What is wrong with my backhand? Video inside.

Badmrfrosty

Rookie
Finally figured out iMovie a little so here are some videos of miniTennis feeds and slow feeds in no mans land. Let me hear all the critiques and one thing I need to focus on first when practicing and then maybe the second thing.

Thanks for taking a look and any comments.... haha.


 
You're arming the ball a lot and tend to use some elbow flexion to swipe up and across the ball, very little extension. Slow down the side view and watch your contact points. They are exclusively past your right foot and sometimes even behind your head position. You are very late. All this is connected. You actually get to a point in your preparation where both arms tend to be straight, but it doesn't last very long. I would start there. Then model a contact point that is slightly in front of your right foot. This will require you to keep your left arm much straighter, much longer. Then continue out to an extension point past contact. I would recommend taking some practice hits where you actually cut the wrap at the end off completely and only go out to your extension point in front of you. These do not and should not be super fast swings, just nice and easy. Once you get the feel for where your extension is you can add the wrap back in and let the left arm bend, but it should be happening well after contact.
 

MajesticMoose

Hall of Fame
You're dragging your left toe on every shot. Actually bring the leg and foot around you on the follow through and use your hips. Explode off to the side.

Your follow through is sometimes up and over the right shoulder. Sometimes it's lazy and you just fling it to your right side.

Make use of your left hand. 2 hander for a righty is like 90% left hand. 10% right hand.

At contact or just after contact, you like... idk, compress your body and you don't extend your arms and elbows out on contact. You're losing so much power.
 

Dan R

Professional
You need to drop the racket below the ball by the end of the back swing. Your swing is way too flat. As you start forward the right arm should be above the left, and the right wrist bent, the right arm straight and the left elbow bent. This is a highly leveraged position.

As you move forward toward the ball it all switches. The left arm takes over, and moves above the right, the left arm becomes straight (yours stays bent), and the right arm bends. You never straighten out the left arm and so don't hit through the ball. You end up with the left elbow in front of your face like you're hiding from someone. This is causing you to roll over the ball too much - it should feel like you are brushing up and through the ball with your left arm.

Study the video below and if you can watch this and yours side by side to see difference in position as the swing progresses. Keep up the good work!

 

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Look at ATP or WTA players on TV broadcasts. Roughly their shoulders turn back 90 d more or less and then about 90 degrees forward, not for all shots but typical for many when they are not pressured and want to hit pace. Notice the speed of the forward uppermost body rotation. This contributes significantly to pace. There have been posts on separation - the line between the two shoulders goes back farther than the line between the tow hips - and how separation in the backward and forward directions is timed.

Forehand showing separation. Similar for backhand.

This motion involves trunk twisting, in other words, the spine twists. Too stressful for some backs.
 
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Badmrfrosty

Rookie
Thank you everyone. Great stuff! I'm going to get out there and drill and see if I can come back with at least some of these improvements.

Bitter no one ever told me not to drag my feet in tennis as you can imagine I wear toes out on my toes a lot. I guess it is a bad habit from growing up playing baseball. I also keep my elbow tucked in too much I noticed on the vids.
 

Nellie

Hall of Fame
I agree with comments above regarding a lack of extension of the left (BH) arm. I would suggest working on hitting through and past the ball. I find it helps to stop your hands at impact to see where you are making contact and the position of your arms at contact. Visualize that right side is being used at the fulcrum of the lever/racquet and the left side is providing the force. Try to exaggerate the left arm extension (so you are reaching to finish way, way, out front with the left hand after contact before bringing the racquet back to your right shoulder.) Sometimes, it helps me practice while keeping the right elbow connected to my side and then really feel the forward push with the left arm. I also like to practice some strokes while holding the handle with a regular grip on the left side and with just one finger and thumb on the right (FH) arm to force the backhand side to dominate and control.

As a second thing I would work on, try to prepare the racquet (bring it back before contact) to about the expected height of the point of contact. Some of your strokes are very steep in swing path.
 

undecided

Semi-Pro
Finally figured out iMovie a little so here are some videos of miniTennis feeds and slow feeds in no mans land. Let me hear all the critiques and one thing I need to focus on first when practicing and then maybe the second thing.

Thanks for taking a look and any comments.... haha.


What exactly are you doing with your shoulder and chest after the backswing? It looks like you are tucking/squeezing your body. You need to be a bit more loose.
 

Badmrfrosty

Rookie
Thanks again for all the feedback.

I went out today and did mini tennis focusing on arm extension, hitting in front and not dragging the leg (about all my brain could handle). Checked video; Minitennis went great. Then moved back and thought I was replicating minitennis. I was shocked when I saw on video I was still keeping my elbow in even though it didn't feel like that. Filled up another basket and focused on hyperextending my arm and not focusing on where the ball went. Looked at the video and it then looked like what I was expecting and I was hitting it well. Also, to my untrained eye video looked billion times better than before. I'll let the experts decide but all your feedback seemed to be a massive help. Let me know if I'm wrong. I tried not to think about anything other than arm, out in front and not dragging toe so I know I still have a lot to work on.

Bonus I was hitting the ball much better. Lots more topspin and control.

 
F

FRV

Guest
Thanks again for all the feedback.

I went out today and did mini tennis focusing on arm extension, hitting in front and not dragging the leg (about all my brain could handle). Checked video; Minitennis went great. Then moved back and thought I was replicating minitennis. I was shocked when I saw on video I was still keeping my elbow in even though it didn't feel like that. Filled up another basket and focused on hyperextending my arm and not focusing on where the ball went. Looked at the video and it then looked like what I was expecting and I was hitting it well. Also, to my untrained eye video looked billion times better than before. I'll let the experts decide but all your feedback seemed to be a massive help. Let me know if I'm wrong. I tried not to think about anything other than arm, out in front and not dragging toe so I know I still have a lot to work on.

Bonus I was hitting the ball much better. Lots more topspin and control.

Wow, looking way better already.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
@Badmrfrosty ... I got this 8-B

You start swinging with your left arm here ... don't want to do that. At the start of the forward swing, you want to swing both (RELAXED!!!) arms together ... right side more in charge like a 1hbh

MpDHn7Sm.jpg


Djoker doesn't start hitting with his left hand here:

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Djoker starts hitting with his left hand here:

Rnv6VXQm.jpg


2hbhs are relaxed and fun 8-B when it's 1) initially loose swing of the arms together 2) late firing of left hand .... if you want to really go for fun ... 3) add racquet lag ... all kinds of whippy fun.

This is why a rail against "the 2hbh is a left handed forehand". If one hears that .... most would start swinging with the left arm/hand right where you did. In fact, to me ... that's what that left hand forehand drill you did enforces. I tried a bunch of left hand FHs ... but I figured out pretty quickly I needed to swing the left handed fh from the spot it kicks in for me in my 2hbh (for me, that's near the belly buttion ... what Djoker does almost at front hip is crazy pro stuff ... belly button will do fine 8-B)

All the other stuff is good ... relaxed, probably end up with better 2hbh if you go straight with left arm at contact, yada yada yada. But trust me on this one .... you will like the two phase 2hbh WAY BETTER than swing a left handed forehand from way back there.

Try it and post if this works. I never know if any of my stuff is legit or I just made it up. :p

What grips are you using. Right hand continental is good ... think that is what you have. Left hand eastern (or sw) good ... can't tell what yours is but looks more extreme.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Thanks again for all the feedback.

I went out today and did mini tennis focusing on arm extension, hitting in front and not dragging the leg (about all my brain could handle). Checked video; Minitennis went great. Then moved back and thought I was replicating minitennis. I was shocked when I saw on video I was still keeping my elbow in even though it didn't feel like that. Filled up another basket and focused on hyperextending my arm and not focusing on where the ball went. Looked at the video and it then looked like what I was expecting and I was hitting it well. Also, to my untrained eye video looked billion times better than before. I'll let the experts decide but all your feedback seemed to be a massive help. Let me know if I'm wrong. I tried not to think about anything other than arm, out in front and not dragging toe so I know I still have a lot to work on.

Bonus I was hitting the ball much better. Lots more topspin and control.


That does look better ... but my point about delaying hitting with the left hand still stands. The arms need to be a bit independent from the torso ... swing them loose at first as opposed to you locking and loading left arm with shoulder rotation from the back swing.

Just noticed something else timing wise. You racquet should not beat you down from the drop before you land that right leg/foot. Watch Djoker, Murray ... all of them. While they are stepping, the racquet is usually dropping/looping, but they are fully landed on front leg before racquet hits bottom. You sequence is what causes that slight delay, IMO.

Edit: just checked, and you don't start your shoulder rotation forward to early ... you are landed on the right leg. That's good, otherwise it would rob you of power on those closed weight transfer 2hbhs. Maybe you get some rhs boost if you time the drop completion following the step ... but if nothing else it will feel more in rhythm.
 

Badmrfrosty

Rookie
That does look better ... but my point about delaying hitting with the left hand still stands. The arms need to be a bit independent from the torso ... swing them loose at first as opposed to you locking and loading left arm with shoulder rotation from the back swing.

Just noticed something else timing wise. You racquet should not beat you down from the drop before you land that right leg/foot. Watch Djoker, Murray ... all of them. While they are stepping, the racquet is usually dropping/looping, but they are fully landed on front leg before racquet hits bottom. You sequence is what causes that slight delay, IMO.
@ByeByePoly great stuff. I have all sorts of timing issues and you are right I'm wayyyy too tense. I feel it when I hit. Appreciate the detailed feedback and will work on what you mentioned and let you know. Thanks!
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
@ByeByePoly great stuff. I have all sorts of timing issues and you are right I'm wayyyy too tense. I feel it when I hit. Appreciate the detailed feedback and will work on what you mentioned and let you know. Thanks!

I would be curious if it's a major change to delaying the left arm/hand firing for you (if you try it). My experience so far is once we get to the point where we basically have a 2hbh going over the net, some tweaks come easy, and others are major. That change might actually be a big one, because we have a lot of calculations built in the "swing to contact".

I went through cycles of tense. Probably the first month with ball machine, then figured out ... DOH!!! this works better relaxed. Then I would be changing stuff .... back to thinking during the stroke ... and then back to tense. I can hit a FH tense if I had to ... really can't with 2hbh ... not exactly sure why.
 

VacationTennis

Semi-Pro
To me it looked like you were hitting them too high, as your whole body was standing straight up after the stroke. Curious what it will look and feel like if you took a step back and let the ball drop down a little more into a more natural contact zone.

It'll take time, but continue letting the racket head drop naturally on the take back instead of manually putting it into that dropped position. Have to be very loose to do this and you won't be able to control it at first, but that's the whole point. Over time this loose racket head speed will turn into control.
 

Friedman Whip

Professional
The thing that seemed to stand out to me in your video is that there is not enough knee bend. Legs too straight. When I switched from 1HBH to 2HBH I got distinct feeling that getting down low to start the shot was decidedly more important with the 2 hander.
 
Definite improvement already. My first suggestion...don't immediately move on to twenty other things before you have actually ingrained that extension with the left arm straighter and you are replicating that spacing for contact regularly under match conditions. Hitting on a ball machine is one thing, but what you really want is for this to work when the rubber meets the road.

Second is that I don't really like the way that your back foot is walking around through the hit, especially at the beginning of the latest video. Watch the slow-mo video of Djokovic that was posted above and look at his back leg as he rotates into contact. He's rotating more explosively than you are and his leg is still behind him (sometimes off the ground slightly because all his weight is on his front foot). He's rotating about a central axis that is roughly his spine. You are swinging your whole body around like a gate (your axis of rotation would be closer to the right side of your body not your central line). I would recommend you google Russian twist and do some of those to wake up your obliques, then see if you can mirror the lower body action and shoulder rotation in the Djokovic video. You will surely find some new muscles that you haven't noticed before...
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Thanks again for all the feedback.

I went out today and did mini tennis focusing on arm extension, hitting in front and not dragging the leg (about all my brain could handle). Checked video; Minitennis went great. Then moved back and thought I was replicating minitennis. I was shocked when I saw on video I was still keeping my elbow in even though it didn't feel like that. Filled up another basket and focused on hyperextending my arm and not focusing on where the ball went. Looked at the video and it then looked like what I was expecting and I was hitting it well. Also, to my untrained eye video looked billion times better than before. I'll let the experts decide but all your feedback seemed to be a massive help. Let me know if I'm wrong. I tried not to think about anything other than arm, out in front and not dragging toe so I know I still have a lot to work on.

Bonus I was hitting the ball much better. Lots more topspin and control.


btw ... the back leg coming around in follow through from rotation is normal/expected ... and a good indicator. On one of your 2hbhs, I saw/heard your left toe popping and draging forward ... that is also normal ... I have that happen on some 2hbh also. Not the step forward though ... have to lose that.

What's up with sticking the tongue out ... lol ... just noticed that. That is now your ttw 2hbh signature move. :p
 
btw ... the back leg coming around in follow through from rotation is normal/expected ... and a good indicator.

Take a serious look at that Djokovic video and see when his back leg actually whips around in front of his body... spoiler alert, it doesn't. The back leg being dragged forward slightly by the hips after the rotation is complete does happen to some extent on some shots. That isn't what is happening with Badmrfrosty though. He is making a unitary rotation where the leg moves with or sometimes even ahead of the hip. He's not really coiling and uncoiling, he's just pivoting on his right leg.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Take a serious look at that Djokovic video and see when his back leg actually whips around in front of his body... spoiler alert, it doesn't. The back leg being dragged forward slightly by the hips after the rotation is complete does happen to some extent on some shots. That isn't what is happening with Badmrfrosty though. He is making a unitary rotation where the leg moves with or sometimes even ahead of the hip. He's not really coiling and uncoiling, he's just pivoting on his right leg.

Spoiler alert ... I didn't say the left leg going in front was right ... I said coming around during follow through. Standard feature in many pro closed stance 2hbhs. It works in their favor often because it leaves them in a good position to recover for next shot. Obviously open stance back leg 2hbhs work differently because turning around back leg hip.

I don't know what unitarian rotation is, but Frosty has good coiling and uncoiling. He is showing some back to net, contact with chest pointing around left net post, good follow with chest pointing net, arms racquet past right ear, often racquet finishes near or touching back. All of this rotating around right hip like he is suppose to.

IMO ... the problem is Frosty has coupled that big step with the swing, and the momentum is carrying him forward into a step. The sequence in a closed stance 2hbh should be 1) get up on right/dom leg 2) then swing. Very distinctly getting on that front leg first, weight bearing, balanced, unit turn set before step and carried forward in the step.

I think the other problem is what I said above. He is starting the hitting with his left arm/hand from the back of his drop (right when arms start forward). The left arm hitting is delayed to later point in swing for most top ATP 2hbhs.

Gilles Simon is a good example for Frosty because he also has both arms straight at slot. If you watch his 2hbh Simon clearly starts swing forward with relaxed left arm/hand .. and then engages left arm hitting closer to contact.

@00:25 below:

 

Badmrfrosty

Rookie
Definitely, have to put some work in keeping arms straight and elbows away from my body. I will work on the other stuff but need to groove this in. I have to focus on doing it and still so tense. I am just tense overall. All the lessons I have had recently they are always telling me to relax. I'm like I'm trying really hard to relax, really hard, look I'm relaxing so hard.... haha. I squeeze the grip like I'm trying to get the last drop of toothpaste out. Probably why I'm having elbow issues. Also, hitting forehands like this isn't helping. Embarrassing. Please no comments on forehand just laugh to yourself.


I'll be back in a couple of weeks with an update. Appreciate all the feedback.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Definitely, have to put some work in keeping arms straight and elbows away from my body. I will work on the other stuff but need to groove this in. I have to focus on doing it and still so tense. I am just tense overall. All the lessons I have had recently they are always telling me to relax. I'm like I'm trying really hard to relax, really hard, look I'm relaxing so hard.... haha. I squeeze the grip like I'm trying to get the last drop of toothpaste out. Probably why I'm having elbow issues. Also, hitting forehands like this isn't helping. Embarrassing. Please no comments on forehand just laugh to yourself.


I'll be back in a couple of weeks with an update. Appreciate all the feedback.

Looks like Jurassic Park on other side of fence ... don't hit any balls over the fence.

"Definitely, have to put some work in keeping arms straight and elbows away from my body."

You mean on 2hbh? Many valid 2hbh arm positions on takeback and contact ... just look at a bunch of pro video. I don't know how long you worked on 2hbh, but if new or making major changes ... it would be the time to pick your 2hbh style. Much harder to change later ... including grips. I think a bent/straight 2hbh like Djokovic is always a great choice. I experimented with straight/straight (Agassi) ... for me a little more power but less control.

https://www.tennisplayer.net/public..._complex/Copy of 2hd_bh_simplest_complex.html
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
Definitely, have to put some work in keeping arms straight and elbows away from my body. I will work on the other stuff but need to groove this in. I have to focus on doing it and still so tense. I am just tense overall. All the lessons I have had recently they are always telling me to relax. I'm like I'm trying really hard to relax, really hard, look I'm relaxing so hard.... haha. I squeeze the grip like I'm trying to get the last drop of toothpaste out. Probably why I'm having elbow issues. Also, hitting forehands like this isn't helping. Embarrassing. Please no comments on forehand just laugh to yourself.


I'll be back in a couple of weeks with an update. Appreciate all the feedback.

hey ... you have a coach/instructor? Your payback for all of our suspect advice here is tell us what he/she is teaching you. Heck ... have them him/her post here and correct our misgided ideas. (y)

fyi ... following thread was a lot of my initial 2hbh thoughts when I started. I have learned a lot since then, and no doubt would change/add comments I made back then, but you might find some useful info in the thread. At a minimum ... you can get a laugh from a 57 year old trying to learn a 2hbh. 8-B

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/2hbh-diy-w-ball-machine.571013/

Edit: glanced at my initial post in that thread and saw "tense" multiple times ... lol ... :-D:-D:-D
 
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Badmrfrosty

Rookie
It has been a long time since I played, so trying to figure stuff out. I had been hitting with a bent/bent which I don't think is good for me as I don't hit out in front and break the elbows too soon. I'm going to try to go with bent/straight or straight/straight but really focus on that left arm being straight. It was amazing how much further out in front I hit the ball, more easy topspin and control just focusing on trying to hyperextend left arm. "Hyperextend" Well that is what I had to tell my brain to make it stay straight. When I tell brain keep arm straight and think that. It's not until I look at video my arm was still always bent and bent by a lot. Werid. I have to think/feel hyperextend.

I have gone to a couple of private lessons but not sure who is the right fit. I'd really like to find someone super technical like what everyone on the thread is saying. My backhand has improved more in one day posting here and trying to replicate the advice on video than all my recent private lessons. Granted they weren't solely focused on BH. My #1 issue is spacing I try to get too close to the ball.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
It has been a long time since I played, so trying to figure stuff out. I had been hitting with a bent/bent which I don't think is good for me as I don't hit out in front and break the elbows too soon. I'm going to try to go with bent/straight or straight/straight but really focus on that left arm being straight. It was amazing how much further out in front I hit the ball, more easy topspin and control just focusing on trying to hyperextend left arm. "Hyperextend" Well that is what I had to tell my brain to make it stay straight. When I tell brain keep arm straight and think that. It's not until I look at video my arm was still always bent and bent by a lot. Werid. I have to think/feel hyperextend.

I have gone to a couple of private lessons but not sure who is the right fit. I'd really like to find someone super technical like what everyone on the thread is saying. My backhand has improved more in one day posting here and trying to replicate the advice on video than all my recent private lessons. Granted they weren't solely focused on BH. My #1 issue is spacing I try to get too close to the ball.

Welcome back to tennis ... have fun.

A couple of things on straight left arm ... that is a "at contact" definition. If you watch Cilic or Zverev for example, they have bent arms in unit turn, and left arm extends to straight by contact. I came to the conclusion everything before the slot is just preference and prep ... too many pro varieties to say it has to be one way. But from slot to contact ... pros start to look more similar to each other.

Most pro 2hbh hit a little in front of front foot on closed 2hbh, but not typically way out in front like their FHs. "Extension" generally refers to extending non dom arm forward toward net "after" contact. I have several pics on imgur of pros ... will add post when at the PC. The reach and spacing changes for sure with 2hbh type ... big reach difference between a Venus bent/bent and an Agassi straight/straight. Not as big a difference between straight/straight and bent/straight. But again ... that is dictated by arm position at contact, straight arms in backswing just prep.

Do you hit open/semi open 2hbhs yet. I waited to add it to much later ... on purpose ... because my goal was to nail down one good quality low ue stance first. Now that I have added semi open, I think I should have introducec it much sooner. For one thing, you need the option on groundstrokes and ros. The other thing is the technique above the waist is the same across strokes, so reinforces the good and points out the bad.

Have fun ... look forward to your updates.

Edit: generally, when you hear 2hbh extension ... this is what I think it refers to. I'm at the point where I do it when I think about it, but I think I fall back into the habit of the elbow folding too early on follow through too often.

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Edit2: I have never tried using the medicine ball to ingrain a stroke, but the coaches here (@J011yroger ) are big proponents. My guess is if you tried to throw a bh medicine ball off your right leg, the weight of it would force you into the habit of being all the way on that right leg before you could toss the medicine ball with any enthusiasm. 8-B Jolly ... is that part of the medicine ball idea ... nail down proper stances ... besides any other strength things you are after?
 
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You can sort the disagreement that ByeByePoly and I have about your back leg movement out for yourself. I stand by my recommendations there. I'd also say that bent/straight is basically where you were in the last video and is a good model to go with. I happen to hit straight/straight, but that is much more uncommon I've found. I also had a one-handed backhand when I was a kid, and I think that has something to do with the arm position I'm comfortable with.

The worst thing that you can do to someone that is tense is tell them to "just relax". You can't put effort into relaxing. For forehands, one of my favorite things to do was to hit with just two fingers on the grip. Slide your normal grip down until your ring finger is off the grip completely, start slow with some practice swings because it will feel like it is going to fly out of your hand. You really won't be able to fight the floppy feeling in your hand and wrist at that point. I've actually engaged in full speed rallies with people while doing this. As for the rest tension wise, I recommend being more specific with your relaxation attempts. Pick a particular area and try to loosen it up as best as possible. Tension tends to radiate (tense your fist hard, your forearm tenses but also check your bicep...it likely has some tension as well). I once had a student actually focus on relaxing his jaw (he was full body tense and actually bit down hard while he was hitting, like he was being tortured or something). It sounds dumb, but it actually loosened up his neck and that started a chain reaction. We eventually worked our way down to his arm. Of course he came back the next week stiff as usual, it would take conscious focus for him to get back to that relaxed state again. From my own perspective, as someone who is seemingly always tense in my upper back and hip area, yoga has been an absolute game changer. I've learned so much about dropping tension and relaxing through breathing, usually while in a lot of pain (self-inflicted, feel that stretch). It translates well to the tennis court, a couple deep breaths in between points and focusing on dropping tension on the exhales and I am good to go.
 
Oh, I forgot...spacing on your forehand. An easy starter drill that I like that you can do off the ball machine is to get into your unit turn and make sure that your left arm is fully extended across your body roughly parallel to the baseline. Then you move into position and try to catch the ball in your left hand, without moving your arm. Once you catch the ball you can pause to check your position and then do a drop hit from where you caught it. It isn't perfect, but it can help with spacing issues and getting a better unit turn with a left arm stretch across. Then you just go into hitting as normal but get into position as if you are trying to catch the ball.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
It has been a long time since I played, so trying to figure stuff out. I had been hitting with a bent/bent which I don't think is good for me as I don't hit out in front and break the elbows too soon. I'm going to try to go with bent/straight or straight/straight but really focus on that left arm being straight. It was amazing how much further out in front I hit the ball, more easy topspin and control just focusing on trying to hyperextend left arm. "Hyperextend" Well that is what I had to tell my brain to make it stay straight. When I tell brain keep arm straight and think that. It's not until I look at video my arm was still always bent and bent by a lot. Werid. I have to think/feel hyperextend.

I have gone to a couple of private lessons but not sure who is the right fit. I'd really like to find someone super technical like what everyone on the thread is saying. My backhand has improved more in one day posting here and trying to replicate the advice on video than all my recent private lessons. Granted they weren't solely focused on BH. My #1 issue is spacing I try to get too close to the ball.

You might have missed my medicine ball comment at end of post above ... hopefully Jolly or other coaches will chime in. @MordredSJT ?

I went to check your arms at contact and the video is no more. 8-B
 
I like the medicine ball, but you have to remember to start relatively light because people will do all sorts of things to sling that thing around. I would actually cue people to use a proper hitting stance while throwing the med ball, emphasize the drive off the back leg and weight on the front foot at the end. Also, using the rotation of the body to throw the ball and not swinging the arms independently. The arms just connect you to the ball. I actually recommended doing some Russian twists in an earlier post, and that can be done with a med ball for resistance. It's a good step to do before a med ball throw because it isolates the upper body rotation that we want and will activate the core muscles. You can actually do med ball throws from all the different stances if you want to.
 

ByeByePoly

G.O.A.T.
I like the medicine ball, but you have to remember to start relatively light because people will do all sorts of things to sling that thing around. I would actually cue people to use a proper hitting stance while throwing the med ball, emphasize the drive off the back leg and weight on the front foot at the end. Also, using the rotation of the body to throw the ball and not swinging the arms independently. The arms just connect you to the ball. I actually recommended doing some Russian twists in an earlier post, and that can be done with a med ball for resistance. It's a good step to do before a med ball throw because it isolates the upper body rotation that we want and will activate the core muscles. You can actually do med ball throws from all the different stances if you want to.

Thanks ... yes, my guess was instructors would have throws from actual tennis stances.
 
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