Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
I have some idea of what's going wrong but I'm open to suggestions. I really wanna improve this shot. Even if it means drilling it exclusively.
CRITICIZE MY ONE HANDED BACKHAND
- Thread starter Daniel Andrade
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- one handed backhand
Can you drill exclusively under the guidance of a teaching pro? I’m sorry to say this but your backhand looks like it needs a lot of development and it’s going to be difficult to develop the basics when, as badmice observed, you’re moving all over the place and hitting all over the place. Stroke development is a step by step process and a teaching pro is trained to build your stroke through a learning trajectory: grip, shoulder turn, footwork, contact point, etc. You will not only hit a ton of balls with a teaching pro, you will be fed a ton of PERFECT balls for you to practice on, unlike in your video. Hard to imagine you developing a stable, consistent stroke (and the requisite muscle memory) if you just keep drilling like you are in the video, even if you have good advice, because it’s like trying to learn to swim in a hurricane. If you can’t afford lessons, my advice would be to try to develop your backhand against a wall, which can give you more consistent practice balls.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
OP, I just spent 30 minutes yelling at my friend to take the racquet back earlier (tip up) on the 1HBH, you should do the same. Basically show your back to your opponent before the ball bounces.
Curious
G.O.A.T.
How do you know his friend hits a 1hbh?
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
My friend, Mihai, not his.How do you know his friend hits a 1hbh?
Curious
G.O.A.T.
I know. It sounded like ‘you should do the same ie yell at his friend’.
Anyway bad joke I guess.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
I meant it that way a bit.I know. It sounded like ‘you should do the same ie yell at his friend’.
Anyway bad joke I guess.
badmice2
Professional
A few things to add…
Specific to your stance, you’re doing it correctly for the most part ie anchoring left foot - transferring to the right. However a few things are happening because the timing to get into your stance is late - a) you’re cross stepping with your right too much to reach for the ball; or b) you get to your stance so late that you don’t have time to establish the unit turn. Both of those are leading to an unsettling upper body movement, causing you to change the shape of your swing, as a result a poor contact point. General rule of thumb is that you should settle into your stance around the time of the traveling ball lands on your side of the court. As the ball is rising, you need to initiate your swing.
Let’s see if you can get your legs set earlier, and therefore self correct everything else.
10sbeast888
New User
biggest problem, all lower level amateurs have, on both the fh and the bh, is attacking the ball with the sweet spot. It seems to make sense but it never works.
attack the ball, with the leading edge, then roll the ball, up and across, thru the swing.
there is no 'forward' in tennis. there is only up and across.
it's very counter intuitive, but it works.
this is also why, most people get frustrated by tennis and end up in the sorry cesspool of pickleball.
lol.
attack the ball, with the leading edge, then roll the ball, up and across, thru the swing.
there is no 'forward' in tennis. there is only up and across.
it's very counter intuitive, but it works.
this is also why, most people get frustrated by tennis and end up in the sorry cesspool of pickleball.
lol.
Bagumbawalla
G.O.A.T.
1, First learn the basic stroke.
2. Find the spot- height- distance from body that feels right and allows you to hit that same stroke, the same way, comfortably and cleanly over and over again.
3. Practice hitting that stroke by having someone gently toss the ball into your "strike zone", or use a ball machine that hits a dependable ball.
4. Then work on movement- watch the ball coming back to you and get yourself into position before it lands- so that
every time you meet the ball in the same relation to your body every time (as in #2, above).
Right now you are hitting, swatting, slapping at the ball every-which-way- too high, too far away, out of position, moving back, lurching forward,
stretching, cramped, inventing new postures...
If you watch accomplished players, notice that they seldom seem out of position, off balance, inventing new strokes. So just keep to that one
boring old stroke and hit it that same boring old way.
2. Find the spot- height- distance from body that feels right and allows you to hit that same stroke, the same way, comfortably and cleanly over and over again.
3. Practice hitting that stroke by having someone gently toss the ball into your "strike zone", or use a ball machine that hits a dependable ball.
4. Then work on movement- watch the ball coming back to you and get yourself into position before it lands- so that
every time you meet the ball in the same relation to your body every time (as in #2, above).
Right now you are hitting, swatting, slapping at the ball every-which-way- too high, too far away, out of position, moving back, lurching forward,
stretching, cramped, inventing new postures...
If you watch accomplished players, notice that they seldom seem out of position, off balance, inventing new strokes. So just keep to that one
boring old stroke and hit it that same boring old way.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Ok, that probably took less than 30 seconds. You need to yell at the OP for an additional 29.5 minutes.
Curious
G.O.A.T.
So true and we know reality can hurt.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
Who taught you your backhand, Curious?
This will never, ever, ever work. You are swinging and not even anchored to the ground. You wouldn’t even throw a frisbee like this. Did I mention that this will never work?
This will never, ever, ever work. You are swinging and not even anchored to the ground. You wouldn’t even throw a frisbee like this. Did I mention that this will never work?
Curious
G.O.A.T.
I thought you were asking me.
Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
I learned it watching all of the videos you have posted of yourself hitting a one handed backhand
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Repeatedly alas...
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
I don’t need help with my backhand. Why would I post, to show off?
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
No chest press, like Federer and F. Lopez. The majority of strong 1HBH ATP players in 2024 and Justine Henin display chest press in high speed videos. You are using your shoulder joint too early. And minimizing use of the uppermost body turn.
Search thread
One Hand Backhand - Waht Force to Start Forward Swing
Chas Tennis
One Hand Backhand - Waht Force to Start Forward Swing?
One Hand Backhand - What Force to Start Forward Swing? I have just been watching great one-hand backhands at the Madrid Open. Including excellent slow motion that can be replayed in even slower motion or single frame with my DVR. Often when I try to swing forward for a one hand backhand...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
See post #51 for chest press description.
Don't know what to believe on the internet? Study high speed videos until you see what to believe.
Warning: twisting and untwisting the spine rapidly may be too stressful for some players.
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Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
One checkpoint for the 1HBH technique is to watch a line between the two shoulders. CORRECTION - See Wawrinka 1HBH in post #31
Estimate turn back and turn forward and when the shoulder joint is used. Some backhands are slices and the shoulders do not turn much as for the drives.
To single frame on Youtube, stop video, go full screen and use the period & comma keys to single frame.
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Daniel Andrade
Hall of Fame
To show off your utter lack of skills
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
What stands out in my mind, it seems the racket never goes below your waste, maybe it's timing, maybe hitting everything in front of the baseline, maybe the height of the ball? Whatever sound you are making a second after you hit, try not to do that unless it really does hurt you to finish the shot, because it's so late after you swing.
You're never, ever, hitting on a balanced position. From then on, everything is bad because even if you knew how to do it, you couldn't because you lack proper support from ground up.
For a start, you need to read the ball better and prepare earlier. Then we could talk about the stance, swing, and why you should decide to slice or hit TS when hitting over the shoulder height.
For a start, you need to read the ball better and prepare earlier. Then we could talk about the stance, swing, and why you should decide to slice or hit TS when hitting over the shoulder height.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
You mean waist, right? But I get it: it's a ...waste of a shot
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Told him so.
sportsfan1
Legend
You are not transferring body weight (and momentum when possible) forward into the shot.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
You mean waist, right? But I get it: it's a ...waste of a shot
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
You can compare tennis stroke videos in this reply. To single frame on Youtube, stop video and use the period and comma keys. First, compare how OP's shoulders turn to how Wawrinka's shoulders turn. Start with both videos showing the frame of impact (or closest). Next observe chest press and read about it.
Get a bigger image of the player with the sun lighting the backhand side (not in shadow).
To select one of the Youtube videos -
1) place cursor on Youtube, click to stop near the frame you want
2) hold down CNTRL key and ALT key and
3) left mouse click, otherwise the video will start playing.
4) use period & comma keys to single frame.
Single frame to the frame nearest impact.
Compare frames of the ATP player to yours.
Note on the backhand slice the line between the shoulders does not rotate.
Get a bigger image of the player with the sun lighting the backhand side (not in shadow).
To select one of the Youtube videos -
1) place cursor on Youtube, click to stop near the frame you want
2) hold down CNTRL key and ALT key and
3) left mouse click, otherwise the video will start playing.
4) use period & comma keys to single frame.
Single frame to the frame nearest impact.
Compare frames of the ATP player to yours.
Note on the backhand slice the line between the shoulders does not rotate.
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ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
You don’t transfer your body weight into the shot. The front leg turns into a sort of “plant leg” that stops momentum. The only reason you step into the shot is to maximize the stretch of the back and back of the shoulder so you can powerfully pull the racquet into contact.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
What about the fact that it will never, ever, ever work? Isn’t that a problem for you? Oh wait, I forgot who I was responding to.
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Sometennispun
New User
Lol RIP OP. Do people still think you can come in here and get genuine help with their stokes?!
(BTW, not sure about your grip you have, the racquet face is pointing up to the sky a lot)
(BTW, not sure about your grip you have, the racquet face is pointing up to the sky a lot)
That's not the main problem.
It's pointing up because he is out of balance and because he is chosing the wrong shot (topspin above shoulder height).
badmice2
Professional
Since You guys don’t know how to fix it, you’re telling someone to quit trying.
That’s sad.
Curious
G.O.A.T.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
LOL. Yeah, you try that too. Does the ball go to the other side of the net? Big deal. FYI, the guy in the video sucks at tennis.
Curious
G.O.A.T.
Can you beat the guy in a tennis match?
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
How would I know? Who is he? He has a major flaw with his backhand. It has no spin, it starts incorrectly, I imagine he has zero variety with it. Poor start and poor finish. I do know my bh is better than his.
Curious
G.O.A.T.
You said he sucked at tennis, not bh.
ballmachineguy
Hall of Fame
You time-stamped it. It was as much as I could stomach watching that. What I saw stunk. How ‘bout instead of hunting down every video ever made about tennis, where you eventually uncover someone that made a video that you feel justifies your poor form, you actuallly stick to a plan to get better?
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
Yeah I don't think it looks that bad TBH. He's just moving everything too slowly and hitting the ball too close to the body
@Daniel Andrade the better ones were the ones where you picked them up off the bounce
Curious
G.O.A.T.
That timing and positioning is pretty poor though. No?
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
Will come with time and practice, the more important thing is to get the feet going and HUSTLE
The most important thing with this shot IMO is to stop thinking. More than any other, it does NOT lend itself to overthinking. My best 1H are always when I'm running to the ball and not thinking about anything. Just targeting.
(This is also why I don't use them on rally balls when I have time to think--too much to go wrong and it often does)
naturalexponent
Hall of Fame
learn to slice, or hit only forehands.
