I totally agree - I guess I wasn't clear - when I said I thought I needed to have a TS BH, it was because I thought I looked like a hack because I didn't have it... and here's the part I should have been more clear about: I now believe that I was wrong, and set myself on a fool's errand, wasting a few months of instruction and effort on a shot I rarely hit while I have an alternative that is just as effective, if not moreso at my level and for any level of tennis I have a hope of reaching... The truth is that I don't/didn't look like a hack because I only sliced my backhand, I look like a hack I'm a 3.5 player, and whether or not I ever develop a powerful OHTSBH will not change how much of a hack I look or don't look like
I pretty much don't care if I look like a hack now, as long as I do well in my matches, and if that means I beat my opponents with a "death by a thousand slices" approach, then so be it.
One of the best players in our club, his regular service is at 100+ mph, yet mostly slices from forehand.
He is ranked very well. And you probably don't want to meet these slices from forehand.
He actually plays a bit of opposite when compared to Federer and Del Potro.
He will slice from forehand till he can run around and hit a killing backhand.
Then recently I played vs a guy with similar style, though not as good as this guy from my club.
His backhand is strong, but not really "killing". You have more chances to return it.
And his forehand slice is also not that dangerous, though he compensates with amazing dropshots, which are difficult to read.
It took me a while till I understood how to play. Unfortunately due to the time required to understand & test efficient way how to play vs him, it was late in the game, and I was unlucky, didn't use the setballs to go to set 3, so I lost.
He defeated recently most of the opponents he played, including well ranked guys.
So, let me ask you again, where is the problem with the slice on one wing?
These 2 guys are a good example for me that if you didn't master one shot, you can still be a very dangerous opponent.
P.S. the slice is not only a defensive shot, it can be quite aggressive as well.