Henin's Onehanded Backhand...

[cluckcluck]

Originally Posted by nat75

Name a heavy topspin hitter in the current women's tour.

Sam Stosur.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by rh310

Maybe, but it wouldn't hold up at all to the power hitters of the past 10 years.

It holded up Monica Seles, steffi Graf, Mary Pierce, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, etc. Why wouldnt she hold up with the current players??

[BevelDevil]

Originally Posted by nat75

Ummm...you need a strong arm and a good pair of shoulders to hit a 1hbh so it's very rare to have a short woman with a good one. So that's really remarkable of Henin.

If that were true we'd see the 1-handers in the WTA be taller. Instead, they are shorter.

Henin, Schiavone, Navarro, Brianti (and Raymond, in doubles now) are all around 5'5". Also note that on the men's side, Olivier Rochus (5'5") uses a 1hbh quite effectively. I think at least 4 of the 6 players listed above would be worse players if they had a 2hbh.

A 1hbh, with the right grip, is an equalizer for small players because of the rackethead speed they can generate with relatively little physical exertion.

[Leelord337]

Originally Posted by cluckcluck

The best women's tennis has ever seen?

Super smooth, like butter:

http://youtu.be/LdDwMj3_WMA

I think she even had prettier technique back in 2005

[nat75]

Originally Posted by cluckcluck

Sam Stosur.

She relies more in power than spin although she has a really great kick serve.

[cluckcluck]

Originally Posted by nat75

She relies more in power than spin although she has a really great kick serve.

Ok smart guy, since you seem to oppose all of us on this particular issue, why don't you enlighten us....

[nat75]

Originally Posted by cluckcluck

Ok smart guy, since you seem to oppose all of us on this particular issue, why don't you enlighten us....

There are many opinions in this thread. I agree with some but disagree with others. In this case I agree with the poster which stated that women are hitting flatter.

[scotus]

Originally Posted by TERRASTAR18

how is any of that serena's fault? as the server she starts the point, henin lifeted her hand in the middle of the motion, so serena lost her timing. but even that isn't the issue. henin is considered a cheat because she didn't admit it.

If Serena only saw Justine after she initiated the service motion, she could have stopped it before ball contact.

If she already made ball contact before sighting Justine's gesture, it should not have hindered her serve.

I am not saying Justine did not lie.

All I am saying is that I can see why she was inclined to lie. Virtually all the pros have gone through juniors making their own calls, and have made and received intentionally bad calls. Often the juniors retaliate against what they consider a foul play by returning in kind.

Here all I am saying is Justine might have felt Serena ignored her request and tried to score an easy point. Then it is easy to see why Justine felt justified in lying to the referee in order to deny Serena another free serve.

[rh310]

Originally Posted by nat75

It holded up Monica Seles, steffi Graf, Mary Pierce, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, etc. Why wouldnt she hold up with the current players??

You'd have to back that one up for Davenport with a match or three, unless you're talking about just slicing it back.

The Williams sisters brought power up to a completely different level.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by BevelDevil

If that were true we'd see the 1-handers in the WTA be taller. Instead, they are shorter.

Henin, Schiavone, Navarro, Brianti (and Raymond, in doubles now) are all around 5'5". Also note that on the men's side, Olivier Rochus (5'5") uses a 1hbh quite effectively. I think at least 4 of the 6 players listed above would be worse players if they had a 2hbh.

A 1hbh, with the right grip, is an equalizer for small players because of the rackethead speed they can generate with relatively little physical exertion.

First of all the 1hbh in today's women field is very very rare. How would you know how they would hit with a 2hbh?? And Sabatini and Mauresmo are both 5'9'' and they have pretty neat backhands, havent they?? Even on par or better than Henin's.

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by nat75

First of all the 1hbh in today's women field is very very rare. How would you know how they would hit with a 2hbh?? And Sabatini and Mauresmo are both 5'9'' and they have pretty neat backhands, havent they?? Even on par or better than Henin's.

You can argue Mauresmo, but not Sabatini. Mauresmo's backhand was to Henin's as Nadal's forehand is to Federer's.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by rh310

You'd have to back that one up for Davenport with a match or three, unless you're talking about just slicing it back.

The Williams sisters brought power up to a completely different level.

Just watch the Davenport-Sabatini matches from the US Open 1993, Amelia Island 1994 and YEC 1994 and tell me she's just slicing it back. Lindsay was heavier though and that could has been a liability then.
The Williams sisters in their peak were on a league of their own so that is not the standard to measure all the players. I think Sabatini with her heavy spin and her touch would give the current players a lot of trouble except for her very very questionable 2nd serve.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by BeHappy

You can argue Mauresmo, but not Sabatini. Mauresmo's backhand was to Henin's as Nadal's forehand is to Federer's.

Alright but we can say Mauresmo is better than Schiavone, Raymond and Navarro.

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by nat75

Alright but we can say Mauresmo is better than Schiavone, Raymond and Navarro.

Navarro is the only female player in history who hits her backhand as hard as Mauresmo and Henin. Schiavone's backhand is like Sabatini's.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by BeHappy

Navarro is the only female player in history who hits her backhand as hard as Mauresmo and Henin. Schiavone's backhand is like Sabatini's.

This one is dadicated to you and the poster who said that Gaby's backhand was weak.

http://youtu.be/nCwS5KIWZI0

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by nat75

This one is dadicated to you and the poster who said that Gaby's backhand was weak.

http://youtu.be/nCwS5KIWZI0

It's no exaggeration to say that Henin hit every single backhand like that.

[nat75]

OK. Let's see how hard can Henin hit with a Yamaha Ex-110 from 18 years ago strung with 78 pounds and weighting more than 400 grams.

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by nat75

OK. Let's see how hard can Henin hit with a Yamaha Ex-110 from 18 years ago strung with 78 pounds and weighting more than 400 grams.

She used the same racquet as Federer, which is basically a pro staff 6.0.85, which is about 35 years old.

[nat75]

Originally Posted by BeHappy

She used the same racquet as Federer, which is basically a pro staff 6.0.85, which is about 35 years old.

So Federer hits with a racket from 35 years ago?? You must be kidding!

[BeHappy]

Originally Posted by nat75

So Federer hits with a racket from 35 years ago?? You must be kidding!

Pretty much, since Federer got famous they customized his pro staff 6.0.85 and mass marketed it.