1H backhand Slice

L

Liv3 For It

Guest
Is a Backhand Slice worth doing? My coach says always hit topspin or flat and never "push" the ball. I tried backhand slices but they have just made me do worse. They bounce and sit high for my opponent to hit a winner off of it.

how are you supossed to hit a Backhand Slice, When are you supossed to hit a backhand slice,

And Why should you hit a backhand slice?
 

oneguy21

Banned
The backhand slice is a versatile shot that should definitely be included in your repertoire.

The 1h bh slice could be an effective approach shot because the ball skids and stays low and thus forces your opponent to hit up on the ball which will allow you to put away the shot with a volley.

At other times, the bh slice can simply be used to vary your shots. You should often use it in a rally to not allow your opponent to get into a rhythm. If you keep hitting topspin backhands to your opponent many players such as pushers will find comfort in you doing this.

So the slice is often used to keep the ball low. If you hit it with a lot of underspin, it's going to really skid and be troublesome for players who prefer high balls.

Ask your coach to teach you the slice.
 

JRstriker12

Hall of Fame
Is a Backhand Slice worth doing? My coach says always hit topspin or flat and never "push" the ball. I tried backhand slices but they have just made me do worse. They bounce and sit high for my opponent to hit a winner off of it.

how are you supossed to hit a Backhand Slice, When are you supossed to hit a backhand slice,

And Why should you hit a backhand slice?

Yes, the backhand slice can be a great tool if you use it right. IIRC Graf had mainly slice backhand and she did okay. I also saw a segment during the AO broadcast where they talked about the use of the slice backhand.

Hitting a slice backhand is great for drop shots (see Djokivic) a short angled slice is a good tool for bringing your opponent forward to the net and pulling them off court so you can pass them on your terms (see Federer). A slice backand can also be a great tool to get back a defensive shot if you are pulled wide to the backhand side and need to get a low ball back (see Fed).

A slice backhand can also be a great way to change pace on your opponent to try and draw an error, especially if they get too groved on your normal stroke.

Hit properly, a slice is not a "pushed shot." You should drive through the ball so with a slight high-to-low tragectory. This is usually easier for players with one handed backhands. If your slice is sitting up, you are probably just chopping down on the ball instead of driving through.
 

Nellie

Hall of Fame
1) if you cannot slice, you cannot hit a proper approach shot to get to the net

2) if you are hitting at a low, shorter ball, you cannot get under the ball to hit the ball over the net and still hit topspin
 
1) if you cannot slice, you cannot hit a proper approach shot to get to the net

2) if you are hitting at a low, shorter ball, you cannot get under the ball to hit the ball over the net and still hit topspin

Yeah, I prefer the chip and charge myself as well.
 
Top