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Grip change on One Hand Backhand Analysis
John,
I had a chance to go over your two articles on the one-handed backhand. I thought it was great. But I think there are a couple of things I emphasize when teaching it that might make sense to you. I'm sure you see too many of these so I"ll try to be succinct. I'm not sure when I first started pushing these things, but it's at least 25 years. I started learning to teach as a camp counselor for Van der Meer in 1968 when I was just 19. Within the next 6 years I ran programs for Vic Braden and watched his films hundreds of times (NY- 1970 to 71) and running an adult camp for Dennis's Tennis America in 1974. I learned a lot about technique from both of them. But subtler understanding of the art of tennis and the importance of the head of the racket came more from a man named Jerry Alleyne (first black man to play at US Nationals at Forest Hills) throughout the 70's.
Grip Change: you are right on the money about the unit turn part of the grip change. It is important to emphasize that, if you want to be able to change grips and hit a backhand return of serve, the grip change must be an integral part of that unit turn. There is no time for a separate step. So the left hand must make that first move (racket moves to almost parallel to the shoulders from the ready position) while the right hand turns around the racket. If you turn the racket in the hand, that entails a separate action. The other part of it is, kinesthetically, your body needs to know the position of the racket head (relative to vertical). So the left hand has to keep the racket head in that position and you have to have a grip (although light) that recognizes the position of the head of the racket and maintains that neutral for the right hand to find itself. Otherwise, you can easily end up on the wrong bevel. Certainly, someone learning the stroke could. So just as I insist that my students have an awareness of the palm (the area between the two x's on your grip diagram) for the forehand, I want them to have enough of a grip with the left hand in the ready position to be able to relate the palm of the left hand to the face of the racket which they must then maintain in a vertical position (or at least a consistent position) while the right hand rotates around the stable position of the racket. Rotating the racket in the hand doesn't work very well, at least not in the classical backhand.
When you are trying to hit a return of a quick serve with an aggressive one handed backhand, you only have time for the unit turn and then a forward swing of the racket. The unit turn is accompanied by a greater pull of the left hand (all of this is in terms of a right hander) while the grip change is taking place, then a forward swing of the right arm. Since the left hand is pulling back, you don't have to overcome the momentum of the right arm and side. It's almost as if you pulled a spring. The right side is ready to go as soon as the left side releases it. This is how players hit those great one handed returns of serve moving in on second serve. Pull and fire. The left hand must put the racket in a good position where the right hand can grab and just pull forward with the big muscles of the right shoulder(inside out of course, everything should be inside out, absolutely everything, but that's another story).
The fact that the left hand puts the rackethead in an inside position (relative to the intended line of the shot) as part of that first unit turn movement is one of the key elements of the shot. And it's true for two-handed backhands as well. As long as Roddick takes the racket back so much to the outside, he will never be able to bang from the baseline. This inspite of the fact that he is 6'2", nearly 200 lbs. and hitting with two hands. Another rant for another time!
I'd like to know if you've seen these ideas before and what do you think.
When I have time I'll try to send more about my ideas about the feel of the palm of the hand on the grip. You can't identify grips that way on video or in pictures, but the player needs to feel it that way.
I look forward to hearing from you.
sincerely,
don brosseau, d.c., uspta
donbrosseau@earthlink.net
PS John, I think Tennisplayer.net is great. Do you have a discount package for high school tennis teams. These kids could become full members as they become adults, but they won't spring for the fees. I want to give them a way to get hooked up without cheating and sharing one membership, which is probably what they would end up doing.
I had a chance to go over your two articles on the one-handed backhand. I thought it was great. But I think there are a couple of things I emphasize when teaching it that might make sense to you. I'm sure you see too many of these so I"ll try to be succinct. I'm not sure when I first started pushing these things, but it's at least 25 years. I started learning to teach as a camp counselor for Van der Meer in 1968 when I was just 19. Within the next 6 years I ran programs for Vic Braden and watched his films hundreds of times (NY- 1970 to 71) and running an adult camp for Dennis's Tennis America in 1974. I learned a lot about technique from both of them. But subtler understanding of the art of tennis and the importance of the head of the racket came more from a man named Jerry Alleyne (first black man to play at US Nationals at Forest Hills) throughout the 70's.
Grip Change: you are right on the money about the unit turn part of the grip change. It is important to emphasize that, if you want to be able to change grips and hit a backhand return of serve, the grip change must be an integral part of that unit turn. There is no time for a separate step. So the left hand must make that first move (racket moves to almost parallel to the shoulders from the ready position) while the right hand turns around the racket. If you turn the racket in the hand, that entails a separate action. The other part of it is, kinesthetically, your body needs to know the position of the racket head (relative to vertical). So the left hand has to keep the racket head in that position and you have to have a grip (although light) that recognizes the position of the head of the racket and maintains that neutral for the right hand to find itself. Otherwise, you can easily end up on the wrong bevel. Certainly, someone learning the stroke could. So just as I insist that my students have an awareness of the palm (the area between the two x's on your grip diagram) for the forehand, I want them to have enough of a grip with the left hand in the ready position to be able to relate the palm of the left hand to the face of the racket which they must then maintain in a vertical position (or at least a consistent position) while the right hand rotates around the stable position of the racket. Rotating the racket in the hand doesn't work very well, at least not in the classical backhand.
When you are trying to hit a return of a quick serve with an aggressive one handed backhand, you only have time for the unit turn and then a forward swing of the racket. The unit turn is accompanied by a greater pull of the left hand (all of this is in terms of a right hander) while the grip change is taking place, then a forward swing of the right arm. Since the left hand is pulling back, you don't have to overcome the momentum of the right arm and side. It's almost as if you pulled a spring. The right side is ready to go as soon as the left side releases it. This is how players hit those great one handed returns of serve moving in on second serve. Pull and fire. The left hand must put the racket in a good position where the right hand can grab and just pull forward with the big muscles of the right shoulder(inside out of course, everything should be inside out, absolutely everything, but that's another story).
The fact that the left hand puts the rackethead in an inside position (relative to the intended line of the shot) as part of that first unit turn movement is one of the key elements of the shot. And it's true for two-handed backhands as well. As long as Roddick takes the racket back so much to the outside, he will never be able to bang from the baseline. This inspite of the fact that he is 6'2", nearly 200 lbs. and hitting with two hands. Another rant for another time!
I'd like to know if you've seen these ideas before and what do you think.
When I have time I'll try to send more about my ideas about the feel of the palm of the hand on the grip. You can't identify grips that way on video or in pictures, but the player needs to feel it that way.
I look forward to hearing from you.
sincerely,
don brosseau, d.c., uspta
donbrosseau@earthlink.net
PS John, I think Tennisplayer.net is great. Do you have a discount package for high school tennis teams. These kids could become full members as they become adults, but they won't spring for the fees. I want to give them a way to get hooked up without cheating and sharing one membership, which is probably what they would end up doing.
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