Federer Needs to Change Backhand Grip To Win RG

tennisnut16 · Apr 12, 2009

RF has an Eastern backhand grip, which is great for low balls and is why he has won so many Wimbledon's and US Opens. However, on clay courts the balls bounce much higher, making his backhand even more difficult and he commits many more errors. I think he should look to another person who has won many French Opens with a OHBH and that is Justin Henin. She had an extreme eastern backhand and she did fine. To deal with the high balls and spin that a clay court makes even more pronounced, he should rotate his grip and he would do better against Nadal and co. Another thought just popped into my head. At the AO, those forehands from rafa into his backhand gave RF the most trouble. What if he used the extreme eastern grip for RG and against Rafa on hard courts? Would this improve his game against Nadal? I realize he is the 2nd best clay courter, but he will have a tougher time this year with the (seemingly) stronger field. This could give him his French Open title which he longs for.

tenniko · Apr 12, 2009

you know, it's not like he can change the nature of his game just like that. it's hard to change your game, even if it's just a backhand grip. you don't see many pros tweaking their game, and even then they usually do it during off-season. also, this topic has been endlessly talked about.

tennisnut16 · Apr 12, 2009

tenniko said:
you know, it's not like he can change the nature of his game just like that. it's hard to change your game, even if it's just a backhand grip. you don't see many pros tweaking their game, and even then they usually do it during off-season. also, this topic has been endlessly talked about.

True, but it isn't like he's going to a 2HBH and he could do it next off season. Just an idea.

Jimmyk459 · Apr 12, 2009

I dont want to be a dick but Federer has precisely the perfect backhand grip for ripping topspin shots along with topspin penetrating shots. There is not much that he can do there.... he should just get fitter....

F.I.T.T.E.R.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Crisp · Apr 12, 2009

changes

Talk of all these changes, change racquets, change string set up, change grip,get a haircut. if he is thinking about any of these at all then that is his problem right there. Little changes drastically affect a players confidence, all he needs to do is work hard on his game... inclding weaknesses. You can't have any doubts you need to know that you have been working as hard or harder than all of your opponents. Can fed say yes to that at the moment.

Jimmyk459 · Apr 12, 2009

TRUE... if Federer got a Haircut then he would win... RIGHT!!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!

Or maybe a fawhawk like verdasco....????

Maybe????

Nadal_Freak · Apr 12, 2009

Fed really needs to change to a 2hbh.

drakulie · Apr 12, 2009

tennisnut16 said:
RF has an Eastern backhand grip, which is great for low balls and is why he has won so many Wimbledon's and US Opens.

You forgot the AO Open.

tennisnut16 said:
However, on clay courts the balls bounce much higher,

Which explains why he has made the finals there 3 years in a row. :roll:

tennisnut16 said:
making his backhand even more difficult and he commits many more errors.

Hmmm. You have proof of this????

tennisnut16 said:
I think he should look to another person who has won many French Opens with a OHBH and that is Justin Henin. She had an extreme eastern backhand and she did fine.

J henin hits with a semi western BH grip.

tennisnut16 said:
To deal with the high balls and spin that a clay court makes even more pronounced,

Yeah, cause J Henin has faced such heavy spinny shots enroute to her FO titles. :roll: Fact is, the women hit extremely flat, and no where near the same amount of spin the men produce.

Suggest you stick to viewing tennis, and not commentating on what a player should and shouldn't do>>> because you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

Josherer · Apr 12, 2009

tennisnut16 said:
RF has an Eastern backhand grip, which is great for low balls and is why he has won so many Wimbledon's and US Opens. However, on clay courts the balls bounce much higher, making his backhand even more difficult and he commits many more errors. I think he should look to another person who has won many French Opens with a OHBH and that is Justin Henin. She had an extreme eastern backhand and she did fine. To deal with the high balls and spin that a clay court makes even more pronounced, he should rotate his grip and he would do better against Nadal and co. Another thought just popped into my head. At the AO, those forehands from rafa into his backhand gave RF the most trouble. What if he used the extreme eastern grip for RG and against Rafa on hard courts? Would this improve his game against Nadal? I realize he is the 2nd best clay courter, but he will have a tougher time this year with the (seemingly) stronger field. This could give him his French Open title which he longs for.

LOL at you.

Fed has only won 13 GS. In order to win another he has to totally change his strokes!

illkhiboy · Apr 12, 2009

tennisnut16 said:
RF has an Eastern backhand grip, which is great for low balls and is why he has won so many Wimbledon's and US Opens. However, on clay courts the balls bounce much higher, making his backhand even more difficult and he commits many more errors. I think he should look to another person who has won many French Opens with a OHBH and that is Justin Henin. She had an extreme eastern backhand and she did fine. To deal with the high balls and spin that a clay court makes even more pronounced, he should rotate his grip and he would do better against Nadal and co. Another thought just popped into my head. At the AO, those forehands from rafa into his backhand gave RF the most trouble. What if he used the extreme eastern grip for RG and against Rafa on hard courts? Would this improve his game against Nadal? I realize he is the 2nd best clay courter, but he will have a tougher time this year with the (seemingly) stronger field. This could give him his French Open title which he longs for.

You're a tennis nut alright.

aphex · Apr 12, 2009

Jimmyk459 said:
TRUE... if Federer got a Haircut then he would win... RIGHT!!?!??!?!??!?!?!??!

Or maybe a fawhawk like verdasco....????

Maybe????

it's faux-hawk actually

Josherer · Apr 12, 2009

drakulie said:
You forgot the AO Open.

Which explains why he has made the finals there 3 years in a row. :roll:

Hmmm. You have proof of this????

J henin hits with a semi western BH grip.

Yeah, cause J Henin has faced such heavy spinny shots enroute to her FO titles. :roll: Fact is, the women hit extremely flat, and no where near the same amount of spin the men produce.

Suggest you stick to viewing tennis, and not commentating on what a player should and shouldn't do>>> because you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

HEHE.

Spot On!

VivalaVida · Apr 12, 2009

Wow, come on. Change is extremely difficult for professional. Do you think federer is going to change the game he has developed in the last 20 or so years? not really. If changing your game was that easy, nadal would have learned roddicks serve by now and would have won like 8 HC majors.

textbook strokes · Apr 12, 2009

drakulie said:
You forgot the AO Open.

Which explains why he has made the finals there 3 years in a row. :roll:

Hmmm. You have proof of this????

J henin hits with a semi western BH grip.

Yeah, cause J Henin has faced such heavy spinny shots enroute to her FO titles. :roll: Fact is, the women hit extremely flat, and no where near the same amount of spin the men produce.

Suggest you stick to viewing tennis, and not commentating on what a player should and shouldn't do>>> because you have absolutely no clue what you are talking about.

And you are who???... . He is just giving a thougth man!!.
Fed fanboys are really intolerart since AO...

By the way, Gaston Gaudio and Guga Kuerten both had kind of extreme semi western backhands and they both handled heavy topspin very well.

drakulie · Apr 13, 2009

textbook strokes said:
And you are who???... .

Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer hasn't won a French Open not because of his backhand, but because his opponent is simply a much better player on clay.

Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer has made the FO finals 3 years in a row, with the same backhand the OP suggests he needs to change.

Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer, with that same backhand, has ruled the rest of the ATP at the FO the last 4 years.

That's who I am.

textbook strokes said:
By the way, Gaston Gaudio and Guga Kuerten both had kind of extreme semi western backhands and they both handled heavy topspin very well.

And how many times did these players beat Nadal at a FO final??????

nSLICE · Apr 13, 2009

as bas as this sounds .. but its not his backhand that has been giving him troubles as of late... and its his forehand that has been letting him down in matches.. going to streaks where hed would be missing his forehand like its going out of style

Beastforearm · Apr 13, 2009

VivalaVida said:
Wow, come on. Change is extremely difficult for professional. Do you think federer is going to change the game he has developed in the last 20 or so years? not really. If changing your game was that easy, nadal would have learned roddicks serve by now and would have won like 8 HC majors.

Agreed.

gj011 · Apr 13, 2009

Lot's of experts here.

"Fed needs to change racquet"
"Fed needs to change grip"
"Fed needs to change strings"
"Fed needs a coach"
"Fed needs a ball machine"
...

Too bad Federer is not reading this board.

drakulie · Apr 13, 2009

^^^^

One that hasn't been posted is:

Fed needs to read these boards.

JediMindTrick · Apr 13, 2009

This is total nonsense, there's nothing wrong with Federer's backhand. Federer fans need to get out of their ivory tower and face the real world, the reason why Federer loses to Nadal on clay is because everybody loses to Nadal on clay, this is just a law of nature, it has nothing to do with his backhand.

muzza123 · Apr 13, 2009

gj011 said:
Lot's of experts here.

Too bad Federer is not reading this board.

Indeed.

There should be a separate section on these boards called "Fantasy Tennis Coach" where posters can discuss and criticise strategies, techniques and equipments regarding the best players on the planet. Wouldn't that be a success!

theduh · Apr 13, 2009

muzza123 said:
Indeed.

There should be a separate section on these boards called "Fantasy Tennis Coach" where posters can discuss and criticise strategies, techniques and equipments regarding the best players on the planet. Wouldn't that be a success!

Agreed where all TW "experts" can lash out their expertise and give real insight about pro players.

csr_88 · Apr 13, 2009

i think he could do with be a bit fitter....even though hsi is still one of the few players that justs walks to the other side of the court after a point is over than taking a walk around the court like most others do.

In Miami(i think it was) if you watched his core precisely you could see it looked as if he was arrying a bit of a "pudge" belly around....

Cesc Fabregas · Apr 13, 2009

Maybe its nothing to do with his backhand maybe Rafael Nadal is just a far better claycourter.

thejoe · Apr 13, 2009

Cesc Fabregas said:
Maybe its nothing to do with his backhand maybe Rafael Nadal is just a far better claycourter.

Bingo.

10 char.

theduh · Apr 13, 2009

Cesc Fabregas said:
Maybe its nothing to do with his backhand maybe Rafael Nadal is just a far better claycourter.

Most sensible post that I've read so far other than drakulie. As a Fed fan this is really hard to accept but that's life.

Tempest344 · Apr 13, 2009

He just needs to retire..the sooner he retires and moves on to better things (TW Poster) the happier he will be

NickC · Apr 13, 2009

Tempest344 said:
He just needs to retire..the sooner he retires and moves on to better things (TW Poster) the happier he will be

That's what the kids these days are going on about? Wow, shows how old I've become... But come on, the guy is 25. He's got some time. All it takes is for Nadal to tweak a muscle or hurt himself (which might happen sooner rather than later) and the FO is all his.

gj011 · Apr 13, 2009

NickC said:
That's what the kids these days are going on about? Wow, shows how old I've become... But come on, the guy is 25. He's got some time. All it takes is for Nadal to tweak a muscle or hurt himself (which might happen sooner rather than later) and the FO is all his.

Federer is 27, soon to be 28.

msc886 · Apr 13, 2009

fed needs to work on more than just his backhand to beat nadal on clay

emerckx53 · Apr 13, 2009

Nadal_Freak said:
Fed really needs to change to a 2hbh.

and start picking his butt

Nadal_Freak · Apr 13, 2009

JediMindTrick said:
This is total nonsense, there's nothing wrong with Federer's backhand. Federer fans need to get out of their ivory tower and face the real world, the reason why Federer loses to Nadal on clay is because everybody loses to Nadal on clay, this is just a law of nature, it has nothing to do with his backhand.

Someone is in denial.

danb · Apr 13, 2009

To win RG he needs balls - mission impossible. Everything else is there.

henryshli · Apr 14, 2009

Federer has been to three RG finals and has won Master Series on clay. Suggesting that he needs to change his backhand grip is plain stupid.

Who has been better than Federer on clay apart from Nadal? The ONLY reason Federer hasn't won RG is Nadal.

textbook strokes · Apr 14, 2009

drakulie said:
Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer hasn't won a French Open not because of his backhand, but because his opponent is simply a much better player on clay.

Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer has made the FO finals 3 years in a row, with the same backhand the OP suggests he needs to change.

Someone who is smart enough to know that Federer, with that same backhand, has ruled the rest of the ATP at the FO the last 4 years.

That's who I am.

And how many times did these players beat Nadal at a FO final??????

And someone very intolerant I might add, who overreacts to a simple thought shared on a tennis'forum.
AO really hurt Fed Fanboys.
I wonder if people would get this angry if someone suggests a change in Roddick's volley:?

drakulie · Apr 14, 2009

textbook strokes said:
And someone very intolerant I might add, who overeacts to a simple thought shared in a tennis'forum.

Only one here who over-reacted was the OP with his ridiculous post, and you for defending him.

FraNkcn · Apr 14, 2009

drakulie is handing out ownage left and right...good Lord.

@ textbook strokes.

He's not overreacting to a simple thought shared in a tennis forum, he merely just owned him...and the vast majority of people all agreed.....I think if anything drakulie is just trying to set him straight so he doesn't **** up on his tennis knowledge... O_O

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