I wish I'd have watched this video 30 years ago. It's everything anybody needs to know about a single hand backhand drive. It's not about mimicking any pro player but understanding the foundations, the function. Congratulations and a big thanks, Kevin!
LOL 30 years ago, UA-cam was nothing like now if it even was. If I had a good coach like this in the 70s, I would’ve kept playing. I started in late 2019.
This man knows what he is talking about. What a sensible, bright, pleasant approach to teaching how to hit a one handed backhand. Where was he when I was trying to understand this stuff back in 1975. I know he wasn't born yet. I am happy i discovered him tonight.
This video has transformed my one-handed backhand. My backhand is my favorite shot and I have been told by my coach that it's very effective and not to make any changes, so I was hesitant. However, your forehand tutorials changed my forehand to be deadly and the content of this video made a lot of sense to me, so I gave it a go. Now my backhands are so much heavier and going even deeper into the court. Brilliant! Thanks, Kev. Much appreciated. Please continue to produce these excellent videos.
Excellent video Kevin! What I would like to see in the tutorial is how to hit backhands from the back court so that they go over to the opponent high, hard, and heavy but also how to make the ball go up and down quickly when you are very close to the net for both a one handed backhand and a two handed backhand. We love your channel. Thank you for all you do to help us be better players!
Perfect video. I was practicing my backhand the other day hitting against a wall as a I do. I was aware that I needed to point the butt of the racquet at the ball but felt like the backhand was constricted. Then I noticed that if pulled across my body rather than swing up in front of me I had better power. What I was discovering was your abduction explanation without realizing it. This video put it together in such a succinct way for me. Also, the notion that you load the body a little on the turn to prepare for the shoulders to be in the right position during contact is something I've never heard of. Again, great explanation..
Wow. One of the best one handed backhand videos I have ever seen. Thank you for breaking it down like that. Taking time to go over the grip, the basic mechanics.. phenomenal.
This was the fastest crashcourse of tennis ever. 🎾. The speed was amazing. Haha. As a person who have played tennis over 50 yrs, also competing as young, I agree that your advice is valid for one hand backhand. Mine changed to two handed backhand, but sometimes miss my one handed backhand. It was Björn Borg, who I can 'blame' my change of this key stroke. Keep up yr great work, and slow down the pace a little! Or make a bit longer vlog. You are a pro tennis coach, by far.
Thanks Kevin! I've been playing tennis for almost 30 years and knew my backhand has some technical issue. Thanks for explaining in details and make it easy to understand.
Fantastic video! As a lifelong tennis player, I've found these drills super helpful. Recently, I started exploring pickleball and noticed some similarities in the swing mechanics. Have you ever tried pickleball?
Could you please do a video on how to build match confidence/mindset for rec level players? i feel that i do well in practices but as soon as i start a match, my play level sinks. really annoying.
If you already use a semi western forehead grip you automatically will have a backhand semi western grip when you use your one hand backhand. No need to change your grip from forehand to backhand and vice versa.
@@shroud1390 how do you that without rotating the racquet 180 degrees between forehand and backhand? Grab a racquet and see if you can hit forehand and a backhand on the same side without rotating the racquet.
@@flukyreview9128i didn’t say anything about rotation. If you hit on the same side yes, you have to rotate. Its like waving. Your palm is showing the whole tome your hand moves left to right. There is no need to change grips if you have a sw or western fh grip
The best breakdown and advice on the key elements of the single handed backhand I've seen. And, AND easy to understand. Good instruction is hard to find. Great instruction is even more difficult. This is great instruction. Well done.
Cool, great explanation for someone exploring the one hand bh! Very clear. I was taught that the bh rotation is supination, with the thumb rotating outward on the extension. Thanks and keep up the great work!
I wish I could show my coach this without him being offended. He keeps telling me to stop the racquet instead of pronating the shoulder which in turn slows the stroke down, as you said. As always a great lesson, thanks.
When You talk about leveraging, what kind of lever is it? Fulcrum is the shoulder joint, it's understood. Is it single arm lever? And when You talk about wrist action isn't it a forearm action?
I don't know if I understand your question. The shoulder is the fulcrum, and the shoulder muscle provides the force to move the arm. In this video I've mostly isolated the single movement combined with rotation of the torso. Rotation of the torso starts the first portion of leverage, then shifts to the shoulder. thanks
@@TotalTennisDomination Thank you for your answer! I'll try to clarify my question. When You showed the leverage on racquet: short power arm - fulcrum - long arm, it was clear and it was very good visual material. But next explanation was not clear for me. I understand, that human arm is a single-arm lever, not a double lever ( I hope I have chosen an understandable term - english is not my native language) But why - straightened arm, horizontal abduction, shoulder muscles, 90° angle between racquet and forearm + eastern backhand grip = "leverage", and all these factors + neutral grip = "no leverage"? Grip makes that difference? Or something else? If it possible, could You please clarify it? If not - no problem. Thanks in advance!)
I am trying to improve my back hand and have been having a very difficult time fixing it, after going through another backhand video on this channel (very similar content) and I went to court yesterday and asked my couch to feed balls to hit. Everyone was surprised how effortless, controlled and sping heavy back hands I was hitting. I hit almost 55 out of 60 back hands. All of them could have been winners
absolutely loving it! I am old school (literally old!) and I absolutely love the elegance of a one handed backhand and really wished I had access to these type learning back then when I started playing. Now it's like a whole new discovery awaiting for me to explore and improve my all-look-no-good one handed backhand lol. Many thanks to TTD.
Great video, Kevin! Thank you. It’s almost like pulling the racket to the ball to hit it with the buttcap. I’m thinking of designing a method to groove this correct swing. I’ll wear one of those wrist braces with a splint in it so that my wrist is immobilised in that cocked position throughout the stroke. PS: thinking about maintaining the cocked leverage position of the wrist, I’ve just discovered that there are two one handed backhand killers: wrist flexion and ulnar deviation. It’s crucial to avoid these two from happening. Thoughts, Kevin?
I agree that flexion isn't optimal during hitting because you're using a smaller muscle, but it is necessary in situations where pros don't have time and they're not able to use their optimal swing. In these moments it's purely survival to do whatever you can to get the ball over, in my video, I focused on optimal swing where we have time to set up and swing properly without the pressures of ball, speed, spin, and power.
Greatly appreciate your video. Explaining things in terms of the physical forces and actual mechanics really resonated with me. I feel like I have a foundational mental model now, that I can work with to improve my swing.
Love it Ryan an amazing reminder, always trying to make sure I finish high like the chin shoulder to shoulder you’ve talked about previously! Thanks man
First coaching video that has got it right and i have seen most of them. My grip is even more extreme so I can hit with more power and flatter like Warwinka. You need to change the heading. You are missing out on getting a lot more views!
Sir, Excellent video with detailed explanation. Almost didn’t click because channel name too aggressive for me! Total Tennis Conditioning? I will really think more about this abduction, great point! I liked how you brought up Gasquet at the end, I have foolishly been trying to mimic his backhand this year. I think he brings it up that high to be able to drop it freely and really feel and guide the weight of the racket through the strike zone. He “draws the sword” extremely close to be able to maintain the leverage, as you say. He has extra grip at the bottom and I think he might use it to pull the racket through using the outside of his ring finger (!?) I would of course love to hear your thoughts on this :) Great instructions on the grip also btw, keep it up!
The people that comments what a great video or instruction this video is are either noobs that want to learn or people who wants to learn tennis. This video has too much information for someone to learn. Also don’t drill by dropping the ball in front of you. A beginner can make it look easy. Either have someone feed u from the other side or get a machine and feed it to you. Way different than just dropping the ball in front. I practice playing with a one hand BH and I’m not taking his advice.
These are really good videos. Could you please do the same thing for a two handed backhand I seem to struggle with pulling the left arm. I can’t seem to find the feeling. Thanks again.
Do you not think your non dominant hand plays a role in a solid backhand? From my experience it's less about pivoting correctly and more about equally throwing your left hand behind you to counter the swing so you don't over swing like you showed in the video. basically open both arms as if you're about to hug a big wall, every time you swing to keep yourself positioned correctly.
Absolutely does..I feel like my left hand is like the anchor holding the stored tension from my racquet arm right before I’m ready to unleash it..without that anchor, it’d be purely a one hand swing(which it’s not unless you’re actually an amputee)..with the left arm going away, I use the analogy of squeezing the shoulder blades together…but everyone resonates with different analogies
Mine non dominant hand plays a pretty big role. I use it to pull back on the racket a little bit before letting go in order to create extra power on the ball. It's a nice little move but I use a straight arm throughout the swing more like Thiem. I'm not sure if it works when hitting with a slightly bent arm like Federer or Wawrinka.
@@JohnSmith-pb4ri I kinda do the same, I use the analogy like my left hand is the anchor holding the stored energy my coiling body is producing and there’s a slight pull with the off hand/extra shoulder turn right before my racquet drops and hand lets go
I think the left arm is important but more so for helping pull the racquet back during the take back and maintaining balance. The hand going back that your referring to is delayed and at contact and fully extends to counter the racquet swing on the opposite side of the body. Great question thanks.
@@TheTennisDaddyI would kind of equate the move with taking a plastic stick and bending it with both hands. When you bend and let go, the plastic stick will violently snap back into place. If the rest of your technique is solid, the ball comes off the racket like a rocket.
The key question is when does the racket transition from butt pointing at the ball to impact (racket tip coming through). I think most people (myself included) transition too early.
Does the wrist stay locked in the 90° angle with the knuckles pointed up, or does the wrist ever relax through the contact zone where the wrist releases slightly?
Great video Kevin! Could definitely use more! Also I'm interested in your thought on how to transition from a one handed to a two handed backhand. Having had a (flimsy) one handed for over 30 years, I haven't found a way to change.
I think one key is making sure he use the same idea of the lever swing, but just two hands. I think one of the differences that I've been experimenting with, is having the right arm pull to create leverage position and the left hand extending through the contact and adding stability. Good luck!!
The grip with the "hook". Interesting... I need to try it. I was always trying to keep the rocket in the relaxed, loose way, to have more head-rocket speed resulting with more spin and more power. But yeah, control was not there ;-)
I call it the "metal rod position". I stick my arm straight in front of my body. At first, keep your knuckles forward like you're throwing a punch. Now slap down on your knuckles with your other hand and notice how the wrist breaks and the hand goes down. Now do the same thing but stick your arm in front of you and turn your knuckles up toward the sky. Now slap down on them as hard as you want and the wrist/hand will not budge. I call this the "metal rod position" and just think about keeping this metal rod/knuckles turned upward position the entire time throughout the swing.
Morning Kevin, I really miss seeing your content pop up in my alerts... wow 4 months since you made a video. I hope you are doing OK. I know you love tennis, so maybe you won a few million and are sailing the oceans where the waters are warm, maybe sipping cocktails on the beach somewhere. Miss ya buddy !
oooops, you are bit early with your pic and this was already discovered.... you need to be focused on the CTM "slot entry" position. That this the key point.
Your forehand piece was better. The grip you are showing is a hammer grip - the fingers are perpendicular to the grip. This reduces feel and requires a snap of the wrist to square the racket. The ideal grip is more of a pencil grip / fingers diagonally a grips the grip. My own preference is to have the thumb diagonally across the the grip. The thumb becomes a mini racket head and can provide leverage to get the head around when late or a bad bounce. The leverage you are showing on this side is different from the forehand. You are close to wrapping the racket around your body / bent elbow, bent wrist. Huge mistake. From the wrap, all the effort goes into unwinding to the point of contact. If is getting through the ball that matters. The arm has to be straighter and the wrist can’t be broken as much on the backhand. The most important spin to get on ground strokes is hook spin. You can’t get a sharp crosscourt hook with the wrap and with your grip. Notice you only demo down the line. The crosscourt is the demo shot. Plus you are hitting with a closed stance that also prevents hitting crosscourt. The extreme one handers - Tsitsipas, Warinka, Kriek, and of course Thiem - are ungodly strong-waisted. Mortal men cannot master this technique at. The one handed backhand has to be taken several inches earlier than the forehand and an earlier weight shift is needed.
Nice video but if you are barely getting into tennis or learning this video is wayyyy too much overload. Luckily for me, I do have knowledge of tennis and understand what he’s trying to say. Even I think it is wayyyy too much information. It’s best and simple way to learn is remember to remain sideways when you hit a one HB. Maintain an L shape wrist on contact and your follow through. DO NOT flick or manipulate your wrist. Hold the throat until it’s at your side pocket (in the slot). From there make sure your arm is straight and wrist in an L shape. So your arm and racquet should look like an L as well. If you are just learning or starting on a one HB, don’t worry about creating top spin first. Worry about your footwork, staying sideways, and timing the contact with the ball. Once you get that down with reps then you will eventually incorporate a shoulder rotation on the follow through. Practice with a ball machine or partner. Dropping a ball in front of you does nothing. It is completely different when a ball is coming at you rather than drop a ball in front of you. For the sake of not sounding like a hater, appreciate the hard work on the video but I am definitely not using these drills to practice on how to hit a one handed BH. A lot of this information can be simplified.
Good teacher - but why, why are they always 10 or 20 minutes long - Why can't there be Part 1... Part 2.. Part 3. Five minutes on grips and what not to use... So many things not to do and then to do? I was uhhh, and I need to remember all this? Ten minutes we are still talking …. Every Tennis coach is doesn't seem to NOT understand the BRIEF....not long winded. They are all the same giving you this and that, rather than improve this one point. Just do ua-cam.com/video/mrDQwvRqgto/v-deo.htmlsi=eW8mAmAZA_rGkZsK&t=515 rest is just coach trying to teach pointless body mechanics and physics. One word "Coil". It looks like a sword taking out of the sheath and "coiling". The lower underneath the ball the better. Before anyone asks, am I any good at tennis nope! I really really wish I was .... But a lot of coaching and 20 minute talks and 1000 things to remember. I might be wrong again - ua-cam.com/video/AJjo1VzKPic/v-deo.htmlsi=weejxtVYekmom8Lj&t=62
4:17 That is DISGUSTING! Roger's only technical deficiency, imo - that pronation on that takeback. The racquet face is pointing almost almost straight up = 70-80 degrees of pronation!! Grigor, Justine, Haas etc - the great technical exponents - would be 0 degrees at that point. Perfect simplicity.....
Great instruction. But …. I learned a lot simply. You probably could not get away with saying this today - think 80’s Not Safe For Work lingo. (I was also a teenager at the time). I learned: -Eastern grip -Full turn And … -Slap Your Boyfriend. 😂 It worked like a charm in the 80’s because there were so many slap stick movies - at the time from the 50’s and 60’s of people getting B-tch slapped at the time. People were so used to seeing these movies of people winding up to backhand slap someone. I don’t know if that saying would work today. 😂 But the arc of the backhand follows the same path as if you B-tch slapped someone with the back of your hand. I taught people who just could never get it until I took the racket out of their hand and just told them to pretend that they were slapping someone they hated. 😂 😂 😂 People are violent. 😂 I never met anyone in 30 years who had problems with their swing after I told them that. Also, relaxing on the grip and only squeezing just before impact when I said the phrase, “Slap your - insert -boyfriend or hated person. But keeping hand relaxed on the grip and squeezing just before impact. I never met a person that did not get it after hearing that phrase. And I thought that people would need a lot of tweaking of the stroke after that basic instructional phrase, but nope … people got it right away and it stuck. The only time it needed any tweaking was MAYBE when they got to the advanced level of the game. People AUTOMATICALLY get into the leverage position when they are about to B-tch slap the most hated person in their life. Their hand automatically goes back into a leveraged position- some people may be a little timid and not give it a real big wind up and not go back that far; so I might tell them, “No, you REALLY hate this person, give it a big wind up”, and they automatically bring their hand further back and they ALWAYS follow through naturally- because you would naturally follow through if you were slapping someone. (Nothing like using people’s natural instincts). It sounds horrible and funny, but I have never had a child or adult that didn’t get it and they never slipped back and forgot the swing path after hearing it.
I wish I'd have watched this video 30 years ago. It's everything anybody needs to know about a single hand backhand drive. It's not about mimicking any pro player but understanding the foundations, the function. Congratulations and a big thanks, Kevin!
LOL 30 years ago, UA-cam was nothing like now if it even was. If I had a good coach like this in the 70s, I would’ve kept playing. I started in late 2019.
This man knows what he is talking about. What a sensible, bright, pleasant approach to teaching how to hit a one handed backhand. Where was he when I was trying to understand this stuff back in 1975. I know he wasn't born yet. I am happy i discovered him tonight.
This video has transformed my one-handed backhand. My backhand is my favorite shot and I have been told by my coach that it's very effective and not to make any changes, so I was hesitant. However, your forehand tutorials changed my forehand to be deadly and the content of this video made a lot of sense to me, so I gave it a go. Now my backhands are so much heavier and going even deeper into the court. Brilliant! Thanks, Kev. Much appreciated. Please continue to produce these excellent videos.
Excellent video Kevin! What I would like to see in the tutorial is how to hit backhands from the back court so that they go over to the opponent high, hard, and heavy but also how to make the ball go up and down quickly when you are very close to the net for both a one handed backhand and a two handed backhand. We love your channel. Thank you for all you do to help us be better players!
Perfect video. I was practicing my backhand the other day hitting against a wall as a I do. I was aware that I needed to point the butt of the racquet at the ball but felt like the backhand was constricted. Then I noticed that if pulled across my body rather than swing up in front of me I had better power. What I was discovering was your abduction explanation without realizing it. This video put it together in such a succinct way for me. Also, the notion that you load the body a little on the turn to prepare for the shoulders to be in the right position during contact is something I've never heard of. Again, great explanation..
Wow. One of the best one handed backhand videos I have ever seen. Thank you for breaking it down like that. Taking time to go over the grip, the basic mechanics.. phenomenal.
Great lesson. I’d definitely like to see further tutorials about mastering the one handed backhand.
This was the best backhand lesson I ever watched
Yes please we definitely need a tutorial of the one handed backhand from A to Z 🙏🎾
This was the fastest crashcourse of tennis ever. 🎾. The speed was amazing. Haha.
As a person who have played tennis over 50 yrs, also competing as young, I agree that your advice is valid for one hand backhand. Mine changed to two handed backhand, but sometimes miss my one handed backhand.
It was Björn Borg, who I can 'blame' my change of this key stroke.
Keep up yr great work, and slow down the pace a little! Or make a bit longer vlog.
You are a pro tennis coach, by far.
Thanks Kevin! I've been playing tennis for almost 30 years and knew my backhand has some technical issue. Thanks for explaining in details and make it easy to understand.
Fantastic video! As a lifelong tennis player, I've found these drills super helpful. Recently, I started exploring pickleball and noticed some similarities in the swing mechanics. Have you ever tried pickleball?
i was struggling w my 1 handed backhand, after watch ur video, my mind felt woww i think i got the answer of my problem
Great video Kevin!! I finally understand this shot . Thank you so much
Great Video and Yes a full tutorial on the one handed backhand from A to Z please!
yes it was very good thanks, great explanation/presentation
Could you please do a video on how to build match confidence/mindset for rec level players? i feel that i do well in practices but as soon as i start a match, my play level sinks. really annoying.
best one-handed turorial i've ever seen in years; maybe i missed it cuz the title didn't say one-handed backhand ...
Excellent! You sir have a very nice backhand.
If you already use a semi western forehead grip you automatically will have a backhand semi western grip when you use your one hand backhand. No need to change your grip from forehand to backhand and vice versa.
Just hit on the same side of the string bed on both shots
@@shroud1390 how do you that without rotating the racquet 180 degrees between forehand and backhand? Grab a racquet and see if you can hit forehand and a backhand on the same side without rotating the racquet.
@@flukyreview9128i didn’t say anything about rotation. If you hit on the same side yes, you have to rotate. Its like waving. Your palm is showing the whole tome your hand moves left to right. There is no need to change grips if you have a sw or western fh grip
Not mentioned is footwork.
Right foot has to step toward sideline more than to target for power and not to open up too quickly as shown.
Great lesson as usual! My 1HBH is solid but I'm planning to move to a 2HBH, would love a video on that.
Noted! I'll put that on the list. thanks
@@TotalTennisDomination thanks so much, you're the best! ❤
Why are you switching if you don’t mind me asking..
Very good explanation!
"..there's no one or the other, it's what you need when you need it.. there's never a constant situation to deal with". Thank you!
The best breakdown and advice on the key elements of the single handed backhand I've seen. And, AND easy to understand. Good instruction is hard to find. Great instruction is even more difficult. This is great instruction. Well done.
Awesome video
Cool, great explanation for someone exploring the one hand bh! Very clear. I was taught that the bh rotation is supination, with the thumb rotating outward on the extension.
Thanks and keep up the great work!
awesome break down of the key movements. best i've seen yet!
Kevin. Thank you. You made it simple and easy for me.
This was the best backhand lesson I ever watched !! Thanks
Best backhand lesson I've seen. Good communication
I wish I could show my coach this without him being offended. He keeps telling me to stop the racquet instead of pronating the shoulder which in turn slows the stroke down, as you said. As always a great lesson, thanks.
Agree with others, this is a game changing video for me. Thanks TTD !
I find it also helps greatly to throw my extended left arm backwards as I hit thru the ball, mirroring the forward motion of my right hitting arm.
Awesome lesson Kevin - perfectly loaded with information w/t being too much! Congrats & thanks for sharing your knowledge.
When You talk about leveraging, what kind of lever is it? Fulcrum is the shoulder joint, it's understood. Is it single arm lever? And when You talk about wrist action isn't it a forearm action?
I don't know if I understand your question. The shoulder is the fulcrum, and the shoulder muscle provides the force to move the arm. In this video I've mostly isolated the single movement combined with rotation of the torso. Rotation of the torso starts the first portion of leverage, then shifts to the shoulder. thanks
@@TotalTennisDomination Thank you for your answer!
I'll try to clarify my question. When You showed the leverage on racquet: short power arm - fulcrum - long arm, it was clear and it was very good visual material.
But next explanation was not clear for me. I understand, that human arm
is a single-arm lever, not a double lever ( I hope I have chosen an understandable term - english is not my native language)
But why - straightened arm, horizontal abduction, shoulder muscles, 90° angle between racquet and forearm + eastern backhand grip = "leverage", and all these factors + neutral grip = "no leverage"? Grip makes that difference? Or something else?
If it possible, could You please clarify it? If not - no problem. Thanks in advance!)
I am trying to improve my back hand and have been having a very difficult time fixing it, after going through another backhand video on this channel (very similar content) and I went to court yesterday and asked my couch to feed balls to hit. Everyone was surprised how effortless, controlled and sping heavy back hands I was hitting. I hit almost 55 out of 60 back hands. All of them could have been winners
Please make a full tutorial video for the one handed backhand.
great video please make more on the backhand
absolutely loving it! I am old school (literally old!) and I absolutely love the elegance of a one handed backhand and really wished I had access to these type learning back then when I started playing. Now it's like a whole new discovery awaiting for me to explore and improve my all-look-no-good one handed backhand lol. Many thanks to TTD.
Great video, Kevin! Thank you. It’s almost like pulling the racket to the ball to hit it with the buttcap. I’m thinking of designing a method to groove this correct swing. I’ll wear one of those wrist braces with a splint in it so that my wrist is immobilised in that cocked position throughout the stroke.
PS: thinking about maintaining the cocked leverage position of the wrist, I’ve just discovered that there are two one handed backhand killers: wrist flexion and ulnar deviation. It’s crucial to avoid these two from happening. Thoughts, Kevin?
I agree that flexion isn't optimal during hitting because you're using a smaller muscle, but it is necessary in situations where pros don't have time and they're not able to use their optimal swing. In these moments it's purely survival to do whatever you can to get the ball over, in my video, I focused on optimal swing where we have time to set up and swing properly without the pressures of ball, speed, spin, and power.
Your training sessions were impactful I need more training on single backhand
For supinate think carrying bowls of soup in one's palms. Pronate is the opposite. The follow through finish involves supination.
Greatly appreciate your video. Explaining things in terms of the physical forces and actual mechanics really resonated with me. I feel like I have a foundational mental model now, that I can work with to improve my swing.
Brilliant, so useful, yes please, love to see further tutorials on the one hander backhand.
Love it Ryan an amazing reminder, always trying to make sure I finish high like the chin shoulder to shoulder you’ve talked about previously! Thanks man
I am looking forward to seeing your new video hoping everything is well with you.
Yes, full tutorial please
First coaching video that has got it right and i have seen most of them. My grip is even more extreme so I can hit with more power and flatter like Warwinka. You need to change the heading. You are missing out on getting a lot more views!
Sir, Excellent video with detailed explanation.
Almost didn’t click because channel name too aggressive for me! Total Tennis Conditioning?
I will really think more about this abduction, great point!
I liked how you brought up Gasquet at the end, I have foolishly been trying to mimic his backhand this year. I think he brings it up that high to be able to drop it freely and really feel and guide the weight of the racket through the strike zone. He “draws the sword” extremely close to be able to maintain the leverage, as you say.
He has extra grip at the bottom and I think he might use it to pull the racket through using the outside of his ring finger (!?)
I would of course love to hear your thoughts on this :)
Great instructions on the grip also btw, keep it up!
You are a great teacher - thank you!
Explain the concept of hitting the ball in front of you . If I am the baseline with my shoulder pointing to the net, where is my front ?
The people that comments what a great video or instruction this video is are either noobs that want to learn or people who wants to learn tennis. This video has too much information for someone to learn. Also don’t drill by dropping the ball in front of you. A beginner can make it look easy. Either have someone feed u from the other side or get a machine and feed it to you. Way different than just dropping the ball in front. I practice playing with a one hand BH and I’m not taking his advice.
Excellent video.
These are really good videos. Could you please do the same thing for a two handed backhand I seem to struggle with pulling the left arm. I can’t seem to find the feeling. Thanks again.
Nice.
Great video!
Perfect kevin thanks
Great video, thank you!
best explanation I have seen
Do you not think your non dominant hand plays a role in a solid backhand? From my experience it's less about pivoting correctly and more about equally throwing your left hand behind you to counter the swing so you don't over swing like you showed in the video. basically open both arms as if you're about to hug a big wall, every time you swing to keep yourself positioned correctly.
Absolutely does..I feel like my left hand is like the anchor holding the stored tension from my racquet arm right before I’m ready to unleash it..without that anchor, it’d be purely a one hand swing(which it’s not unless you’re actually an amputee)..with the left arm going away, I use the analogy of squeezing the shoulder blades together…but everyone resonates with different analogies
Mine non dominant hand plays a pretty big role. I use it to pull back on the racket a little bit before letting go in order to create extra power on the ball. It's a nice little move but I use a straight arm throughout the swing more like Thiem. I'm not sure if it works when hitting with a slightly bent arm like Federer or Wawrinka.
@@JohnSmith-pb4ri I kinda do the same, I use the analogy like my left hand is the anchor holding the stored energy my coiling body is producing and there’s a slight pull with the off hand/extra shoulder turn right before my racquet drops and hand lets go
I think the left arm is important but more so for helping pull the racquet back during the take back and maintaining balance. The hand going back that your referring to is delayed and at contact and fully extends to counter the racquet swing on the opposite side of the body. Great question thanks.
@@TheTennisDaddyI would kind of equate the move with taking a plastic stick and bending it with both hands. When you bend and let go, the plastic stick will violently snap back into place. If the rest of your technique is solid, the ball comes off the racket like a rocket.
The key question is when does the racket transition from butt pointing at the ball to impact (racket tip coming through). I think most people (myself included) transition too early.
Does the wrist stay locked in the 90° angle with the knuckles pointed up, or does the wrist ever relax through the contact zone where the wrist releases slightly?
Great video Kevin! Could definitely use more! Also I'm interested in your thought on how to transition from a one handed to a two handed backhand. Having had a (flimsy) one handed for over 30 years, I haven't found a way to change.
I think one key is making sure he use the same idea of the lever swing, but just two hands. I think one of the differences that I've been experimenting with, is having the right arm pull to create leverage position and the left hand extending through the contact and adding stability. Good luck!!
That is great video! Explained why and not like: Ok do this, like this and will be fine. 👏
- Очень понятное объяснение! Благодарю!
🎾👍🤝
The grip with the "hook". Interesting... I need to try it. I was always trying to keep the rocket in the relaxed, loose way, to have more head-rocket speed resulting with more spin and more power. But yeah, control was not there ;-)
and thanks for the video! You are always sharing a lot of positive energy!
I call it the "metal rod position". I stick my arm straight in front of my body. At first, keep your knuckles forward like you're throwing a punch. Now slap down on your knuckles with your other hand and notice how the wrist breaks and the hand goes down. Now do the same thing but stick your arm in front of you and turn your knuckles up toward the sky. Now slap down on them as hard as you want and the wrist/hand will not budge. I call this the "metal rod position" and just think about keeping this metal rod/knuckles turned upward position the entire time throughout the swing.
Wonderful! In other words ‘maintain the COCKED wrist’ throughout the stroke.
Perfect thank you
Thank you!!!!!
Hi Kevin,
Just wanted to say I miss your videos and hope everything is ok.
Fantastic vdo
Tyvm & GodBless!
Morning Kevin, I really miss seeing your content pop up in my alerts... wow 4 months since you made a video. I hope you are doing OK. I know you love tennis, so maybe you won a few million and are sailing the oceans where the waters are warm, maybe sipping cocktails on the beach somewhere. Miss ya buddy !
I did not understand how to hold the racquet
The best video
👍🎾👌
Why isn’t Almagro getting the same mention as these players he has the best backhand I’ve ever seen
Not pronation... supination!!! Great video!!!
oooops, you are bit early with your pic
and this was already discovered.... you need to be focused on the CTM "slot entry" position. That this the key point.
Your forehand piece was better. The grip you are showing is a hammer grip - the fingers are perpendicular to the grip. This reduces feel and requires a snap of the wrist to square the racket. The ideal grip is more of a pencil grip / fingers diagonally a grips the grip. My own preference is to have the thumb diagonally across the the grip. The thumb becomes a mini racket head and can provide leverage to get the head around when late or a bad bounce. The leverage you are showing on this side is different from the forehand. You are close to wrapping the racket around your body / bent elbow, bent wrist. Huge mistake. From the wrap, all the effort goes into unwinding to the point of contact. If is getting through the ball that matters. The arm has to be straighter and the wrist can’t be broken as much on the backhand. The most important spin to get on ground strokes is hook spin. You can’t get a sharp crosscourt hook with the wrap and with your grip. Notice you only demo down the line. The crosscourt is the demo shot. Plus you are hitting with a closed stance that also prevents hitting crosscourt. The extreme one handers - Tsitsipas, Warinka, Kriek, and of course Thiem - are ungodly strong-waisted. Mortal men cannot master this technique at. The one handed backhand has to be taken several inches earlier than the forehand and an earlier weight shift is needed.
Nice video but if you are barely getting into tennis or learning this video is wayyyy too much overload. Luckily for me, I do have knowledge of tennis and understand what he’s trying to say. Even I think it is wayyyy too much information. It’s best and simple way to learn is remember to remain sideways when you hit a one HB. Maintain an L shape wrist on contact and your follow through. DO NOT flick or manipulate your wrist. Hold the throat until it’s at your side pocket (in the slot). From there make sure your arm is straight and wrist in an L shape. So your arm and racquet should look like an L as well. If you are just learning or starting on a one HB, don’t worry about creating top spin first. Worry about your footwork, staying sideways, and timing the contact with the ball. Once you get that down with reps then you will eventually incorporate a shoulder rotation on the follow through. Practice with a ball machine or partner. Dropping a ball in front of you does nothing. It is completely different when a ball is coming at you rather than drop a ball in front of you. For the sake of not sounding like a hater, appreciate the hard work on the video but I am definitely not using these drills to practice on how to hit a one handed BH. A lot of this information can be simplified.
Good teacher - but why, why are they always 10 or 20 minutes long - Why can't there be Part 1... Part 2.. Part 3. Five minutes on grips and what not to use... So many things not to do and then to do? I was uhhh, and I need to remember all this? Ten minutes we are still talking …. Every Tennis coach is doesn't seem to NOT understand the BRIEF....not long winded. They are all the same giving you this and that, rather than improve this one point. Just do ua-cam.com/video/mrDQwvRqgto/v-deo.htmlsi=eW8mAmAZA_rGkZsK&t=515 rest is just coach trying to teach pointless body mechanics and physics. One word "Coil". It looks like a sword taking out of the sheath and "coiling". The lower underneath the ball the better. Before anyone asks, am I any good at tennis nope! I really really wish I was .... But a lot of coaching and 20 minute talks and 1000 things to remember. I might be wrong again - ua-cam.com/video/AJjo1VzKPic/v-deo.htmlsi=weejxtVYekmom8Lj&t=62
This video transformed my one handed backhand into a two handed backhand
👍
4:17 That is DISGUSTING! Roger's only technical deficiency, imo - that pronation on that takeback. The racquet face is pointing almost almost straight up = 70-80 degrees of pronation!! Grigor, Justine, Haas etc - the great technical exponents - would be 0 degrees at that point. Perfect simplicity.....
Great instruction. But …. I learned a lot simply. You probably could not get away with saying this today - think 80’s Not Safe For Work lingo. (I was also a teenager at the time).
I learned:
-Eastern grip
-Full turn
And …
-Slap Your Boyfriend. 😂
It worked like a charm in the 80’s because there were so many slap stick movies - at the time from the 50’s and 60’s of people getting B-tch slapped at the time.
People were so used to seeing these movies of people winding up to backhand slap someone.
I don’t know if that saying would work today. 😂
But the arc of the backhand follows the same path as if you B-tch slapped someone with the back of your hand. I taught people who just could never get it until I took the racket out of their hand and just told them to pretend that they were slapping someone they hated. 😂 😂 😂
People are violent. 😂 I never met anyone in 30 years who had problems with their swing after I told them that.
Also, relaxing on the grip and only squeezing just before impact when I said the phrase, “Slap your - insert -boyfriend or hated person. But keeping hand relaxed on the grip and squeezing just before impact.
I never met a person that did not get it after hearing that phrase. And I thought that people would need a lot of tweaking of the stroke after that basic instructional phrase, but nope … people got it right away and it stuck. The only time it needed any tweaking was MAYBE when they got to the advanced level of the game.
People AUTOMATICALLY get into the leverage position when they are about to B-tch slap the most hated person in their life. Their hand automatically goes back into a leveraged position- some people may be a little timid and not give it a real big wind up and not go back that far; so I might tell them, “No, you REALLY hate this person, give it a big wind up”, and they automatically bring their hand further back and they ALWAYS follow through naturally- because you would naturally follow through if you were slapping someone. (Nothing like using people’s natural instincts). It sounds horrible and funny, but I have never had a child or adult that didn’t get it and they never slipped back and forgot the swing path after hearing it.
Bla bla bla. Cut to the chase
Don’t waste your time. 2 hands is better.
Fantastic and thank U very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about Carla Suarez Navarro? For me... the most beautiful backhand in WTA.
Please make analysis about her backhand for all of us.
Tks for share.