Best One-Handed backhand?

SMASHER

SMASHER

Rookie
Personally, I think the one handed backhand is the most attractive shot in tennis. I wish I could hit like some of the guys on the tour. Just wanted to know others fellings. Who has the best one handed backhand? My three goes as follows.

1. Gaston Gaudio
2. Gustavo Kuerten
3. Roger Federer
 
@wright

@wright

Hall of Fame
I would put Gaudio, Federer, and Kuerten in the same category of top one-handers. I don't see any of those as being better than the others, they are just a piece of the puzzle. Some puzzles work better than others.
 
V

Vlad

Professional
Gasquet has one of the prettiest and effective one handers I agree. I haven't see it on TV yet, only live but damn it looked great!
 
T

TheRed

Hall of Fame
Guga's is by far the most aggressive one hander I've ever seen. Edberg's was the prettiest. I don't find anything special about Federer's but I'd say he uses his one-hander better than anyone I've seen. He often hits his slice a little loopier (not as flat, less skidding) than most players. This throws off the pace and forces a lot players to hit a safer, return. Then he drives it w/ his topspin one hander. Simply brilliantly dictating pace.
 
J

jings

Professional
Kuerten appears to generate spooky pace from nowhere off this wing - a couple of shots he hit against Ancic were vintage. His syle is a little clunky though I always think. Agree with all the usual names but Haas I think has the most appealing looking of all the top 1h b/h now imo. Fed's is improving still I think - he's hitting up the line far better than before and the depth he gets consistently with the slice is just rude. I don't see many others hitting his half volley change direction winner type shot off this wing either. Good to see relatively so many more single handers out there again .... talking of ancic it always surprises me that he hits a two fister, somehow seems a tad incongruous with the rest of his game.
 
G

Gugafan_Redux

Guest
Guga had the best one-hander locked up in 2001. Now it has to go to Fed. His flicker passes crosscourt on the run or under pressure are sick and demented. Plus offensive slice, defence, dropper, etc.

Guga gets so much power on his because of his build. He's so lanky and long, plus the length of his racket. With his take-back on the BH side, and follow-through it's like a bull ship.
 
AAAA

AAAA

Hall of Fame
jings said:
Kuerten appears to generate spooky pace from nowhere off this wing
Click to expand...

If you think Kuerten generates pace out of proportion to his physique and apparent effort then you need to watch Petr Korda's bh in full flight.
 
G

gugafanatic

Hall of Fame
Kuerten was ripping amazing backhands against Ancic. How does he generate that penetration, I think hes shoulder turn is amazing and hes such a languid shotmaker.
 
grif

grif

Rookie
Well, it certainly seems that Fed highly rates Gasquet's single handed backhand:

ROGER FEDERER: ... and he's got a great backhand, you know. I feel he can really hit it extremely hard, you know, both ways ‑ up the line and crosscourt.

Q. Would you say his backhand is one of the best you've faced?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, there's a few. There's a few good ones around.

Q. He is French . French answer.

ROGER FEDERER: (Smiling). What is the title going to be?

No, it's always tough to tell who's got the best, especially backhand, because we got one‑handeds, we got two‑handeds. But one‑handed backhands, definitely one of the best, yes.


http://montecarlo.masters-series.com/1005/players/interviews/05_federer5.asp
 
35ft6

35ft6

Legend
On average, I'm inclined to think, like above poster, that Guga had the hardest one-hander around.

But the single hardest one hander I've ever seen was from, gulp, Pete Sampras. He was playing Agassi... Andre **** a pretty hard shot up the middle, right into Sampras... Pete was sort of cramped up, but unleashed his backhand that ended up being an inside out/down the line screamer... both players just stood there... Sampras had a look of shock on his face, grinned, shook his head, walked off for the next point... they were both surprised by the ferocity of the shot, as was I... it was pretty amazing.

He just made perfect contact with it.
 
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
From what I saw today against Fed, Gasquet may pretty much have the best topspin 1HBH in the business at this point in time. It's more agressive than Fed's as he seems to be stepping better into it and to be hitting it flatter.

On many occassions, Fed had huge difficulties to respond to it. Clear winners from everywhere, as Fed said in the interview.

I was impressed by his BH 3 years ago against Safin, that time again in Monte Carlo. He's using extremely well the non-dominant hand to get back the racket and to create momentum in his BH loop. Something similar with Mauresmo in the way the carries the racket on the two hands, but much more agressive. Check that!

The only question is consistency, and this is important, thus I will reserve final judgment for later.

Of course Fed's has his slice there too:)
 
M

Mahboob Khan

Hall of Fame
After seeing his match against Roger Federer last night, I think Richard Gasquet has one of the best 1-handed BH -- it is a backhand which did not buckle under pressure! Ask Roger Federer!
 
K

Kryztof

Rookie
i never saw a bh like gasquet since 25 years since i'm interessing with tennis (maybe henri leconte bh was def a great bh like gasquet)
 
DoubleHanded&LovinIt

DoubleHanded&LovinIt

Professional
I have not seen video of Gasquet's backhand, so I cannot comment on him. Does anyone have video of him hitting backhands?

I would say the best backhand for outright power would be Guga. Federer has the best slice. Federer sets up points better than anyone else with his backhand. Noone passes off the backhand wing better than Federer. I would say overall Federer has the best backhand.

Pete Sampras could rip a backhand when he had to. I would remember him, being on the dead run, and just ripping backhands up the line. If you rmember the 2002 U.S. Open Final against Agassi, as Sampras felt the match turning (and as he started tiring), he ripped every shot, including his backhand on the run. I want to mention Sampras because I think people unfairly mention that Sampras's backhand was not good. Not the case.
 
T

TwistServe

Guest
Gasquet's backhand is lethal. He can gun it DTL or crosscourt in an instant... federer and guadio can't and don't do that
 
R

Rob_C

Hall of Fame
Well, b4 Guga, there was Albert Costa. I remember him playing Sampras at the Aus Open, in the qtrs I believe, it went 5 sets. He was passing Sampras left and right. Pat Mac was going crazy in the booth.

As for me, I'd take Federer.

Gugas & Gasquets BHs are very similar, to me, their backswings are too long, but from pt of contact forward, textbook.

I'd like to see Gasquet shorten his backswing, b/c I dont dont know how well he's gonna do on faster surfaces.
 
L

lagranwilly

New User
Gaudio's the best.
However,i've seen Calleri's backhand live and i can assure he has the biggest 1hb i've ever seen.It's almost a winner whenever he hits it.Amazing power.
 
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
Q. Gasquet is one set up. Are you surprised by what he does?

GUILLERMO CORIA: No, I am not surprised. If he was able to beat Federer , I believe he can beat any kind of player. Also, his backhand is the best on the circuit and he's very confident right now.
------------
Always glad to see the pros agreeing with me:)
 
D

deflori

Semi-Pro
gauchoGaudio,MuskeGasquet,VamosCorretja,ExpressFed ;)

There are so many,Mantilla has a great too....
Nice to hear "Guille" like that...
 
VamosRafa

VamosRafa

Hall of Fame
Marius_Hancu said:
Q. Gasquet is one set up. Are you surprised by what he does?

GUILLERMO CORIA: No, I am not surprised. If he was able to beat Federer , I believe he can beat any kind of player. Also, his backhand is the best on the circuit and he's very confident right now.
------------
Always glad to see the pros agreeing with me:)
Click to expand...

And to finish that quote:

If today [Gasquet] beats Nadal , I think it's going to be a real triumph because I believe Nadal is the best player on this surface in the world.
Click to expand...
 
F

fastdunn

Legend
foetz said:
1. henin
2. edberg

best looking: volandri
Click to expand...
Henin's backhand may not be the best but definitely the most
amazing one I've ever seen(at least to me).
I do not think I've ever seen that small
female who can hit 1 handed backhand that huge.....
 
E

erik-the-red

Semi-Pro
On the men's side, I like Federer's, Gaudio's, Sampras's, Pavel's, Rafter's, and Henman's topspin backhands.

On the women's side, I like Justine Henin Hardenne's a lot.
 
tennisToad

tennisToad

New User
Men: Federer.

Women: Henin

in person Federer Is so smooth it's numbing... and Henin's backhand is just amazing She sets up for it so perfectly and just crushes it. Wish I could hit one like that just once!!
 
B

bustigal

Guest
"Justine Henin has the best one-handed backhand in the business, men or women. Period." Johnny Mac.

I totally agree. Her shot has the form and threat. Others (like Gaudio, Haas, and Guga, etc.) may look beautiful and smooth mechanically but don't have not much threat in their games. Fed's looks awkward at times, but it's effective.

No comments on the old timers. They were before my time.
 
Aykhan Mammadov

Aykhan Mammadov

Hall of Fame
Henin's backhand can't be considered even close to the best because she is weak and her stroke isn't enough powerful.

I was amazed by Gasquet's backhand recently during Fed-he match. I'm not sure is it consistent enough, but it was really impressing.
 
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