Which is more difficoult to learn?
- Thread starter Balint
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D
Deleted member 771407
Guest
The serve
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
I'd say that it's a little bit of a trick question, just because learning a certain backhand seems to depend on that player's specific aptitudes. Some get a much more natural fit with a two-hander, but a few developing players in the crowd will usually have a more inherent knack to hit a one-hander. It's as though one or the other is printed into their tennis DNA. So if a player is trying to learn the backhand that's more natural to him or her, that's probably going to be a little smoother compared with learning to serve.
Learning to serve includes some of the same sort of things as the backhand; using the right grip, proper orientation, using the right swing path, etc. But serving well also depends on learning to toss with consistent location as well as proper timing - not too soon and not too late relative to the windup. There seem to be a few more variables to sort out for learning a serve.
Learning to serve includes some of the same sort of things as the backhand; using the right grip, proper orientation, using the right swing path, etc. But serving well also depends on learning to toss with consistent location as well as proper timing - not too soon and not too late relative to the windup. There seem to be a few more variables to sort out for learning a serve.
D
Deleted member 771407
Guest
Naah the serve is juste a much more complicated motion. As for which backhand is natural, I think 1h is more natural for most players actually, it's juste that most coaches will teach you 2h so it becomes more natural. And when you are very small and weak (a kid) the 2h may be more natural. It's simply because you're hitting the 1h backhand with your better arm.
For example I was only ever taught the 2hbackhand, but I can hit a very decent 1h backhand. I just gave it a try again during lessons where the teacher was trying to help my buddy with his 1h backhand and I started hitting missile after missile consistently. To hit2h backhands that hard you need a lot of training.
The main difficulty when changing from a 2h to a 1h is the timing, and where you hit the ball, it's very different between the two, but once you get that the switch is relatively easy.
For a total baginner 1h is probably more natural and easier as long as you're not a young kid.
For example I was only ever taught the 2hbackhand, but I can hit a very decent 1h backhand. I just gave it a try again during lessons where the teacher was trying to help my buddy with his 1h backhand and I started hitting missile after missile consistently. To hit2h backhands that hard you need a lot of training.
The main difficulty when changing from a 2h to a 1h is the timing, and where you hit the ball, it's very different between the two, but once you get that the switch is relatively easy.
For a total baginner 1h is probably more natural and easier as long as you're not a young kid.
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
The technique for the serve is observable in high speed videos and has been researched, studied and analyzed. There is a lot of cut and paste information on the internet that is not in agreement with the research on the serve. The serve is difficult to perform and especially to learn when the old serving technique has to be unlearned. The angles of the hand path, the racket path and the ball's trajectory are not so easy to observe in videos or when serving - I believe that those angles add to the difficulty of learning a new serve. While techniques can be observed in high speed videos, some things are not obvious in interpreting the videos. I have specialized in pointing video details out but many forum readers are not very interested.
The techniques for the one hand backhand are observable in high speed videos. There is not nearly as much analysis as for the serve. I identified some characteristics for a one hand backhand technique and have a long thread detailing them. The thread is based on high speed video brick & motar observations. I would like to see additional references on the same specific charateristics that are discussed. The 1H backhand is much simpler.
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
One very basic problem is that many readers primarily want to use words to tell themselves about tennis strokes and a second group primarily want to use images & videos. I think that word descriptions allow more misconceptions in how we think about tennis strokes.
The two approaches are either
WORDS with some videos
OR
HIGH SPEED VIDEOS with some words.
Place your bets.........
.
The techniques for the one hand backhand are observable in high speed videos. There is not nearly as much analysis as for the serve. I identified some characteristics for a one hand backhand technique and have a long thread detailing them. The thread is based on high speed video brick & motar observations. I would like to see additional references on the same specific charateristics that are discussed. The 1H backhand is much simpler.
One Hand Backhand - Waht Force to Start Forward Swing?
One Hand Backhand - What Force to Start Forward Swing? I have just been watching great one-hand backhands at the Madrid Open. Including excellent slow motion that can be replayed in even slower motion or single frame with my DVR. Often when I try to swing forward for a one hand backhand...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
One very basic problem is that many readers primarily want to use words to tell themselves about tennis strokes and a second group primarily want to use images & videos. I think that word descriptions allow more misconceptions in how we think about tennis strokes.
The two approaches are either
WORDS with some videos
OR
HIGH SPEED VIDEOS with some words.
Place your bets.........
.
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pencilcheck
Hall of Fame
Depends on the level that the player is learning
if you mean a proper consistent spin serve on pressure in real match then yes serve would take more time to get used to but I would also say if you raise the stake and have higher demands to one hand backhand it would also be harder.
From your sounding it is merely the inception of those technique I would say the coach way of teaching makes a huge difference and everyone gets those motion differently
if you mean a proper consistent spin serve on pressure in real match then yes serve would take more time to get used to but I would also say if you raise the stake and have higher demands to one hand backhand it would also be harder.
From your sounding it is merely the inception of those technique I would say the coach way of teaching makes a huge difference and everyone gets those motion differently
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Normally, I would say the serve. However, 20+ yrs ago I taught myself to play tennis (& other sports) with my non-dominant right arm. I've been playing tennis as a lefty for most of 5 decades.
I mastered the forehand & then the serve with my non-dominant (right) arm. I have yet to master the one-handed backhand on this side. However, I had an advantage in learning to serve with my off arm because I naturally throw with this arm. It is much better than my lefty ball throw.
I started learning to serve right-handed by throwing tennis rackets up into the air using a serve motion. This drill helps immensely for developing a natural feeling serve with that arm.
The mechanics of throwing a racket and throwing a ball are very similar but, if you're not used to it, they feel differently. My right handed ball throw is still much better than my lefty ball throw. However, when it comes to throwing rackets, I am learning to feel comfortable using either arm.
So, that is my advice for learning to serve. First, make sure that you have good ball throwing mechanics. Make sure that you are throwing the ball upward at a steep angle, like 60° outward. Once you feel comfortable doing this, start throwing rackets in the same manner. I started first with throwing the rackets "on edge" --- as if I were throwing an axe or a tomahawk upward. After doing that for a while, I started adding forearm pronation right before I release the racket for the throw.
This sequence should make it much easier to learn to serve. After this sequence, the next challenge is developing a good, reliable toss with the other arm.
I mastered the forehand & then the serve with my non-dominant (right) arm. I have yet to master the one-handed backhand on this side. However, I had an advantage in learning to serve with my off arm because I naturally throw with this arm. It is much better than my lefty ball throw.
I started learning to serve right-handed by throwing tennis rackets up into the air using a serve motion. This drill helps immensely for developing a natural feeling serve with that arm.
The mechanics of throwing a racket and throwing a ball are very similar but, if you're not used to it, they feel differently. My right handed ball throw is still much better than my lefty ball throw. However, when it comes to throwing rackets, I am learning to feel comfortable using either arm.
So, that is my advice for learning to serve. First, make sure that you have good ball throwing mechanics. Make sure that you are throwing the ball upward at a steep angle, like 60° outward. Once you feel comfortable doing this, start throwing rackets in the same manner. I started first with throwing the rackets "on edge" --- as if I were throwing an axe or a tomahawk upward. After doing that for a while, I started adding forearm pronation right before I release the racket for the throw.
This sequence should make it much easier to learn to serve. After this sequence, the next challenge is developing a good, reliable toss with the other arm.
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2-Step-Q
Rookie
It depends on the level of proficiency you're going for. If you just wanna hit the ball in play I would say the serve is the easiest to learn. If you want to play confidently at the 3.0/3.5 level I would say the serve is more difficult to use correctly because there are so many variables and ways to hit it (flat,kick,slice).
Chas Tennis
G.O.A.T.
A serve is easy to learn because it is simply done in a very logical way. In particular, the racket face is aligned early so that a swing mostly forward will impact the ball with the racket face aimed in the side-to-side direction of the desired target - completely logical. However, this concept results in the lower performance Waiter's Tray technique that most active tennis players are using. A WT can hit a slice and flat serve. But I cannot see how a WT can hit a kick or top spin serve, as there is no effective way to cause the racket head to rise as it is hitting the ball.
The WT is not found in any of the top 100 ATP players I've ever looked at, probably all use the high level serving technique that uses the axial rotation of the upper arm for internal shoulder rotation (ISR). The high level serve allows the racket to be rising before impact and at the same time the racket face to be orientated in the side-to-side direction of the desired serve. It can then do the kick serve. This racket face orientation is also changing direction very rapidly during impact in the side-to-side direction.
The above comments are based on video observations of the racket face impacting the ball. Observe the 3 frames - before, during and after impact. I have posted videos & Toly gifs of the high level slice and kick serves many times.
This video shows that the high level serve both 1) swinging forward and 2) at the same time, the racket face is also rotating in the side-to-side direction.
If you think that a WT can hit a kick serve, please post a video showing the racket head motion that rises during impact to produce the component of top spin.
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D
Deleted member 771407
Guest
Yeah right, show us your 142 mph serve, I'll show you my one handed backhand
hypercube
New User
Strange question but easy to answer. The serve is the hardest stroke to learn in tennis, whereas the one handed backhand is the easiest, simplest and most natural.
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
I was a pitcher and played lots of frisbee, so both were easy
oserver
Professional
Serve should be the easier since it's a static stroke. The rule prevent you from running
. Other reasons for this include -1. There is almost no time factor there while every other stroke does have a time limit to hit.
2. The player is in total control of the shot; you opponent cannot influence your serve quality.
3. Since serve is a static stroke, there is no court coverage issue as other strokes do.
Serve became difficult because current serve forms and techniques are the most complicated than other strokes, IMHO.
After contact pronation is the hard one for beginners and intermediate players. If you learn the more natural serve without deliberate pronation after contact, serve won't be that difficult.
