Help Please on Backhand Slice, which part of ball do you exactly hit?
- Thread starter millenium
- Start date
Supernatural_Serve
Professional
Definately not underneath or your slice will float up, make contact on the face of the ball.
When I hit cross court, I "try" to make contact slightly to the outside of the ball, if I hit down the line, I sometimes "try" to make contact with the ball slightly on the inside of the face of the ball to putting some side spin on the slice.
A video is better than words
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=642031&col=376168
Use the pause button at 1:35-1:36 and notice the angle of the racquet face at contact with the back face of the ball and notice how well he uses his legs to help maintain proper orientation of the racquet face to the ball (a low ball) in this case.
When I hit cross court, I "try" to make contact slightly to the outside of the ball, if I hit down the line, I sometimes "try" to make contact with the ball slightly on the inside of the face of the ball to putting some side spin on the slice.
A video is better than words
http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/index.php?id=642031&col=376168
Use the pause button at 1:35-1:36 and notice the angle of the racquet face at contact with the back face of the ball and notice how well he uses his legs to help maintain proper orientation of the racquet face to the ball (a low ball) in this case.
Last edited:
Rickson
G.O.A.T.
I hit dead center and then use the high to low. I'd never aim for the bottom of the ball unless I was a few inches away from the net and was trying a trick shot.
Bungalo Bill
G.O.A.T.
For the slice, I aim for the outside of the ball in the middle. Not underneath. Go through the ball.
Djokovicfan4life
Legend
If you hit the outside of the ball you could only go cross-court though, right?
Bungalo Bill
G.O.A.T.
Not exactly. Here is what I mean:
http://passionfortennis.com/2008/04/19/how-to-hit-an-effective-backhand-slice/
For my preference, I aim for the outside part but also aim more in the middle of the ball. The picture shows slightly under which could work depending on the angle of the racquet face.
Solat
Professional
BB : interesting site, i can forsee myself spending much time there
D
Deleted member 25923
Guest
Oooh, this should help me out a lot. I have a bad habit of hitting under the ball, so I can hit effective floater slices, drop shots (not that effective, but still decent) and slice lobs.
Bungalo Bill
G.O.A.T.
Yes, it is a good site. Sort of fun moving about in the weeds of tennis instruction. Never know what nugget of information you might find to accelerate the learning curve.
That outside thingy is a good tip. I tested it out on the court and I can support it. Many times people say things here and they have never tried it themselves or use it for that matter. Everything I support and stand for, I have done. I dont support anything that seems amiss or I haven't been able to do on a consistent basis.
Solat
Professional
i have used the "cupping" analogy plenty on the slice whenever i see the wrist fade and droop and the inside out swing path eventuate.
Bungalo Bill
G.O.A.T.
Yes, I would but I use a slightly different motion to achieve it. Yes, it will be a debate that will go in circles.
I am a lefty so when I hit the ball, even if I hit it in the same spot, at times I get a slightly different affect on the ball. Don't ask me how I do it, cause I don't know.
But if I am driving the slice, I will do it like the article. It works well.
Bungalo Bill
G.O.A.T.
For some people it is. For me it is, however, I like looking for that part of the ball when I hit it. I am not "aiming" for precise contact. I am simply envisioning me hitting that part of the ball. That is my slice and it will kick your ***.
If you dont need to, you dont need to. Consider yourself lucky. Others might need to.
For example, twist serves, topspin serves, slice serves, and flat serves, I hardly ever "aim" to hit a certain part of the ball. I rarely focus on where I should toss and dont remember the day I have ever done so. I do remember simply tossing and hitting the ball to get whatever "curve" I wanted.
The serve came very easy for me and still is to this day despite my possible appearance in surgery for rotator cuff injury over the years and years I have played.
However for others, the serve may not come that natural.
Rafael_Nadal_6257
Semi-Pro
I agree in part with this. The backhand slice for me is very natural. I sometimes even consider it to be a safer shot than my topspin two-handed backhand, which is pretty good itself.
However, that tip and site that BB provided I found a couple weeks ago and has helped me a ton especially on developing a controlled yet driven slice, which stays low both before and after the ball.
It is particularly helpful when playing against an opponent who does not have a consistent backhand slice and cannot easily handle low balls with their two-handed backhand (if they have one). If I find myself in a match with them, they'll be facing low backhand slices to their backhand all day.
Similar threads
