Is there such a thing as windshield wiper backhand?

[Roy125]

I'm trying to add more topspin to my 1 handed backhand. I've only seen the fyb videos of it. Is there another way to hit the 1 handed backhand, like a counter part to the windshield wiper forehand?

Oh and a semi-western backhand grip makes you hit far out in front of the body right?

 

[Mick]

yes, there is.
alberto berasategui had a windshield wiper backhand.

he hit the ball with only one side of the racquet face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suFizRkJ4B4

 

[Roy125]

yes, there is.
alberto berasategui had a windshield wiper backhand.

he hit the ball with only one side of the racquet face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suFizRkJ4B4

Thanks for the vid, although I can't see his backhand closeup.

 

[Mick]

Thanks for the vid, although I can't see his backhand closeup.

yeah it's hard to see because he hit it so fast but i remember when he got to the 1994 french open final, bud collins asked him to show the tv audiences how hit the backhand and he demonstrated his windshield wiper backhand. it's the opposite of how he hit the forehand and he used the same side of the racquet face to hit the ball for both forehand and backhand.

 

[Netspirit]

The hitting side of the racket face does not matter.

Just lower the racket face to pre-pronate your forearm and then continue to supinate it during the stroke rotating the racket clockwise (for a righty). This will create the windshield wiper effect and impart some topspin on the ball. However, the WW follow-through trajectory will be naturally limited by the structure of your wrist - you cannot supinate it as much as you can pronate it, so it will be less pronounced. You will not call it "windshield wiper", basically.

Watch Federer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQ50D2fIKI, enable HQ, fast forward to 0:39. The racket head is slighly below the handle, his writst is pronated a bit. Then the wrist supinates as the racket hits the ball, up to 0:41 when it's fully supinated. Does it look like a WW? Not quite, I would say.

If you want more of that WW motion, you can experiment with swinging forward not from the high takeback position, but right from the lowest part of the "C", around your waist. You can even accumulate some tension in your forearm by pressing on the racket face down with your non-hitting arm, pre-pronating more for more explosive supination later. Be careful though, this sounds very injury-prone and is probably too hard to control.

 

[Blake0]

For 1hbh's there really isnt a ww. Although federer does it sometimes, if you watch his matches this year he's done it a couple times if he's late or he didnt set up properly.

 

[35ft6]

You see it sometimes even with one handers. Guga did it when he would hit incredibly sharp angles. The racket would completely close on the follow through.

 

[GuyClinch]

You can kind of release your wrist to add more topspin in theory (like Federer does in that video). Henin talks about this in her tennis channel bit that was running back a few months ago.

However in practice I haven't found it makes much difference..So I don't bother. OTOH my 1hbh is very flat..

 

[larry10s]

when you hit the short angle dipper or" roll " the ball you naturally get a ww like motion. fh ww supination to pronation. bh ww pronation to supination. imho

 

[Mahboob Khan]

Try hitting 1-handed BH very very sharp/angled cross-court from ad to ad left corner of the service box to ad left corner of the service box. This will automatically teach you the required windshield wiper BH. Yes, I agree that the backswing should be low.

 

[LeeD]

I think ClintThomson also does a shortened WW finish on his topspin backhands. His doesn't roll over completely, but always gets vertical with the ground.

 

[mike53]

You can kind of release your wrist to add more topspin in theory (like Federer does in that video). Henin talks about this in her tennis channel bit that was running back a few months ago.

However in practice I haven't found it makes much difference..So I don't bother. OTOH my 1hbh is very flat..

I found the ww finish motion had a very natural feel for my ohbh, but I couldn't find any good videos to study of anyone doing it so I go for the over the head "statue of liberty" finish, even though it's a little more of a challenge for me. I seem get a good hit with either and plenty of topspin.

 

[LeeD]

Look again at Clint's finish on his 1hbh topspin backhands. His racket always get turned to vertical, ensuring a closed racketface at impact.
If you watch vids of someone like Lendl or Vilas, they tend to open the face at the followthru, so they lock their wrists more, and don't pronate.
Modern tennis is changing, and we have to change with it.