Single handed backhand - technical questions

[tex123]

My apologies if this has been asked before and I did not want to ask this on an another long running thread about one handed backhand. Basically, I've been watching Brady's daily tennis lesson which is helping my game a lot. He has a beautiful one handed backhand and I'm trying to incorporate it. I think I'm almost there - needs a lot of practice I know.

1. Cocked wrist - During take back, all one handed backhand players "c ock" their wrist - Acasuso, Fed, Wawrinka, Gasquet. I don't know if cocked is the right word. Why is this required? Also I can't tell if the wrist is "cocked" upwards thumbs up direction or if the wrist is cocked as if you are accelerating a scooter or a motorcycle. I found this unnatural to implement. Does this wrist remain cocked throughout the stroke? (04:01 in the video)


2. Straight hand takeback - Brady has a straight right hand takeback which I find aesthetically pleasing but I'm not sure what it contributes to technically. Fed, Wawrinka and Gasquet have a bent right hand takeback. Does it matter? I think I read somewhere on this forum (think LeeD) who said the arm needs to be straight throughout. I could be mistaken.(04:01 in the video)

3. Grip pressure: I had a very loose grip earlier but now I realize I have to maintain 90 deg between arm and racquet. So I have to hold it tight unlike my forehand. I can drive flat with power by holding tight. Is this correct?


PS: I have a pistol eastern grip on my one handed backhand.

 

[Fxanimator1]

Try changing your grip in a way that has your knuckles lined up, straight down bevel 1.

 

[tex123]

Try changing your grip in a way that has your knuckles lined up, straight down bevel 1.

Thanks Fxanimator1. That's one thing I haven't tried. I naturally have a pistol grip which makes my knuckles "not" line up on bevel 1. I'll try the hammer grip. Do I have to consciously "c ock" the wrist and keep it like that throughout the stroke?

 

[Fxanimator1]

Thanks Fxanimator1. That's one thing I haven't tried. I naturally have a pistol grip which makes my knuckles "not" line up on bevel 1. I'll try the hammer grip. Do I have to consciously "c ock" the wrist and keep it like that throughout the stroke?

Not really, that grip kind of lines up the wrist angle as is.
There are some backhands at the end of this, you can probably see it.

 

[boramiNYC]

It's one of the old school 1hbh technique. Kind of like E fh. It's fine to learn from up to certain point but you'll need to make some adjustments down the road, which will be the case with most other technique also, so it's not a big deal to start this way. With that in mind, the straight arm prep limits the strike zone to quite low and against topspin players it becomes very difficult to close the racquet face through the contact and keep the ball down. And I don't see the need to squeeze the shoulder blade the way he shows. Most current pro 1hbh don't extend the left arm straight back like that. It limits the rotation of the right shoulder, which can be a good thing for beginners, but it's not the best habit.

 

[tex123]

Thanks boramiNYC. Do you also have all knuckles lined up on the same bevel as Fxanimator1 suggested? I must admit I haven't tried this. It makes sense though to achieve a cocked wrist. I automatically grip it like a pistol with the index finger separated which means knuckles are spread over multiple bevels but the index knuckle is on bevel 1 (eastern backhand)

 

[Todd Hicks]

I find it simple to just grip my racket firmly and use a smooth upside-down rainbow motion to hit a one-handed backhand.

 

[boramiNYC]

Thanks boramiNYC. Do you also have all knuckles lined up on the same bevel as Fxanimator1 suggested? I must admit I haven't tried this. It makes sense though to achieve a cocked wrist. I automatically grip it like a pistol with the index finger separated which means knuckles are spread over multiple bevels but the index knuckle is on bevel 1 (eastern backhand)

If you are just starting to learn 1hbh, the grip with knuckles lined up will give firmer grip that's easier to control. So it's good to start hitting like that. After you get fairly comfortable with the racquet control you can separate the index, which will give more freedom in wrist movement. But, it can cause inconsistency if you don't have good wrist control. In that case go back to straight knuckle and practice holding wrist firm thru the stroke. Once your forearm gets stronger and gains better control of the wrist you can again try to allow some freedom. Eventually you want to achieve freedom that is well controlled so you can swing fast without losing the ball control.

 

[tex123]

I've always used a single handed backhand with a pistol grip (index separated). It is very inconsistent and I'm trying to improve it by using Brady's model one handed backhand. Things I've learned :

1. My grip was too loose. I've realised now that I have to hold it tight to maintain racket and forearm angle throughout the stroke.
2. My heelpad in my easter backhand grip is not in the right place. That would c ock my wrist properly if I placed it properly. The comments here made me realise that. This link also explains it beautifully. http://beveldevil.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-modern-1hbh-grip-its-all-about-heel.html
3. Straight arm takeback - I have a bent arm takeback. I'll keep it that way.

 

[Rino]

My apologies if this has been asked before and I did not want to ask this on an another long running thread about one handed backhand. Basically, I've been watching Brady's daily tennis lesson which is helping my game a lot. He has a beautiful one handed backhand and I'm trying to incorporate it. I think I'm almost there - needs a lot of practice I know.

1. Cocked wrist - During take back, all one handed backhand players "c ock" their wrist - Acasuso, Fed, Wawrinka, Gasquet. I don't know if cocked is the right word. Why is this required? Also I can't tell if the wrist is "cocked" upwards thumbs up direction or if the wrist is cocked as if you are accelerating a scooter or a motorcycle. I found this unnatural to implement. Does this wrist remain cocked throughout the stroke? (04:01 in the video)


2. Straight hand takeback - Brady has a straight right hand takeback which I find aesthetically pleasing but I'm not sure what it contributes to technically. Fed, Wawrinka and Gasquet have a bent right hand takeback. Does it matter? I think I read somewhere on this forum (think LeeD) who said the arm needs to be straight throughout. I could be mistaken.(04:01 in the video)

3. Grip pressure: I had a very loose grip earlier but now I realize I have to maintain 90 deg between arm and racquet. So I have to hold it tight unlike my forehand. I can drive flat with power by holding tight. Is this correct?


PS: I have a pistol eastern grip on my one handed backhand.

Forget the one hander and develop the two hander. You'll save time learning it and arguably its a better shot, control wise anyway.

 

[Fxanimator1]

Forget the one hander and develop the two hander. You'll save time learning it and arguably its a better shot, control wise anyway.

He is asking for help on his OHBH, not your opinion of which shot he shouldn't learn.

 

[Fxanimator1]

Back to the topic at hand, try to use your legs for your initial power.

 

[Chas Tennis]

I've always used a single handed backhand with a pistol grip (index separated). It is very inconsistent and I'm trying to improve it by using Brady's model one handed backhand. Things I've learned :

1. My grip was too loose. I've realised now that I have to hold it tight to maintain racket and forearm angle throughout the stroke.
2. My heelpad in my easter backhand grip is not in the right place. That would c ock my wrist properly if I placed it properly. The comments here made me realise that. This link also explains it beautifully. http://beveldevil.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-modern-1hbh-grip-its-all-about-heel.html
3. Straight arm takeback - I have a bent arm takeback. I'll keep it that way.

When I look closely at high level players I don't find that the heel pad usually touches the racket. The butt more often ends at the little finger. I think using the heel pad as one of the two reference points is widely used but is a very questionable reference point.

Suggest that you study videos and pictures of high level players and answer -

Where does the butt of the racket handle contact the hand for various strokes and grips?

https://www.google.com/search?q=waw...hXB5iYKHRSyBScQsAQIHA&biw=895&bih=573#imgrc=_

 

[geca]

i have watched a lot of videos and somehow they all missed 1 KEY component that is more important than everything else. what the hand/arm is actually doing during the shot.

if you hold the racket up right with a back hand grip, and start doing a wind-shield wiping motion without changing the loft the racket, what is the hand/arm really doing?

I think this should be the very first step in the 1hbh progression. if you can do mini tennis with this wiping motion. You have learned the 1hbh.

without specifically explaining to the students about the internal/external shoulder rotation in the 1hbh, you can teach all the other stuff you want and the shot is still crap. unit turn, head still, weight transfer, left arm throwing back.... all the stuff that actually does NOT matter.... as soon as the student hand deviates from the ISR (usually with a pronation) in the backswing, the shot is doomed because now you have an open racket face and can only flip thru the forward swing.

on the contrary, if the hand/arm has learned to be disciplined in the ISR/ESR motion only, then the player can engage all the muscles for power. the weight transfer, unit turn, everything will come naturally because now you know you have control no matter how hard you rip it.

If you understand the above, congrats... if not, read it again and again and do shadow swings until you understand.... if there is only 1 key to the 1hbh, this is it.

 

[Chas Tennis]

i have watched a lot of videos and somehow they all missed 1 KEY component that is more important than everything else. what the hand/arm is actually doing during the shot.

if you hold the racket up right with a back hand grip, and start doing a wind-shield wiping motion without changing the loft the racket, what is the hand/arm really doing?

I think this should be the very first step in the 1hbh progression. if you can do mini tennis with this wiping motion. You have learned the 1hbh.

without specifically explaining to the students about the internal/external shoulder rotation in the 1hbh, you can teach all the other stuff you want and the shot is still crap. unit turn, head still, weight transfer, left arm throwing back.... all the stuff that actually does NOT matter.... as soon as the student hand deviates from the ISR (usually with a pronation) in the backswing, the shot is doomed because now you have an open racket face and can only flip thru the forward swing.

on the contrary, if the hand/arm has learned to be disciplined in the ISR/ESR motion only, then the player can engage all the muscles for power. the weight transfer, unit turn, everything will come naturally because now you know you have control no matter how hard you rip it.

If you understand the above, congrats... if not, read it again and again and do shadow swings until you understand.... if there is only 1 key to the 1hbh, this is it.

Can you post a slow motion video and tie in some of your comments to the times in the video?

 

[geca]

from 0:07 to 0:09 is the internal shoulder rotation where the racket loft does NOT change. from 00:10 to 00:12 is the ESR where the loft did NOT change either.

loft means how open/close the face is.

it's a little hard to see in these videos because every other body parts are moving.

just focus on the ISR and ESR elements. you can literally stand flat footed with no unit turn and just use the isr/esr wiping motion to play mini tennis.

once this muscle memory is burnt you are good to go, your central nervous system will know that timing does NOT matter anymore. with constant loft you can catch the ball anywhere in the swing and it will be a good shot. the entire body is free to fire, then you have a powerful and relaxed 1hbh.

anybody who tells you to keep the head still or use the leg drive or stay sideways or whatever, his 1hbh is crap. guaranteed.

 

[geca]

to explain it a different way -

do you know how to do windshield wiping on the fh? stand flat footed, with no shoulder turn.... just ESR/ISR to wipe and play mini tennis.

the 1hbh is just the reverse ISR first, then ESR, except with a different grip.

actually - if you use Wester FH grip and Easter bh grip, you dont even need to change grip. you hit both wings with the same side of the strings.

ESR/ISR = fh
ISR/ESR = bh

makes sense?

 

[Chas Tennis]

This thread had some videos and discussion on the part of the one hand backhand that you are discussing.

Regarding the racket drop motion before the start of the forward swing on the backhand drive - It looks as if the racket, hand and arm are mainly being rotated down by the back arm -

See racket high point in take back and drop before the forward swing. Backhand starts around second 56, racket drop 1:07.

Gasquet, see similar racket drop on several drives.
To examine single frame 1) click "Vimeo", 2) Hold down SHIFT KEY & use ARROW KEYS.

Lopez, see similar racket drop. Starts at second 7. But Lopez's stroke is different on the forward motion. See post #98.

I don't know the function of the racket drop motion of the one hand backhand drive. Is it to position the racket for the incoming ball height? Or, to rotate hand to cause internal shoulder rotation and/or pronation and prestretch ESR and supination muscles. Both functions? Other?

In a Tennis Chanel Academy show, Justine Henin demos this racket drop slowly. I would say that her slow demo does not portray the racket drop very accurately in comparison to the high speed video. Also, she demos ESR and/or supination after impact perhaps indicating pre-stretching was used. ?

What does the racket drop do?

One interesting biomechanical fact involves the muscles that produce external shoulder rotation (ESR) and internal shoulder rotation (ISR).

I had been familiar with opposing muscle groups such as the biceps and triceps or the quads and hamstrings, etc. I believed the exercise advice to develop strength somewhat equally for opposing muscle groups was general advice for most of the opposing muscle groups of the body. For example, exercising biceps with dumbbell curls and exercising triceps with dumbbell presses should use roughly equal weights. But the ESR and ISR muscle groups have very unequal strengths.

The muscles that produce ESR are much smaller than the muscles that produce ISR. ISR muscles include the largest muscles attached to the arm, the lat and pec and others. ESR muscles include smaller rotator cuff muscles and maybe one Deltoid muscle. I am not sure of the part played by the Deltoid muscles for the shoulder in the backhand. ?

Your Tommy Haas backhand video looks like racket head speed from ESR between just two frames before impact, from 9 to 10 sec on my Quicktime scale. I guess that is what you meant. ? But also, what part does the Deltoid play for ESR or other shoulder joint motions?

 

[geca]

ok - no muscles are needed to do the ISR/ESR

here is how.... see all the modern teachers ask you to have the racket head point up at the start of the swing. if you aim the leading edge forward, and start the forward swing, the racket will drop down counter clockwise automatically. and since you start with the leading edge forward, it's automatically an ISR. right?

instead of the leading edge forward, the most common mistake is to show the hitting side of the string to the ball, then when the racket drops down counter clockwise, it's a pronation opening up the string, instead of an ISR to keep the strings at the same loft.... makes sense?

after you do the ISR correctly, the racket is now in the 'power position', then just swing the leading edge to the ball as if you want to cut the side of the ball without any intention to put the strings on the ball. it sounds crazy but trust me the strings will catch the ball if you keep going lol. if you swing the leading edge forward, it's automatically an ESR.

instead of swing the leading edge forward, the most common mistake is to try to put the strings on the ball, this again opens up the strings with a pronation, and the forward swing becomes a supination that shuts down the racket face. all hell breaks loose.

again - read the above very very carefully and make sure you understand lol.

therefore, a standard issue 1hbh should never feel like a square hit of the strings on the ball... it always feels like rolling the ball with a wiping motion.

 

[RetroSpin]

I think geca is making some key points. In addition, I would add that a key move is to get the racquet close to parallel to the back fence on the drop. People with weak bhs often open it up like he said and fail to get it properly behind them.

Chas, I think that move gets you into ISR. While the ESr muscles may be a lot weaker than ISR, you get a much greater range of motion in ISR. If you say a line perpendicular to the baseline is zero degrees, ie 12:00 o'clock, on a FH you get at most maybe 190-200 degrees of rotation into ESR. On a BH, you get closer to 270.

 

[tex123]

from 0:07 to 0:09 is the internal shoulder rotation where the racket loft does NOT change. from 00:10 to 00:12 is the ESR where the loft did NOT change either.

loft means how open/close the face is.

Thanks for your explanations, geca. When you say "loft", do you mean the angle (90 deg ish) between forearm and racket stays the same throughout the stroke? Gripping it tight with a "strong" eastern backhand grip (all knuckles on bevel 1) helps me achieve that. Is that what you mean?

 

[tex123]

I think geca is making some key points. In addition, I would add that a key move is to get the racquet close to parallel to the back fence on the drop. People with weak bhs often open it up like he said and fail to get it properly behind them.
.

I think I understand it ( I hope ). Parallel - you mean like 1:18 in Brady's video (original post)? So if I drop it leading with the butt cap and then let go of the non-dominant hand, it would produce a snap motion presenting the racket face to the ball? The only way I feel naturally stable is when I swing with a straight arm.

 

[Chas Tennis]

.............. In addition, I would add that a key move is to get the racquet close to parallel to the back fence on the drop. ................

I find that word descriptions for complex 3D motions like the backhand can't convey racket orientation or what is going on without high speed video. If Gasquet internally shoulder rotated farther at this point it would move his forearm against his chest.

I'd go as far to say that the upper body/shoulder girdle goes past perpendicular to the net and to some degree his back faces the opponent. And, as Justine Henin said, 'The head looks over the shoulder.' But the forward tilt of the trunk has to be described too. That is, for backhand drives where Gasquet is not pressured and wants to hit heavy pace.

I don't see the racket close to parallel to the back fence for these backhands.

 

[geca]

Thanks for your explanations, geca. When you say "loft", do you mean the angle (90 deg ish) between forearm and racket stays the same throughout the stroke? Gripping it tight with a "strong" eastern backhand grip (all knuckles on bevel 1) helps me achieve that. Is that what you mean?

the 'loft' refers to how open/closed the racket face is.

the angle between the arm and the racket doesn't matter much.

 

[tex123]

I find that word descriptions for complex 3D motions like the backhand can't convey racket orientation or what is going on without high speed video. If Gasquet internally shoulder rotated farther at this point it would move his forearm against his chest.

I'd go as far to say that the upper body/shoulder girdle goes past perpendicular to the net and to some degree his back faces the opponent. And, as Justine Henin said, 'The head looks over the shoulder.' But the forward tilt of the trunk has to be described too. That is, for backhand drives where Gasquet is not pressured and wants to hit heavy pace.

I don't see the racket close to parallel to the back fence for these backhands.

Those are amazing stills of gasquet in power position, Chas Tennis. Just looking at those made me realise that my left elbow stays close to my body - need to fix that. Gasquet's left elbow is up to his shoulders.

At the moment I'm trying to fix my grip. I keep switching back to pistol grip (knuckles on all bevels). Old habits die hard!

 

[geca]

whatever grip allows you to isr/esr windshield wipe is fine. in the heat of the battle i can have conti, eastern, semi eastern whatever.... still works.

again - focus on the hand action.

the spine doesn't hit the ball. once you learn isr/esr, your spine will do whatever is needed - tilting forward for aggressive drive, leaning back to dig up low balls or hit a high heavy top etc.

the left arm doesn't hit the ball either, left elbow can be high, or can be low like Lendl, Edberg.. doesn't matter much.

racket parallel to back fence at the power position - good if you have flexibility and time... i get to about 45 degrees pointing back on average.. i think..

 

[geca]

in the heat of the battle you have to hit from all kinds of stances, closed or open, while running forward backward and sideways.... all the other body parts are slaves serving the master (the hand) to perform the isr/esr wipe.

 

[geca]

also notice that the average contact is about chest high... if you play mini tennis to learn isr/esr, you will understand why it's the most ideal height there

on youtube if you see some old fart dropping a couple of balls to hit at the knee height, you can stop right there lol.... those are useless old school shots with no shoulder rotations.. they are dead in the water if the ball bounces above the waist.

there are a couple of guys teaching the right shots - but for some reason they don't explain the hand action, which is really THE key.

 

[tex123]

from 0:07 to 0:09 is the internal shoulder rotation where the racket loft does NOT change. from 00:10 to 00:12 is the ESR where the loft did NOT change either.

loft means how open/close the face is..

Geca - I had to look up ESR and ISR images to understand your explanation. I can see ESR from 00:10 - 00:12 in haas video. This is in line with the image below.

But I don't see ISR from 00:07 - 00:09. It looks like another ESR to me or I'm not understanding it. I have another image below. Please could you explain how 00:07 - 00:09 is ISR?

 

[tex123]

I figured it out. It is ISR 00:07 - 00:09 - first picture

 

[geca]

well done

now grab a racket and start rolling the ball lol.... on the progression, I'd see something like this -

step 1 - mini tennis/drop hit/ball machine - burn that isr/esr into muscle memory, contact point around chest high.. make sure you avoid the common mistakes of pronation/supination.

step 2 - full court hitting, moderate pace; contact point around chest high.

step 3 - full court hitting, various ball heights - when you get to this point you will have questions on how to handle high/low balls.... we can discuss further

step 4 - start using the shot in matches; mixing with slices etc.

6-12 months later it should reach full potential.

 

[geca]

I figured it out. It is ISR 00:07 - 00:09 - first picture

if you grab a racket and shadow the windshield wiping motion -

wiping counter clockwise is ISR; wiping clockwise is ESR.

 

[Mack-2]

well done

now grab a racket and start rolling the ball lol.... on the progression, I'd see something like this -

step 1 - mini tennis/drop hit/ball machine - burn that isr/esr into muscle memory, contact point around chest high.. make sure you avoid the common mistakes of pronation/supination.

step 2 - full court hitting, moderate pace; contact point around chest high.

step 3 - full court hitting, various ball heights - when you get to this point you will have questions on how to handle high/low balls.... we can discuss further

step 4 - start using the shot in matches; mixing with slices etc.

6-12 months later it should reach full potential.

geca, I too believe that the path that the racket takes through the ball is the most important aspect in developing a consistent tennis stroke. Things like racket position in the backswing, leg drive, use of the left arm and so on only make our stroke more effective or more efficient.

 

[Shroud]

i have watched a lot of videos and somehow they all missed 1 KEY component that is more important than everything else. what the hand/arm is actually doing during the shot.

if you hold the racket up right with a back hand grip, and start doing a wind-shield wiping motion without changing the loft the racket, what is the hand/arm really doing?

I think this should be the very first step in the 1hbh progression. if you can do mini tennis with this wiping motion. You have learned the 1hbh.

without specifically explaining to the students about the internal/external shoulder rotation in the 1hbh, you can teach all the other stuff you want and the shot is still crap. unit turn, head still, weight transfer, left arm throwing back.... all the stuff that actually does NOT matter.... as soon as the student hand deviates from the ISR (usually with a pronation) in the backswing, the shot is doomed because now you have an open racket face and can only flip thru the forward swing.

on the contrary, if the hand/arm has learned to be disciplined in the ISR/ESR motion only, then the player can engage all the muscles for power. the weight transfer, unit turn, everything will come naturally because now you know you have control no matter how hard you rip it.

If you understand the above, congrats... if not, read it again and again and do shadow swings until you understand.... if there is only 1 key to the 1hbh, this is it.

I think this vid proves your point, as I am getting everything else wrong but am still hitting some decent BHs.

 

[geca]

^ nice lol

 

[Chas Tennis]

These frames, from an earlier thread link in post #18 above, show Justine Henin's ISR & pronation clearly.

Frame #1. Start of racket drop. Around 1:07.

Frame #2. ISR & pronation mostly complete.

I can't see how much is ISR and how much is pronation. Post #20 has the video link.

There are similarities between the state-of-the-art backhand drives of Gasquet, Henin and Wawrinka and others.

 

[geca]

ok - the forearm does rotate a little. but the ISR/ESR is the main action.

bottom line is that you have to windshield wipe, so the racket face does not open/close from the power position, thru the contact, to the end of the release.

it only makes sense doesn't it.... why do most people hit weak ass 1hbh? it's not due to a lack of power... it's actually due to a lack of racket face control... you open up the face in the back swing, then you will be busy trying to close it during the forward swing.... the body cannot unleash it's power that way.

 

[geca]

if you really have to get down to the nitty gritty - the full range of wiping is what, about 270 degrees?

if you immobilize the upper arm (therefore no shoulder rotation at all), your forearm can do about what, 90 degrees? that leaves the shoulder rotation with about 180 degrees of motion.

so roughly it's 1:2 ratio between the forearm rotation and the shoulder rotation.

 

[Chas Tennis]

no no no.... definitely NOT pronation! there is zero pronation in Henin's picture.

What evidence do you see for "no pronation" in the video?

What other information have you seen or can you link for this issue?

 

[Chas Tennis]

.................. - the full range of wiping is what, about 270 degrees?

if you immobilize the upper arm (therefore no shoulder rotation at all), your forearm can do about what, 90 degrees? that leaves the shoulder rotation with about 180 degrees of motion.

so roughly it's 1:2 ratio between the forearm rotation and the shoulder rotation.

I don't know what "wiping" is. The full range of ISR and pronation with a straight arm of my motion is roughly 270°.

The full range of motion in the direction of pronation (from fully supinated to fully pronated) of my motion is about 180°. Thumb points left to thumb points right. It's not 90°.


There is an issue on term usage of the named joint motions like ISR, ESR, pronation, supination, etc. -

1) In usage sometimes the word pronation refers to an angle from a position defined as 0°.
2) Another usage is that pronation means the motion in the direction of pronation. This is used a lot here and in research publications also.

In the two frames of Henin's video, the racket and wrist appear to rotate down roughly 90° so the total ISR + Pronation = 90°

 

[geca]

was referring to windshield wiping... i think you got it with the 270d number.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

if you can do mini tennis with this wiping motion. You have learned the 1hbh.

.

I think this applies to both shots (i.e the forehand too) really. While arming the ball is not a good idea in general, if you have really tamed your shot, you should be able to hit it well enough to get the ball over even with just the arm. Like sometimes in practice rallies you gather the ball and while you are still walking into position, the other guy has made the shot so you are forced to arm it without being in proper position for the shot. If you can control your shots even from that position, you are good to go...unless, that is, you still arm the ball when you have all the time in the world to make a good shot! I should really do this more - mini tennis. I notice that nearly all the good players in my club start off with mini tennis for a few minutes before gradually moving towards the baseline and using the full court. Me and my partner usually just start hitting right off, not a good idea, lol.

 

[Limpinhitter]

Just imitate this guy.

 

[boramiNYC]

Limpin, an old name I see. Welcome back

 

[Mahboob Khan]

1. Cocked wrist - During take back, all one handed backhand players "c ock" their wrist - Acasuso, Fed, Wawrinka, Gasquet. I don't know if cocked is the right word. Why is this required? Also I can't tell if the wrist is "cocked" upwards thumbs up direction or if the wrist is cocked as if you are accelerating a scooter or a motorcycle. I found this unnatural to implement. Does this wrist remain cocked throughout the stroke? (04:01 in the video)

My response: I would say keep the hitting wrist locked in place.


2. Straight hand takeback - Brady has a straight right hand takeback which I find aesthetically pleasing but I'm not sure what it contributes to technically. Fed, Wawrinka and Gasquet have a bent right hand takeback. Does it matter? I think I read somewhere on this forum (think LeeD) who said the arm needs to be straight throughout. I could be mistaken.(04:01 in the video)

My response: The best 1-handed BH players have their hitting arm bent in the backswing (this happens if the take-back is high); however, just before, during, and after contact, the hitting arm is stiff and straight. That's because if the hitting elbow is bent at contact the racket head will be down and there won't be any power.

3. Grip pressure: I had a very loose grip earlier but now I realize I have to maintain 90 deg between arm and racquet. So I have to hold it tight unlike my forehand. I can drive flat with power by holding tight. Is this correct?

My response: In the backswing the grip should be relax; however, as you enter the contact zone the grip should be firm enough so that the racket stays stable.


PS: I have a pistol eastern grip on my one handed backhand.

My response: Eastern BH grip. The base of the index finger must be on panel 1, the top panel, and the fingers be spread on the handle. This will give you more stability. I do not know what do you mean by pistol grip.

I hope the above helps.

 

[tex123]

These frames, from an earlier thread link in post #20 above, show Justine Henin's ISR & pronation clearly.

Frame #1. Start of racket drop. Around 1:07.

Frame #2. ISR & pronation mostly complete.

I can't see how much is ISR and how much is pronation. Post #20 has the video link.

There are similarities between the state-of-the-art backhand drives of Gasquet, Henin and Wawrinka and others.

It is very clear in that Henin video. Thanks Chas Tennis.

 

[tex123]

My response: Eastern BH grip. The base of the index finger must be on panel 1, the top panel, and the fingers be spread on the handle. This will give you more stability. I do not know what do you mean by pistol grip.

I hope the above helps.

Thanks Mahboob Khan.

Pistol grip is when the index finger separates like you are holding a pistol. But that wasn't my problem. I wasn't holding the racket right. I thought the 1BH grip is the same as you hold for volleys (except that index knuckle is on bevel 1). In volley grip, knuckles spread over multiple bevels. But after input on this discussion, I realised that was wrong. For 1hbh, ALL knuckles should more or less line up on bevel 1 which c ocks the wrist. You can't do pistol grip when all knuckles line up on bevel 1 (at least I can't). The positioning of heel pad makes the knuckles line up on bevel 1. I never paid any attention to heel pad before now.

This link explains it beautifully.
http://beveldevil.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-modern-1hbh-grip-its-all-about-heel.html


PS: I haven't tried spreading all the fingers with all knuckles on bevel 1. My fingers are close together.

 

[Raul_SJ]

3. Grip pressure: I had a very loose grip earlier but now I realize I have to maintain 90 deg between arm and racquet. So I have to hold it tight unlike my forehand. I can drive flat with power by holding tight. Is this correct?

I am not clear on which "90 degree angle" you are referring to. Is it pic #1 below? Or the right angle at pic #4?

Also, as Brady demonstrates, the off-hand is holding the throat before finally letting go, so how is the the grip pressure any more of an issue than on a forehand?

I do like Brady's emphasis on remaining sideways and feeling the shoulder blade pinch. A common error is opening up too early, which is why I prefer this demonstration over the Gasquet video.

 

[boramiNYC]

Make sure your right shoulder is lifted and elbow straightened as shown in the last frame above^^^

 

[tex123]

I am not clear on which "90 degree angle" you are referring to. Is it pic #1 below? Or the right angle at pic #4?

Also, as Brady demonstrates, the off-hand is holding the throat before finally letting go, so how is the the grip pressure any more of an issue than on a forehand?

I do like Brady's emphasis on remaining sideways and feeling the shoulder blade pinch. A common error is opening up too early, which is why I prefer this demonstration over the Gasquet video.

All of those pics, Raul_SJ. If I hold the racket tightly with _all_ knuckles on bevel 1, it c ocks the wrist in Pic 1. From there onwards, he maintains that angle throughout the stroke. It is only possible when the racket is gripped tightly. In a forehand, I have loose grip and wrist is not c ocked at all. We probably tighten it at the point of impact. It is very easy for anyone to pull theracket out of your forehand grip. But in a 1hbh backhand grip - no.

Brady's technique is very different from Henin (bent arm takeback). I don't see any ISR in Brady's backhand. But in Henin backhand, ISR is very clearly seen. That's a question for Geca.