, another BB/NBMJ p-issing contest.
Pass the popcorn y'all...

Edited
take that censor.

[Slazenger]

Never meant to offend you (or BB). I was just poking fun at the way you both go back and forth on different issues.

[Bungalo Bill]

Slazenger I've got Bungalo Bill on my ignore list so no chance of that happening...furthermore, i have no idea what i have posted in this thread which would be reason for yet another silly personal attack on me from this person. i dont think your comment is very appropriate however..you must be really cool though.

I have you on my friends list, so I will see everyone of your posts. I am glad he has me on his ignore list so I can have a hay day on his posts.

[Bungalo Bill]

Never meant to offend you (or BB). I was just poking fun at the way you both go back and forth on different issues.

You didnt! I am looking forward to reading all of NBM's posts. By him putting me on ignore, its like giving me the open court to hit into and pick him apart. I am going to enjoy doing just that.

[Rickson]

BB is the man! I just can't see how an open stance is better for 1 handers than a closed stance and I definitely don't agree that an open stance does not limit a 1 hander's reach. Reach across and see for yourself.