The Modern Pro Slice: Part 1

The slice backhand: fastest spinning pro groundstroke? It’s become an accepted truth in tennis: the heavily spun forehand has permanently changed the modern professional game. True enough. But what isn’t talked about is another equally profound change. This is the corresponding increase in the spin rates in the modern slice backhands. The slice backhand is actually the fastest spinning groundstroke in the modern game. Hard to believe? Read on. Two things about the slice in the modern game are more apparent. These are the reduced frequency of its use and of its tactical applications. This is due in part, obviously, to the rise and dominance of the two-handed backhand. But even one-handed players use the slice much less than in the days of wooden rackets, or even in the first few years of the rise of graphite, when players such as McEnroe, Edberg and Becker still attacked the net on a regular basis. Today, few players approach off the ground, much less off the return. And it appears there are good reasons for this due to the weight and speed of today’s topspin passing shots. Today the slice is used primarily from the baseline as a defensive shot, or to…