The greatest instuctional video for 1 handers

[sureshs]

Not an instructional video per se, but excellent learning material:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0md...eature=related

Unlike other videos, this shows real-life situations:

1. Low backhand ball into the body
2. High backhand ball into the body
3. High ball to the far backhand
4. When to slice, when to drive, on the backhand
5. High ball to the far forehand
6. When to go closed stance and when to go open on forehands

Instead of the millions of disjointed instruction videos out there which deal with ideal situations or one issue at a time, this pretty much covered all aspects of the real baseline game.

I am going to try to replicate this as closely as possible.

[Bobby Jr]

Nice backhand. The only criticism I would make is she goes pretty flat with it more often than most people would manage to make work. (the quicker court she's on is a factor in that obv). I'd like to see how she hits any of her shots when she has to run for them. The video doesn't show much of anything but her hitting balls which came right at her.

You wont see many nicer 1hbhs than that. Nice post.

[LeeD]

I don't know.
Seems her forehand is still her go to shot, she has much faster rackethead speed, she's more aggressive with the forehand.
Her backhand is a defensive "get it back safely" shot...at her level. She's stiff when she hits it, and tends to shortarm a lot of backhands.
Playing her, you'd pressure her backhand, while her forehand is more aggressive, but kinda strange looking.
If you pressured her forehand, she can hit winners.
If you pressured her backhand, you'd get more chances to hit more shots.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Bobby Jr

The video doesn't show much of anything but her hitting balls which came right at her.

That is not completely the case. If it had been, I would not have been interested. I agree it is not match play, but it shows one far out high backhand (which she slices) and several incoming high and low backhands, which are actually more difficult than the farther ones.

One the forehand, she goes closed stance whenever she can, but on quick and wider balls, she goes semi-open. She is also shown handling high forehand balls.

[LeeD]

This video shows she can hit at the Div1 college women's level, that's all.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by sureshs

That is not true. If it had been, I would not have been interested. I agree it is not match play, but it shows one far out high backhand (which she slices) and several incoming high and low backhands, which are actually more difficult than the farther ones.

Various heights isn't what I meant by coming straight to her. I meant she didn't really need to chase anything down.

I watched both videos quickly and on her backhand side there was only one I recall which she really had to motor to get to (near the beginning of her other video).

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by LeeD

while her forehand is more aggressive, but kinda strange looking.

Correct. But I think it adds to the genuine nature of the video by showing how she handles high forehand balls. She seems like an ideal person to emulate for someone who is not aiming to be a pro.

The strangeness is perhaps because she uses the gravity step and goes closed stance whenever she can.

All in all, she seems to be the ideal for the semi-classical game. Her forehand grip is also a SW and not a W.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Bobby Jr

Various heights isn't what I meant by coming straight to her. I meant she didn't really need to chase anything down.

I watched both videos quickly and on her backhand side there was only one I recall which she really had to motor to get to (near the beginning of her other video).

What other video??? I posted only 1 link. Did you find another one?

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by LeeD

This video shows she can hit at the Div1 college women's level, that's all.

For a pro like you, that is too low level, but it will do for me.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by sureshs

What other video??? I posted only 1 link. Did you find another one?

Caroline (Drugge) has part 2 on her account there - filmed from a wider angle which also shows her volleying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw6ENv2UWHI&feature=plcp

[LeeD]

Watched 3 minutes into the second video.
Solid high forehand volleys, suspect low forehand volleys.
Backhand volley might be too complicated requireing great timing. Her takeback is long, and the rackethead faces straight up, almost behind her before she begins the forward swing. Lots of mechanics involved, to close the racketface enough to hit a volley. Needs to move the hand back more, and less just the head of the racket.
Even the BryanBros on TV show less opening of the racketface on backhand volleys.
I sure as heck can't play college level tennis, but I can see flaws in a stroke easily enough.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Watched 3 minutes into the second video.
Solid high forehand volleys, suspect low forehand volleys.
Backhand volley might be too complicated requireing great timing. Her takeback is long, and the rackethead faces straight up, almost behind her before she begins the forward swing. Lots of mechanics involved, to close the racketface enough to hit a volley.

Yeah, I wasn't going to be overly critical on them but you're right. I was more considering just her backhand groundstrokes.

Volleying wont matter if she goes on the WTA circuit anyway.

I googled her but there doesn't seem to be much info on her tennis after university (Weber State Uni), unless she got married and changed her name.

[LeeD]

A former ATP pro, and acquaintance of mine ( got to stay in his house while trying to get into the Q of LA tourney) ElliotTelscher also had that problem on his backhand volleys. He even told everyone of it, as he was really a baseliner in heart. But it didn't matter, as you say, for baseliners. It really matters for those of us with weak groundies, but good volleys.

[rufus_smith]

Unless I'm missing something, she could be hitting all those balls back out of court for all we know.

[LeeD]

COULD be yes, probably not. They're not feeding balls, they're actually hitting to one another.
Notice on the short prep forehand volleys, most go too short or into the net.
Notice on the long stroked backhand volleys, she's susceptible to being late and lobbing the volley over.

[charliefedererer]

07 26 09 Tommy Haas practicing backhand at 2009 LA tennis Open with his coach http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONWFjn7RNUk

If you like to watch a long sequence of backhand practice, you may like this video which has been posted here before.

[Raul_SJ]

Originally Posted by LeeD

This video shows she can hit at the Div1 college women's level, that's all.

Exactly.

And it's useless as a serious instructional tool.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Raul_SJ

Exactly.

And it's useless as a serious instructional tool.

On the other hand, it shows how real balls in uncomfortable positions need to be tackled, maybe even sub-optimally, which most instructional videos omit or else you have to wade through 100s of them to get a tip. Lack of this skill is the reason for the poor performance of adults despite taking lessons for decades. 'Take it early" does not really cover the myriad situations that arise in real life.

[r2473]

Originally Posted by sureshs

On the other hand, it shows how real balls in uncomfortable positions need to be tackled, maybe even sub-optimally, which most instructional videos omit or else you have to wade through 100s of them to get a tip. Lack of this skill is the reason for the poor performance of adults despite taking lessons for decades. 'Take it early" does not really cover the myriad situations that arise in real life.

It's all about the body clock engines inside.

[Red Sunset]

I like her backhand, but I found it very hard not to focus on LeeD hitting on the court behind her.