The meaning of Agassi's "primarily using the right hand in the double handed backhand"

[zill]

The left hand obviously provides most of the power but the right hand is always involved and doing something throughout the forward swing even when the left hand is working. Hence Agassi's statement. Correct?

The left hand only comes into the shot briefly. But the right hand is working from start to finish throughout the forward swing.

Basically I think the double handed backhand is a normal single backhand drive done with a continental grip with the help of the left hand at the latter stages of the drive due to obvious problems associated with driving a ball with a continental grip!

ANDRE AGASSI SAYS HE PRIMARILY USES HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE TWO-HANDED BACKHAND

From reading through many threads and videos on the two-handed backhand, the majority of people argue that the two-handed backhand is basically a lefty forehand. However, tennis-legend, Andre Agass…

simplemoderntennis.wordpress.com

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I recall AA saying something to effect that his Bh was (more) R-hand dominant than the 2-handed Bh strokes usually taught. This was quite a surprise to many of us because, upon close inspection of his 2hBh, it did not really appear to be anymore R-hand dominant than the 2hBh of others. I seem to recall him saying this more than a decade ago. Perhaps it was the late 00s (or earlier).

However, some years after that he qualified his statement. In his modified statement it sounded like R hand assumed a dominant pulling role early during the forward swing. But it sounded like he was saying that, as the forward swing progressed, the L hand started taking on a more dominant role. And just prior to contact it was definitely more dominant. At least that's the gist of what I recall upon hearing his clarification.

A few years ago, AA released his Udemy course. In the intro to the Bh, he likens it to a left jab. Not sure if this was meant to be a literal indication that he considered the left hand to dominant. It simply could have meant that he considered an important role of the backhand wing was setting up or laying the foundation for the real weapon (for most players), the Fh. Much like role of a left jab in boxing.. This is very much the way that his wife, Steffi Graf, used her Bh (slice) for her game.

Later on in his Udemy course, he talks about grip choice and he indicates that, unlike the Fh side, his Bh requires more of both sides of the body. He indicates that he uses conti grip (a 2 grip) on his R hand -- just as most 2hBh players do. It is interesting that he he does not use a stronger Bh grip, like a 1 grip (EBh) or a 1.5 grip.

From what he shows in his U video, his L hand appears to assume something close to EFh grip. He says that this grip choice allows him to lay the L wrist back to provide multiple options on which shot he decides to play. He goes on to say that the E grip on his L hand allows him to play some shots late, behind his preferred contact point, if necessary.

OTOH, he does say that he has the "feeling" that he is hitting the ball with the back of his R hand. I'll have to go back and look at that Udemy course again to see if he gives any further clues about the relative contributions of each hand / arm.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Link & preview of the AA Udemy course:

Elevate Your Tennis Game: Learn from Champion Andre Agassi

Level up your tennis game with the next best thing to a private lesson. Master insider secrets and a winner’s mindset.

www.udemy.com

A pretty decent course from a master of the game. Even tho some of the stuff he says, if taken literally, is technically incorrect (from a physics standpoint), he does provide some very good info & insight in his series.

 

[zill]

However, some years after that he qualified his statement. In his modified statement it sounded like R hand assumed a dominant pulling role early during the forward swing. But it sounded like he was saying that, as the forward swing progressed, the L hand started taking on a more dominant role. And just prior to contact it was definitely more dominant. At least that's the gist of what I recall upon hearing his clarification.

Correct. Maybe his left hand acts very naturally to pull the racquet forward later on in the stroke. Also most of the power from the double backhand actually comes from the weight transfer which affects the right arm first in the forward swing hence his interpretation/bias of the right arm being the important one.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

AA also indicated that his grip choice allowed him to generate an unusual amount of power (even if the incoming ball didn't have much pace) and it allowed him, at the last fraction of a second to use his hand speed to change the shot selection & keep the other player off balance.

@zill​

 

[zill]

AA also indicated that his group choice allowed him to generate an unusual amount of power (even if the incoming ball didn't have much pace) and it allowed him, at the last fraction of a second to use his hand speed to change the shot selection & keep the other player off balance.

But lack some topspin potentially.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

But lack some topspin potentially.

On average, AA hit more TS on his Bh side than his Fh. Admittedly tho, his average Fh was flatter relative to the Fh shots of players of the past two decades.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

But lack some topspin potentially.

From US Open spin studies from the late 1990s... AA would put more than 3000 RPM on some of his Fh shots but his average was just over 1700 (somewhat flat by today's standards). His Bh spin averaged somewhere between 1750 & 1800 (with some around 2500 RPM). Not massive spin but definitely respectable.

Compare those avg Bh numbers to Todd Martin (2h) with ~1300 rpm and Tim Henman (1h) at 1250 rpm. Sampras (1h) was higher that these guys with an avg ~2200 rpm

 

[zill]

His Bh spin averaged somewhere between 1750 & 1800 (with some around 2500 RPM). Not massive spin but definitely respectable.

That’s exactly the spin rate of Djokovic and Murray for the backhand.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

That’s exactly the spin rate of Djokovic and Murray for the backhand.

Really, with today's string choices, would have expected somewhat higher spin rates from Novak and Andy M.

 

[sredna42]

The left hand obviously provides most of the power but the right hand is always involved and doing something throughout the forward swing even when the left hand is working. Hence Agassi's statement. Correct?

The left hand only comes into the shot briefly. But the right hand is working from start to finish throughout the forward swing.

Basically I think the double handed backhand is a normal single backhand drive done with a continental grip with the help of the left hand at the latter stages of the drive due to obvious problems associated with driving a ball with a continental grip!

ANDRE AGASSI SAYS HE PRIMARILY USES HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE TWO-HANDED BACKHAND

From reading through many threads and videos on the two-handed backhand, the majority of people argue that the two-handed backhand is basically a lefty forehand. However, tennis-legend, Andre Agass…

simplemoderntennis.wordpress.com

seems like you're trying to convince yourself of something with these endless threads rather than truly asking a question or seeking perspectives.
if you can't wrap your mind around the RH only being involed slightly at the beginning, that's fine. Just hit the shot however feels good to you.

the bolded part is totally wrong, the RH is active at the beginning for a brief instant to tug the buttcap forward, causing racquet head to drop combined w/straightening left arm, whereupon the left hand extends up & through the ball. The looser & less involved I keep the right hand through the stroke, the more I can rip the ball, and with savage topspin too.

If you can't grasp this feel, that's fine, just hit a 1hbh with 2 hands on the racquet. Jesus will still love you

this video explains it best that i've seen

you only switched from 1hbh recently iirc, so it stands to reason you haven't grasped the feel yet. Just watch the video over & over & don't bother replying.

 

[zill]

the bolded part is totally wrong, the RH is active at the beginning for a brief instant to tug the buttcap forward, causing racquet head to drop combined w/straightening left arm, whereupon the left hand extends up & through the ball. The looser & less involved I keep the right hand through the stroke, the more I can rip the ball, and with savage topspin too.

What level player are you? All players finish with the right elbow pointing outward.

Here is an example. To achieve this posture the right arm must extend at the end as well as the left. Hence the reason why I say the right arm is involved in the entire stroke from start to finish. But it is more passive when the left arm and hand gets involved in the stroke in the mid to later stages.

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/images/turbo_03_08/Kafelnikov1.jpg

don't bother replying.

That's poor form. Just because you want to run away doesn't mean others don't might want to chip in with their experience and explanation.

 

[zill]

I meant for you to watch the video instead of instantly replying like an autistic serial pest. Which you did. Yet again.

You ignore everything you don't want to hear, and think you have discovered the secret to the 2hbh & the pros/coaches are all wrong. It's like dealing with the lovechild of Chas and POMO. Good luck with your 10 threads saying the same thing tomorrow.

I saw this vid long time ago. My problem has been the extension after contact. Everything else is good such as the lag and snap. Just realised that with the two hander the extension is done by both arms together not just with the left arm.

Anyway what level player are you?

 

[Morch Us]

Seems like @SystemicAnomaly gave a good explanation.

In general, I think it is easy to detect when something is "broken" in a student's double handed backhand, especially when the hand co-ordination is broken. But once everything is working co-ordinated beautifully, it is extremely hard to detect which hand is dominating at which parts of the stroke, even for the player.
This is because from an external view, both hands would move along nice and easy without any hitch, but different push/pull forces dominate at different times based on the stroke you are hitting, and postion/timing of the shot, since it is so flexible.

All I can say is that dominant hand provides the pull, and non-dominant hand provides the push. The advantage of pull is that, it can actually provide more speed into the shot on release. The advantage of push is that it can provide more stability behind the shot. (As an analogy with a car, think pull to be pure speed and push to be torque). When reacting to low speed, low heaviness shots from a stable position, a pull dominated shot can provide more rewards. When reacting to heavy and fast paced shots, from more unstable positions, a push dominated shot can provide more rewards. In either case, both hands still has to work together, since if you don't activate one hand it can actually "hinder" the other hand.

Also in general since the right hand and and shoulder (for a rightly) is always in front of the stroke, the pull has to "lead the way" always, even when not the dominating one, so that it does not collapse or hinder. This can sometimes be interpretted as "right hand dominated shot", even when the left hand is doing a lot of work.

Generally all good double handed backhand players unknowgly learn to adjust these pull and push forces on different shots based on their style and stability.

So all you should really focus on is to make sure both hands and not working "against" each other, and are well co-ordinated without hitches. You will never have to forcefully think which hand should dominate. If you feel non-coordination, then you may have to work one hand at a time (something like left handed forehand or single handed backhand) to make sure you get a feel of push or pull stand alone.

The left hand obviously provides most of the power but the right hand is always involved and doing something throughout the forward swing even when the left hand is working. Hence Agassi's statement. Correct?

I recall AA saying something to affect that his Bh was (more) R-hand dominant than the 2-handed Bh strokes usually taught. This was quite a surprise to many of us because, upon close inspection of his 2hBh, it did not really appear to be anymore R-hand dominant than the 2hBh of others. I seem to recall him saying this more than a decade ago. Perhaps it was the late 00s (or earlier).

However, some years after that he qualified his statement. In his modified statement it sounded like R hand assumed a dominant pulling role early during the forward swing. But it sounded like he was saying that, as the forward swing progressed, the L hand started taking on a more dominant role. And just prior to contact it was definitely more dominant. At least that's the gist of what I recall upon hearing his clarification.

 

[mcs1970]

Time and again, great pros seem to give wrong technique information or even explain their own strokes incorrectly.

I know people rag on YouTube coaches and question their credentials but there is a difference between being a great player and a great teacher.

 

[zill]

Seems like @SystemicAnomaly gave a good explanation.

In general, I think it is easy to detect when something is "broken" in a student's double handed backhand, especially when the hand co-ordination is broken. But once everything is working co-ordinated beautifully, it is extremely hard to detect which hand is dominating at which parts of the stroke, even for the player.
This is because from an external view, both hands would move along nice and easy without any hitch, but different push/pull forces dominate at different times based on the stroke you are hitting, and postion/timing of the shot, since it is so flexible.

All I can say is that dominant hand provides the pull, and non-dominant hand provides the push. The advantage of pull is that, it can actually provide more speed into the shot on release. The advantage of push is that it can provide more stability behind the shot. (As an analogy with a car, think pull to be pure speed and push to be torque). When reacting to low speed, low heaviness shots from a stable position, a pull dominated shot can provide more rewards. When reacting to heavy and fast paced shots, from more unstable positions, a push dominated shot can provide more rewards. In either case, both hands still has to work together, since if you don't activate one hand it can actually "hinder" the other hand.

Also in general since the right hand and and shoulder (for a rightly) is always in front of the stroke, the pull has to "lead the way" always, even when not the dominating one, so that it does not collapse or hinder. This can sometimes be interpretted as "right hand dominated shot", even when the left hand is doing a lot of work.

Generally all good double handed backhand players unknowgly learn to adjust these pull and push forces on different shots based on their style and stability.

So all you should really focus on is to make sure both hands and not working "against" each other, and are well co-ordinated without hitches. You will never have to forcefully think which hand should dominate. If you feel non-coordination, then you may have to work one hand at a time (something like left handed forehand or single handed backhand) to make sure you get a feel of push or pull stand alone.

Great explanation. You also agree that the extension for the double handed backhand is done together by both arms at the same time right? I think this simultaneous action by both arms at the end 'unites' the stroke together as a team effort rather than looking at it from a right or left arm perspective.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Time and again, great pros seem to give wrong technique information or even explain their own strokes incorrectly.

I know people rag on YouTube coaches and question their credentials but there is a difference between being a great player and a great teacher.

I've seen Novak do that when asked about his serve. It sounded like he was just parrotting some of the inaccurate things he had been told as a developing Jr player. He managed to become a great player despite some of the inaccurate instruction he had been given in his youth.

While coaches like Agassi & Patrick Mouratoglou might spout something that is technically incorrect, their message, nonetheless, is very informative & insightful.

Good coaches have developed a good eye for detail. Many have also analyzed or closely scrutinized the difference between good mechanics and flawed mechanics.

Great players often perform their amazing shots on, primarily, a subconscious level -- they can't really tell you how they perform these acts. Not unless they actually stop and take the time to closely analyze their own shots and movement.

 

[nyta2]

The left hand obviously provides most of the power but the right hand is always involved and doing something throughout the forward swing even when the left hand is working. Hence Agassi's statement. Correct?

The left hand only comes into the shot briefly. But the right hand is working from start to finish throughout the forward swing.

Basically I think the double handed backhand is a normal single backhand drive done with a continental grip with the help of the left hand at the latter stages of the drive due to obvious problems associated with driving a ball with a continental grip!

ANDRE AGASSI SAYS HE PRIMARILY USES HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE TWO-HANDED BACKHAND

From reading through many threads and videos on the two-handed backhand, the majority of people argue that the two-handed backhand is basically a lefty forehand. However, tennis-legend, Andre Agass…

simplemoderntennis.wordpress.com

i used to think the left hand provides most of the power (used to also practice alot of left handed fh, thinking the left provides all the power)... and similarly was surprised by AA's comment.
after experimenting, and other vids... concluded that the right arm is providing most of the power, mainly because if i'm "swinging with my body" (eg. hip turn), the right hand ends up pulling the butt cap first.
these days i'm experiemnting (based on a vid i watched) with driving the butt cap down (like a pendulum) with the right arm... while also striving for a "continous loop" 2hbh (no pause in the backswing)
when i'm hitting it well, the left hand only feels engaged (the release of the forearms to get the face squared to contact) just before and through contact (extending to target)

 

[zill]

when i'm hitting it well, the left hand only feels engaged (the release of the forearms to get the face squared to contact) just before and through contact (extending to target)

But you do extend (well after contact) with both arms at the end not just with the left?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

The top hand (the one closer to the throat) must move thru a greater distance than the bottom hand. Because of this it also must move faster than the bottom hand.

It certainly does not feel like the top hand is "just along for the ride". Given that it is moving further and moving faster, it stands to reason that the top hand might assume a more dominant role in producing speed & spin for much of a 2-handed backhand

 

[zill]

The top hand (the one closer to the throat) must move thru a greater distance than the bottom hand. Because of this it also must move faster than the bottom hand.

It certainly does not feel like the top hand is "just along for the ride". Given that it is moving further and moving faster, it stands to reason that the top hand might assume a more dominant role in producing speed & spin for much of a 2-handed backhand

Makes sense. Which means even though the extension after contact is performed by both arms together with the top arm extending faster and for longer than the bottom arm with both finish above the shoulder.

 

[Shroud]

Weird. It always felt right hand dominate and the left hand was just there not doing much. Unless I was late or something.

and i recall posting vids and the consensus was my 2 hander was better. Thats probably the moment I realized how full of **** this forum is sometimes.

 

[zill]

Weird. It always felt right hand dominate and the left hand was just there not doing much. Unless I was late or something.

and i recall posting vids and the consensus was my 2 hander was better. Thats probably the moment I realized how full of **** this forum is sometimes.

I thought you hit a one hander?

 

[Shroud]

I thought you hit a one hander?

i spent about 6 months on the darkside. I am reformed now.

 

[zill]

Makes sense. Which means even though the extension after contact is performed by both arms together with the top arm extending faster and for longer than the bottom arm with both finish above the shoulder.

Actually the left arm extends first then the right arm extends. The right arm extension is more for stability and structure for the overall stroke I think and not essential.

 

[a12345]

neither arm provides the power. the right arm sets up the racket in that it dips/pulls first. but pretty much all the power comes from the body rotation. if you look at the position of the arms from takeback through to contact point they remain roughly in the middle of the body all the way through

 

[zill]

if you look at the position of the arms from takeback through to contact point they remain roughly in the middle of the body all the way through

Don't understand. The body is in between the two arms yes. That will never change lol.

 

[a12345]

Don't understand. The body is in between the two arms yes. That will never change lol.

the hands and the racket handle remains roughly at the belly button all the way through the shot from the take back to contact point

 

[a12345]

this explains it well. by removing the racket you can see better what is happening.

 

[zill]

the hands and the racket handle remains roughly at the belly button all the way through the shot from the take back to contact point

Yes the body turns with the arm but it's still the arms (also pronation ie snap) transferring power to the racquet which in turn hits the ball. nice vid above though.

 

[a12345]

Yes the body turns with the arm but it's still the arms (also pronation ie snap) transferring power to the racquet which in turn hits the ball. nice vid above though.

the arms arent really doing much though for power. one way to think of it is the arms are moving in the direction of a clock face, that is, more in a vertical plane hence the pronation. and the body is moving like a spinning top, in the horizontal plane. then put them together.

 

[zill]

the arms arent really doing much though for power. one way to think of it is the arms are moving in the direction of a clock face, that is, more in a vertical plane hence the pronation. and the body is moving like a spinning top, in the horizontal plane. then put them together.

Ok hold the racquet with your arms and just let the arms move with the body and not 'swing' at all at the ball. How would that turn out? So just rotate the body with no swing from the arm. Would be an absolute disaster. I wouldn't even play mini tennis like this. In fact just swinging at the ball is not enough, you must also snap at the ball.

The point of the vid is to show the arm must work in sync with the body rotation. Too many people just use their arms without using/turning the body during the shot. Both must happen for a good shot - body rotation and arm swing.

 

[a12345]

Ok hold the racquet with your arms and just let the arms move with the body and not 'swing' at all at the ball. How would that turn out? So just rotate the body with no swing from the arm. Would be an absolute disaster. I wouldn't even play mini tennis like this. In fact just swinging at the ball is not enough, you must also snap at the ball.

The point of the vid is to show the arm must work in sync with the body rotation. Too many people just your their arms and no turning of the body. Both must happen for a good shot - body rotation and arm swing.

if you look at where novaks hands are in relation to the Novak sign on his tshirt they dont really change all the way through to contact. just a tiny move when he first dips the racket with his right hand

 

[zill]

if you look at where novaks hands are in relation to the Novak sign on his tshirt they dont really change all the way through to contact. just a tiny move when he first dips the racket with his right hand

Yes but that doesn't mean the arm is not doing much for power. How does arm injuries appear even among the pros if the arms are not doing much for power?

 

[Enga]

These sorts of topics mostly devolve into semantics

 

[zill]

These sorts of topics mostly devolve into semantics

I think it's mainly the left arm and hand. The right arm and hand should mostly be used subconsciously to provide structure and support to the left arm (so you can a solid abbreviated left handed forehand). Maybe with Agassi it's reversed his left arm and hand is so subconscious he has to concentrate on using his right arm and hand.

 

[Hit 'em clean]

Seems like @SystemicAnomaly gave a good explanation.

In general, I think it is easy to detect when something is "broken" in a student's double handed backhand, especially when the hand co-ordination is broken. But once everything is working co-ordinated beautifully, it is extremely hard to detect which hand is dominating at which parts of the stroke, even for the player.
This is because from an external view, both hands would move along nice and easy without any hitch, but different push/pull forces dominate at different times based on the stroke you are hitting, and postion/timing of the shot, since it is so flexible.

All I can say is that dominant hand provides the pull, and non-dominant hand provides the push. The advantage of pull is that, it can actually provide more speed into the shot on release. The advantage of push is that it can provide more stability behind the shot. (As an analogy with a car, think pull to be pure speed and push to be torque). When reacting to low speed, low heaviness shots from a stable position, a pull dominated shot can provide more rewards. When reacting to heavy and fast paced shots, from more unstable positions, a push dominated shot can provide more rewards. In either case, both hands still has to work together, since if you don't activate one hand it can actually "hinder" the other hand.

Also in general since the right hand and and shoulder (for a rightly) is always in front of the stroke, the pull has to "lead the way" always, even when not the dominating one, so that it does not collapse or hinder. This can sometimes be interpretted as "right hand dominated shot", even when the left hand is doing a lot of work.

Generally all good double handed backhand players unknowgly learn to adjust these pull and push forces on different shots based on their style and stability.

So all you should really focus on is to make sure both hands and not working "against" each other, and are well co-ordinated without hitches. You will never have to forcefully think which hand should dominate. If you feel non-coordination, then you may have to work one hand at a time (something like left handed forehand or single handed backhand) to make sure you get a feel of push or pull stand alone.

I agree! I think all 2HBH players concentrate more on one hand or the other depending on their feel for the stroke and how they hit the ball. I have a unique grip on my 2HBH where I overlap my hands like on a golf club. My right thumb is extended on the back of the grip and my left hand is eastern, but rest on top of my thumb. I thought I was weird until I found out that Tracy Austin apparently does the same thing. My feeling is that I hit more with my right hand up until contact and then my left helps stabilize and push the racquet up and through the ball at contact and beyond. I cannot hit a 2HBH at all with a normal grip because my hands work too independently of each other and it make me feel clunky and uncoordinated. My quasi golf overlap grip on the 2HBH, however, allows my hands to work together without one overpowering the other.

But I really feel that everyone uses one hand or the other as the primary source of feel in swinging the racquet and that can change sometimes depending on the shot you're trying to hit. If you need extra spin or power you involve more of the left hand, etc.

 

[Serve Doc]

Grips determine dominance in contribution. 2 lever models to refer to here.. traditional see saw model which if your bottom hand is continental like Agassi or full Eastern like Rafa that can balance contribution from both hands. The one-hand release of Borg and Wilander was a by-product of right hand leveraging against top hand as a fulcrum so they could release because of that grip set technique....forehand grips on bottom hand relegate the bottom hand to serve as a pivot point as the top hand drives power...Different model of leverage...And the arms can extend for better drive when not in forehand bottom grip...hope this helps

 

[zill]

From US Open spin studies from the late 1990s... AA would put more than 3000 RPM on some of his Fh shots but his average was just over 1700 (somewhat flat by today's standards). His Bh spin averaged somewhere between 1750 & 1800 (with some around 2500 RPM). Not massive spin but definitely respectable.

Compare those avg Bh numbers to Todd Martin (2h) with ~1300 rpm and Tim Henman (1h) at 1250 rpm. Sampras (1h) was higher that these guys with an avg ~2200 rpm

@SystemicAnomaly do you know Safin's backhand rpm?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@SystemicAnomaly do you know Safin's backhand rpm?

I have not seen any data on the spin rates of Safin's Bh. As I recall, Marat was very powerful on both wings. Like Agassi, Safin was a fairly flat hitter for the most part. Modest topspin, at most, compared to today's players

Andre's Fh might have been a bit flatter than his own Bh. But Marat might have been a bit flatter on his Bh side than his Fh. There was a lot of talk on how powerful and effective Safin's Bh was.

Perhaps the best two-handed Bh strokes of the 90s and 00s belong to Safin, Agassi, and Nalbandian.

Marat does not appear in the US Open spin study from the late 90s. He was a new player on the tour when that study was done. Perhaps @JohnYandell has some data on his TP.net site or elsewhere.

@Bungalo Bill and others had discussed Safin a fair amount 15+ years ago (before I started posting much on TT). BB also posted quite a bit on Yandell's site in the past. He has not been active much in the past decade on TT. Don't know if he's still active on the TP site still.

I do recall BB mentioning how much more top hand dominant Safin's Bh was than Agassi's.

 

[JohnYandell]

Nope nothing on Marat other than he had a great backhand.

 

[zill]

From US Open spin studies from the late 1990s... AA would put more than 3000 RPM on some of his Fh shots but his average was just over 1700 (somewhat flat by today's standards). His Bh spin averaged somewhere between 1750 & 1800 (with some around 2500 RPM). Not massive spin but definitely respectable.

Compare those avg Bh numbers to Todd Martin (2h) with ~1300 rpm and Tim Henman (1h) at 1250 rpm. Sampras (1h) was higher that these guys with an avg ~2200 rpm

@SystemicAnomaly, @JohnYandell do you know how much rpm is on the Nalbandian backhand?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

@SystemicAnomaly, @JohnYandell do you know how much rpm is on the Nalbandian backhand?

I do not know the RPMs on Nalby's Bh. Perhaps JY has that info. I do remember his Bh employing quite a bit of variety / versatility. He could hit his two-hander flat or with a generous amount of topspin. He also had a very good slice Bh.

Some of DN's backhands reached a measured speed of 110 mph. No doubt, those were pretty flat. OTOH, in the sequence below, he appears to be hitting with quite a bit of topspin. His racket head is dropped below his hands and quite a bit below his eventual contact point. His swingpath appears to be pretty steep in this case:

 

[zill]

I do not know the RPMs on Nalby's Bh. Perhaps JY has that info. I do remember his Bh employing quite a bit of variety / versatility. He could hit his two-hander flat or with a generous amount of topspin. He also had a very good slice Bh.

Some of DN's backhands reached a measured speed of 110 mph. No doubt, those were pretty flat. OTOH, in the sequence below, he appears to be hitting with quite a bit of topspin. His racket head is dropped below his hands and quite a bit below his eventual contact point. His swingpath appears to be pretty steep in this case:

Yes and done using a semi western grip for the top hand.

 

[JohnYandell]

Again,
One I wish I knew.

 

[zill]

Realised the right arm and hand is quite minimal in the overall double handed backhand shot. It is essential in that it's purpose is for support and setup but it's the left hand and arm that generates the speed and spin of the shot! Don't know what Agassi was on about.

 

[Shroud]

Realised the right arm and hand is quite minimal in the overall double handed backhand shot. It is essential in that it's purpose is for support and setup but it's the left hand and arm that generates the speed and spin of the shot! Don't know what Agassi was on about.

Its possible to hit a two hander with the right hand dominate and doing most of the work. In fact alot of the bhs in his era were like that. A great example is borgs. Have you ever seen his?

 

[zill]

Its possible to hit a two hander with the right hand dominate and doing most of the work. In fact alot of the bhs in his era were like that. A great example is borgs. Have you ever seen his?

Yes but he is still predominantly using his left hand to snap the ball forward which is where most of the power comes from.

 

[Shroud]

Yes but he is still predominantly using his left hand to snap the ball forward which is where most of the power comes from.

borg??

 

[zill]

borg??

yes. Same as modern double backhands but he releases the arm early.