Advice for Racquet for one-handed backhand (previous two-hander)

[photo-pro-123]

Hello everybody,

I'm a newbie here and wanted to get some advice. I'm a 3.5 player, 40 y/o male, baseline game who has developed a chronic biceps tendonitis of my left arm (I'm right handed) and am starting to play with a one-handed backhand stroke. I currently have a strong forehand and play with the Babolat Pure Drive GT strung at 58 with pro hurricane tour. My backhand still feels really weak and less stable one-handed and my coach has been helping me with it. Do you think a lighter racquet or more powerful one might be the answer? Any suggestions on racquets would be appreciated. I was thinking about the aeropro drive, but it might be too light and does not have the same power as the pure drive.

Thanks in advance!

Joe

 

[Jim A]

Repetition repetition repetition. Start with the slice and go from there, at 3.5 you can slice most of the time. I tend to take a big cut at the ball on a return and a groundstroke early with the 1hbh to at least show some aggressiveness on that side and then slice away. Most 3.5s have poor backhands. It is nothing new

 

[Sander001]

Emulate the full stroke of the backhand with a resistance band.

 

[Lukhas]

I had no issues hitting a one-hander with a Pure Drive personally. Practise more.

 

[n8dawg6]

lighter and "more powerful" than the pure drive is probably going to compound the physical problem. i would first go with your coach's recommendations. second ... fact of the matter is, if you can develop a reliable 2HBH at 3.5 level, you are literally ahead of the game. perhaps a softer frame and strings than the PD + 58 lb hurricane will allow you to keep both paws on the grip pain-free.

 

[mhkeuns]

It takes a lot of practice to make the OHBH a weapon. But once you have the timing and the mechanics down, it is the prettiest stroke in tennis, imo.

Though I have no problem hitting OHBH using the Pure Drive, I favor the heavier, smaller headsized frames. The frames like the Pro Staff 90 & 85, Prestige Mid, Prince Tour 95 (Rebel, Tour or Textreme Tour), or Six One 95 provide more stability and control.

 

[Fireball]

I think you best choice is to stay with the racket you are using and focusing on your technique. Why change more variables at once? When you feel you master the 1hb you might test if another racket would be beneficial to your (complete) game.
I haven't played with PD myself but that's not a heavy racket and from what I'm hearing it doesn't seem to lack power either ...

Of course you should also practice running around and hit inside forehand, especially if you have a strong forehand.

 

[Numero Uno]

heavier, smaller head size, very headlight frames are really better on OHBH i really dont know why... something like ps97,six one 95s... they are maneuverable and still very stable

 

[stingstang]

I think its a bad idea to change racket to help one particular shot. You then end up finding your serve or forehand isn't as good with the new racket and want to change again... Result is you end up a chronic racket changer like all of us

Its boring but work on the technique. Experimenting with strings is a good idea though. 58 is very tight with full poly IMO. Try different strings (I don't think PHT is that great) much lower tension or hybrid?

 

[Zodd]

@photo-pro-123 Hi Joe, welcome to the forum!

Agree with others above, there's no need to change racquets unless you really struggle with the PD. It's a powerful frame and also quite easy to get around so that will be fine. If you feel the need for more power string it lower and/or try a livelier string. Being very careful with your technique and building arm and shoulder strength is the way to go.


I switched from 2HB to 1HB in my late teens and remember the journey well so i'll share some of the things I had to be aware of during my transition. Power was a challenge in the beginning but today my 1HB has much more pace and is a more versatile shot than my 2HB ever was, not to mention the slice.

It's difficult to give specific tips before having seen your technique but i'll share my general ones that always is key for me to be aware of.


* Make a dedicated effort to always give yourself more/extra time setting up your 1HB. Early preparation is very important since for most players it takes a longer swing = more time, to generate the same level of power in a 1HB vs 2HB

* Make sure to extend your back swing properly, eg wind up enough so that you're able to release with enough power. This is important since many players with 2HB are used to a much shorter and more compact preparation, using more pure arm power than hip/shoulder rotation to generate power/RHS. Just have a look at the good 1HB on tour - you'll see that the preparation and rotation through impact is the key to generating good power.

* Try to step into each shot properly so that you have your body weight working with you through the shot - this makes a big difference. Move towards the ball, plant your leading foot steadily and pivot around that point and through impact extending your arm properly.

* Also, try to remain as relaxed as possible through the whole shot so that your arm and wrist can extend and release naturally through impact, this will also enhance power and minimize stress on your arm.

Early preparation, extend back swing properly, step into the shot, release and rotate through impact while being as relaxed as possible. Easy huh?

Best of luck!

 

[photo-pro-123]

Thank you EVERYBODY for your great advice! This is my first (maybe second) posting and everybody has been so helpful!

Zodd, your advice is so helpful and I really appreciate it--it's good to know that somebody has gone through those same growing pains from the transition as I am experiencing, but that there is hope at the end of the tunnel!

As a follow-up, is there a way to minimize my chance of injury with a OHBH? I am afraid of getting tennis elbow because that area seems to get a lot of vibration. Would a softer, more flexible racquet or lower stringing tension be more forgiving? I already have one chronic injury with my biceps tendon and that's why I'm switching to begin with!

Thanks ya'll.

Joe

@photo-pro-123 Hi Joe, welcome to the forum!

Agree with others above, there's no need to change racquets unless you really struggle with the PD. It's a powerful frame and also quite easy to get around so that will be fine. If you feel the need for more power string it lower and/or try a livelier string. Being very careful with your technique and building arm and shoulder strength is the way to go.


I switched from 2HB to 1HB in my late teens and remember the journey well so i'll share some of the things I had to be aware of during my transition. Power was a challenge in the beginning but today my 1HB has much more pace and is a more versatile shot than my 2HB ever was, not to mention the slice.

It's difficult to give specific tips before having seen your technique but i'll share my general ones that always is key for me to be aware of.


* Make a dedicated effort to always give yourself more/extra time setting up your 1HB. Early preparation is very important since for most players it takes a longer swing = more time, to generate the same level of power in a 1HB vs 2HB

* Make sure to extend your back swing properly, eg wind up enough so that you're able to release with enough power. This is important since many players with 2HB are used to a much shorter and more compact preparation, using more pure arm power than hip/shoulder rotation to generate power/RHS. Just have a look at the good 1HB on tour - you'll see that the preparation and rotation through impact is the key to generating good power.

* Try to step into each shot properly so that you have your body weight working with you through the shot - this makes a big difference. Move towards the ball, plant your leading foot steadily and pivot around that point and through impact extending your arm properly.

* Also, try to remain as relaxed as possible through the whole shot so that your arm and wrist can extend and release naturally through impact, this will also enhance power and minimize stress on your arm.

Early preparation, extend back swing properly, step into the shot, release and rotate through impact while being as relaxed as possible. Easy huh?

Best of luck!

 

[joohan]

@photo-pro-123 Hi Joe, welcome to the forum!

Agree with others above, there's no need to change racquets unless you really struggle with the PD. It's a powerful frame and also quite easy to get around so that will be fine. If you feel the need for more power string it lower and/or try a livelier string. Being very careful with your technique and building arm and shoulder strength is the way to go.


I switched from 2HB to 1HB in my late teens and remember the journey well so i'll share some of the things I had to be aware of during my transition. Power was a challenge in the beginning but today my 1HB has much more pace and is a more versatile shot than my 2HB ever was, not to mention the slice.

It's difficult to give specific tips before having seen your technique but i'll share my general ones that always is key for me to be aware of.


* Make a dedicated effort to always give yourself more/extra time setting up your 1HB. Early preparation is very important since for most players it takes a longer swing = more time, to generate the same level of power in a 1HB vs 2HB

* Make sure to extend your back swing properly, eg wind up enough so that you're able to release with enough power. This is important since many players with 2HB are used to a much shorter and more compact preparation, using more pure arm power than hip/shoulder rotation to generate power/RHS. Just have a look at the good 1HB on tour - you'll see that the preparation and rotation through impact is the key to generating good power.

* Try to step into each shot properly so that you have your body weight working with you through the shot - this makes a big difference. Move towards the ball, plant your leading foot steadily and pivot around that point and through impact extending your arm properly.

* Also, try to remain as relaxed as possible through the whole shot so that your arm and wrist can extend and release naturally through impact, this will also enhance power and minimize stress on your arm.

Early preparation, extend back swing properly, step into the shot, release and rotate through impact while being as relaxed as possible. Easy huh?

Best of luck!

One more thing - don't forget to counterbalance with extended "off" hand. Sounds minor but makes a huge difference power-wise by stabilizing the core...

 

[The_Racketeer]

The hard part of a 1HBH is that it uses muscles uncorked by any other tennis shot. So it will take time to build that muscle. The whippier the racquet, the easier it will be to get the RHS up. I find a HL and polarized set-up to work best, so the racquet is maneuverable and the head snaps through contact.

Take the racquet back with your left hand on the throat so you coil. Make contact in front of you.

 

[Zodd]

As a follow-up, is there a way to minimize my chance of injury with a OHBH?

Yes there is, since a 1HB involves a much larger range of motion than a 2HB and shifts the full weight of the shot (back swing/wind up + the swing / follow through itself) onto just one arm/shoulder as @The_Racketeer mentioned above, you must be careful not to put too much strain on them in the beginning when learning a completely new motion.

* Make sure you are properly warmed up and gently stretched before playing (as always )

* A good idea is to also put in some exercise of the delts and the shoulder back side using light weights and full range of motion. Also make sure to stretch them regularly but gently. This will act as prehab and also help stabilize the whole motion.

* Build your technique and pace of shot slowly and carefully. Always emphasize early preparation and a relaxed (arm, wrist and grip/hand) and extended swing all the way through. Good pace will be a natural result of this.

* Be careful never to start your swing too aggressively, which tend to happen in two situations: One is if you are late with your preparation and feel forced to create pace in too short a time. Two is simply when trying to hit too hard. Both situations tend to make you tense up as well as get the sequence of hips/shoulder/arms wrong which increases the risk of injury.

In short: Prehab, proper warmup (always), early preparation, relaxed all the way through, never over hit (meaning too hard).

I am afraid of getting tennis elbow because that area seems to get a lot of vibration. Would a softer, more flexible racquet or lower stringing tension be more forgiving? I already have one chronic injury with my biceps tendon and that's why I'm switching to begin with!

Yes, a softer/more flexy frame will absorb vibrations to a much larger extent resulting in a less amount of harsh and potential damaging vibrations reaching your joints. Miss hits will also feel much better (softer - not as jarring) with a flexier frame.

Yes, lower tensions will both feel softer/plusher and result in less harsh vibrations - this goes in general. There are of course a plethora of strings with different characteristics but even a stiff string will feel more plush and gentler to your arm when strung lower.

Your PD as well as your current string type and tension makes for a rather stiff overall setup - just curious, what made you settle for this specific setup?

 

[The_Racketeer]

@Zodd made some great points. Start each session with some half volleys and half speed backhand to get the motion down. Focus on the technique. This will keep you from swinging too aggressively. I've found that a smooth, fluid motion works better than an aggressive stroke, both in terms of generating RHS and preventing injury.

 

[photo-pro-123]

Yes there is, since a 1HB involves a much larger range of motion than a 2HB and shifts the full weight of the shot (back swing/wind up + the swing / follow through itself) onto just one arm/shoulder as @The_Racketeer mentioned above, you must be careful not to put too much strain on them in the beginning when learning a completely new motion.

* Make sure you are properly warmed up and gently stretched before playing (as always )

* A good idea is to also put in some exercise of the delts and the shoulder back side using light weights and full range of motion. Also make sure to stretch them regularly but gently. This will act as prehab and also help stabilize the whole motion.

* Build your technique and pace of shot slowly and carefully. Always emphasize early preparation and a relaxed (arm, wrist and grip/hand) and extended swing all the way through. Good pace will be a natural result of this.

* Be careful never to start your swing too aggressively, which tend to happen in two situations: One is if you are late with your preparation and feel forced to create pace in too short a time. Two is simply when trying to hit too hard. Both situations tend to make you tense up as well as get the sequence of hips/shoulder/arms wrong which increases the risk of injury.

In short: Prehab, proper warmup (always), early preparation, relaxed all the way through, never over hit (meaning too hard).




Yes, a softer/more flexy frame will absorb vibrations to a much larger extent resulting in a less amount of harsh and potential damaging vibrations reaching your joints. Miss hits will also feel much better (softer - not as jarring) with a flexier frame.

Yes, lower tensions will both feel softer/plusher and result in less harsh vibrations - this goes in general. There are of course a plethora of strings with different characteristics but even a stiff string will feel more plush and gentler to your arm when strung lower.

Your PD as well as your current string type and tension makes for a rather stiff overall setup - just curious, what made you settle for this specific setup?

Thanks for the comprehensive response! I mainly have this setup for the forehand feel. The backhand never had much 'feel' as it was very mechanical to me and off sweet-spot shots were more forgiving because the two-hander was a ble to absorb more vibrations than the OHBH. The latter really travels up the arm for me if I frame the shot! One option I have is play testing the Wilson PS95s which I heard is more forgiving--or decrease the tension of myPD. But I really feel like if I lesson the tension, the shots will be more springy and my forehand which is my greater strength will be going long much more often.

May I ask any OHBH players what they play with here?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[joohan]

May I ask any OHBH players what they play with here?

Overall, my ideal specs are 95 sq.inch, 330g unstrung and 12 pts HL balance but I can enjoy forgiveness of a 100 sq.inch-ish, lighter racquet for an occasional fun-bashing. Plus I warm up with a Vacuum Pro 90.

 

[The_Racketeer]

I play with Angell TC95 310gm 315mm
(unstrung specs).

I made the switch to this racquet, partly for my backhand. My previous racquet (PCG100) was just a bit too heavy for me to get around with easy whip. Foam filled and very soft.

 

[asifallasleep]

1) The best thing to do is to not over complicate things by trying to remember a bunch of steps. Forget about all that stuff. It will slow the process and make your stroke too robotic and mechanical because you will be thinking too much.

2) If your two hand backhand was pretty good with sound footwork you only need to adjust a few simple things to hit a monster 1 hand backhand.

3) Give me details about your two hand backhand and then I can help you.

4) Backhands should be better and easier than forehands because you don't have to swing across your body. For most it's a mental thing.

 

[TennisHound]

I would only try to develop a ohbh temporarily until your arm gets healed up. And yes, I would use a different racquet. You might think about a heavier one. If you stay at the same weight, I would look at Volkl, Pro Kennex, or Pacific. Nothing wrong with Babolats, but you're gonna need something less stiff to heal your arm. There's a whole lot of them out there.

 

[fuzz nation]

I would only try to develop a ohbh temporarily until your arm gets healed up. And yes, I would use a different racquet. You might think about a heavier one. If you stay at the same weight, I would look at Volkl, Pro Kennex, or Pacific. Nothing wrong with Babolats, but you're gonna need something less stiff to heal your arm. There's a whole lot of them out there.

Agree here - a one-handed backhand can benefit more directly from some extra weight in the racquet compared with a forehand. Swing it at a comfortable tempo and a substantial frame can furnish much better command for that stroke. That's the catch - regardless of the racquet, you can't muscle a one-hander over the long term. It requires proper (early!) preparation and a smooth release to a contact point that's further out in front for most of us than our forehands.

Before you go shopping for racquets, you can consider adding a couple grams of extra weight to the hoop of your PD using a little lead tape. Just a little extra mass could give you a bump in stability that you want and it's easy enough to remove it if you don't like what you get with it.

I enjoy a couple different "10-series" frames from Volkl (mid-plus options with 98" heads), but I play with some other racquets in my collection, too. None of my frames are terribly stiff, but I also string them with synthetic gut - this is both "crisp" feeling and plenty comfortable for me. If you want to protect yourself from arm irritation, I recommend avoiding poly or poly hybrids in any racquet you play. While synthetic gut can be semi soft, you'll likely get even more "arm-friendliness" with a decent multifiber.

The Volkl Super G 8 315g can be a good alternative to the Pure Drive, but you could sample some others. Maybe look at the Blade 98 and Six.One 95S from Wilson, Prince Classic Graphite 100, Yonex DR 98... Even a racquet up toward 12 oz. isn't something to be afraid of trying - if it has substantial HL balance, it ought to be easy enough to maneuver.

 

[photo-pro-123]

Fuzz

Thanks for your advice as well. I was actually looking at a Volkle Pb10 MP from a few years ago because it got decent reviews and seemed arm friendly. I was also considering the prince tour pro 95 like they have here for $99. Any opinions on either of them?

Joe

 

[fuzz nation]

Racquet thoughts:

I tried a Tour 95 from a few years ago - similar to this one that's on sale at TW (maybe a Rebel 95?) - and liked it. If my racquet collection wasn't so bloated right now, I'd probably grab one just out of curiosity. I'd expect this racquet to be a cozy alternative to perhaps the Wilson Six.One 95 given the Prince's flex rating is in the high 50's.

I usually like my racquets to have enough heft to feel stable, but I also typically like them to have a little more HL balance than the stock layout of this Prince. I get more familiar handling with a 12+ oz. frame when its balance it up toward 9 pts. HL, but that's easy enough to adjust by adding lead to my handle. Just my preference there.

I don't remember playing a Volkl PB 10 MP, but I don't recall ever hearing that this frame was a dud among the "10-series" releases. If the head size is a 98", it may not seem any different from the Prince or it might seem mildly more forgiving depending on the fit you get with each one. There's probably plenty of potential for a cozy player in either frame, especially for hitting one-handed backhands.

Either racquet will probably be a good bit different from your Pure Drive, so you may want to just grab one or the other and get to know it for a while. Sometimes finding what's better or worse in the world of equipment requires a long term test drive with something new. Using it in different settings with a couple different string layouts should eventually give you an idea of its ups and downs.

String thoughts:

After re-reading your original post, I'm feeling compelled to urge you to dump the poly in your Pure Drive. You've already got some irritation happening in your arm and frankly speaking, that combo of a PD with a rather snug bed of full poly is about as arm UN-friendly as it gets. It's downright notorious.

Before you make investments in other racquets, I think the smart priority is relieving your irritation right now. Even a switch to syn. gut should give you a significantly softer alternative than the Pro Hurricane. Since your arm already has some troubles, I wouldn't even consider dropping tension with poly or a poly hybrid. Get away from it entirely until your arm health gets headed in the right direction.

 

[movdqa]

I have always had a 1HBH and did play with the Pure Drive Roddick (Pure Drive Tour now) for a while. It wasn't my favorite racquet for the 1HBH but it was nice for the forehand and serve.

I prefer smaller-headed and heavier racquets for the 1HBH. The heavier racquet and smaller head provide more stability and plow through. You need the plow through as you don't have the brute force the shot with two hands.

The keys to power on the 1HBH are closed stance, good rotation and swinging out on the stroke. To get these, you need to have good preparation, footwork and timing.

 

[WYK]

For my OHBH, I prefer to use a ~6-8pt HL stick in the 12 ounce range. I also prefer an extended stick for the reach and SW for both my BH and serve. I currently use 98 and 100 sq in sizes. One of my favourite rackets at the moment is my Dunlop M3.0 weighted to 12 ounces and extended to 27.25". For doubles, I use a Prince Tour 100 ESP extended to 27.25" and occasionally a bone stock 2006 PD Team or PCG 100.
In my prime, I used a 12.6 ounce POG mid.

I used to have a 2hbh when I was younger. But found I could get more velocity with a OHBH, and contrary to popular belief, found it easier to return kick serves to my BH with a OHBH, as it gave me more reach and spin on the return. I still bat back the occasional ROS two handed as needs be, either for the reaction speed or if being jammed.

 

[WYK]

Buy a ball machine and hit thousands of backhands.

I usually find a wall at the local industrial park/estate, and hit thousands upon thousands of strokes against it(though I currently have access to a hitting wall at our local club). There was one warehouse center near me back in Texas that had 25' high smooth concrete walls, and a huge parking lot, and was closed all weekend and week nights, but easily accessible. Due to the occasional miss-hit, there are likely hundreds of tennis balls on the roof of that thing by now...

 

[tribesmen]

When I was a kid and hitting wall I was always very happy when I found tennis ball(s) in the bushes behind wall. The real treasure was yellow ball, because at that time they were really rare.

 

[BreakPoint]

Hello everybody,

I'm a newbie here and wanted to get some advice. I'm a 3.5 player, 40 y/o male, baseline game who has developed a chronic biceps tendonitis of my left arm (I'm right handed) and am starting to play with a one-handed backhand stroke. I currently have a strong forehand and play with the Babolat Pure Drive GT strung at 58 with pro hurricane tour. My backhand still feels really weak and less stable one-handed and my coach has been helping me with it. Do you think a lighter racquet or more powerful one might be the answer? Any suggestions on racquets would be appreciated. I was thinking about the aeropro drive, but it might be too light and does not have the same power as the pure drive.

Thanks in advance!

Joe

Quite the opposite. For a one-handed backhand, you actually want a heavier and lower-powered racquet. This allows you to take a fuller swing and allows the racquet to do most of the work, which is what you want with a 1HBH.

 

[photo-pro-123]

Thank you WYK for those videos! I set them as a favorite bookmark so I can refer back to them over again!

 

[photo-pro-123]

Quite the opposite. For a one-handed backhand, you actually want a heavier and lower-powered racquet. This allows you to take a fuller swing and allows the racquet to do most of the work, which is what you want with a 1HBH.

I appreciate your comment Breakpoint, I think that I need to find a racket that can balance my whippy forehand shot for a straighter, fuller OHBH. I think that perhaps adding some weight will be a good first step, but I'm afraid of the stiffness of the PD-GT in causing havoc to my elbow.

Joe

 

[movdqa]

The 95 may be a good balance between wanting a big surface for hitting big topspin forehands and a smaller head for more precision. That's what I'm using these days and I'm happy with that. Roger Federer has chosen a 97. You can see pros hitting 1HBHs from 90 to 100+ so players can get most anything to work.

You might consider the PD Tour as an alternative to the PD which should be somewhat better for the 1HBH while keeping some of the aspects of the PD.

 

[BreakPoint]

I appreciate your comment Breakpoint, I think that I need to find a racket that can balance my whippy forehand shot for a straighter, fuller OHBH. I think that perhaps adding some weight will be a good first step, but I'm afraid of the stiffness of the PD-GT in causing havoc to my elbow.

Joe

You're welcome, Joe.

That's true. A light and stiff racquet like the PD can indeed cause elbow problems for players with one-handed backhands. A heavier and more flexible racquet would be a safer choice for 1HBHs.

 

[Simon Paterson]

Hi, having hit a 2 hander as junior and converting to a one hander I may be able to recommend a couple of good frames. I'd probably purchase a Yonex Vcore Tour 97. You could probably pick one up pretty cheap now. I still use one for coaching. I personally use a Yonex Ezone Dr 98. Both of these frames are extremely stable from the baseline and the net. You will be able to hit a whippy forehand and have the necessary plow through and stability on the backhand. Thanks.

 

[zalive]

(deleted)

 

[psyvec]

I've hit my best ohbh's ever with a yonex AI 98. It was a shame to let her go because I couldn't get my forehand dialed in.

 

[alexdoro]

I've hit my best ohbh's ever with a yonex AI 98. It was a shame to let her go because I couldn't get my forehand dialed in.

What do u use now?

 

[prjacobs]

Thanks for the comprehensive response! I mainly have this setup for the forehand feel. The backhand never had much 'feel' as it was very mechanical to me and off sweet-spot shots were more forgiving because the two-hander was a ble to absorb more vibrations than the OHBH. The latter really travels up the arm for me if I frame the shot! One option I have is play testing the Wilson PS95s which I heard is more forgiving--or decrease the tension of myPD. But I really feel like if I lesson the tension, the shots will be more springy and my forehand which is my greater strength will be going long much more often.

May I ask any OHBH players what they play with here?

Thanks,

Joe

I play with an APD and I see no reason why you can't develop a great OHBH with your PD. I use a poly/multi combo at 52/54.
As mentioned above, and I'm sure your coach is emphasizing this: a good "unit turn" is extremely important. There are quite a few insightful videos on YouTube to show you everything you need to know about grip, shoulder turn, counterbalancing with the non hitting hand, etc. I just searched " modern one handed backhand" and this is at the top of a long list.

If you talk with many teachers, you'll find that they feel the one handed backhand is an extremely natural stroke and when it becomes solid, it's actually a most consistent stroke than the forehand for many higher level players.

 

[WYK]

I appreciate your comment Breakpoint, I think that I need to find a racket that can balance my whippy forehand shot for a straighter, fuller OHBH. I think that perhaps adding some weight will be a good first step, but I'm afraid of the stiffness of the PD-GT in causing havoc to my elbow.

Joe

I notice, especially if I get lazy in mixed doubles, that if I do not swing out fully on my ohbh that I feel it in my elbow regardless of RA.

 

[movdqa]

I had difficulty with the precision problem on my 1HBH after going to a bigger frame but the forehand benefits outweighed the backhand deficiency. I changed my topspin backhand to hit with a looser wrist and more topspin and I feel more comfortable swinging out on it. The consequence is that I hit with more topspin overall and not as many flat shots but it works for me. Racquets are all about tradeoffs - forehand, backhand and serve mainly.

 

[JackB1]

I think its a bad idea to change racket to help one particular shot. You then end up finding your serve or forehand isn't as good with the new racket and want to change again... Result is you end up a chronic racket changer like all of us

Its boring but work on the technique. Experimenting with strings is a good idea though. 58 is very tight with full poly IMO. Try different strings (I don't think PHT is that great) much lower tension or hybrid?

this x 1,000

just use a racquet that works for your overall game...not for just one shot. Once you get your technique down on the one hander, these won't be issues anymore.

 

[psyvec]

What do u use now?

Pacific bx2 x force leaded to 360 grs strung.

 

[teekaywhy]

I think you best choice is to stay with the racket you are using and focusing on your technique. Why change more variables at once? When you feel you master the 1hb you might test if another racket would be beneficial to your (complete) game.
I haven't played with PD myself but that's not a heavy racket and from what I'm hearing it doesn't seem to lack power either ...

Of course you should also practice running around and hit inside forehand, especially if you have a strong forehand.

Agree with staying with the racquet. For the ohbh, its more about timing and footwork. It's a very different stroke than the two hander in that way as you're not able to "muscle" a ball back. A dependable slice is very useful a la Stevie Johnson.
Just remember to keep your arm bent and relaxed on the unit turn back and to finish the stroke.

 

[PMChambers]

Hello everybody,

I'm a newbie here and wanted to get some advice. I'm a 3.5 player, 40 y/o male, baseline game who has developed a chronic biceps tendonitis of my left arm (I'm right handed) and am starting to play with a one-handed backhand stroke. I currently have a strong forehand and play with the Babolat Pure Drive GT strung at 58 with pro hurricane tour. My backhand still feels really weak and less stable one-handed and my coach has been helping me with it. Do you think a lighter racquet or more powerful one might be the answer? Any suggestions on racquets would be appreciated. I was thinking about the aeropro drive, but it might be too light and does not have the same power as the pure drive.

Thanks in advance!

Joe

I've recently changed the other way, OHBH to DHBH after 35 years. I was getting hit through on the single and struggle with return of serve. OHBH have issues. Have you considered or spoken to your coach about a Borg DHBH? He hits it like a one hander very right hand dominant often releases his left just after impact and uses his left to guide up to contact. He also hit OHBH top spin when out of position. The benefit being it's close to DHBH but not a modern style which is left hand dominant. The hardest part of a OHBH is timing and contact so this is lessened. I only suggest it because OHBH is one of the hardest shots to play and consistency is a problem. Also need to set up much better than a double. You need conviction more so than a forehand. At 3.5 you could get away with a Rosewall slice Backhand, they are general easy and safe, but will get attacked in doubles, tend to sit up and hard to hit winners from baseline. It becomes a slow rally point. OK in singles but problematic in doubles unless you hit it as good as Rosewall.
The racquet is fine it's actually a OHBH style frame. You want heavy and head light, low stiffness is good.

 

[photo-pro-123]

As a side question, I see that a lot of players recommend the Head Prestige Mid. Do any of ya’ll have an opinion on which iteration has been the most popular/liked? IG, Graphene, graphene 360, etc...?

 

[maxplough]

socallefty gave the definitive answer above in my opinion.

The rest of the answers are most likely personal favourites. My contributions on this front would be the 6.1 95, 6.1 100, RF97, Vcore 95 and Gravity Pro.

Once personal racquet history and physiology have been controlled for, it's possible that some kind of trend in weight, balance, swingweight, polarisation etc. will remain across all suggestions here, but these personal factors are so overwhelmingly predictive of what will work for you that the suggestions don't mean much IMO.

 

[movdqa]

My last reply was in 2016. Since then, I've gone to the modern takeback and it's made a decent improvement to my backhand. Basically more free power and/or topspin. It took a year to get it to the point where I don't have to think about it but it's one thing to look at if you're not already doing it. Most of the people I hit with are older and still use a classic takeback and I sometimes think about what they are leaving on the table but it's not trivial to change a stroke.

 

[Winners or Errors]

My last reply was in 2016. Since then, I've gone to the modern takeback and it's made a decent improvement to my backhand. Basically more free power and/or topspin. It took a year to get it to the point where I don't have to think about it but it's one thing to look at if you're not already doing it. Most of the people I hit with are older and still use a classic takeback and I sometimes think about what they are leaving on the table but it's not trivial to change a stroke.

Okay I’ll bite. What’s the “modern takeback”?

 

[movdqa]

Okay I’ll bite. What’s the “modern takeback”?

It's an oversimplification but in general, the racquet is pointing up in the modern takeback while it's pointing behind you in the classic takeback. This is similar with the forehand. You can see this looking at slow-motion backhands of Federer, Gasquet, and Wawrinka while you can see the classic takeback with players like Stan Smith, Vitis Guerulaitis and Arthur Ashe.

In general, you may be using the classic takeback if you learned to play in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s or even the 1990s or were self-taught. I'm guessing that the modern takeback was taught in the 2000s and beyond.

 

[aaron_h27]

There has been a lot of misinformation regarding OHBH rackets here, mostly people trying to recommend extremely heavy headlight, low flex, standard length frames when in reality pros are using different specs.

Henin with one of the best one handers of all time was using a 95 sq inch frame, 315g strung, 350SW, 27.5 length and 73 RA, 2 pts HL.

Gasquet uses a 100 sq inch, 318g strung, 380 SW, 27.5 length frame not sure about stiffness & balance.

One of the most important specs overlooked for the OHBH is twistweight and stiffness. the RF97A has a 68 RA. I think stiffer frames benefit one handers more so than flexy ones.

Extended length is also a viable option for one handers and you don't need a 350g+ frame to hit a decent one hander despite what people may tell you here

 

[movdqa]

I use a 27.6 inch, 95 square inch, 385 swingweight, 13.25 ounces, 63 RA frame with decent twistweight. The thing about going really stiff is arm health, particularly as you age. You can compensate by adding weight in the handle, increased twistweight or softer strings.