More topspin on their backhand: Kuerten or Gasquet?

[Ehh]

A lot of people romanticize about Kuerten's backhand, saying it was the backhand with the most topspin ever, and that Gasquet's backhand can't even compete with it. However, looking through the footage of Kuerten's backhand, sure I think he uses a slightly more extreme than Gasquet, but the speed of his racket is so slow compared to Gasquet's. Seriously, it looks like he is almost 3/4'ing the pace of the swing compared to Gasquet's violent strokes. Gasquet's swing path also looks more vertical than Kuerten's to me.

Anyway, give them both modern equipment, and who cranks out more average and maximum topspin rpm's off their backhand?

Poll up.

 

[Rock Strongo]

What Guga had basically was modern equipment.

That's all I really can comment since I haven't seen much of Guga.

 

[Anaconda]

Kuerten.


10 char

 

[The Meat]

Guga had more topspin on some shots, but not by much.

Also, I'm pretty sure there are some threads that have already touched upon this topic.

 

[Le Master]

This thread needs more videos.

 

[The Meat]

This thread needs more videos.

Unfortunately Guga's prime was in the late 90's to the early 2000's, so the quality and amount of videos were few, but here's a good one showing how well he could place his backhand. Both pace and spin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHct_-11ZWM

Famous Gasquet Murray FO match, where Gasquet was in God mode with that backhand.

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

 

[mightyrick]

Gasquet definitely has more topspin on his backhand. Kuerten certainly has topspin, but his strokes were much more flat and driving.

Federer's forehand is to Kuerten's backhand as Nadal's forehand is to Gasquet's backhand.

People don't realize that Gasquet regularly gets like 4-6 feet of clearance on his rally backhand strokes. On clay and gritty hardcourts, his balls land at the service line and kick up about 6 feet. This takes an immense amount of topspin. Kuerten's shots never did that. Gasquet can also hit topspin moonballs with his backhand at will.

Gasquet is the only guy in the game where it can be truly said... his backhand is pretty much the only thing that keeps him ranked so high. Because his fitness is meh, his serve is meh, and his forehand is meh. All from just a backhand.

If he had a forehand, he'd be the next Agassi.

 

[THESEXPISTOL]

5 years ago there was an amazing youtube video called "Guga's backhand" with "Boston - More than a feeling" as soundtrack but the damn uploaded deleted the video. The ******* also had a video called "Roger Federer Season 2008" and he also deleted it. Both videos were in 720p. His account name was federbr, i hope he gets one hell of a trot.

 

[Laurie]

I have a "who cares" feeling about this, after all Gasquet's backhand doesn't appear to win him any significant events at all, so does it matter if he hits more topspin?

Can Gasquet take the ball early on return of serve on hardcourts and rush his opponents into mistakes? These are the sort of things that matter, not how much net clearance he gets and they still go in.

 

[THE FIGHTER]

5 years ago there was an amazing youtube video called "Guga's backhand" with "Boston - More than a feeling" as soundtrack but the damn uploaded deleted the video.

that's the soundtrack i would use for my life

 

[ctoth666]

Not that this thread is about which backhand is better, but Gasquet's backhand is easily the best one-handed backhand I have seen. It's one of the best shots on tour, period. It's an anomaly, really. I don't know how he does it. 3:53 in the second video pretty much sums it all up.

 

[krz]

It terms of an attacking backhand, when he has time to set up gasquet has the best attacking backhand I've ever seen, 2 hand or 1.

 

[mightyrick]

It terms of an attacking backhand, when he has time to set up gasquet has the best attacking backhand I've ever seen, 2 hand or 1.

^ This. Nobody gets the kind of angles that Gasquet gets when he has time to set up.

And when he unloads, it is vicious. I believe in the first set against Murray in Miami, he hit two backhand winners that were over 100mph. That is absolutely insane.