Unorthodox groundstrokes

[Benhur]

How about unorthodox or strange looking strokes, especially among great players? Is there a thread on that?

Among the not so greats, maybe the most bizarre stroke I’ve ever seen is Alberto Berasategui’s forehand. His grip was so extreme that he hit forehand and backhand with the same side of the racquet. I don’t know that anybody else has ever done that.

Among the greats, I've always found the following strokes very weird:

Nadal's backand (looks to me impossibly cramped most of the time, but it works somehow)
McEnroe’s foreand and backwand (I liked to watch McEnroe rally from the baseline; nobody had strokes remotely ressembling his)
Connors forehand was also very odd

 

[HRB]

I was always amazed to hear how J-Mac used such low string tension, then I saw that weird stroke style and it all made sense. If he swung modern style with less than 45lbs he'd launch everything.

Weird strokes on the WTA side have to include Monica and Marion Bartoli's 2 handers off both wings.

 

[monfed]

Ralph's FH. Unorthodox and may I also add UGLY.

 

[urban]

McEnroes forhand with that loose wrist was weird, indeed, and a bit vulnerable when pitted against hard hitters. There was a Russian lefty in the 90s, Volkov, who had a similar game. Berasateguis forehand was hit with the backhand side. Shimizu did the same in the 20s. Kuerten played his groundstrokes with a very loose body movement, like a puppet on a string. I think he had a hip surgery recently. No wonder. Most weird shot i can remember, was probably Frankie Durrs backhand.

 

[cluckcluck]

Gulbis new forehand.

 

[DaveInBradenton]

How about the most unorthodox ground stroke that eventually became, and now is, accepted practice?

You will recall that back in the '50s, there was a little pigeon-toed Mexican pro by the name of Pancho Segura. Pancho hit both hands, both sides. It was considered bizarre at the time.

Good one, Pancho!

Best wishes,
Dave
Tampa Bay

 

[DaveInBradenton]

Correction: Pancho Segura was born in Ecuador.

Biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Segura

My father took me to see the Pro tour at Northwestern University Evanston, circa 1962. The players I remember: Alex Olmedo, Lew Hoad, Pancho Segura, and of course, Pancho Gonzalez.

Dave

 

[The-Champ]

Ralph's FH. Unorthodox and may I also add UGLY.

When Nadal hits it flat, his fh is thing of beauty. When he does the over the head finish, it looks weird.



Sjeng Schalken had a very strange serve..

 

[hoodjem]

McEnroe’s forehand and backhand (I liked to watch McEnroe rally from the baseline; nobody had strokes remotely ressembling his)

Gotta agree.

I think it looks like he's hitting half-volleys from the baseline.

 

[monfed]

When Nadal hits it flat, his fh is thing of beauty. When he does the over the head finish, it looks weird.



Sjeng Schalken had a very strange serve..

You know what I actually agree with you. When he hits it inside out(flat),seen this shot a lot at the AO, it looks good.

 

[LeeD]

McEnroe would hit weak and pathetic with tight strings.
Loose strings do the work for him, so he only guides the ball with a full contact point.
Similar with Connor's T2000. IT does the pace, he only guides it with a little sidespin and a longer followthru than MaC's...

 

[boredone3456]

Weird strokes on the WTA side have to include Monica and Marion Bartoli's 2 handers off both wings.

Add to this the Shriver forehand
Sharapova occasionally hitting a lefty forehand in place of a backhand
There was a WTA player also whose name I can't think of who hit double forehand and no backhand...I think she was British although that could be a guess
Bartoli's whole weird serve motion
Dementieva's post injury serve

 

[Benhur]

McEnroe would hit weak and pathetic with tight strings.
Loose strings do the work for him, so he only guides the ball with a full contact point.
Similar with Connor's T2000. IT does the pace, he only guides it with a little sidespin and a longer followthru than MaC's...

True, but the counterargument is that almost everybody else would be unable to control the ball with McEnroe's ultra-loose string tension, or with a T2000.

 

[USS Tang]

South African Frew McMillan hit with two hands off both sides. Left hand was below right hand both ways. With Bob Hewitt, he was a world-class doubles player.

 

[urban]

Beverly Fleitz had only forehands. A Czech player of the 90s had only forehands too. Bromwich served with the left, had a forehand with the right and a double handed backhand.

 

[kiki]

Ramanathan Krishnan, the first great player coming from India

 

[kiki]

Santana plane landing FH a unique and magical shot

 

[Benhur]

Beverly Fleitz had only forehands. A Czech player of the 90s had only forehands too. Bromwich served with the left, had a forehand with the right and a double handed backhand.

That's very interesting. And they were both high-ranked players too. I'd always wondered about the possibility of an ambidextrous player switching hands to hit only forehands.
On the wikipedia page they say Bromwich played left handed but served with the right. Either way, these are really marevelous oddities.

 

[robow7]

the finest looking backhand of our time (a backhanded comment mind you)

Francoise Durr

though there may be better examples on film, start at 50 seconds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E1UmY-MJV4

 

[slowfox]

True, but the counterargument is that almost everybody else would be unable to control the ball with McEnroe's ultra-loose string tension, or with a T2000.

How loose did he string it? I've heard that it was high 40s with Pacific Gut in a small-headsized, tight string pattern. Doesn't seem that unreasonable. Certainly wasn't a butterfly net.

Vaguely recall that Mecir strung his Snauwaert with gut at 36 lbs. Not sure if true. Speaking of which, he had an unorthodox game (but groundies looked fine).

 

[Benhur]

How loose did he string it? I've heard that it was high 40s with Pacific Gut in a small-headsized, tight string pattern. Doesn't seem that unreasonable. Certainly wasn't a butterfly net.
.

I once heard a commentator during one of his matches (MacKay, I think) say 38 lbs. But my memory may be wrong.

 

[bluetrain4]

I was always amazed to hear how J-Mac used such low string tension, then I saw that weird stroke style and it all made sense. If he swung modern style with less than 45lbs he'd launch everything.

Weird strokes on the WTA side have to include Monica and Marion Bartoli's 2 handers off both wings.

I agree that the fact of having 2 hands on both sides is unorthodox, but the strokes themselves weren't that unorthodox.

 

[BTURNER]

In her early years, Sabatini's loopy topspinners were seen as unorthodox. She threw her entire body around and through each swing. Really hard to adjust to on the other side as the spin on impact nearly threw the planet off orbit.

 

[hoodjem]

In her early years, Sabatini's loopy topspinners were seen as unorthodox. She threw her entire body around and through each swing. Really hard to adjust to on the other side as the spin on impact nearly threw the planet off orbit.

Back when topspin was novel, Sabatini was way ahead of her time.

 

[slowfox]

Back when topspin was novel, Sabatini was way ahead of her time.

Perhaps not so much the topspin, but her backhand leaning back was a tad unorthodox.