Lately, I've been trying to master the one-handed backhand. I use a two-handed backhand, and have used it for a long time. However, I used to hit a one-handed backhand, when I first learned the game. If I were coaching (and were I a capable coach), I'd start someone with a one-handed backhand, even if eventually, they learn to his a two-handed backhand.
Although I've come to understand the two motions are very different, I feel the one-handed backhand serves as a good foundation for any backhand. By one-handed backhand, I should point out that I'm talking about a drive or topspin backhand, rather than a sliced backhand.
Why am I trying to learn to hit the one-handed backhand? I know a few folks that are trying to hit the shot as well, and the one-handed backhand, much more than the forehand, seems to give people a ton of trouble. In particular, many people find it really hard to control the racquet face.
Either it opens up too much (it angles upwards) and the ball hits the opposite fence, or it goes into the net. With the forehand, the error almost always seems like the player hits way too high (and uses too much arm).
OK, let me go through the one-handed backhand, even though I'm not particularly good at it.
First, I want to point out a common mistake that happens on the forehand. This is the wrist-forearm angle. As in the forehand blog entry, I want you to stand up, arms stretched out wide, as if you are a cross. Thus, your outstreched arms form a line, from the tip of the fingers through the shoulders to the other tip of the fingers.
Now imagine holding a racquet this way, so that the line formed is even longer.
Notice there's no angle between the arm and the racquet. (That angle being about 90 degrees).
Wrong!
The key to the serve, volley, forehand, backhand, is maintaining an angle, and keeping this angle throughout contact.
There are at least two more mistakes that occur when hitting the backhand, and they come from a reasonable idea. The more moving parts, the more you can whip the shot (wrong!).
In particular, some people when hitting a backhand, hinge at the elbow. That is, the elbow is bent, around 135 degrees and sometimes as severe as 90 degrees. The thinking is that as the ball approaches, the arm will straighten out during impact, thus giving another degree of freedom to really whack the ball.
While this is a good idea in theory, and might work with a robot arm, the human arm is likely, in the process, to absorb some shock from the ball, and thus reduce the power. Furthermore, even if you don't reduce the power by luck of good timing, your chances of hitting a repeatable shot is lowered.
Having said this, somehow, in racquetball, people appear to be far wristier with their shots, but even there, I don't think they use the bent-to-straight elbow much.
Second mistake is not using the left arm (for a rightie) much. The left arm plays a much bigger role in hitting a backhand (and even in a forehand) than most people realize.
Pay attention to Roger Federer's one-handed backhand setup. He creates a squarish "U" pattern with his arm in the first frame. That is, his upper arm (from elbow to shoulder) is at right angles to the forearm, which is at right angles to the racquet itself.
Now I know that I said your elbow shouldn't bend, but that's at contact. This is setup.
In the second frame, Fed has raised his racquet higher (and still, he uses his left hand to hold the racquet).
In the third frame, he drops the racquet behind him (notice his eyes, focusing on the ball). Again, he's still holding the racquet with his left hand (it's being obscured by his body), but the elbow is nearly straight now (not quite).
With only six photos, you miss a lot. An ideal photo study would have maybe 20 photos covering the same span of time. 6 photos really doesn't pick up enough details.
Basically, as the ball gets closer (after the second frame), Roger's arm begins to straighten out (not fully). The elbow is no longer 90 degrees. Meanwhile, his left hand is starting to drop the racquet behind his body.
The racquet drops to just above waist height, but is parallel to the ground, with his arm somewhat straight. His right foot is crossed ahead of his left foot, so he is in a closed stance (that is, right foot left of of his left foot, if you're facing the net).
As it gets even closer, the arm begins to drop down to waist level, again, with the racquet mostly parallel to the ground behind Roger. His arm is even straighter now.
Finally, Roger will begin to flip the racquet from behind him, to in front of him, with the butt briefly slowing (unlike his forehand), and impact the ball with the racquet aimed slightly down (for a higher ball).
There's a ton missing between the second and third photos.
In the fourth frane, Fed's arm is straightened out. There are several points to make. First, when he hits the shot, the wrist and forearm are at 90 degrees. Second, the plane of the racquet is perpendicular. Third, his racquet is basically parallel with the ground. Fourth, as he his the backhand (there aren't photos to show this, unfortunately), his arm rises up, and so the racquet moves upwards (towards the sky) and forwards (towards the net), all while the racquet stays parallel. This motion is kept until the ball has been hit, and for sometime afterwards.
Keep the racquet parallel as long as you can, moving up and forward for as long as your arm will allow. You want to be underneath the ball before impact, in the center at impact, and above the ball (were it still nearby) after impact.
The last two photos appear to be reversed. The last photo should be the shot he hits next, and the middle photo where Roger finishes. Notice that he has hit a very low forehand, which is why he's crouched to the ground. If you watch Roger's backhand in full motion, you'll see his backhand is far more elaborate (big follow through) then is pictured here.
Also missing is a picture where the butt of the racquet points to the ball.
Here's a video showing his backhand, alas a little faster than I'd like:
Roger has a monster follow-through, by the way.
To end, I want you to repeat this with me.
If you hit the ball long, you've opened the face of the racquet. If you hit the ball long, you've opened the face of the racquet. If you hit the ball long, you've opened the face of the racquet.
That means, the racquet face is pointing up, even if ever so slightly.
Indeed, Roger often has the racquet face tilted down, ever so slightly (and it is slight).
Several wrap up points. First, 90 degree angle. Second, arm straightens out sometime when the racquet his behind his back. Third, racquet is parallel from behind his back to when he hits, with the exception of a brief moment where it dips just a little as he is about to make the forward motion (getting topspin). Otherwise, it stays parallel behind him, just before impact, just after impact, and only after the ball is long gone goes he bring it up and back behind him.
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