One-Handed Backhand – 004

When hitting a one handed backhand, the orientation of your body changes and – obviously – your hitting arm is now at the front of your body, rather than behind it (as on a forehand).

So, if you don’t turn completely, your body will block your take-back of the racket and anything resembling an ‘open’ stance on a one handed backhand is best avoided (except under extreme pressure).

Body Turn

Run the four frames. The moment Tommy Haas knows the direction of the shot from his opponent, he doesn’t so much turn the shoulders as take a full body turn, which has been accomplished here with legwork.

As on the forehand, this full body turn puts him in sprint mode, allowing him to cover wider balls to his backhand side with relative ease, and also makes a full take-back of the racket head possible.

This full turn is the platform for many other good habits on the one-hander, and they will unfold as we move through the world class tennis strokes on these pages.

Further confirmation of the full body turn is found in this click-thru, as Bela Gabriela turns fully in that unmistakably pronounced way of hers and in both of these two turns she shows her back to her opponent – that’s one good measure of a quality full turn.

Look at the first frame – check where the knuckles are to determine what grip she is using.

See? You’re an expert already!