The One-Handed Backhand

[tennis_chiro]

Classic One Handed Backhand is not Dead!!!

For those of you that think the classic one-handed backhand of Edberg/Korda (with a moderate Eastern grip and a follow through in the classic manner towards the target without a great deal of movement (almost none) of the rear shoulder) is too weak a weapon against the heavy topspin of today's pros, you need to watch the free video on demand of today's match between Brands and Nadal, especially the first two sets.

On Roland Garros's red clay against Nadal, Brands was pushing Rafa around with that classic backhand. Granted, he was really hitting out, but there was no question of whether the shot he was hitting was adequate to the task or had too little topspin. Sure, he would have hit a safer shot with a little more topspin, but it would not have penetrated the court with the same deadly effect. Also helps to be a 6' 5" , 200 lb. block of granite. But take a good look at the conservative nature of the stroke, grip and follow-through. The VOD allows you to stop and look at points over again as you go.

BTW, the VOD feature supplied by Tennis Channel is terrific. Completely free. I don't know how many or how long they will keep the matches up, but they have 20 matches in full up from yesterday and 15 from today.

Go to:

http://www.americaonesports.com/flashplayer/2013fo.html

You'll see VOD as a choice with LIVE on the upper right side of your screen.

And look for Brands to be a member of the top 20 by the end of the year if not by the end of the summer. He and his classic backhand are not a fluke. Rafa was very lucky to get out of that 2nd set tie-breaker. At 0-3, Brands just missed a winner off a forehand return of a second serve. At 3-2, Nadal slipped and, perhaps distracted, Brands missed a routine backhand approach down the line that should have ended the point. And if you want to see that backhand in action, go to the 8th point of the tie-breaker (about the 1:51:00 mark which will display when you grab the slider at the bottom of the video). Then at 4-4, Nadal benefited from a shot hitting the net and forcing an error from Brands. Of course, Nadal followed that up with two great winners, but he was lucky to still be in the tb. Brands is just 25 and just attained his highest ranking inside the top 60. Haven't seen the last two sets yet, but I love his demeanor.

don

[privas]

Adding topspin

Rich,

Assume I am a novice player. I watch your video. I learn to hit a nice backhand drive on a low ball or medium ball. You suggest the open face to have a mechanically sound wrist. My backhands have more power as a result but they are all relatively flat.

How can I go to the next step and add topspin with that open face? Do I have to close the face and thus break the wrist? Do I change my swing path and keep the open face? Thanks,

Pedro

[GeoffWilliams]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW2_dyj6QiM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWTPw1l3qIU

[GeoffWilliams]

It's tough to change a grip, a shot, a style, if you don't start out with it. The older you get, the harder it is. I still believe I can learn to serve. I still believe I can learn to have a weapon fh. I still believe I can learn to move. I still believe I can become faster on my core rotation. But others believe my back hand is deadly, and it is nothing like the one in the vid, more like the modern style, with a full western pancake and supinated full follow through, big coil. Why teach anyone anything but the best to start with? I don't get that at all.

But I am a freak when it comes to belief.

[10splayer]

Yeah, sorry to all for the outburst. Guess (as a man who's been in the trenches for a long time) I'm kinda losing my patience with the current trend in tennis instruction which seems to bypass basic fundamentals as a building block, and promises to "play like the pro's" in ten minutes. Especially since much of the work we do with adult players relate to basic biomechanic, and swing mechanic principles. Backtracking to fundamentals! Take a lesson from a qualified golf pro, and see if the first lesson's discussion is on the degree of downcock in Sergio Garcia's forward swing. I doubt it.

Btw, It would be very easy to add modern elements onto the basic strokes, once the core fundamentals are understood. I know, I do it every day. In fact, often times, players figure it out on there own, as they try to access speed, and play the game at a higher level.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves folks. I would imagine, Rich has ACTUALLY built many, many, great games over the years. Geez.

[don_budge]

I agree...

Yeah Rich, and if 99 percent of the tennis playing population simply started the game using your core fundamentals in these two videos, they would be much more technically sound.

Rich, 10splayer...absolutely spot on.

[10splayer]

This is Rich Berman and for those of you who have taken the time to write in, thank you.
After reading your comments, I feel I should address a few of them.
-This backhand segment was designed for the novice to roughly the 4.0 student.
-Grip change: I prefer to teach the unit turn with the rt. hand changing the grip, but there are other techniques that also work. For example, some top players use both hands or primarily the left hand. Again, using the right hand for the grip change is my preference. John Yandell does a wonderful job explaining all this in detail - see Advanced Tennis.
-Old School: Well, I am an old arse (66 in a blink). As I suggested, this is my technique for teaching the Basic one hander.
Again, thank you all for your comments and thank you John Yandell.
Personal regards,
Rich

Yeah Rich, and if 99 percent of the tennis playing population simply started the game using your core fundamentals in these three videos, they would be much more technically sound.

[rich berman]

Share your thoughts on Rich Berman's video "The One-Handed Backhand"

This is Rich Berman and for those of you who have taken the time to write in, thank you.
After reading your comments, I feel I should address a few of them.
-This backhand segment was designed for the novice to roughly the 4.0 student.
-Grip change: I prefer to teach the unit turn with the rt. hand changing the grip, but there are other techniques that also work. For example, some top players use both hands or primarily the left hand. Again, using the right hand for the grip change is my preference. John Yandell does a wonderful job explaining all this in detail - see Advanced Tennis.
-Old School: Well, I am an old arse (66 in a blink). As I suggested, this is my technique for teaching the Basic one hander.
Again, thank you all for your comments and thank you John Yandell.
Personal regards,
Rich

[GeoffWilliams]

I don't change my grip at all, and use the same side uni grip fw for both fh/bh returns like Kohlschreiber, and Golubev.

[tennis_chiro]

Use the left hand for the backhand backswing!

i use my LEFT hand to change grip not my right (the video said use your right hand)
(im right handed)
is that wrong??

I don't believe there is time to change your grip as a separate motion when you are trying to return serve on a big serve. It needs to be an automatic part of the backswing. I teach my players to pull with the left hand as part of the unit turn while maintaining the racket in a vertical position so it is easy for the right hand to find the correct bevel of the racket to settle on. This also makes you quicker swinging forward because you don't have to overcome the momentum of the right side taking the racket back. I have no scientific data for this, just experience. Pull and turn is part one of the motion, swing is part two. Plus pulling with the left side kind of primes the muscles of the right side to swing forward like a prestretch. If the serve is really fast, then the pull is to an abbreviated position. In this model I've created, it's really important that the left hand be in the right position in the ready position and that it plays a major role in the backswing. I apply the same principles to the backswing for the two-handed backhand which usually requires a grip change as well. On the forehand, we don't have a second hand on the racket (although a lot of players do these days) to enable a grip change so you would have to either change and then pull the racket back or juggle the racket in the air with no hand on the racket to change the grip.

All that being said, I do not see a lot of players doing what I am advocating. Much more prevalent is the left hand high on the throat in the ready position and an extra move to change the grip. I simply don't think that is the most efficient or effective way to do that. In fact, you would probably find more players doing something similar to what Rich Berman is advocating, so you can't really fault him on his presentation here.

So, IIII, if you are using your left hand to change the grip, that could be fine. However, don't turn the racket in your right hand; have your left hand maintain the racket in a constant orientation as you pull the racket back and the right hand turns around the racket in a natural pronation as it reaches back into the end of the backhand backswing. I would prefer to see that orientation as vertical, but that's not as important as that it is always in the same orientation so the palm of your right hand can find the top of the racket in a hurry.

Where I do have a problem with Rich's presentation is the use of the split step. The object of the split step is to be "unweighted" as the opponent strikes the ball, ideally descending, so that you can push off with the off foot (right foot if you are going to have to move to your left) and reach to the direction you have to move with the other foot. If you complete the split step and land even on both feet, you have been basically caught "flat-footed" and you are going to need an "extra" drop step to get moving (the extra is relative to the player who executes the split step correctly). We don't jump just for the sake of jumping. There is a specific mobility advantage from executing a split step at the right time, exactly the right time! For more on this, see the work of Vic Borgogno. He used to have a great video of Pat McEnroe saying exactly the wrong thing about the split step and the site is more geared now to selling the devices he has created, but the videos clearly show when the split step takes place.

http://www.sports-split-step.com/index.php/videos/

don

[llll]

i use my LEFT hand to change grip not my right (the video said use your right hand)
(im right handed)
is that wrong??

[GeoffWilliams]

This style is of little use for young players using modern string and frames. They will be helpless on returns, forced only to slice. That grip with that load won't work on the return game nor with modern competition, that kicks high spin to the bh side, as they will only be able to slice defensively. I advocate the Almagro/henin/guga/gasquet grip, full western. Anyone see Almag. smack a 96mph bh return winner dtl off ad side IW against Joker? Where is the full western top spin return article, weaponize your one handed back hand?

[DougEng]

Old or New School

As GeoffWilliams and CaptNemo point out it's "old school." I'm not sure if this was made clear in the video. The question is who is the audience. It's fine for the average player (2.5-4.5) but probably not for the aspiring junior or very advanced player. Nevertheless, it is a stroke with coherent fundamentals (and yes, it is probably that some Open Division players will use similar techniques). In any event, once a player starts hitting harder with modern equipment, there will be a tendency to use greater loading and angular momentum. Technically an aspiring junior might be better off evolving from the current pro form. With the current 10andUnder play, it's easier to develop a better all-court game, one-handed volleys and one-handed backhands at a younger age. That may not translate to more one-handers and all-court players among the top 100 in 10-15 years. Maybe it might or maybe not depending on how leading players, racquet technology and poly strings continue to evolve.

Best,
Doug

[captnemo]

Yeah but it seems the point here is old school--or classical or simple. Pretty darn good basic backhand but no Justine and I'm guess no geoff williams if your posts may be believed...

[GeoffWilliams]

That goes towards old school. Take a look at Gasquet's bh or Henin's. Or mine. The method/grip he is using will not allow full acceleration. Follow through is stunted. Coil is also. No body weight transfer, or frame inversion or supination of follow through. He shows a more modern grip and says, "See how this grip will not allow you to keep strength and will break down, etc.", which is not true at all. I would bet this guy I can hit faster, more rpms, than any bh he can given the same radar gun and the technique he shows/grip he shows. Look at her coil,(frane 5) and her supination, (frame 9), and that is the key to hitting a 100 mph bh. Her wrist is completely behind the frame (8), and stays locked the whole stroke, and just rotates around while supinating clockwise fully. The shot forms a figure 8, for full acceleration, and is arm barred at contact, with the wrist fully to the rear, behind the frame. (7, 8) Or as Henin, would say, "I hit it like dis.", while showing full wiper follow through, unlike the old school style. This is the modern bh, the one all the pros are hitting, not the one in the vid.