John Yandell: The One Handed Pro Backhand: Part 3

Is there meaning in the size and shapes of the backswings?

In the first two articles on the one-handed backhand, we looked at the grips, the grip shifts, and the start of the preparation, or the unit turn. (Click Here.) Now let’s look at the shape, or shapes, of the backswings themselves.

We’ll also see how the backswing is related to the completion of the turn. Again we’ll look at both the classical and the extreme variations and see where they overlap and how they differ, although you may be surprised at what we do, or don’t find.

Backswing Shapes

In our analysis of the modern forehand, we found that no two forehand backswings were exactly alike. We also found that with the forehand there were no clear correlations between grip style and backswing size and shape. (Click Here.) It’s a similar picture with the one-handed backhand.

When you start looking closely at the motions of the top one-handed players, each one is different. The range of differences is probably less than the forehands, but contrary to what is often claimed, there are no absolute distinctions between the classical and extreme styles.

How do we judge backswing height: the hand…