Hey guys, this is Curtis, the amateur loser on the right side of the screen. Ryan, this is awesome material as always! I am honored to have been featured on the channel, and have been attempting to implement the points you made! It’s already making a big difference, I greatly appreciate it! As a long time viewer, I can also add I DEFINITELY appreciate you featuring the Hendy on a lot of your latest uploads, and I cannot tell you enough how much it means to us. It is my pride and joy, and we are all honored being featured here. Everyone please continue to support Ryan and 2MinuteTennis, and hopefully you all are as lucky as me and get your footage featured as well. It’s extremely helpful stuff, seriously. YOU GOT THIS!
You're a boss dude. Anyone willing to get evaluated in a public sphere like this is a boss. Can't wait to see a follow up video on how well your backhand looks after making some of these adjustments!
The 1.5 hand made a big difference for me after watching Thiem still go forward a bit with his non-hitting hand and leaving it on longer than I originally thought. I started doing that and found improvement in control, power, and consistency.
You have a phenomenal ability to teach the concepts with such clarity. So well spoken and every detail explained clearly and easily to understanding. Your knowledge of tennis is a gift but yoir ability to break down the concepts and teach them with such clarity is incredible!! Tremendous Job!
As always ryan is spot on. So much to see…I notice All pros set BEFORE the bounce and this gentleman is finishing his rotation after the bounce causing him to run even later. Second I notice at point of contact Curtis has already rotated his head and eyes forward causing additional early/over rotation and off center hitting.
This is one of the best video I’ve seen yet, specially with the comparison and visuals and arrows showing exactly what you’re referencing. It’s my first video from this channel, but it’s so helpful. Subscribed
Just found this video I’ve been having such a hard time explaining some of this concepts to my clients and your pov and explanation are just amazing and gave me way more understanding myself thanks coach!
Great Video…one thing I’ll add that helped me as a junior with the right hand/elbow position on the take back was to imagine holding something in your armpit and you can’t drop it, even put something small in there…that got my right elbow closer and hand lower.
The weight transfer thing is very crucial to me with curtis, too! In the shot, he ends up standing on just his front foot, almost toppling backwards. He should make a step INTO the shot with the right leg pointing at 45 degress into the court and then move through as he takes the shot. Im puzzled how I could miss this for so long, but that way you get so much kinetic energy on the ball that "easy" to control because its your whole body. Doing all that with just the arm is a lot harder to pull off, not as consistent and you can combine everything to get savage power.
Great analysis, and thank you for the tips! I would definitely add a few minutes on the importance of leaning forward, the leg work and loading during the unit turn. Keep it up!
Hey, Ryan... When it comes to "the finish," what about the pro's like, Dimitrov, Federer, Wawrinka, and others who open up their shoulders toward the court (after contact) and point their racquets toward the back fence? (yes, crosscourt balls, but not always) I find this to be more of the case when watching them practice and during matches. The only time I see them finish in the "V" shape is when; as you suggested; when they are looking for "control" OR they're getting a deep ball and being pushed back. I have a OHBH as well and feel these are accurate (with what I do) Thanks, Ryan
Professional athletes can fudge technique a bit bc of their incredible athleticism. Rec tennis players need as much help from their technique as possible bc they don’t have the hours to put in and the world class athleticism helping them. That’s why you can’t always copy the pros.
a good , an excellent point ! no wrist movement ;) just a fore arm pronation. note it can be a wrist rotation by the "letting go" at the ful end but it is mainly in full power shot, not the thing to " learn" about ! technic's control first 😁
Hi Coach ! I am a geek of Tennis of course and a geek too about Geometry ! I enjoy watching your explanations with angles ! it speak to me....Could you do the same video angles,with a two handed backhand ?
Good tips. Keeping the hand on the racket helps also because it makes sure the racket head drops. Im curious if Lendl McEnroe and other players of earlier eras did this or is this more part of the modern 1 hander?
point 1 équilibrium "grip" the ground with your front foot, weight forward your heel. point 2 load your front shoulder, by using ( pulling BACK not up or... ) the rear hand :) important note: keeping the both shoulders in line (no rotation please !! ) point 3 all best ohbh from lendl to Gasquet use a tight front arm. if you bend the front arm you lose the load of the front shoulder spring :) then ... grip ... string's tension .... enjoy :)
Great stuff as usual. I think you’re touching on a bigger point here though- It’s common for us rec players to have trouble producing pace on a weak/short ball. I see the swing in the first one as his attempt to swing bigger, which throws everything out of whack after the racquet goes horizontal. This fast, outside-in horizontal swing leads to the bad follow-through.
I agree with this - but I have noticed that Rec players have a hard enough time setting up for 1hbh - when I have tried to drill this, a lot of rec players hit even later. Thiem hits a lower trajectory swing path - these are just different mechanics between players. Closing the racquet happens easily when clients focus on pointing the butt cap at the ball.
Brian: Great tips as usual from your side. Just one point I like to clarify. In fact your third point: Angle at contact and angle at end of swing: you call that the V . You explain it as the wrist stays the same. I am just experimenting with having a more loose wrist - similar to Stan when he hits the ball. It is really pronounced with Stans backhand as well as Dominique's. Can you please share your thoughts . Thanks / Will / Singapore
Great stuff! Does keeping the right arm straight on the takeaway increase the likelihood of being late? I notice that when I have a bend in my right arm on the backswing, I struggle to get it straight by contact.
Thanks for the video. I´m struggling with one aspect though and need some input: I´m trying to keep my non dominant hand on the racket longer now, but, as a consequence, I cannot swing it in the opposite direction after hitting the ball as everything happens so quickly. My question is: what is more important a) to keep the non dominant hand longer on the racket (1.5 hander) or b) to swing the non dominant arm in the opposite direction after contanct. Right now I´m supporting option a) but any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
hi :) about "1.5 backhand" i disagree. you have to note it is depending of your use of the front arm and shoulder. Thiem is as Gasquet or Stan , use a really fine tight arm. it is the best solution for ... everything in ohbh :) then the other hand have just to be use to load ( pul back) the front shoulder, nothing else. so .. i could ...criticize the Thiem's backhand .. ( yes i know !! ^^^) because by keeping his rear hand with the racket he is initating a shoulder's rotation. that's not good :o)
5:35 "Nobody on tour has this absolutely perfect technique". Perhaps you've never analyzed Stan Wawrinka's backhand...if it's not perfect, it's the closest professional tennis has ever seen. 😍😍
Wow, when I thought I was the weirdo who does the 1.5 BH (actually I named as such when discussed this strange technique in TW forum like 10 years ago) with the non-hitting arm pushing through to help the launch of the stroke.
Hi Ryan What exactly do you think is the cause of left hand letting go and moving back too early? I’m extremely puzzled by this common issue in amateur one handers. And how can it be fixed? Thanks.
Sampras, Federer, Thiem, Mauresmo...? I could go on. They don't follow your vertical racket theory. Obviously you can nit pick on the mechanical breakdown of each part of the stroke but you would lose the forest for the trees. There are a few critical points that all strokes must fulfill and as long as they work for the individual regardless of small mechanical differences, then that's a functional stroke. There's no "perfect" stroke and trying to change someone's natural stroke mechanics to mimic and emulate another, especially a pro, I would argue is counter productive. I know you want to say that the vertical racket produces a more consistent response for the rec level player, but that's where we have to agree to disagree! Without measuring shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, etc ROM and strength we really can't be making any inferences on optimal positions. Though to be fair, if you were coaching someone from scratch, feel free to influence their strokes in a direction you find would be most beneficial for them.
Really good stuff here that was new to me. A funny thing about pro strokes is that they look more complicated but are actually much simpler than what we do.
It would be interesting to see you analyze Borg’s “2 handed backhand” in this video… his backhand almost appears to be a “1.5 to 1.75” backhand vs. a true 2 hander. Back in the day, I thought Borg had some of the ugliest strokes that I’d ever seen… looking at how modern strokes have evolved, I’m now thinking that Borg’s strokes were perhaps a bit ahead of their time.
Jimmy Connors too, especially in the later years of his career. He had really simplified, compact groundstrokes that allowed him to take balls early on the rise with good accuracy, pace and consistency.
in fact, it seams you forgot the main thing ... this guy is doing somethink like a Federer backhand :) with defects of it :) mainly ... he is playing like a " lightfoot" :) ONE before anything else, EQUILIBRIUM ! this guy have to STAND HIS WEIGHT ON THE FRONT FOOT ! then , maybe after this , others points can be imporved.
Basically his preparation is too late, his body should move further back to then step into the shot and use body weight and you need to think of making a circle, not a line. The way curtis sets it up is hitting straight at the ball. No spin, no control and safety. He slaps it out, thats it.
Hey Mike. Its funny you say that bc I get the exact opposite comment all the time. "Can you slow down the footage? The fast swings don't help me at all. You need to show the slow motion so I can learn. In the future I would appreciate if you skipped the fast motion portion of the video and only showed the slow motion version." That's what I also get. I've learned that I'll never make everyone happy. thanks for watching!
This takeback is not wrong, it's more like guga kuerten, which I requested u to study and analyze but, probably u didn't feel important to study. Gustavo has one of the best ever backhand even better than wawrinka. I think u r not old enough to study a player that old, I guess. No ill feeling. People analyze the big 3 or 4 to stay popular and not be sincere to the superior techniques of all time.
Thanks for watching. And you’re right, no such thing as right or wrong technique. There’s just more efficient and less efficient. Guga has a very difficult backhand for rec players to copy. From his grip to the wide open racket face in the backhand, rec players shouldn’t attempt copying guga’s backhand technique. And I appreciate you thinking I’m so young. I turn 46 this year, so, I’m well aware of Guga’s technique. Thanks for watching my friend!
@2Minute Tennis: "Nobody on tour has this absolutely perfect [BH] technique that you would want to copy..." Seriously, what are you talking about? Dimitrov has a technically perfect backhand, which is based on Federer's which is also perfect. Thiem, Wawrinka, Tsitsipas, Gasquet, Shapovalov -- all world-class one-handers ripe for copying by amateur players. I'm sure you mean well but your lessons are so often misinformed like this and you make outrageous claims. Frankensteining together a one-hander is a terrible idea for an inexperienced player. Just terrible.
Or we can ditch the one handed backhand and teach him a proper two handed backhand. The one handed backhand is for gifted individuals or adults over 50 years old 🤷🏾♂️
PlayYourCourt:
playyourcourt.com/2MinuteTennis
TopspinPro link: topspinpro.com/ref/2minutetennis/
Hey guys, this is Curtis, the amateur loser on the right side of the screen.
Ryan, this is awesome material as always! I am honored to have been featured on the channel, and have been attempting to implement the points you made! It’s already making a big difference, I greatly appreciate it!
As a long time viewer, I can also add I DEFINITELY appreciate you featuring the Hendy on a lot of your latest uploads, and I cannot tell you enough how much it means to us. It is my pride and joy, and we are all honored being featured here.
Everyone please continue to support Ryan and 2MinuteTennis, and hopefully you all are as lucky as me and get your footage featured as well. It’s extremely helpful stuff, seriously.
YOU GOT THIS!
Mate, you are not a loser. It’s just a hobby to all of us. Have fun improving.
You're a boss dude. Anyone willing to get evaluated in a public sphere like this is a boss. Can't wait to see a follow up video on how well your backhand looks after making some of these adjustments!
mad respect for you, buddy!
This is the greatest explanation of 1-hand backhand errors. Great detail. My man you nail it.
This is a really good video. The first to explain what 1.5 means and when to release the left hand. Can’t wait to try this the next time I play.
The 1.5 hand made a big difference for me after watching Thiem still go forward a bit with his non-hitting hand and leaving it on longer than I originally thought. I started doing that and found improvement in control, power, and consistency.
Struggle with my back and for many years now. I have watched too many back videos to count. This is the best one yet! Thank you.
No.1. Tennis analyst on TH-cam .
Thank you .❤
You have a phenomenal ability to teach the concepts with such clarity. So well spoken and every detail explained clearly and easily to understanding. Your knowledge of tennis is a gift but yoir ability to break down the concepts and teach them with such clarity is incredible!! Tremendous Job!
As always ryan is spot on. So much to see…I notice All pros set BEFORE the bounce and this gentleman is finishing his rotation after the bounce causing him to run even later.
Second I notice at point of contact Curtis has already rotated his head and eyes forward causing additional early/over rotation and off center hitting.
Thanks so much John! Hope you’re well!
This is one of the best video I’ve seen yet, specially with the comparison and visuals and arrows showing exactly what you’re referencing. It’s my first video from this channel, but it’s so helpful. Subscribed
Wow thank you so much!!! I try to make super helpful videos that’ll raise your game. Thanks for subbing!
WOW. This was a wonderfully thorough video and every bit of it was helpful, no fluff. Can't wait to implement the tips.
excellent video! So practical. Cannot wait to hit the court later today and follow this advice!
Just found this video I’ve been having such a hard time explaining some of this concepts to my clients and your pov and explanation are just amazing and gave me way more understanding myself thanks coach!
Great Video…one thing I’ll add that helped me as a junior with the right hand/elbow position on the take back was to imagine holding something in your armpit and you can’t drop it, even put something small in there…that got my right elbow closer and hand lower.
The weight transfer thing is very crucial to me with curtis, too! In the shot, he ends up standing on just his front foot, almost toppling backwards.
He should make a step INTO the shot with the right leg pointing at 45 degress into the court and then move through as he takes the shot.
Im puzzled how I could miss this for so long, but that way you get so much kinetic energy on the ball that "easy" to control because its your whole body. Doing all that with just the arm is a lot harder to pull off, not as consistent and you can combine everything to get savage power.
Great analysis, and thank you for the tips! I would definitely add a few minutes on the importance of leaning forward, the leg work and loading during the unit turn. Keep it up!
Thanks for watching Rodrigo!
You got this! Way to go Ryan. Another excellent tennis instruction.
Super step by step tutorial for an amateur. Keep going
This is a great video! So thoughtful and informative. Going to implement on my one-hander! Thanks!
Outstanding!! Thank you for that breakdown, well done!
Thank you. That could be my problem… can’t wait to try this.
Hey, Ryan...
When it comes to "the finish,"
what about the pro's like, Dimitrov, Federer, Wawrinka, and others
who open up their shoulders toward the court (after contact) and point their racquets toward the back fence?
(yes, crosscourt balls, but not always)
I find this to be more of the case when watching them practice and during matches.
The only time I see them finish in the "V" shape is when; as you suggested;
when they are looking for "control" OR they're getting a deep ball and being pushed back.
I have a OHBH as well and feel these are accurate (with what I do)
Thanks, Ryan
Professional athletes can fudge technique a bit bc of their incredible athleticism. Rec tennis players need as much help from their technique as possible bc they don’t have the hours to put in and the world class athleticism helping them. That’s why you can’t always copy the pros.
a good , an excellent point ! no wrist movement ;)
just a fore arm pronation.
note it can be a wrist rotation by the "letting go" at the ful end
but it is mainly in full power shot, not the thing to " learn" about !
technic's control first 😁
Hi Coach ! I am a geek of Tennis of course and a geek too about Geometry ! I enjoy watching your explanations with angles ! it speak to me....Could you do the same video angles,with a two handed backhand ?
Good tips. Keeping the hand on the racket helps also because it makes sure the racket head drops. Im curious if Lendl McEnroe and other players of earlier eras did this or is this more part of the modern 1 hander?
point 1 équilibrium "grip" the ground with your front foot, weight forward your heel.
point 2 load your front shoulder, by using ( pulling BACK not up or... ) the rear hand :)
important note: keeping the both shoulders in line (no rotation please !! )
point 3 all best ohbh from lendl to Gasquet use a tight front arm.
if you bend the front arm you lose the load of the front shoulder spring :)
then ... grip ... string's tension ....
enjoy :)
Great stuff as usual. I think you’re touching on a bigger point here though- It’s common for us rec players to have trouble producing pace on a weak/short ball. I see the swing in the first one as his attempt to swing bigger, which throws everything out of whack after the racquet goes horizontal. This fast, outside-in horizontal swing leads to the bad follow-through.
Amazing coach ! I really wanted this . Thanks 👍
This is crazy informative!
Wow thank you so much!
I agree with this - but I have noticed that Rec players have a hard enough time setting up for 1hbh - when I have tried to drill this, a lot of rec players hit even later. Thiem hits a lower trajectory swing path - these are just different mechanics between players. Closing the racquet happens easily when clients focus on pointing the butt cap at the ball.
Great tips. Thanks so much. Started shadow swings right after I finished watching😅.
Also what app is that for video sketching?
Brian: Great tips as usual from your side. Just one point I like to clarify. In fact your third point: Angle at contact and angle at end of swing: you call that the V . You explain it as the wrist stays the same.
I am just experimenting with having a more loose wrist - similar to Stan when he hits the ball. It is really pronounced with Stans backhand as well as Dominique's. Can you please share your thoughts . Thanks / Will / Singapore
Great explanation!!
I wish you would’ve had him the student swing one with the changes that would’ve made perfect sense I think
I wasn’t on the court with him. This was just from a video on TH-cam I came across of this player.
Fantastic video analysis!
Great stuff! Does keeping the right arm straight on the takeaway increase the likelihood of being late? I notice that when I have a bend in my right arm on the backswing, I struggle to get it straight by contact.
it doesn't increase the chances of being late. But it does guarantee it''ll be straight by contact! :)
Your preference is?@@2MinuteTennis
team had a 2 handed backhand which he changed late so it does look like a 2 handed backhand and that's how, probably he adjusted it.
Thanks for the video. I´m struggling with one aspect though and need some input: I´m trying to keep my non dominant hand on the racket longer now, but, as a consequence, I cannot swing it in the opposite direction after hitting the ball as everything happens so quickly. My question is: what is more important a) to keep the non dominant hand longer on the racket (1.5 hander) or b) to swing the non dominant arm in the opposite direction after contanct. Right now I´m supporting option a) but any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Great info!! Best instruction online!!!
hi :)
about "1.5 backhand" i disagree.
you have to note it is depending of your use of the front arm and shoulder.
Thiem is as Gasquet or Stan , use a really fine tight arm. it is the best solution for ... everything in ohbh :)
then the other hand have just to be use to load ( pul back) the front shoulder, nothing else.
so .. i could ...criticize the Thiem's backhand .. ( yes i know !! ^^^) because by keeping his rear hand with the racket he is initating a shoulder's rotation. that's not good :o)
May I add the grip of the racket as another issue?
5:35 "Nobody on tour has this absolutely perfect technique". Perhaps you've never analyzed Stan Wawrinka's backhand...if it's not perfect, it's the closest professional tennis has ever seen. 😍😍
Wow, when I thought I was the weirdo who does the 1.5 BH (actually I named as such when discussed this strange technique in TW forum like 10 years ago) with the non-hitting arm pushing through to help the launch of the stroke.
Awesome channel
Hey thanks so much!!!
Whats about Edberg and RF?
What about them? I'm not following your question or what you meant by it...
Great video!
Great cues . Tks 👍🏻
Hi Ryan
What exactly do you think is the cause of left hand letting go and moving back too early? I’m extremely puzzled by this common issue in amateur one handers. And how can it be fixed? Thanks.
Because 99% of teachers tell people to do this
great commentary
Sampras, Federer, Thiem, Mauresmo...? I could go on. They don't follow your vertical racket theory. Obviously you can nit pick on the mechanical breakdown of each part of the stroke but you would lose the forest for the trees. There are a few critical points that all strokes must fulfill and as long as they work for the individual regardless of small mechanical differences, then that's a functional stroke. There's no "perfect" stroke and trying to change someone's natural stroke mechanics to mimic and emulate another, especially a pro, I would argue is counter productive. I know you want to say that the vertical racket produces a more consistent response for the rec level player, but that's where we have to agree to disagree! Without measuring shoulder, wrist, hip, knee, etc ROM and strength we really can't be making any inferences on optimal positions. Though to be fair, if you were coaching someone from scratch, feel free to influence their strokes in a direction you find would be most beneficial for them.
Thanks for your thoughts Chris
What vertical racket theory ? If you mean what he said at the end then he said pros do it around 20 % of the time
Great comparison. I would put money on him also being a racket ball or squash player.
Unfortunately, you’d be wrong, I have never played either in my life haha
Really good stuff here that was new to me. A funny thing about pro strokes is that they look more complicated but are actually much simpler than what we do.
so helpful!
My back hand is double back hand, I also do one back hand shots, but definitely I don’t do like the guy on the right
awesome keep it up
It would be interesting to see you analyze Borg’s “2 handed backhand” in this video… his backhand almost appears to be a “1.5 to 1.75” backhand vs. a true 2 hander.
Back in the day, I thought Borg had some of the ugliest strokes that I’d ever seen… looking at how modern strokes have evolved, I’m now thinking that Borg’s strokes were perhaps a bit ahead of their time.
Jimmy Connors too, especially in the later years of his career. He had really simplified, compact groundstrokes that allowed him to take balls early on the rise with good accuracy, pace and consistency.
Shapo does it to gain control? I guess he isn't doing it enough.
Correct. Pros would be more consistent if they did this.
The only backhand I recognize is that of DOMINV THIEMMMM❤❤❤
Just great.
Another big difference I noticed also is the shape 😂
Yes, he said this with the racket face explanation
The... "shape"?! 😂
@@oooodaxterooooThe body
@@CaocaoX i know 😁
in fact, it seams you forgot the main thing ... this guy is doing somethink like a Federer backhand :)
with defects of it :)
mainly ... he is playing like a " lightfoot" :)
ONE before anything else, EQUILIBRIUM !
this guy have to STAND HIS WEIGHT ON THE FRONT FOOT !
then , maybe after this , others points can be imporved.
The amateur player's backhand is like Richard Gasquet style, like slice style backhand😂
Shapovalov is left hander ! not right
I flipped the video of him. That’s Shapo.
Looks like Curtis meant to do a slice but got caught in too minds
That’s a slice position, it feels like he is going to get hurt
Basically his preparation is too late, his body should move further back to then step into the shot and use body weight and you need to think of making a circle, not a line.
The way curtis sets it up is hitting straight at the ball. No spin, no control and safety. He slaps it out, thats it.
Отл! Спасибо! 👍🎾🤝
For this video I would've appreciated seeing a few more pro strokes in real time
Hey Mike. Its funny you say that bc I get the exact opposite comment all the time. "Can you slow down the footage? The fast swings don't help me at all. You need to show the slow motion so I can learn. In the future I would appreciate if you skipped the fast motion portion of the video and only showed the slow motion version." That's what I also get. I've learned that I'll never make everyone happy. thanks for watching!
Eccellente
This takeback is not wrong, it's more like guga kuerten, which I requested u to study and analyze but, probably u didn't feel important to study. Gustavo has one of the best ever backhand even better than wawrinka. I think u r not old enough to study a player that old, I guess. No ill feeling. People analyze the big 3 or 4 to stay popular and not be sincere to the superior techniques of all time.
Thanks for watching. And you’re right, no such thing as right or wrong technique. There’s just more efficient and less efficient. Guga has a very difficult backhand for rec players to copy. From his grip to the wide open racket face in the backhand, rec players shouldn’t attempt copying guga’s backhand technique. And I appreciate you thinking I’m so young. I turn 46 this year, so, I’m well aware of Guga’s technique. Thanks for watching my friend!
My one handed backhand is better than Musetti's
I’ve heard
YOU ARE FUNNY DUDE , TAKE YOUR MEDICATION , DON T HALUCINATE ........
Thanks for commenting!
@2Minute Tennis: "Nobody on tour has this absolutely perfect [BH] technique that you would want to copy..."
Seriously, what are you talking about? Dimitrov has a technically perfect backhand, which is based on Federer's which is also perfect. Thiem, Wawrinka, Tsitsipas, Gasquet, Shapovalov -- all world-class one-handers ripe for copying by amateur players. I'm sure you mean well but your lessons are so often misinformed like this and you make outrageous claims. Frankensteining together a one-hander is a terrible idea for an inexperienced player. Just terrible.
Thanks for watching.
I had to stop. @@2MinuteTennis
@@TooleyPeterAye Yi Yi, Pete. Chill out, Bro. If you don’t have something kind to say…STFU
BS, what really happens is that armatures do not engage their own body weight in the preparation because they are lazy.
So you think all this guy needs is more effective usage of his body weight?
I have 2 questions....what is an armature? And where do you teach at? 😂
Or we can ditch the one handed backhand and teach him a proper two handed backhand.
The one handed backhand is for gifted individuals or adults over 50 years old 🤷🏾♂️
Ummmm. No. He just needs to be coached up.
Yeah, I’m not ditching my one hander, man lol
Stick with the one handed :)
Great vídeo.