I'm having trouble slicing on both fh and bh
For my fh, I don't slice much, but I use it sparingly on EXTREMELY low shots, shots I can barely get to, and often on serve returns.
It pops up really high, giving my oppoenent a easy winner or setting me into a defensive position.
For my bh, I need it mainly for low shots because my bh is mainly power and no spin. I need the slice for anything that bounces 2 ft or less probably :???:
My slice is really inconsistent, some (mainly bh) end up in the net, others pop up high into sitters.
Tips? I looked on fyb but there weren't any videos on slices (that I could find).
For some players that are having difficulty with the slice shots and are popping it up it is obviously because your racquet face is too open at the time you make contact.
So there are several areas that could be contributing to this:
1. Your contact point is too far in front: For the slice shots, because your wrist is fixed and your arm works as a lever, mastering the contact point for your slice FH or BH is very important. You could also have an inconsistent FH slice because of an inconsistent contact point especially since you mentioned you use it on tougher balls.
2. Your balance: The slice shot requires you to be in balance when you make the shot. It is not a power shot where you can fight off things and still pull off the shot. The slice shot is a timing shot and you need to stay balanced over your front foot for both the BH and the FH. You can perform a slice FH with an open stance however, you need to have command of you arm segments (shoulder, elbow, wrist) to ensure you do not turn the racquet face open too soon. Your feet need to help you hit a slice shot.
3. Controlling your arm segments: Too much elbow and wrist action can be banes for a slice shot that is inconsistent. Many people use too much elbowaction and/or wrist action in their motion. If you do this, you are simply asking for an inconsistent shot. Yes, at times, you will nail it and it will feel so good that you think you are finally "getting it". However, over time, you will only experience heartache. When you introduce inappropriate use of the elbow and wrist area, many players develop a chopping motion which can produce a lot of short balls. What this also does is cause the player to overswing with their motion just to get the ball to go deeper. The arm in the slice should work as a unit and is swung form the shoulders. It uses a strong base from the legs and sweeps through the contact zone for your shot.
4. Understanding the slice and how it works: Air pressure/flow on the bottom of the ball is greater than the air pressure/flow on the top of the ball. Knowing this, a player can take advantage of it. What this ultimately means for you as a player is you don't have to swing as hard to get the ball to dart through the air. The swing for the slice does not require the same effort as you would with topspin. Because there is greater air pressure on the bottom of the ball, it will glide through the air farther and faster than hitting with topspin. So knowing this you need to take an appropriate swing to get the ball moving.
5. Forehand slice: It is tougher to control the forehand slice which is why a lot of players don't use it. However, if you like it, read the information on arm segments and learn how to keep your racquet face more closed than you think or keep it at the right angle longer through your swing. In my playing days, we had to have all the shots including the slice forehand. It's a great shot when you know how to use it.
6. Drive through the ball: I am assuming your technique is good (good shoulder turn, etc...). Many people get confused with the slice backhand being more of a downward swing. This probably comes from saying "swing up on the ball" for topspin. Or swing low to high! Naturally, you would think a player would need to swing high to low for slice and leave it there. Not so. The slice shot is more of a high-low-high shot. Or, many would say it is more flat than one would think. Depending on what you are doing with the ball, they are right. The slice shot is a shot that is a flattened stroke at the trough as it makes contact with the ball. I do know there is another way to slice and I have some notes here on the three types. However, for now, just think of swinging through the ball and extending towards the target.
7. TW Info For the Slice: I and others have written great information on the slice shots. Anywhere from grips to stance, you can look it up and find what you need.
