Building A World Class One Hander: Disguise

In the last two articles we have looked at the preparation (Click Here) and the forward swing (Click Here) in building a world class one-hander. But my goal in teaching the one handed backhand is not just to build a technical foundation.

My goal is to build a technical foundation that simultaneously creates disguise. Disguise is essential to creating a real weapon, a superior shot that cannot be easily read.

So let’s review the one-handed stroke we have built from a different perspective. Let’s see how the same technical elements that create world class ball striking create disguise.

Let’s illustrate this combination of shot making and deception by looking at what it’s like to be at court level on the other side of the net from one of the greatest one-handers in tennis history, Roger Federer. See for yourself if you can read what he is doing with his racket and how this relates to shot location.

The first component to look at is the deep shoulder coil. As we saw in the previous articles, this coil is essential to utilizing the core explosively in the shot.

But look how the same move disguises the shot. The deep turn of…