Do you ''show your opponent the buttcap'' on your 2HBH takeback?

DonDiego

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
The other day I was training with a coach and I started to rally with a 2-hander (I usually hit with one hand), and the coach kept telling me: ''I don't see the buttcap of your racquet when you prepare''. It's true that I don't **** the wrist that much on my 2hbh takeback, but I didn't felt like it was necessary. My shots were ok without doing this.

Should I absolutely do this? What do you guys with a good two-hander do?
 
lol, seems like part of a man's anatomy is not to be discussed here on TT :-)
The word is ''coc_'', and is a verb...
 
DonDiego said:
lol, seems like part of a man's anatomy is not to be discussed here on TT :)
The word is ''coc_'', and is a verb...
Click to expand...

Pretty sure it's a noun.

WzbbtvK.jpg
 
Yes you should try too because that puts the racket in the correction position. After that you should drop the racket head down into the slot position so that the racket head tip points to the ground.
The pros actually add another element when they coil their shoulders bacl for more power. This I do not do because I am a club player.
 
You can get away with a partial layback (partial c0cking) on fast or deep incoming balls. Ok for serve returns and half-volleys. However, for slow and medium-paced incoming balls you should lay the racket back more as your coach suggests. This should make it easier to develop good RHS to really drive thru the ball.

With less takeback, as you do now, it is possible generate decent RHS if you uncoil your body quickly enough. Still best, however, the lay the racket back more. Here are images of a young Edberg and Safin.

Edbergs2hander.jpg
image021.jpg
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
You can get away with a partial layback (partial c0cking) on fast or deep incoming balls. Ok for serve returns and half-volleys. However, for slow and medium-paced incoming balls you should lay the racket back more as your coach suggests. This should make it easier to develop good RHS to really drive thru the ball.

With less takeback, as you do now, it is possible generate decent RHS if you uncoil your body quickly enough. Still best, however, the lay the racket back more. Here are images of a young Edberg and Safin.

Edbergs2hander.jpg
image021.jpg
Click to expand...


dgold44 said:
Yes you should try too because that puts the racket in the correction position. After that you should drop the racket head down into the slot position so that the racket head tip points to the ground.
The pros actually add another element when they coil their shoulders bacl for more power. This I do not do because I am a club player.
Click to expand...

Thanks. But doesn't this buttcap thing, as seen in the pictures above, happen just before contact -- and a consequence of the racquet drop? I mean, there's no reason to **** the racquet (show the buttcap) too early in the preparation, right?
 
DonDiego said:
Thanks. But doesn't this buttcap thing, as seen in the pictures above, happen just before contact -- and a consequence of the racquet drop? I mean, there's no reason to **** the racquet (show the buttcap) too early in the preparation, right?
Click to expand...

No, the buttcap thing happens after the racquet head drops and the forward swing swing starts (as shown in the images above). The racquet head lags for a bit on the forward swing so the buttcap will show for a little while. However, just before contact, the racquet head comes around and the buttcap can longer be seen by the opponent.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
No, the buttcap thing happens after the racquet head drops and the forward swing swing starts (as shown in the images above). The racquet head lags for a bit on the forward swing so the buttcap will show for a little while. However, just before contact, the racquet head comes around and the buttcap can longer be seen by the opponent.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah, that's what I meant. My point is: you don't ''show the buttcap'' when the ball from your opponent hasn't even bounced on your side of the court, right? Cause that feels really awkward.
 
DonDiego said:
Well, yeah, that's what I meant. My point is: you don't ''show the buttcap'' when the ball from your opponent hasn't even bounced on your side of the court, right? Cause that feels really awkward.
Click to expand...

I depends on how deep the ball is going to bounce. If the ball will bounce fairly deep in NML, you should show the buttcap before the bounce. However, if the bounce is so deep that you need to half-volley the ball, you might not show your buttcap at all.
 
Last edited:
LakeSnake said:
Is it because the instructor wants you to prep early and you're more of a JIT guy?
Click to expand...

I prepare early with my one-hander, lots of hip turn and knee bend, but with two hands it doesn't feel ''natural'' to do the same, I feel like I could stay open stance more.
 
It places your racket farther back in preparation, which gives you a longer path and more acceleration. It happens as you turn your shoulders and body back and bring the racket back.
 
SystemicAnomaly said:
No, the buttcap thing happens after the racquet head drops and the forward swing swing starts (as shown in the images above). The racquet head lags for a bit on the forward swing so the buttcap will show for a little while. However, just before contact, the racquet head comes around and the buttcap can longer be seen by the opponent.
Click to expand...

This is correct in my opinion.

Prep is just turn to side, hands stay between the shoulders, set your grips and move to the ball. As you start to pull forward, the butt cap passes through a point where it points roughly at contact. Actually, I think my FH is exactly the same. Even if you have a big prep and take your hands all the way back behind your back hip, which I don't advocate, the butt cap would not point at the ball because my racket head is up above my hands a bit at prep - the butt cap would actually point at the ground. Cannot find any picture but Maria Sharapova has this kind of big prep with racquet head up. But, her butt cap doesn't point at ball until forward swing is in progress.
 
Djokovic sometimes shows the buttcap before the end of his takeback. Gulbis who has a very strong backhand often does this too.

Both Djokovic and Gulbis will also close the racket face at the end of the takeback, more like what you see in SW forehands. I wonder if both players are left hand dominant at contact.

In short, it might be worth listening to your coach.
 
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