Two Handed Backhands and Smaller Head Sizes...

Marshredder

Marshredder

Semi-Pro
Does anyone on the tour (WTA or ATP) use smaller (90inch downwards) headsizes with two handed backhands? It seems to me that they seem to be tailored at the more traditional 1hbh player, federer etc.

All the guys at my club with K90's, PS88's etc are using 1hbh, and all the 2 handers seem to use 100inch heads like the APDC and Head Youteks.

Just curious!
 
THESEXPISTOL

THESEXPISTOL

Hall of Fame
I have a 2HB and with anything less than 98sqin is a little difficult.. I can play with a 95 too but is a little more hard to find the sweetspot on every shot.. But in the FH in can hit almost 9.5/10 times in the sweetspot even in a 93sqin (prestige mid).

Safin looks like one of a kind. Delpo uses a 95 with 2HB, and i know a lot of pros use 2HB with 95sqin racquet. With less than 95sqin i can't remember anyone besides safin.
 
Harry_Wild

Harry_Wild

G.O.A.T.
jimbo333 said:
Connors used a 70sqin and had the best double handed backhand of all-time:)

Beat that!
Click to expand...


I agree! Connors could really move the opponent around the court with his backhand. Had a very nice down the line too as well as a nice lob. This was the era of Serve and Volley too - so you had to be good at passing shots to survive.
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
Tsonga#1fan said:
It was good, certainly better than his forehand, but hardly the best. It can't even be compared to Borg's.
Click to expand...

nah connors had a great backand, he could hit great angles considering it was very flat. compact stroke and hit it on the rise. borgs was only good for high topspin and dipping passing shots. they are good in their own ways, but connors' was better.
 
jimbo333

jimbo333

Hall of Fame
paulorenzo said:
nah connors had a great backand, he could hit great angles considering it was very flat. compact stroke and hit it on the rise. borgs was only good for high topspin and dipping passing shots. they are good in their own ways, but connors' was better.
Click to expand...

They were both superb I agree!

I personally preferred watching Jimbo rifling those flat double handed backhand returns on the rise down the line for winners:)

(And the exaggerated fist pump afterwards:))
 
R

Ross K

Legend
To the OP,

About a year or so ago I went off on something of a 'mid mission'... starting with the BB11 mid, then the AG100 mid, then the DNX 10 mid, and lastly the PB10 mid.

Basically, I found all these frames had some superb qualities, attributes that made it very hard to give up on them when other certain areas of my game were misfiring somewhat (anyone who has served with the AG100 mid, or enjoyed the b-line responsiveness of the DNX, or has lobbed with the Powerbride, will verify this!) However, none of these frames did it for me on the backhand/2hbh side.

Obviously top pros = another story. But for me personally... and perhaps for many intermediate level players with a 2hbh... well, 95 " head-size at least is preferable.

BTW, some frames that imo kill it off the bh wing in my experience are the Rebel 95, N95, PSC 6.1 and a lot of Babolats.

R.
 
vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Thomas Enqvist used the Prestige Classic 600 (had been using the Pro Tour 630 before) at the end of his career and has been using the Microgel Prestige Mid on the Seniors Tour.
 
borg number one

borg number one

Legend
Actually, I'd say Connors had a SLIGHTLY better backhand overall than Borg, because it was one of the best shots in the game at the time. It was much better than Connors' forehand.

On the other hand, Borg's forehand was the very best shot in the game during that era, as rated by his fellow pros.

Having said that, I don't know how Borg hit tons of spin and that 2 hander with a small frame (I think the Donnay Borg Pro was 72 sq. inches). Incredible eye/hand coordination on the part of both Connors and Borg, as well as sheer ability to generate pace!
 
Last edited:
vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Mats Wilander, Joakim Nystrom, Mikael Prenfors, and Anders Jarryd all used midsize racquets with two handed backhands when on the ATP Tour
 
nickynu

nickynu

Semi-Pro
Ross K said:
To the OP,

About a year or so ago I went off on something of a 'mid mission'... starting with the BB11 mid, then the AG100 mid, then the DNX 10 mid, and lastly the PB10 mid.

Basically, I found all these frames had some superb qualities, attributes that made it very hard to give up on them when other certain areas of my game were misfiring somewhat (anyone who has served with the AG100 mid, or enjoyed the b-line responsiveness of the DNX, or has lobbed with the Powerbride, will verify this!) However, none of these frames did it for me on the backhand/2hbh side.

Obviously top pros = another story. But for me personally... and perhaps for many intermediate level players with a 2hbh... well, 95 " head-size at least is preferable.

BTW, some frames that imo kill it off the bh wing in my experience are the Rebel 95, N95, PSC 6.1 and a lot of Babolats.

R.
Click to expand...

Hey Ross, what Im thinking is that those are some pretty flexy frames, and the problem could be not so much a function of headsize but stiffness.What was the specific problem?

Would those frames but a made little stiffer aid your backhand. . . . . Maybe but Im guessing that this would take something away from your other shots that thrive the flexyness.

Anyway as a racketaholic myself I know the fun is in the chase. What would you actually do if you found the holy grail !!!!
 
Tsonga#1fan

Tsonga#1fan

Semi-Pro
paulorenzo said:
nah connors had a great backand, he could hit great angles considering it was very flat. compact stroke and hit it on the rise. borgs was only good for high topspin and dipping passing shots. they are good in their own ways, but connors' was better.
Click to expand...

I agree they were both very good, but I saw Connors' backhand (forehand too for that matter) break down in clutch situations way too many times. He just didn't have enough margin for error, especially the longer the rallies went or on approach shots. For that, I'd take Borg's percentage, dipping topspin, winning backhand any day.
 
C

CCSurf

New User
Borg's was an interesting "two" hander considering that he released his upper hand right after contact and followed through as a one-hander (most of the time)
 
D

Deleted member 25923

Guest
The problems I have with my 2Hander on my AG100 are the same problems I would have with larger frames.


I love my AG100, and since switching, I find myself hittng off the rise more.
 
Marshredder

Marshredder

Semi-Pro
Cheers for the replies! Reason I asked was I went to practice with my K90 the other day and I got a few questions about it seeing as people tend to associate smaller heads with one handed backhands, ala Federer, Sampras etc.

But at the end of the day, when you compare a 90inch head to a 100, there really isn't THAT much difference in the hitting area. I enjoyed using the K90 with my 2hbh, although my backhand wasn't half as powerful as it usually is (its usually my killer shot). One handed backhands are generally easier to get power on aren't they? Unless im very mistaken!
 
D

Deleted member 21996

Guest
i have no problem with hitting my 2hbh with my recently bought Yonex rq-120 (92 sqin), with a pc600 and a ps tour 90 but it didnt go so well with my Becker winner and other mid's i had not long ago.

guess it's about the frame more than the shot itself...

although i would reckon my bh is more penetrating with my pro tour 690 or my Rad OS's than my main weapon (a prestige 660)...

confused...? me too!
 
Marshredder

Marshredder

Semi-Pro
Penetration is something my backhand is lacking. I can hit it hard, with a lot of power and spin, but hitting it from behind the baseline to land deep into the opponents side (close to their baseline) I have problems with, it normally bounces around the service line.

I think this is something I can fix by rotating my body more to get the added swinglength into my shot. Aaaah, I want to go play now.
 
jimbo333

jimbo333

Hall of Fame
Tsonga#1fan said:
I agree they were both very good, but I saw Connors' backhand (forehand too for that matter) break down in clutch situations way too many times. He just didn't have enough margin for error, especially the longer the rallies went or on approach shots. For that, I'd take Borg's percentage, dipping topspin, winning backhand any day.
Click to expand...

You must been unlucky with the matches you watched then, because Connors backhand was one of the most consistent shots ever in tennis!

His forehand could be ropey at times especially when approaching the net, Borg had the better forehand definitely.
 
M

makenakai

New User
I have the same problem w less than 102s, just not confident in finding the sweetness. I am 2x as good (spin,power and clean) with a 110 (Head Ti Rad OS) than my current 102 (volkyl Cat V1)

Borg had an assisted 1h. Both hands on impact, He let go very soon after impact. Not a good example IMO. Jimbo had a wierd almost slice type drive. like a 2h rosewall bh iMO. its a dominant handed bh. (evert type) The modern 2hbh is off hand dominant.(chang type) Maybe the different swing paths is the difference? One is classic through path, the other a windshield wiper snap over.
 
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