I had the privilege to watch Stan playing in Gstaad in the beginning of his career. His backhand was breathtaking! He won the first set easily but lost the match because he was not playing very smart, trying to hit winners all the time. Some years ago I went to vacation in Brazil and went to play in a public court. I saw there a teenager playing a backhand which was identical to Wawrinka’s! He told me that he saw all videos on Wawrinka’s backhand and studied them carefully. He won in this year the city championship at his age category. He said he won mainly because his backhand.
Where was the public court? Vila Lobos Park, in Sao Paulo? Jardim Botanico in Curitiba? Do you remember the kids name? Nice to see something positive about Brazil :)
I did the same, filmed myself hitting backhands, watched videos of Stan doing it, put them both in slow motion to see the difference and correct them. Let's say there was progress.
I've watched a lot of videos on one handed bh as my weakish bh has held me back from rising to the next level. This is the best one handed video I've I've seen so thank you! The explanation of how the positioning of the front foot enables the hip rotation resonated with me in a way it hasn't before. My hip rotation is much more powerful. My bh has pop. Really cool. Thanks!
Kevin - wow, you really hone in on the nuances that matter, inter-spliced the right amount of Wawrinka footage, and the lighting was great on this video. Wawrinka is the only player who can make Djokovic occasionally look helpless from the baseline, and it's due to this incredible shot.
I'm a huge fan of this channel and this is by far the best lesson I've found about one-handed backhands. I was able to see all the mistakes I've been doing for years and I can wait to hit the court to start improving my game. Thanks!
Beautiful Kevin! My favorite 1-handed backhand video from you. Gravity plus hip turn sounds = concise distillation of power on ground strokes. Also the loose / gentle doorknob turn is a nice way to put it and help visualize what happens.
Your ability to describe is fantastic and you really got me to visualize my body and feel I’m on the court as you were describing the hips, feet, knee and everything, feels like I got better just listening
Stan's backhand is a weapon. Not many players can out-backhand Nadal and Djokovic - but Stan can! To really succeed with a 1handed backhand - fast reaction / fast footwork is essential to give yourself TIME to get behind the ball - to get the ball in your power zone.
I'm a one-handed backhand player - and an ex-junior tennis coach. Really loved the attention to detail of the basics. These tips should really help to quickly start practicing!
You are so good at breaking down these swings. The one thing that’s made the biggest difference for me is your emphasis on being loose and not tight when swinging.
Excellent explanation I played tennis for 45 years and this is in my opinion. The way to hit the ball. It allows continuous consistency. Stan is kind of powerful and a bit stupid. But he trust the process wich allows him to have one of the best backhands So moving very Quickly to be in the right position and then trust process by using power and timing with enough spin Basically you need to hit a lot of backhands to get the timing. Just as he explained.
Amazing points it's almost like a hitter who really knows how to use his hips and can hit a ball 450ft without looking like he swung hard cause he knew how to rotate his hips. This is something tennis instructors need to latch on to as you did Kevin. You here them talk about racket angle contact point etc but hardly any talk of hip rotation.. For some reason Stan focused on this point and he flat out laces his BH. Another point is when you showed how his back foot rotated so you can see his shoe soles up is a clear sign he's getting maximum rotation. I actually got on to this by analyzing baseball hitting I said if it works there it will work in tennis also. So I experimented on court dropping balls and hitting BH. I definitely noticed when I made a point to use a forceful hip thrust rotation my balls were zooming off my racket with easy power as compared to casual hip rotation. So excellent break down and I've proved it to myself. Trick is to not get lazy and just hit a whatever BH. I also like how you keep your front foot open a little so as not to restrict your hips from rotating. Probably the best breakdown on BH on internet.
Great video, well done coach. I think it is important to remember to choose a racquet with enough plough and stability to assist with the contact and the follow through of the ohb. Players with ohb generally employ racquets with very high swingweights.
Kevin, you present an interesting way of learning and practicing the one-handed backhand. I play tennis and I’m a one handed backhand player and Stan Wawrinka is one I try to emulate when I do my backhand. I do have a comment though .. hip twist, door knob swing are all good but you somehow failed to mention - relaxing the grip on the racquet. I’ve seen tennis instruction videos - one hand forehand one hand backhand but the start of the swing, 2 hands actually hold the racquet and it is at this point where you can relax your right fist (or left if you’re left handed) open for a brief second allowing blood flow into circulation, making your hand (and wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulders and all other parts of the body involved) function as an effective machine. I’m not a pro but I think that’s important.
I agree with the points on the preparation, hips, rotation, all that. What I think is missing is focus on the point of contact. If you don't feel comfortable with how your swing is going to meet the ball, and how your wrist action is going to come over it to reliably give it topspin, then you're going to struggle. The reality is that the ball is on the racquet face for a very short time, and it is the racquet face, and ONLY the racquet face, that generates the path and spin of the shot.
I'd also add that Gasquet is able to handle the Nadal heavy ball. And Kuerten had an amazing backhand able to deal with high balls- massive rotation in the shoulders and hips.
Stan has the prettiest backhand in the history of tennis. I hit a one hander and I can certainly appreciate the power he gets off that wing, especially on a high ball. Hell, his whole game is so pretty! Everything is so measured and efficient.
The knee initiating the hip feels different in the leg when shadowing it. I'll give it a try. I can see making the backhand more effortless with the right timing.
Now that is some excellent observation regarding his right toe orientation - I'd like to focus on this a little the next time I'm out on court! Thanks!
Dude, you are such a good analyser and explainer of tennis is unreal... 🙈 I started copying Lendl's backhand when I was 12/13 and to this day (I'm 53 ITN4) club players ask me to teach them how to hit... flattering! haha
I saw Lendl play live once. I rooted for him thereafter. His groundstrokes were fearsome. I’ve wished he could have sustained play like McEnroe has. The freedom allowed by the one-hander is amazing but I hit two-hander when the level of play goes up.
Great content as always Kevin. Can I point out something about the grip...notice how stan, thiem are holding the racquet about 1/8 up the handle? And that Federer, tsitsipas are all the way down the handle... that makes a huge difference when you play. You get more leverage when you hold it all the way down, but you lose control compared to ''chopping it'' where you have more control and more power, but with less leverage. This is one of the reasons why thiem and stan can hit a laser when they want, but tsitsipas and Federer's backhand are more for rallying. Still effective but less penetrating.
You also have to realize that Federer and tsitsi have a different grip compared to Stan and thiem. Federer and tsitsi use an eastern grip bevel 1 while Stan and theim use a weak eastern grip which is very close to the continental so their grip is more stable compared to Federer and tsitsi who use a full eastern grip. The grips also play huge role because the more extreme your grip is the more you have to prepare earlier. That’s why Stan can easily rip those balls because his grip is so close to a continental which is much easier to time the ball than a full eastern grip.
Very nice explanation of the stroke mechanics and differentiation between cause and effect. Nice to see a video of this kind even you usually hit a decent single backhand to remind you of bad habits that one might develop. I remember when I played more, just before contact I pushed with my front foot that went from bent to less bent. This felt great and all but in the context of this video, I realize that what I should have focused on was the hip rotation leading the stroke (in my case it was the leading leg doing that thus generating hip rotation) which in addition to the front foot should have included the nice focus given to the backfoot. Thanks for this very educational video.
Kevin this is a great video. Pointing the toe out makes all the difference. Was hitting with a lefty partner today and struggling on the forehand side, the guy can run down the topspin that pops up ant he reflects it back with his Nadal racquet. I was hitting pure winners he couldn’t run down with the backhand though. Had a good backhand day earlier in the week too but both the footwork and off hand low release helped a lot. Hopefully it starts sticking a bit.
Also having issues with hip rotation on the forehand often, need to be aware of his on that side too. The placement of the feet can lock 🔒 up your hips snd put strain on the knees.
Without you hitting a ball I can tell you have good form just by the way you handle the racket. Stan has the prettiest game I have ever seen, and when he is in beast mode there is not much one can do to win.
You mentioned open / closed stances with the one handed backhand, I’ve struggled to find any videos explaining OHB footwork for different situations, only the basics for an oncoming ball, would you be able to do a video on this?
Great Video about Stan‘s great backhand. I play a ohne-handed myself and i‘d send a prayer (or more:-)) if i could reach this quality in my backhand strokes:-)). I always feel very good on court when i hit a good one. Very good explanation, thanks a lot, Kevin. That is one of the best coaching channels on YT. Best regards from Germany
My son was taught by a tennis coach that A two-handed backhand is the best backhand. Even though he played with one hand since the beginning but had to change the style of play because of this coach In the words of the coach that There are few people who play backhand with one hand. Did you see anyone playing in the field? The one-handed backhand is the old backhand. If the opponent hits the tennis ball hard How do you get a tennis ball? These are the words of this coach.
Wish the algorithm had let me know earlier that your channel exists. Got to know you right before the pandemic on essential tennis. Turns out you’ve been going at it for a long while already. Very interesting content. Much clarity. Subbed.
Well-timed split step allows you to sync on the balls of your feet to keep your head still so your eyes can pick up the speed Spin and trajectory of the shot to make a good first step to preload and move in the direction you need to hit in the optimum contact point for the least amount of effort and most power.. Thank you!
Excellent Kevin! I cant wait to start trying it! Have you ever seen Gaston Gaudio's one-handed backhand? As fellow argentinian I consider it even more aesthetic.. but its maybe only my pride of nationality talking ha!
Great take on Stan’s back hand. Some of the info could have easily been cut down by saying he remains sideways which all one handers should be doing. Since Stan is leveraging his hips more than others, he’s also playing lower to the ground so he won’t need to fully extend his non hitting hand for balance
My 1 -hander fell apert, in part when I was playing against player without pace. Stan and Justine Hardine have the best backhands and is the footwork and the misconception you need to open up the left arm ...that actually hinders the racket shoulder from rotating.
Have you compare Stefan Edberg's backhand with Stan's backhand. I mean every single shots on the back that include not just top spin, but slice, dink, lob as well.
Kevin.. great points… quick question for you. Do you think he drops the racquet head facing the ground on higher backhands? Second question.. Stan appears to keep his elbow locked( straight) for more stability and power. Do you think he always keeps his wrist loose or firm ? Your thoughts…
I had the privilege to watch Stan playing in Gstaad in the beginning of his career. His backhand was breathtaking! He won the first set easily but lost the match because he was not playing very smart, trying to hit winners all the time. Some years ago I went to vacation in Brazil and went to play in a public court. I saw there a teenager playing a backhand which was identical to Wawrinka’s! He told me that he saw all videos on Wawrinka’s backhand and studied them carefully. He won in this year the city championship at his age category. He said he won mainly because his backhand.
Where was the public court? Vila Lobos Park, in Sao Paulo? Jardim Botanico in Curitiba? Do you remember the kids name? Nice to see something positive about Brazil :)
I did the same, filmed myself hitting backhands, watched videos of Stan doing it, put them both in slow motion to see the difference and correct them. Let's say there was progress.
This is the best backhand video I have come across, thanks so much!
I've watched a lot of videos on one handed bh as my weakish bh has held me back from rising to the next level. This is the best one handed video I've I've seen so thank you! The explanation of how the positioning of the front foot enables the hip rotation resonated with me in a way it hasn't before. My hip rotation is much more powerful. My bh has pop. Really cool. Thanks!
This is such a great lesson! Just what I was looking for. Thanks!
Kevin - wow, you really hone in on the nuances that matter, inter-spliced the right amount of Wawrinka footage, and the lighting was great on this video. Wawrinka is the only player who can make Djokovic occasionally look helpless from the baseline, and it's due to this incredible shot.
Great analysis on one of the most beautiful shots in the game. Well done.
Hard to improve on that comment.
I went back playing tennis after a long hiatus and couldn’t get my backhand working until this video, brilliant tip. Thank you 🙏
I'm a huge fan of this channel and this is by far the best lesson I've found about one-handed backhands. I was able to see all the mistakes I've been doing for years and I can wait to hit the court to start improving my game. Thanks!
Beautiful Kevin! My favorite 1-handed backhand video from you. Gravity plus hip turn sounds = concise distillation of power on ground strokes. Also the loose / gentle doorknob turn is a nice way to put it and help visualize what happens.
One of the best tennis lessons on youtube - stupendously articulate!
Your ability to describe is fantastic and you really got me to visualize my body and feel I’m on the court as you were describing the hips, feet, knee and everything, feels like I got better just listening
The BEST tennis instructor on UA-cam. The way he breaks it down. Thank You!!
100%
Stan's backhand is a weapon.
Not many players can out-backhand Nadal and Djokovic - but Stan can!
To really succeed with a 1handed backhand - fast reaction / fast footwork is essential to give yourself TIME to get behind the ball - to get the ball in your power zone.
I'm a one-handed backhand player - and an ex-junior tennis coach.
Really loved the attention to detail of the basics.
These tips should really help to quickly start practicing!
You are so good at breaking down these swings. The one thing that’s made the biggest difference for me is your emphasis on being loose and not tight when swinging.
Great lesson. And I agree, Stan's backhand is incredible. Poetry.
Excellent explanation
I played tennis for 45 years and this is in my opinion.
The way to hit the ball.
It allows continuous consistency.
Stan is kind of powerful and a bit stupid.
But he trust the process wich allows him to have one of the best backhands
So moving very Quickly to be in the right position and then trust process by using power and timing with enough spin
Basically you need to hit a lot of backhands to get the timing.
Just as he explained.
Wonderful instruction! As an adult beginner, this helped take a lot of mystery and frustration out of this shot
super advanced analysis; came back the 4th time and finally got it
The tennis court looks like a paradise. So color and peaceful.
Amazing points it's almost like a hitter who really knows how to use his hips and can hit a ball 450ft without looking like he swung hard cause he knew how to rotate his hips. This is something tennis instructors need to latch on to as you did Kevin. You here them talk about racket angle contact point etc but hardly any talk of hip rotation.. For some reason Stan focused on this point and he flat out laces his BH. Another point is when you showed how his back foot rotated so you can see his shoe soles up is a clear sign he's getting maximum rotation. I actually got on to this by analyzing baseball hitting I said if it works there it will work in tennis also. So I experimented on court dropping balls and hitting BH. I definitely noticed when I made a point to use a forceful hip thrust rotation my balls were zooming off my racket with easy power as compared to casual hip rotation. So excellent break down and I've proved it to myself. Trick is to not get lazy and just hit a whatever BH. I also like how you keep your front foot open a little so as not to restrict your hips from rotating. Probably the best breakdown on BH on internet.
Love the microscopic detail in your analysis, Kevin.
Thanks Jacksonlar!
Very detailed and accurate explaining of the backhand! I just started tennis/padel at older age and this helps me soo much!
I changed my back hand footing and started pointing my foot like you showed in this video. It literally improved my backhand instantly.
Great video, well done coach. I think it is important to remember to choose a racquet with enough plough and stability to assist with the contact and the follow through of the ohb. Players with ohb generally employ racquets with very high swingweights.
Stan's Backhand is a hammer.
This will add years to my knee, hip and shoulder. THX!
Pointing lead foot down court really opens up the hips for better rotation. Great tutorial 👍
This deserves more views
Kevin, you present an interesting way of learning and practicing the one-handed backhand. I play tennis and I’m a one handed backhand player and Stan Wawrinka is one I try to emulate when I do my backhand. I do have a comment though .. hip twist, door knob swing are all good but you somehow failed to mention - relaxing the grip on the racquet. I’ve seen tennis instruction videos - one hand forehand one hand backhand but the start of the swing, 2 hands actually hold the racquet and it is at this point where you can relax your right fist (or left if you’re left handed) open for a brief second allowing blood flow into circulation, making your hand (and wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulders and all other parts of the body involved) function as an effective machine.
I’m not a pro but I think that’s important.
Man you are so good that it seems that you were the one who teached Stan how to do that. Good sob!!
Best explanation of the mechanics of the one-hand backhand that I’ve encountered
Thanks Kelley I appreciate you watching!
Not only the content is good but lighting is amazing too.
Thumbs up Kevin
I agree with the points on the preparation, hips, rotation, all that. What I think is missing is focus on the point of contact. If you don't feel comfortable with how your swing is going to meet the ball, and how your wrist action is going to come over it to reliably give it topspin, then you're going to struggle. The reality is that the ball is on the racquet face for a very short time, and it is the racquet face, and ONLY the racquet face, that generates the path and spin of the shot.
4.5 player and this was a tremendous backhand review of the nuances of the backhand!! Excellent!! Thanks
I'd also add that Gasquet is able to handle the Nadal heavy ball. And Kuerten had an amazing backhand able to deal with high balls- massive rotation in the shoulders and hips.
Easy to remember tips. Tommorow I try it on the court.
Thank you Kevin
Great video! Excellent breakdown to help maximise form and power!
Excellent analysis and instruction
Thank you
Excellent analysis...what explodes the hips are the core stomach muscles...after many years of hitting a baseball, it's the same powerful action
Such a great tip on turning the back knee in to ensure hip rotation! Thanks Coach Kevin!
This video transform my backhand into Wawrinka’s back hand thank you!!
Thank you so much, what a great breakdown of Stan's Backhand
Excellent video breaking down the mechanics of how to hit a strong one-handed backhand like Wawrinka's! It will help me improve mine. Thank you!
Well done.. great explanation breaking the stroke down
really important information. Very useful for players that are competing and coaching at my level.
Stan has the prettiest backhand in the history of tennis. I hit a one hander and I can certainly appreciate the power he gets off that wing, especially on a high ball. Hell, his whole game is so pretty! Everything is so measured and efficient.
This is really good analysis. Don't know this teacher, but wow. Really talented.
Excellent lesson on one handed backhand.
I was looking for ways to teach my 9 yo the one hand BH and found this jewel. Thanks
Thx so much for this break down on Stan's backhand
My favourite Stan The MAN 🔥
The knee initiating the hip feels different in the leg when shadowing it. I'll give it a try. I can see making the backhand more effortless with the right timing.
I would love to hear how it goes on the court! thanks
Stan does seem like he would be a cool guy to meet! Thanks
Thoroughly enjoyable viewing. Clear, sensible and well illustrated examples (eg doorknob). Great job, Stan!
Best tennis videos from far...
Great lesson! Will try these pointers.
Now that is some excellent observation regarding his right toe orientation - I'd like to focus on this a little the next time I'm out on court! Thanks!
Thanks a lot for the breakdown. Just what I was looking for!!
Dude, you are such a good analyser and explainer of tennis is unreal... 🙈 I started copying Lendl's backhand when I was 12/13 and to this day (I'm 53 ITN4) club players ask me to teach them how to hit... flattering! haha
I saw Lendl play live once. I rooted for him thereafter. His groundstrokes were fearsome. I’ve wished he could have sustained play like McEnroe has. The freedom allowed by the one-hander is amazing but I hit two-hander when the level of play goes up.
Beautiful analysis and pointers.
Great content as always Kevin. Can I point out something about the grip...notice how stan, thiem are holding the racquet about 1/8 up the handle? And that Federer, tsitsipas are all the way down the handle... that makes a huge difference when you play. You get more leverage when you hold it all the way down, but you lose control compared to ''chopping it'' where you have more control and more power, but with less leverage. This is one of the reasons why thiem and stan can hit a laser when they want, but tsitsipas and Federer's backhand are more for rallying. Still effective but less penetrating.
You also have to realize that Federer and tsitsi have a different grip compared to Stan and thiem. Federer and tsitsi use an eastern grip bevel 1 while Stan and theim use a weak eastern grip which is very close to the continental so their grip is more stable compared to Federer and tsitsi who use a full eastern grip. The grips also play huge role because the more extreme your grip is the more you have to prepare earlier. That’s why Stan can easily rip those balls because his grip is so close to a continental which is much easier to time the ball than a full eastern grip.
@@hafadaze9046 Where do you get this information from? to me, they all look like eastern backhand grip
brillant analysis. well done kevin.
Very nice explanation of the stroke mechanics and differentiation between cause and effect. Nice to see a video of this kind even you usually hit a decent single backhand to remind you of bad habits that one might develop. I remember when I played more, just before contact I pushed with my front foot that went from bent to less bent. This felt great and all but in the context of this video, I realize that what I should have focused on was the hip rotation leading the stroke (in my case it was the leading leg doing that thus generating hip rotation) which in addition to the front foot should have included the nice focus given to the backfoot. Thanks for this very educational video.
Kevin this is a great video. Pointing the toe out makes all the difference. Was hitting with a lefty partner today and struggling on the forehand side, the guy can run down the topspin that pops up ant he reflects it back with his Nadal racquet.
I was hitting pure winners he couldn’t run down with the backhand though.
Had a good backhand day earlier in the week too but both the footwork and off hand low release helped a lot. Hopefully it starts sticking a bit.
Also having issues with hip rotation on the forehand often, need to be aware of his on that side too. The placement of the feet can lock 🔒 up your hips snd put strain on the knees.
Super explanation, thanks a lot man.
Great video! Mauresmo and Kuerten were using the hips in a similar way in their backhands.
Without you hitting a ball I can tell you have good form just by the way you handle the racket. Stan has the prettiest game I have ever seen, and when he is in beast mode there is not much one can do to win.
excellent kevin ! well explained the one handed backhand which i am working on as well. i guess you missed out on grip change , for this shot.
Superb analysis and explanations.
Great explanation...thanks and congrats !
Absolutely superb lesson!
Nice pointers! The more I learn it seems that most of tennis is using your hips, light grip/wrist, and having a fluid swing.
You mentioned open / closed stances with the one handed backhand, I’ve struggled to find any videos explaining OHB footwork for different situations, only the basics for an oncoming ball, would you be able to do a video on this?
Thank you very much, perfect trainer👏👏👏
Excellent video. Thank you very much
Great Video about Stan‘s great backhand. I play a ohne-handed myself and i‘d send a prayer (or more:-)) if i could reach this quality in my backhand strokes:-)). I always feel very good on court when i hit a good one. Very good explanation, thanks a lot, Kevin. That is one of the best coaching channels on YT. Best regards from Germany
Danke Schoen Stephan!
My son was taught by a tennis coach that A two-handed backhand is the best backhand. Even though he played with one hand since the beginning but had to change the style of play because of this coach In the words of the coach that There are few people who play backhand with one hand. Did you see anyone playing in the field? The one-handed backhand is the old backhand. If the opponent hits the tennis ball hard How do you get a tennis ball? These are the words of this coach.
Fantastic instruction. Thank you.
Fantastic analysis!! Thank you!!
Great stuff. Just what I needed today.
Excellent analysis and presentation as always.
Thanks Cavaleer!
Wish the algorithm had let me know earlier that your channel exists. Got to know you right before the pandemic on essential tennis. Turns out you’ve been going at it for a long while already. Very interesting content. Much clarity. Subbed.
Will you ever play a match again against Ian or Mark or Scott on essential tennis? You deserve a legendary return!
Well-timed split step allows you to sync on the balls of your feet to keep your head still so your eyes can pick up the speed Spin and trajectory of the shot to make a good first step to preload and move in the direction you need to hit in the optimum contact point for the least amount of effort and most power.. Thank you!
Very good, thank you. The way you break each element down really helps. I just wore a hole in my carpet
Great Video! Really enjoyed those progressions!
As a one-handed backhand player, this guide feels so much more natural than Patrick's which doesn't even go into the hip rotation
great lesson!!! very helpful
Excellent Kevin! I cant wait to start trying it! Have you ever seen Gaston Gaudio's one-handed backhand? As fellow argentinian I consider it even more aesthetic.. but its maybe only my pride of nationality talking ha!
Great take on Stan’s back hand. Some of the info could have easily been cut down by saying he remains sideways which all one handers should be doing. Since Stan is leveraging his hips more than others, he’s also playing lower to the ground so he won’t need to fully extend his non hitting hand for balance
Terrific video. Really helpful!
Kevin - I love the I learned a lesson from...!!! I have be watching you latest videos closely. Thanks
Thanks Furey!
My 1 -hander fell apert, in part when I was playing against player without pace. Stan and Justine Hardine have the best backhands and is the footwork and the misconception you need to open up the left arm ...that actually hinders the racket shoulder from rotating.
You are a great great teacher thank you
Have you compare Stefan Edberg's backhand with Stan's backhand. I mean every single shots on the back that include not just top spin, but slice, dink, lob as well.
Thanks for the video Kevin !
May I request you to make a similar video for Gustavo Kuerten
Fluent and technical. Thanks.
Great lighting in this clip, great content as well 🙂
Kevin.. great points… quick question for you. Do you think he drops the racquet head facing the ground on higher backhands? Second question.. Stan appears to keep his elbow locked( straight) for more stability and power. Do you think he always keeps his wrist loose or firm ? Your thoughts…
Great lesson! Thanks!
This is one of the best explanations around one handed backhand i have found on UA-cam! Great content and analysis!