It's cool that you can give us solid instruction, by analyzing your own flaws. About the continental grip, both Lendl and Edberg used continental on their topspin backhands, and especially Edberg's was a work of art.
I’m a 4.5 level player and I hit both one and two handed backhands depending on the ball. Slower, lower shots I use one hand and anything else two. I’m curious if you’ve seen many other players do this? I’m aware I could potentially be more effective sticking to just my two hander but it’s how I like to play and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Yesterday I practiced at tennis wall. And I realize exactly the same thing: I didn't had time to change to the optimal grip when I hit FH and BH alternately (actually I hit quite you said, almost with continental grip, in between continental and eastern, half eastern if I may say so), the movements was abbreviated and shortened. Exactly what you said here. Keep in mind that I hit my normal FH with a grip in between eastern and semi-western (half semi-eastern if I may say so) but when I play at the wall I do not have the necessary time to change the grip completely between BH and FH. In addition I understand once again that if I play hard and powerful I practise my reflexes and not my normal strokes. I can not imitate the "normal" play and strokes only because I am "on the both sides of the net", the balls comes to me so quickly. I played 1HBH all my life. But I had a classic BH and now I want to change and it working well. Only that the normal BH have things to perfect. I can hit all other shots with BH quite well: slice, chip, underspin, etc. But the flat and topspin BH are quite inconsistent. The topspin BH is not so good because I'm not a topspin player. Keep up the god work!
Just a few weeks ago I practiced against the wall and I was so into going through with my one handed backhand (I mean through the entire process), and I kinda felt like in the zone while hitting the backhand, which somehow also improved the backhand performance overall, but I stopped a little early since the last one I did that day, the tip of the racket did loop around like I wanted to, I did get a beautiful, powerful topspin out of it, but I miss judged the momentum of my entire arm + racket, and instead of finishing where I normally do, I had to turn my elbow outwards to cushion the extreme flexing of my arm and wrist. The momentum was way more than I had anticipated, and my upper arm felt like it was going to tear off as it kept on rotating past my limit. It did sting a little for the rest of the day, but I unfortunately have a ton of experience in recovering from those types of injuries (strains). But I didn't learn my lesson, I still do the very same backhand and I love the finish on the backhand, I end up in a position that looks like I've just thrown a world record frisbee with everything I've got. Arms wide open, chest fully extended, left foot crossed behind my right foot, all of my weight pushing against only my right leg at a sharp angle, I can't explain how magnificent it feels, that is if I don't over rotate my upper right arm at the finish 😂 (It only happened once though)
Hi Nikola, Interesting to me that I experience all three problems you described with my one-handed back hand with my left arm. (I am right-handed but still recovering from the right arm elbow surgery). I have been playing with my left arm since the beginning of the year. I emulate the one-handed backhand of the 70s (e.g Johnny Mac): continental grip. But my right arm does not go back in the games; only when I think about it when hitting against the wall. I may get a topspinpro to practice. Especially since during the winter here, hitting outside is out of the question (in the state where I live). Thanks.
This is the video I am looking for. Absolutely great information. Thank you, coach. I am stuck with continental grip on my one handed backhand. I hit thousands of balls against the wall with eastern grip but still when playing sets, I go back to hitting topspin drives with a continental grip. The problem when playing is when it comes to switching grips. I switch instinctively to continental grip and not to Eastern grip.
Don't Shapovalov and Wawrinka also habe bent off-arms? That seems to work out for them. I struggle with that as well because I'm not that flexible and thought it's not that important.
When I first started tennis I start with a one-handed backhand, but then later I switch to a two handed, and I got pretty good at my two handed backhand, and After a few years getting pretty good at a two handed backhand, I tried a one-handed backhand two or three times, and then I stopped and never try again.
Hi Nikola, I thought I'd share my experience, and would like to get your opinion on this as well. Thank you :D Regarding "the buttcap facing the front". My coach actually advises me NOT to do it in practice (emphasis on in practice). He thinks focusing on the buttcap facing front has the same effect as beginners focusing too much on windshield wiping motion on the forehand and not enough extension through contact (resulting in spinny balls that have no pace or depth). My coach makes me finish with the racquet head facing upwards (to the sky almost, like when you were hitting the top spin pro). A good example would be Thiem and Federer (not always, but it happens, and the resulting ball still has plenty of spin). However, he doesn't say we CANNOT have the buttcap facing forward, as it will happen intuitively when you try to put extra spin on the ball. It's just that you want to make sure you extend through the contact to get pace and depth. Also, focusing on extending through contact definitely helps pushing heavy balls back to your opponent's court hehe.
Great video as usual Nik! I'm super out of practice and noticing my arm isn't always straight at contact or elbow leads which can hurt. Any tips on how to get that arm straight without it being unnatural? Are you a fan of the "straight arm" takeback? Thanks!
Hey Nikola. Very interesting video. I have been changing from 2 handed to 1 handed backhand since March and journey has been frustrating some times. Now it’s getting decent but your video has shown me the same limitations that I do. I will go to my lesson and try a more vertical movement with my arm and wrist lag and finishing with the tip of the racket behind the shoulders and buttcap facing the net. My forehand has topspin with a good movement and that’s instinctive. I didn’t understand why the backhand was so weak but now it helped me to understand how the spin in generated versus flatter movements
@@m3s69ll one reason is for the beauty of it I think it looks much more cooler. 2nd reason i feel more free also in my movement sometimes I got too crisped with my wrist and doing shit wrist movements
Hey amigo. I left my tennis club and began playing. Won my first tournament in 10 years at sea level cause I stopped.playing. just coach I'm 45 now trying to play again. Stringing problems basically too tight on my Dunlop aerogel 200 . Hey how is that machine ball? Should I record my next tennis matches. I think I could still get atp points at 45 years old.
Every time I think I can switch to a one hander due to all the reasons you mentioned (coaching more instead of playing, injury, age related flexibility etc) all it takes is returning a kickserve to realize I can’t leave my double hander! 😆
I have seen plenty of technically good looking one-handed backhands being hit on a wall or practice but very few that wouldn't later completely break down during matches (including mine). I have rarely seen a technically good-looking double-hander on a wall or during practice that would later break down during matches (including mine too). Thoughts?
Wait, is there a way to improve hitting the ball with a single backhand where the ball is close to you? I always try to get out of the way as fast as possible, but it isn't always possible, and in the case where a fast ball is returned straight towards me, I feel forced to revert to a slice that has a very unpredictable range of how far the ball will be returned to my opponent afterwards (which may either be very bad for me, or look like a really good return to others )
Two further two handed muscle memory effects on your one handler; your hitting arm is not fully extended and your shoulders open too much ( but then it works for Wahrinka)
Normally, I hit a two handed backhand, but if I am on the run or I can really position myself well (enough time, etc.), now and then I am ripping of a one handed backhand that is as fast as a serve. Sometimes, people are surprised, because I don't hit them often.
I think it's a decent one hand backhand depending on what you want to do, definitely good for service returns. Most 2 handers hit the ball much flatter, so this is a kind of how you are hitting 1 hander. What most advanced 1 handers do is hold the racket more upright with weight on none hitting hand on take back. This allows you to get wider range of motion and racket drop below the ball (like topspin forehand). If you have very high racket head acceleration, the none hitting arm has tendency to go the other way, just physics. I don't believe in trying to teach all stroke mechanics (like butt cap this way, elbow positioning, none dominant arm going this way, etc.) broken down by components esp. for none advance players. Just too confusing IMO.
Whether or not to use a single backhand really depends on your height and your arm length. Practice with the wall or a machine doesn't give you an answer. You have to try it in a match in every situation. It does give you a lesser effort to put away your opponent in certain winner chances because it is much quicker than double backhand basically...!!
I think you don't need to go very far at the end but you could use your forearm more to put top spin, just finishing tip of the racquet to the sky. Common mistake to forget the use of the forearm, which is not a wrist movement.
The great Donald Budge was a switch hitter as a junior baseball player as a result the uncoiling aspect of a one handed backhand was second nature to him, his opponents described his backhand as if he was able to plant his feet and take a good cut at it.....point over. Also Ivan Lendl in his 1980s book Hitting Hot he described the backhand as a potentially lethal power source everyone has, his rationale the uncoiling power is banned in boxing as its too powerful too damaging to opponents to get hit with, well just some thoughts to ponder.
I played some baseball, age 6-10. No lessons beyond criticism by other kids. I used a right handed grip both when hitting right and left handed. When I needed to be accurate, I hit right handed. When I needed to drill the ball deep, I hit left handed. When I started hitting two handed backhands in my late 30's, my muscle memory from childhood baseball kicked in.
In the end is nothing right or wrong. The ball just have to go over the net and into the court. Technically cannot definy a movement that should be always the same. It depends on how you are placed to the ball and what your intention is to do on the court. For example to straighten the non hitting arm. For sure its smth cant try integrat it and gives you an idea to stay balanced. But if you look at the backhands of Wawrinka or Gasquet you see that its also possible to stay in balance with a bent arm. ... anyway thx for your work. Like your channel!
One hand is really the best way to learn and to teach, 2-handed have limitations and its more of a safe shot, your 2-handed seems more natural than the 1 handed, something with your feet on the release of the 1 handed and you seem to take a step at the end of it as your release, you don't really need to move that much with a 1 hander.
Stan has a completely different backhand motion to almost all other players with a one hander. Nik has even done a video on one handed backhand where he compares the 'Wawrinka finish' to the 'Federer finish' which is more normal and extends the arm out and then across rather than across.
For single hander you MUST get your feet in the right place - possibly more than any other shot. If you don't you will hit a weak cramped shot with no power.
Nowhere it is written that the left arm has to be pulled so back and same for the racket head finishing pointing the back fence. If you teach a beginner to finish the shot breaking the wrist in that way with the racket pointing the back fence like that it is going to be a mess.
Get the Topspin Pro 🫴 topspinpro.com/ref/IntuitiveTennis/
It's cool that you can give us solid instruction, by analyzing your own flaws.
About the continental grip, both Lendl and Edberg used continental on their topspin backhands, and especially Edberg's was a work of art.
I’m a 4.5 level player and I hit both one and two handed backhands depending on the ball. Slower, lower shots I use one hand and anything else two. I’m curious if you’ve seen many other players do this? I’m aware I could potentially be more effective sticking to just my two hander but it’s how I like to play and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
It depends on what grip you are using for your one handed backhand and for your two hander.
A good video to remind me of key essentials on the one hander.
Always some interesting and beneficial information provided. I like the one hand backhand myself, because I’m a broken down old man for the most part.
Nice to see your videos more often!
Yesterday I practiced at tennis wall. And I realize exactly the same thing: I didn't had time to change to the optimal grip when I hit FH and BH alternately (actually I hit quite you said, almost with continental grip, in between continental and eastern, half eastern if I may say so), the movements was abbreviated and shortened. Exactly what you said here. Keep in mind that I hit my normal FH with a grip in between eastern and semi-western (half semi-eastern if I may say so) but when I play at the wall I do not have the necessary time to change the grip completely between BH and FH.
In addition I understand once again that if I play hard and powerful I practise my reflexes and not my normal strokes. I can not imitate the "normal" play and strokes only because I am "on the both sides of the net", the balls comes to me so quickly.
I played 1HBH all my life. But I had a classic BH and now I want to change and it working well. Only that the normal BH have things to perfect. I can hit all other shots with BH quite well: slice, chip, underspin, etc. But the flat and topspin BH are quite inconsistent. The topspin BH is not so good because I'm not a topspin player.
Keep up the god work!
Just a few weeks ago I practiced against the wall and I was so into going through with my one handed backhand (I mean through the entire process), and I kinda felt like in the zone while hitting the backhand, which somehow also improved the backhand performance overall, but I stopped a little early since the last one I did that day, the tip of the racket did loop around like I wanted to, I did get a beautiful, powerful topspin out of it, but I miss judged the momentum of my entire arm + racket, and instead of finishing where I normally do, I had to turn my elbow outwards to cushion the extreme flexing of my arm and wrist. The momentum was way more than I had anticipated, and my upper arm felt like it was going to tear off as it kept on rotating past my limit. It did sting a little for the rest of the day, but I unfortunately have a ton of experience in recovering from those types of injuries (strains).
But I didn't learn my lesson, I still do the very same backhand and I love the finish on the backhand, I end up in a position that looks like I've just thrown a world record frisbee with everything I've got. Arms wide open, chest fully extended, left foot crossed behind my right foot, all of my weight pushing against only my right leg at a sharp angle, I can't explain how magnificent it feels, that is if I don't over rotate my upper right arm at the finish 😂
(It only happened once though)
Great one handed backhand 👏👏👏👏
Hi Nikola,
Interesting to me that I experience all three problems you described with my one-handed back hand with my left arm. (I am right-handed but still recovering from the right arm elbow surgery). I have been playing with my left arm since the beginning of the year. I emulate the one-handed backhand of the 70s (e.g Johnny Mac): continental grip. But my right arm does not go back in the games; only when I think about it when hitting against the wall.
I may get a topspinpro to practice. Especially since during the winter here, hitting outside is out of the question (in the state where I live).
Thanks.
🙏🙏
I've a got a two hander, but I still love the technical aspects of the one hander.
This is the video I am looking for. Absolutely great information. Thank you, coach. I am stuck with continental grip on my one handed backhand. I hit thousands of balls against the wall with eastern grip but still when playing sets, I go back to hitting topspin drives with a continental grip. The problem when playing is when it comes to switching grips. I switch instinctively to continental grip and not to Eastern grip.
I rhink he meant to say western grip and not eastern grip. Eastern grip is closer to semi western than western.
Don't Shapovalov and Wawrinka also habe bent off-arms? That seems to work out for them. I struggle with that as well because I'm not that flexible and thought it's not that important.
When I first started tennis I start with a one-handed backhand, but then later I switch to a two handed, and I got pretty good at my two handed backhand, and After a few years getting pretty good at a two handed backhand, I tried a one-handed backhand two or three times, and then I stopped and never try again.
Hi Nikola, I thought I'd share my experience, and would like to get your opinion on this as well. Thank you :D
Regarding "the buttcap facing the front". My coach actually advises me NOT to do it in practice (emphasis on in practice). He thinks focusing on the buttcap facing front has the same effect as beginners focusing too much on windshield wiping motion on the forehand and not enough extension through contact (resulting in spinny balls that have no pace or depth). My coach makes me finish with the racquet head facing upwards (to the sky almost, like when you were hitting the top spin pro). A good example would be Thiem and Federer (not always, but it happens, and the resulting ball still has plenty of spin). However, he doesn't say we CANNOT have the buttcap facing forward, as it will happen intuitively when you try to put extra spin on the ball. It's just that you want to make sure you extend through the contact to get pace and depth. Also, focusing on extending through contact definitely helps pushing heavy balls back to your opponent's court hehe.
Now seems to be a period of soul-searching for our man here.
Great video as usual Nik! I'm super out of practice and noticing my arm isn't always straight at contact or elbow leads which can hurt. Any tips on how to get that arm straight without it being unnatural? Are you a fan of the "straight arm" takeback? Thanks!
Hey Nikola. Very interesting video. I have been changing from 2 handed to 1 handed backhand since March and journey has been frustrating some times. Now it’s getting decent but your video has shown me the same limitations that I do. I will go to my lesson and try a more vertical movement with my arm and wrist lag and finishing with the tip of the racket behind the shoulders and buttcap facing the net.
My forehand has topspin with a good movement and that’s instinctive. I didn’t understand why the backhand was so weak but now it helped me to understand how the spin in generated versus flatter movements
why are you making the switch to one hand?
@@m3s69ll one reason is for the beauty of it I think it looks much more cooler. 2nd reason i feel more free also in my movement sometimes I got too crisped with my wrist and doing shit wrist movements
@@yannisk8584 wont the switch sacrifice the stroke performance such as velocity, power, spin, control etc?
i have been using it since 6 months and im getting alright. So I won’t chance back now as my muscle memory is used to the 1 handed.
Thank you
Hi @intuitive tennis do you do online coaching by any chance? If you do how will it work? Thank you 🙏
Nick do you think that practising with an eastern grip might compromise your 2 hander?
Long live the one-handed backhand, the master race
Hey amigo. I left my tennis club and began playing. Won my first tournament in 10 years at sea level cause I stopped.playing. just coach I'm 45 now trying to play again. Stringing problems basically too tight on my Dunlop aerogel 200 .
Hey how is that machine ball? Should I record my next tennis matches. I think I could still get atp points at 45 years old.
3:53 british accent reveal?
Edit: 7:03 spanish accent reveal? 🤣
how do i know one had or two hand is for me? what are the things to consider when i choose?
I'll be happy with your backhand
Every time I think I can switch to a one hander due to all the reasons you mentioned (coaching more instead of playing, injury, age related flexibility etc) all it takes is returning a kickserve to realize I can’t leave my double hander! 😆
Stick with it Crunchtime
I have seen plenty of technically good looking one-handed backhands being hit on a wall or practice but very few that wouldn't later completely break down during matches (including mine).
I have rarely seen a technically good-looking double-hander on a wall or during practice that would later break down during matches (including mine too).
Thoughts?
How do you hit one handed back hand with eastern grip when ball is higher than waist height? Eastern grip is good for balls lower than waist height.
Wait, is there a way to improve hitting the ball with a single backhand where the ball is close to you? I always try to get out of the way as fast as possible, but it isn't always possible, and in the case where a fast ball is returned straight towards me, I feel forced to revert to a slice that has a very unpredictable range of how far the ball will be returned to my opponent afterwards (which may either be very bad for me, or look like a really good return to others )
Two further two handed muscle memory effects on your one handler; your hitting arm is not fully extended and your shoulders open too much ( but then it works for Wahrinka)
Normally, I hit a two handed backhand, but if I am on the run or I can really position myself well (enough time, etc.), now and then I am ripping of a one handed backhand that is as fast as a serve. Sometimes, people are surprised, because I don't hit them often.
Is that backhand topspin reached by externally rotating the shoulder?
Put that top spin trainer up on a ladder and tilt it a little to work on your kick serve when your arm’s better😉
I think it's a decent one hand backhand depending on what you want to do, definitely good for service returns. Most 2 handers hit the ball much flatter, so this is a kind of how you are hitting 1 hander. What most advanced 1 handers do is hold the racket more upright with weight on none hitting hand on take back. This allows you to get wider range of motion and racket drop below the ball (like topspin forehand). If you have very high racket head acceleration, the none hitting arm has tendency to go the other way, just physics. I don't believe in trying to teach all stroke mechanics (like butt cap this way, elbow positioning, none dominant arm going this way, etc.) broken down by components esp. for none advance players. Just too confusing IMO.
Whether or not to use a single backhand really depends on your height and your arm length. Practice with the wall or a machine doesn't give you an answer. You have to try it in a match in every situation. It does give you a lesser effort to put away your opponent in certain winner chances because it is much quicker than double backhand basically...!!
I think you don't need to go very far at the end but you could use your forearm more to put top spin, just finishing tip of the racquet to the sky. Common mistake to forget the use of the forearm, which is not a wrist movement.
The great Donald Budge was a switch hitter as a junior baseball player as a result the uncoiling aspect of a one handed backhand was second nature to him, his opponents described his backhand as if he was able to plant his feet and take a good cut at it.....point over.
Also Ivan Lendl in his 1980s book Hitting Hot he described the backhand as a potentially lethal power source everyone has, his rationale the uncoiling power is banned in boxing as its too powerful too damaging to opponents to get hit with, well just some thoughts to ponder.
I played some baseball, age 6-10. No lessons beyond criticism by other kids. I used a right handed grip both when hitting right and left handed. When I needed to be accurate, I hit right handed. When I needed to drill the ball deep, I hit left handed.
When I started hitting two handed backhands in my late 30's, my muscle memory from childhood baseball kicked in.
In the end is nothing right or wrong. The ball just have to go over the net and into the court. Technically cannot definy a movement that should be always the same. It depends on how you are placed to the ball and what your intention is to do on the court. For example to straighten the non hitting arm. For sure its smth cant try integrat it and gives you an idea to stay balanced. But if you look at the backhands of Wawrinka or Gasquet you see that its also possible to stay in balance with a bent arm. ... anyway thx for your work. Like your channel!
One hand is really the best way to learn and to teach, 2-handed have limitations and its more of a safe shot, your 2-handed seems more natural than the 1 handed, something with your feet on the release of the 1 handed and you seem to take a step at the end of it as your release, you don't really need to move that much with a 1 hander.
I think you are hitting high balls above waist on front foot(right foot). For high balls, you should hit loading in the back leg, that is yr left leg.
Stan the Man does not extend his arm. How do you reconcile that?
Stan has a completely different backhand motion to almost all other players with a one hander. Nik has even done a video on one handed backhand where he compares the 'Wawrinka finish' to the 'Federer finish' which is more normal and extends the arm out and then across rather than across.
Did you have pain on the elbow with a one handed backhand?
No
For single hander you MUST get your feet in the right place - possibly more than any other shot. If you don't you will hit a weak cramped shot with no power.
Nowhere it is written that the left arm has to be pulled so back and same for the racket head finishing pointing the back fence.
If you teach a beginner to finish the shot breaking the wrist in that way with the racket pointing the back fence like that it is going to be a mess.
I notice your racket head on the back swing is fairly flat and not upright as most instructors advise?
There is a youtube coach here recommending the "wrong" follow through where the racket points to the left and not give much topspin....
Your one handed backhand has a host of technical issues, starting with the backswing.
Perhaps you should turn your racket into a frying pan and become a chef.
Wtf? Budala
Why u people talk more and less action
He is a coach. Everyone can go watch tennis. If you want to learn that's why people come to channels like this.