15 one-hand backhand #1's in the last twenty years

C

Clintspin

Professional
Am I correct that out of the last twenty years (big years for the two-handed backhand) 15 of those years the number one players had one-handed backhands?
# 1987: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 3
# 1988: Flag of Sweden Mats Wilander
# 1989: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4
# 1990: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg
# 1991: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg 2
# 1992: Flag of the United States Jim Courier
# 1993: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras
# 1994: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 2
# 1995: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 3
# 1996: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 4
# 1997: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 5
# 1998: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 6
# 1999: Flag of the United States Andre Agassi
# 2000: Flag of Brazil Gustavo Kuerten
# 2001: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt
# 2002: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt 2
# 2003: Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
# 2004: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer
# 2005: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2
# 2006: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 3
# 2007: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 4
 
perhaps it is the stroke of the elite.
and the 2hbh has its limits?

iono. Just because it became popularized doesn't necessarily mean the best players always use it.
 
a. You seem to be correct
b. That whole 'flag of' thing is weird
c. Wasn't Lendl playing for the US by the time he was #1?
d. Does the numbering imply Lendl only had 4 years at 1? Seems low to me, unless it's year-end or some-such...
 
It is all copied off of the Wikepedia site. That is why the flag stuff. The one I posted on the WTA turned out even stranger.
 
interesting, not all that surprising though, the one hander i have always felt has the potential to be more lethal, i would say gasquet has the best backhand, maybe i think because since your other arm does not have to inhibit the stroke you have a greater range of motion and can find more angles, its def not for everyone though otherwise they would all have a one handed backhand
 
best 2hbh players:

-Agassi: had poor serve and no volley
-Safin: had no brain
-Nalbandian: had no serve
- Kafelnikov: had no power
- Wilander: poor service and power
-Mecir: no service and leadership
-Rios: no brain

I love 1hbh but I think the problem for 2hbh players is not thei backhand, but other factors.

The next number 1 player is probably a 2hbh player (Nadal?Djokovic?), even if he's a younger player (don't love very much players younger than Djoko, I think Gulbis is the only one with such a potential, but don't think he'll be #1).

c.
 
Nickognito said:
best 2hbh players:

-Agassi: had poor serve and no volley
-Safin: had no brain
-Nalbandian: had no serve
- Kafelnikov: had no power
- Wilander: poor service and power
-Mecir: no service and leadership
-Rios: no brain

I love 1hbh but I think the problem for 2hbh players is not thei backhand, but other factors.

The next number 1 player is probably a 2hbh player (Nadal?Djokovic?), even if he's a younger player (don't love very much players younger than Djoko, I think Gulbis is the only one with such a potential, but don't think he'll be #1).

c.
Click to expand...

Nadal haves an awesome 2HB....
By the way.... I can't see Gaston Gaudio or Richard Gasquet anywhere....
The both have AWESOME Backhands.... (1HB)
 
Clintspin said:
Am I correct that out of the last twenty years (big years for the two-handed backhand) 15 of those years the number one players had one-handed backhands?
# 1987: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 3
# 1988: Flag of Sweden Mats Wilander
# 1989: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4
# 1990: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg
# 1991: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg 2
# 1992: Flag of the United States Jim Courier
# 1993: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras
# 1994: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 2
# 1995: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 3
# 1996: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 4
# 1997: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 5
# 1998: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 6
# 1999: Flag of the United States Andre Agassi
# 2000: Flag of Brazil Gustavo Kuerten
# 2001: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt
# 2002: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt 2
# 2003: Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
# 2004: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer
# 2005: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2
# 2006: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 3
# 2007: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 4
Click to expand...

Yeah but if you take Sampras out of the equation then its just about equal, so if one guy tips it either way that could just be chance because what if it was someone with a two handed back hand that was #1 for 5 years, so this might be a little misleading, who knows though there might be a little more something to this...
 
Last edited:
^^ And Sampras didn't get to the top because of his backhand. :)

Good "observation" but I don't think it proves anything, e.g., to get to the top you have to have 1hbh vs 2hbh.

r,
eagle
 
Of course, if you started the clock in the seventies, you would have counted the Connors and Borg years, and it wouldn't look so lopsided.
 
best 2hbh players:

-Agassi: had poor serve and no volley
-Safin: had no brain
-Nalbandian: had no serve
- Kafelnikov: had no power
- Wilander: poor service and power
-Mecir: no service and leadership
-Rios: no brain
Click to expand...

This seems like a harsh assessment of the players mentioned, particularly Agassi who is after all one of the greatest players of all time. You have also convienenetly ommitted Borg and Connors.
 
Clintspin said:
Am I correct that out of the last twenty years (big years for the two-handed backhand) 15 of those years the number one players had one-handed backhands?
# 1987: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 3
# 1988: Flag of Sweden Mats Wilander
# 1989: Flag of Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4
# 1990: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg
# 1991: Flag of Sweden Stefan Edberg 2
# 1992: Flag of the United States Jim Courier
# 1993: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras
# 1994: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 2
# 1995: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 3
# 1996: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 4
# 1997: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 5
# 1998: Flag of the United States Pete Sampras 6
# 1999: Flag of the United States Andre Agassi
# 2000: Flag of Brazil Gustavo Kuerten
# 2001: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt
# 2002: Flag of Australia Lleyton Hewitt 2
# 2003: Flag of the United States Andy Roddick
# 2004: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer
# 2005: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 2
# 2006: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 3
# 2007: Flag of Switzerland Roger Federer 4
Click to expand...

This is the year-ending #1. If we count all the #1 in the world, then there might be a lot more 2 handers.
 
noeledmonds said:
This seems like a harsh assessment of the players mentioned, particularly Agassi who is after all one of the greatest players of all time. You have also convienenetly ommitted Borg and Connors.
Click to expand...

Well this thread is in the context of the last 20 years, so the "convenience" originated from the thread starter.
 
I picked the last twenty years because it was a big time for big two-handed backhands. If I took the twenty years before, it would have clearly favored the one-hand backhands. I was actually trying to be very fair. No one is saying that we haven't had some great two-handed players during the last twenty years. I was just showing how well the one-hand players have done. Some teaching pros seem to believe the two-hand is the only backhand to teach but this shows that is not true.

I also looked up the WTA players and found 11 years out of the last 20 years one-hand backhand players finished first.
 
Open Tennis

1968 Laver
1969 Laver
1970 Newcombe
1971 Newcombe
1972 Stan Smith

Computer Rankings

1973 Nastase
1974 Connors
1975 Connors
1976 Connors
1977 Connors
1978 Connors
1979 Borg
1980 Borg
1981 McEnroe
1982 McEnroe
1983 McEnroe
1984 McEnroe
1985 Lendl
1986 Lendl

12 of 19 from the advent of Open Tennis through 1986.

That, combined with the last 20 years where two handers progressively outnumbered ones by a larger margins:

27 of the 39 years of Open tennis there has been a one-hander year end #1.
 
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