Dimitrov's backhand is a technical anomaly

T

thomasferrett

Hall of Fame

The clearest example is the backhand he hits at 27 seconds. Guys like Wawrinka, Gasquet and Almagro 'windshield wipe' across the ball as contact is made - which means that the forearm supinates throughout the followthrough, such that the strings stay facing the net throughout much of the followthrough. So, if you hit slightly late, you're still going to roughly hit where you were originally aiming. A windshield wiper stroke is also said to provide more topspin.

But look at the way Dimitrov's topspin stroke 'cuts across' the ball, instead of 'wipes across' it. If he hits the ball a fraction late, his strings would be facing the side fence instead of the net, because there is absolutely no windshield wiper action. His forearm may even be pronating through the followthrough, which is worlds apart from what Wawrinka/Gasquet/Almagro do.

A lot of this is probably due to the fact that Dimitrov uses one of the most conservative (continental) topspin backhand grips on tour. Yet, despite this, he is actually quite good at handling high balls - which is pretty crazy.

Do you see any benefits to the unorthodox way Dimitrov hits his topspin backhand? Because I can't help but think that he is making life unnecessarily difficult for himself from a technical perspective...
 
This has been discussed before - it's definitely slightly kooky. It's his grip mostly imo which is almost continental by comparison to other guys with good one handed backhands. It means his contact zone is shorter and therefore he's more prone to slightly mistiming his backhands.

See this thread on it.
 
I heard that his shoulder is very flexible. Yet, he hits it kinda short if he's not taking the ball early. I actually surprised he don't accumulate the 'Sampras snap' on his serve pronation.
 
In the Pro game, it whatever works! Remember the William Sister swing volley? People attacked as being weird, made up stroke, etc... Now everybody uses it! LOL!
 
thomasferrett said:

The clearest example is the backhand he hits at 27 seconds. Guys like Wawrinka, Gasquet and Almagro 'windshield wipe' across the ball as contact is made - which means that the forearm supinates throughout the followthrough, such that the strings stay facing the net throughout much of the followthrough. So, if you hit slightly late, you're still going to roughly hit where you were originally aiming. A windshield wiper stroke is also said to provide more topspin.

But look at the way Dimitrov's topspin stroke 'cuts across' the ball, instead of 'wipes across' it. If he hits the ball a fraction late, his strings would be facing the side fence instead of the net, because there is absolutely no windshield wiper action. His forearm may even be pronating through the followthrough, which is worlds apart from what Wawrinka/Gasquet/Almagro do.

A lot of this is probably due to the fact that Dimitrov uses one of the most conservative (continental) topspin backhand grips on tour. Yet, despite this, he is actually quite good at handling high balls - which is pretty crazy.

Do you see any benefits to the unorthodox way Dimitrov hits his topspin backhand? Because I can't help but think that he is making life unnecessarily difficult for himself from a technical perspective...
Click to expand...
Spot on thread with Dimitrov on the cusp of winning Auz.;) Perhaps this is why confidence is such a big part of his game; the backhand would go into the fence without it.:confused:

Doesn't Folderer have a similar grip, etc.?
 
He is definitely not pronating through contact. He may even be supinating, but there's nothing unusual about not IMO. It's just a way to get more racquet head speed.
 
I believe it is all about the slice and getting the max under spin - Grigor uses it as much (if not more) than his topspin
 
And of all these differences only serve to highlight that tennis is so much about timing. Stroke mechanics don't matter much if at the time of hitting the ball, you're racquet is where you want it to be to do as you want it to do. *shrug*
 
Bobby Jr said:
Nope. Fed has a more conventional backhand grip. Dimitrov has the kooky one. See the thread I linked to above - it has pics for comparison.
Click to expand...
Cliff Drysdale going bonkers with Baby Fed vs Fed on both backhand and forehand tonite.:eek:
 
Dimitrov can expect to be pounded on his BH side relentlessly in the SF. His grip and technique -in theory- seem evem less suited to deal will Nadal's heavy topspin than Federer's. But oth he has the advantage to be a couple of inches taller.
 
hawk eye said:
Dimitrov can expect to be pounded on his BH side relentlessly in the SF. His grip and technique -in theory- seem evem less suited to deal will Nadal's heavy topspin than Federer's. But otoh he has the advantage of being a couple of inches taller.
Click to expand...
 
hawk eye said:
Dimitrov can expect to be pounded on his BH side relentlessly in the SF. His grip and technique -in theory- seem evem less suited to deal will Nadal's heavy topspin than Federer's. But oth he has the advantage to be a couple of inches taller.
Click to expand...
He handles high balls pretty well though.
 
Due to his height I guess. Well if he does that against Nadal he's the favouritte there in my book, playing like he does now.
 
Nothing out of the ordinary here. At least not historically. It's just a continental backhand. It probably offers you a little less in the way of maximum spin and consistency, and offers you a little more in terms of versatility, power potential (raw speed, not necessarily "heaviness"), and disguise.

Like an Eastern (or continental) forehand, on slower balls where you need to generate your own pace, or balls right in your wheelhouse, or even challenging balls where you need to go for a clear winner, the more conservative grip lets you swing through the ball more. Tennis strokes being rotational, that's when you see the racquet move past square quickly, and begin to point toward the side fence. It's more like a baseball swing with a bit of low-to-high trajectory. Pretty much how you were taught to hit every ball in the pre-poly era.

And that seems to be what Dimi's practicing here. The conti also affords you the opportunity to lock the wrist, change the contact point a bit, and hit a higher-percentage rally ball that looks a lot more like eastern/western grippers' modern shots off of a slightly higher ball. That's mostly the kind Tommy Haas used to hit, though he could wind it up like Dimi is above, too, of course. Same with Lendl. Dimitrov likes to hit through the ball a little more than across it, settling for the slice a lot more often when a neutral rally ball is called for.

And of course, his slices are a lot better disguised because the grip stays essentially the same, as does his takeback. Minor differences, but would be pretty impossible to spot in the heat of battle until the foreward swing begins.

Takes a lot more arm (esp. forearm) strength than the more "modern" strokes do, since depending on the stroke, you either have to force your wrist to flex down in order to meet the ball with a square face, or have to lock it out in front of you and use the wrist (rather than the palm and bones of the hand) to resist torsional forces on a more windshield-wipery stroke. This grip is why guys in the Laver era often had disproportionately Popeye-ish racquet forearms that you don't really see any more.

Anyway, it's more of a throwback than anything especially unorthodox.
 
Harry_Wild said:
In the Pro game, it whatever works! Remember the William Sister swing volley? People attacked as being weird, made up stroke, etc... Now everybody uses it! LOL!
Click to expand...
I often see the Williams sisters as being credited with inventing this move, but didn't Andre Agassi first popularize the swinging drive volley in the mid 90's?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...agassi-was-a-transition-of-tennis-generations

Nadal sends a tough forehand to Agassi’s deuce corner and follows up with a swinging volley at net—a technically rebellious shot young Agassi made famous when he was playing with flowing locks of hair and garish tennis attire
 
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it somehow gives me visual impression that he is consistently late to the impact and muscle it out last split second.
 
Harry_Wild said:
In the Pro game, it whatever works! Remember the William Sister swing volley? People attacked as being weird, made up stroke, etc... Now everybody uses it! LOL!
Click to expand...

That's only because none of the WTA know how to properly volley. They are unskilled and it isn't taught.

Swinging volleys are amateur-level jokes.
 
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