1hbh - where does the power come from?

[kirschbomb]

When I try to hit the 1 hander, the only way i can get power is if i swing really hard/muscle the ball, but then i lose balance. I want to be able to hit this with perfect balance. Where does the power come from primarily?

 

[ChiefIlliniwek5]

A lot of it is lateral and posterior deltoid (shoulder) muscles. Your abdominals are also utlized for the rotation of your body. Some trapezious and other back muscles are also involved and depending on your form, you might use some tricep too. Its hard to say exactly without knowing how your form is. But definately the side and rear shoulder muscles are the workhorses. Work on building those muscles. http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html That site is great for finding excercises to work out certain muscles and muscle groups.

 

[limitup]

I don't think that's necessarily true. All else being equal someone with greater muscle strength might be able to hit the ball harder, but mainly the power comes from using the correct form. Just look at Federer, or any number of juniors etc. - they have no muscles to speak of yet they can hit the ball with extreme pace.

It's like any other stroke in tennis - the most important thing is your stroke, not your strength. The time you spend in the gym trying to build up your muscles would be much better spent doing the correct drills, taking lessons, etc.

 

[vndesu]

the usage of your body footwork and follow through

 

[ChiefIlliniwek5]

I forgot to mention that the rotator cuff may also play some part in your 1hbh, again depending on your form. The more elbow rotation you use the more the rotator cuff gets involved. And that, limitup, is one muscle which you cant see no matter how big it is. Thats why even though I dont look like much, I can serve pretty hard because I spent a lot of time in the high school weight room working on my rotator cuffs.

You're right in that proper mechanics are important....especially for keeping your balance. And it sounds like this player is sacrificing proper form for power so you are right in that they need to first keep their balance and proper form. But in order to keep the velocity up without losing the balance you need to produce more strength in the swing and that comes from muscles which can more quickly contract.

 

[fuzz nation]

I think the 2hbh is popular partly due to the inherent quickness of its execution: set-turn-release and you're done. The 1hbh requires a slightly longer sequence to generate an efficient stroke and to earn that extra time, you have to get set up at the hitting zone just a little earlier than with that two-hander. To advance your timing to get a better hit on the ball, you need a quicker, earlier move to the ball plus an earlier turn and set up. Your driving legs and core rotation still power up the stroke, but it's a different progression of uncoiling that finally lets the racquet fly through the ball. Advance your timing and you can pound a one-hander.

 

[limitup]

But in order to keep the velocity up without losing the balance you need to produce more strength in the swing and that comes from muscles which can more quickly contract.

I still can't agree with this. I know a dozen 13-14 yr old girls with zero muscle that can hit harder than 95% of people on this board.

 

[montx]

I hit a 1hbh and it is a bullet. First you need to check your technique on your 1hbh. I reccommend you watch what federer and justin henin are doing. Federers is more eastern justin more semi/western to western. Justins is more stable arm structure behind the racquet and she is one small framed girl hitting better backhands than most of us.

To generate the power there are a few ways;

1) Make sure your strung with good power strings and at a slightly lower tension.
2) Make sure your stroke mechanics are in order. The 1hbh usually is performed in closed stance or semi-closed so ensure a good takeback.
3) Force = mass x acceleration so make sure your racquet has some mass. Also make sure you switch from takeback to contract phase efficiently so you have both room to generate momentemum and accelleration before making contact with the ball infront.
4) Decide the angle attack on hitting the ball as well as your contact point of your racquet's sweetspot in relation to the ball.
5) Go out and hit it with a ball machine for a couple of hours. Hit all using roughly the same medium level force and you will see sometimes how you hit the ball in relation to your sweetspot also contributes to the dynamite you put in the ball.

Watch the pros who do it good. Gaston Gaudio has a nice backhand, federer has nice one too but he gets a bit sloppy on it now and again. Justin's is nice.

Here is a link you can look at to see a nice backhand which is 1hbh

http://tennis.com/yourgame/instructionvideos/backhand/backhand.aspx?id=31272

 

[Josherer]

I've been playing for a while now and have a highly developed one handed back hand.

The key to success with the one hand back hand is your leg drive, body rotation and weight transfer.

You shouldn't have to muscle the ball in order to gain power. Your arms should just come along for the ride as the rest of your body does the work.

Good luck

 

[35ft6]

It's all about the shoulder turn.

 

[quicken]

SIT DOWN. Loosen up. Turn side ways. Make sure you lead the shot with the racquet's buttcap. Time the ball right.