With an eastern forehand grip I easily understand what a laid back wrist position is. (The wrist is laid back breaking towards the outer forearm). With an eastern backhand grip with the base knuckle on top of the racquet, what actually is the laid back wrist position? Up? Back? Etc.?
Laid Back Wrist?? Forehand & Backhand??
- Thread starter gteter
- Start date
Hey guys.
This is a great question about the wrist and the onehander. The only place I have seen it discussed is on Nick Bollitieri's great "Bollistic Backhand" video.
Basically, the top of your hand and your forearm make a "little L" by bending your hand up (back) towards your forearm. It's like doing a reverse wrist curl. I posted some examples here:
http://www.hi-techtennis.com/onehander/onehander_wrist.php
This is a great question about the wrist and the onehander. The only place I have seen it discussed is on Nick Bollitieri's great "Bollistic Backhand" video.
Basically, the top of your hand and your forearm make a "little L" by bending your hand up (back) towards your forearm. It's like doing a reverse wrist curl. I posted some examples here:
http://www.hi-techtennis.com/onehander/onehander_wrist.php
Thanks for that info, JCo872. I always like seeing photos of critical instances throughout the swings of various pros. It gives me a good sense of how to approach the shot.
My 1HBH has been pretty decent, especially recently. But I can definitely see where I'm going wrong in comparison with the pros. While I can put some good pace and decent spin on my backhand, I can't always pound it like I want to. And sometimes my wrist feels like it's not in the proper position.
I tend to lay my wrist back at times and try to snap it in order to generate some additional spin on the ball. But it doesn't always work very well. I think I may try to take a new approach and emulate some of the pros to see if I can get my backhand to be more of a weapon.
Thanks again.
BTW, JCo872, if I wanted to have my strokes analyzed by your service, what do I have to do, exactly?
My 1HBH has been pretty decent, especially recently. But I can definitely see where I'm going wrong in comparison with the pros. While I can put some good pace and decent spin on my backhand, I can't always pound it like I want to. And sometimes my wrist feels like it's not in the proper position.
I tend to lay my wrist back at times and try to snap it in order to generate some additional spin on the ball. But it doesn't always work very well. I think I may try to take a new approach and emulate some of the pros to see if I can get my backhand to be more of a weapon.
Thanks again.
BTW, JCo872, if I wanted to have my strokes analyzed by your service, what do I have to do, exactly?
TonyB,
I highly recommend copying professional technique on the onehander. The stroke is technically very simple and there isn't much variety on the pro tour. They hit the ball incredibly cleanly and hard by getting in the correct racket/arm position (small L wrist position, locked hitting arm), and by coming into the ball at an angle, and then lifting up and across their bodies from the shoulder.
Snapping your wrist is a huge mistake. Power comes from a lifting motion from the shoulder, which gets the hand and racket to spring out with the ball. Snapping your wrist will destroy this power source. Another huge problem I see is people try to bend at the elbow to increase "racket head speed". You never see this with professional one handers. The hitting arm is completely locked and serves as a lever that can lift the ball as it pushes forward.
I'd love to take a look at your strokes. I find it to be the quickest and most effective way to correct stroke problems. Once you (or I) can see where you don't match the pro model, it becomes quite clear what you need to modify.
All I ask is you become a one month member ($9.99 for a month). I will post your video and analysis, with a pro comparison, in your personal section of my site that only you can see.
Look forward to seeing some strokes!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
When I looked at then 2nd and 3rd photo sequence of Gasquet:
The 2nd photo shows the inside out approach
The 3rd photo shows the trunk rotation and maintaining of the structure (the same principle of the double bend for forehand), the left shoulder is shown in the 3rd photo, not the 2nd.
The shoulder should not extend until the string is about 1/2 or 1 foot before contact. Then the rest is as you said shoulder push and lift.
I think the trunk rotation and maintaining structure part is missing from the one handler section~
Thanks. Sounds like a deal. Does this include only one video analysis, or can I submit videos of all my strokes (FH, BH, volleys, serve, etc.)?
I'll look around your website a bit more.
joe sch
Legend
Same for both, the bh may feel odd until you get use to it, then its lethal.
Look at Gasquet laid back wrist at the top of his bh loop, right before exploding into the blast:
http://www.hi-techtennis.com/onehand...nder_wrist.php
Qualification suggestion
I think it is important to qualify this statement about the 'little L' by mentioning this applies to a Semi Western BH grip and in some cases to a strong Eastern BH grip. Look at those pics and see that the index knuckle is behind the top of the frame, This is a great grip and the one nearly all the great 1HBH'ers use.
For a Continental BH, you would not see this for effective stroke technique.
In fact you would see the opposite; a closing of the face by either folding the wrist toward the palm or a simple rotation of the forearm [pre suppination].
I think it is important to qualify this statement about the 'little L' by mentioning this applies to a Semi Western BH grip and in some cases to a strong Eastern BH grip. Look at those pics and see that the index knuckle is behind the top of the frame, This is a great grip and the one nearly all the great 1HBH'ers use.
For a Continental BH, you would not see this for effective stroke technique.
In fact you would see the opposite; a closing of the face by either folding the wrist toward the palm or a simple rotation of the forearm [pre suppination].
Last edited:
x Southpaw x
Semi-Pro
my 1BH has more spin when laid back and with more spin, I can hit with more pace... so I disagree
drakulie
Talk Tennis Guru
Whe the OP said "laid back" I thought he meant, like in a forehand with the palm of the hand facing the ball, with the wrist laid back. In the backhand the palm is facing more towards the ground. So yes, there is a minimal "laid-back" position in the bh, but palm is not in the same angle as in the forehand.
Last edited:
I know this is an old post but I just came across it. I was just curious after reading paulfreda's post. Wouldn't the double bend just be part of a natural bend that occurs due to holding a semi-western backhand and eastern backhand grip. I could be wrong but it doesn't seem to be a intentional effort to make that bend just that how the wrist sits back on those grips.
Also, being a one hand backhander, I have suffered from tennis elbow. I was given some advice that tennis elbow is caused by wrist extension meaning that the wrist is bent upwards on the backhand and this causes the forearm muscles to be tight which pulls on the elbow tendon. So I am curious if this double bend, which means your wrist is in extension, could aggrivate tennis elbow. Anybody have any info on this?
Acer
Last edited:
IMO tennis elbow is caused most often by string tensions that are too high or frames that are too stiff [rating greater than 64] or weighing under 12 oz. Rarely is the problem technique. Others may disagree, but check it out for yourself.
Also DO NOT let TE get out of hand. Kill it quickly because it is degenerative in nature and it can take a year to get over a bad case of it. I know.
Also DO NOT let TE get out of hand. Kill it quickly because it is degenerative in nature and it can take a year to get over a bad case of it. I know.
Hi paulfreda, thanks for the reply. I think that you are correct in that using the right racquet helps but from my personal experience I have to say that tennis elbow is caused by technique. I use racquets with low tension (53 lbs), thin multi filament strings, heavy racquet (Pro Kennex Pro 5 G), low flex and that hasn't eliminated my tennis elbow. My last (which was my worst) bout of tennis elbow took a good 4 months before I could play with no pain. I did some strengthening exercises and it just started to feel better a couple months ago. That being said, I worked on technique on my one handed backhand and when I hit right (basically straight arm on contact) I feel no pain afterwards. It flared up again recently when I was playing and I could tell right away that I was having an off day and that my technique was bad. My backhand was being mishit and my timing was off. I knew I hit some late backhands and made some contact with a bent elbow. I am currently taking a week off so it won't get as bad as it was before (I tried to play through it before and just made it worse)
Good advice! I think that key is to let it heal and correct your stroke or it will become chronic like in my case. I always have to be careful.
Thanks
Acer
Last edited:
