Single handed backhand players: Do you use your left hand to help bring your racquet back in the takeback?

Single handed backhand players: Do you use your left hand to help bring your racquet back in the tak

  • Yes

    Votes: 43 91.5%

  • No

    Votes: 4 8.5%
  • Total voters
    47
zill

zill

Legend
I guess this may be used by single handed backhand players with a large takeback. Assuming the left hand is the non dominant hand.

Is it actually textbook to use the left hand to help bring your racquet back?
 
Last edited:
i don't normally use a topspin 1hbh, but i can hit it on easy balls...
not sure if it's "textbook", but during my unit turn i'm actively applying tension (think of loading a rubber band), between my hitting hand and left hand
(the idea is that when i "release my left hand" the racquet swings down and forward, while my left hand moves back (eg. to help prevent over rotating
so while my left is "pulling back" on the throat, i don't think it's helping with the takeback (my unit turn is doing that)
 
nyta2 said:
but during my unit turn i'm actively applying tension (think of loading a rubber band), between my hitting hand and left hand
Click to expand...

Sounds like you do it so that your left and right hand can 'communicate' with each other somewhat?
 
zill said:
Sounds like you do it so that your left and right hand can 'communicate' with each other somewhat?
Click to expand...
yeah i guess you could call it that...
i think i started doing that because i needed my left hand to go back (to prevent over rotating)
now that i know how to hit a topspin 1hbh i probably don't need to do that anymore, but it's just a habit that is now ingrained
 
I have used a single handed backhand for 16 years and for the first time thought about my left hand!! Think it’s helpful as you say.

I actually think it’s useful to do to reduce the tension in the right arm in the takeback.
 
I think using my left hand helps coil both shoulders better and allows IHBH players better feel on the backswing.
 
I have the left arm on the throat of the racket when I take back, and sometimes I do actually use the left arm to pull it back further so I can use a bit of that shoulder elasticity to hit it faster.
 
The only people not using their left hand are the ones making a weird chopping motion or bunting the ball back over the net. Usually with a fully open stance facing the other court.
 
AlexSV said:
The only people not using their left hand are the ones making a weird chopping motion or bunting the ball back over the net. Usually with a fully open stance facing the other court.
Click to expand...
Good point- if you want to use topspin on your backhand, use that off-hand is needed. Same for a flat, aggressive !HBH off the front foot. Using the off-hand is key.
 
After watching a Tomaz Mercinger analysis of Thiems drive bh, I actually try to keep it on until the racquets next to my non dominant (left) hip in the forward swing.
 
absolutely. Index finger on the strings. left hand pulls the racquet back and when i release, the left hand goes backwards
 
Left hand in the throat and after the unit turn, the left hand is the one that brings down the racquet, the right hand builds up the tension and then both hand release at the same time, one let go of the racquet and goes back to balance as the other one projects the racquet forward.
 
I actually realised you can instead bring your left elbow back as your hand is on the throat of the racquet which achieves the same result.
 
Shroud said:
Some say even Feds is not ideal.

It looks ugly but bet its more solid than lots of bhs in this thread.
Click to expand...

The difference though is Fed does all the fundamentals to the best of his abilities. Mark in the vid can do things to improve his backhand like holding on to the throat longer and rotating backward more.
 
zill said:
The difference though is Fed does all the fundamentals to the best of his abilities. Mark in the vid can do things to improve his backhand like holding on to the throat longer and rotating backward more.
Click to expand...
Sure everyone can improve but there are posts saying the off hand is a must for topspin. Mark shows its not necessary.
 
Anyway I will be using my left elbow instead of the left hand to take the racquet back. Because my racquet is very close to my body in the backhand prep.
 
Yes.

My right hand holds handle lightly as I coil because I change grip during the motion from my ready (continental) to S/W
 
zill said:
Anyway I will be using my left elbow instead of the left hand to take the racquet back. Because my racquet is very close to my body in the backhand prep.
Click to expand...

No better to use the hand to bring my racquet backward. I spent 6 months trying to perfect my single handed backhand and with no avail which led me to learn the double handed backhand. But that will not be the miracle cure. However this little fact of using my left hand to bring the racquet backward in the prep has proved to be the cure for my single backhand as I've exhausted and perfected all other avenues. Amazing!
 
zill said:
No better to use the hand to bring my racquet backward. I spent 6 months trying to perfect my single handed backhand and with no avail which led me to learn the double handed backhand. But that will not be the miracle cure. However this little fact of using my left hand to bring the racquet backward in the prep has proved to be the cure for my single backhand as I've exhausted and perfected all other avenues. Amazing!
Click to expand...
There was zero problem with your take back. You know where the problem is!
 
absolutely, use left hand (I am righthanded) to pull racquet back and racquet head up, load rightshoulder, help the racquet for the drop and then unleash it once you start to make the forward movement. I like to think that the left hand is responsible for extra racquet speed and power because of "loading" the right shoulder! If I don't do it consciously, my backhands are less powerful for sure!
 
beepee1972 said:
absolutely, use left hand (I am righthanded) to pull racquet back and racquet head up, load rightshoulder, help the racquet for the drop and then unleash it once you start to make the forward movement. I like to think that the left hand is responsible for extra racquet speed and power because of "loading" the right shoulder! If I don't do it consciously, my backhands are less powerful for sure!
Click to expand...

Seems like the left hand acts like the hand that 'pulls the sling shot'.
 
Shroud said:
Sure everyone can improve but there are posts saying the off hand is a must for topspin. Mark shows its not necessary.
Click to expand...
I think everyone can get results with different techniques but talking from my own experience, the left hand helping with the takeback is a huge help, it loads the shot like a slingshot and it helps with the stability, once you're in position you unleash the shot whereas without the left hand helping, you won't have nearly as much stability and the whole work is done by the right shoulder, there's not the same loading up and I think it could have more arming the ball potential.
 
Fairhit said:
I think everyone can get results with different techniques but talking from my own experience, the left hand helping with the takeback is a huge help, it loads the shot like a slingshot and it helps with the stability, once you're in position you unleash the shot whereas without the left hand helping, you won't have nearly as much stability and the whole work is done by the right shoulder, there's not the same loading up and I think it could have more arming the ball potential.
Click to expand...
I agree. Off hand helps a lot but its not necessary for topspin
 
Coming from a racquetball background I don't need the off arm to do anything and I used to practice a true one-handed backhanded when hitting around at practice. But I find it helps setup the body rotation and load to use the off hand to pull back and increase the stretch.
 
Shroud said:
I agree. Off hand helps a lot but its not necessary for topspin
Click to expand...

Yeah it sounds unimportant but in the game of tennis which is played by the inch at higher levels the left hand makes a huge difference in providing overall stability to the shot which adds to the power since with more control, one can aim for more hence swing harder with confidence.
 
zill said:
Yeah it sounds unimportant but in the game of tennis which is played by the inch at higher levels the left hand makes a huge difference in providing overall stability to the shot!
Click to expand...
Of course. But its not necessary for topspin…
 
ChaelAZ said:
Coming from a racquetball background I don't need the off arm to do anything and I used to practice a true one-handed backhanded when hitting around at practice. But I find it helps setup the body rotation and load to use the off hand to pull back and increase the stretch.
Click to expand...

It is possible to stretch the the right arm without the help of the left hand but it works better using the left hand though definitely.
 
Shroud said:
Of course. But its not necessary for topspin…
Click to expand...
Yes, is not necessary but it helps to add quality to the shot, it adds stability and with that it improves the shot overall including but not restricted to topspin, is not necessary but it makes it better.
zill said:
True, Analogy is like eating meat for dinner. Not necessary to include meat in your dinner but feels definitely better with it… at least for me.
Click to expand...
Good analogy is not necessary but it certainly makes it better.
 
Fairhit said:
Yes, is not necessary but it helps to add quality to the shot, it adds stability and with that it improves the shot overall including but not restricted to topspin, is not necessary but it makes it better.

Good analogy is not necessary but it certainly makes it better.
Click to expand...
I am not saying the off hand is not a huge plus, just that its not needed for topspin. I was reacting to posts 10&11 and not saying that the off hand is useless or that a 1hbh is not better with it. It certainly is but its not necessary for top. I showed the proof.
 
Here are some awesome topspin bhs where the use of the offhand is minimal. Tons of top spin and no high to low to high swingpath. Maybe @Ash_Smith can explain the mechanics of a one hander. Specifically, what the necessary components are for topspin and the basics of the swingpath.

 
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