Hope you enjoy the video. Could you please hit the notification bell 🔔 and let me know if it works for you. I’ve had messages saying it doesn’t, maybe because my channel was initially set up for kids by mistake. Thanks!
Wow. I got so much out of this one! (1) how to practice on a backboard - it's okay to just hit one ball and then stop! (2) don't. lock. anything. (3) it's really cool that a pro can show us their weaknesses, not just their strengths.
The exact video I needed at the perfect time. I know something is still off in my 2HBH. I notice when I use a racket that has slightly higher swing weight it corrects my technique somewhat. So, the demo with the tube makes a lot of sense. Thanks Tom!!!
Can I give three tips - not mine but stuff I picked up that it looks like you haven't got quite right. 1) Your footwork looks wrong sometimes - you need to think back, front, swing - every time move the back leg across, move the front leg forward, swing (MyTennisHQ preaches this). 2) You're tightness is perhaps a mental thing - when you swing that racket needs to whip more, so try to get that whipping feeling which needs a relaxed and lose grip (TheCoach) - let your shoulders drop, even wiggle your fingers before swing. 3) In addition you pull it around to tightly - you should throw the racket in the direction the ball you want to go - i.e. feel like you are throwing that racket head first over the net where the ball should go (TheCoach).
@@bournejason66 th-cam.com/users/TheCoachTennis Lots of very helpful tips videos by Patrick Mouratoglou who runs an academy, and has coached lots of stars most famously Serena Williams. He teaches more by how it should feel then by technical explanation. Check out this one for the backhand th-cam.com/video/L73lvlWjjtg/w-d-xo.html
I’ve found that hitting plenty of closed stance choked lefty (weak hand) forehands (short court) has helped quite a bit, can really focus on relaxing hand and forearm to allow proper striking and finding contact point.
One suggestion to try... lead ur left arm by driving ur left elbow up and forward (swinging something heavier gets the kenetic chain going, but because the racket is so light, maybe that’s the addition to it that’s required for you to perfect it) . When I drive my left elbow up and forward into the shot… it’s the only way I can get my racket to naturally snap and come over the ball (topspin effect). Try it and let us know what you think. When I don’t get that natural coming over the ball effect, my BH feels so damn flat and clunky.
For my part, the biggest flaw in my BH, is 1) not bending the knees enough and 2) when I do, being stuck. I often see this in others as well, and it even seems sometimes that players are able to work lower on the FH side than the BH side. All great THBH prefer to hit the ball in a closed position (the front leg "closed" in relation to the incoming ball). To do that correctly you need to have a low athletic position, so you can rotate into the shot. And if you struggle with your BH there is often a huge discrepancy between how low you feel your athletic posture is, and how low it actually is. A low position also has the benefit of more room to move the racket as you arms will naturally be further away from the body compared to when you stand straight. And lastly, a low position makes it easier to turn the torso as well, esp. in regards to neck movement. With regards to being stuck: it's much harder to work and move from a low position, and this often translates into being stuck, i.e. you try to conserve energy. But the low position has to be accompanied by dynamic movement, where to chain one split step or movement into the next one. I think the notion of "kids do this naturally" is an observation of a young person with great movement and dynamic balance skills, from another sport or discipline. By that I mean it's not a coincidence they do certain things right, even the first time they try, because they have acquired a similar or complimentary skillset. You see this when kids that are good at soccer start playing tennis (they are very good at assessing ball flight, and they have great footwork skills).
Well its already looking much better after you loosen up yourself a bit. As a tennis coach myself, what I might consider is to slightly move your right hands grip to a more eastern backhand grip. It will naturaly close your racquet and it will also allow you to use your left arm throughout the shot more.
@@TomAllsopp ' No nonsense ' The videos are true to the catchphrase. Love the fact that your methods and analysis are close to practical challenges. All lessons goes for toss, when you have to hit the ball .
Good vid on the lack of "freedom" on the 2 hander. I noticed on your lack of freedom shots, you were on the heal of your front foot (like you said). Gives me something to think about.
Enjoyed this and Jeff S video. Would be really interested to see you look at Karue Sell My Tennis HQ 2hbh swing video - his looks great, a real swing, no contact point hitch (like you, me and Jeff). Am wondering whether it’s our non-dom hand (or grip) wanting to do too much.
Amazing frankness... 👏 as great Tom's Serve, FH and slice are as poor is Tom's flat and topspin BH are.... pity... just showing nobody's perfect and smth else intangible what I can't comprehend to express....BUT WHAT A NEW BRAVE [WORLD] TOM!!! How dared he to show himself so defenseless. Bravo to this courage!!! 👏
If you compare your stroke when you're holding the yellow tube vs when you're holding your racket, with the tube, your chain goes like this: load foot, your hip turns, your shoulder turns, your arms follow. But when you're holding your racket, you load foot, your shoulder and arms go, then your hip, so it doesn't look coordinated.
Thanks for sharing as always. If I may, your golf swing actually looks more natural than your two handed BH. Thing I notice in your BH is you're rotating your body out too much too early, which is causing a bit too much lag in your arms. You probably are feeling a bit jammed at contact. Perhaps due to trying too hard to lead with your hip and core in the kinetic chain. One thing that has helped me is to think of a 2-D plane parallel to your back aligned with your right shoulder (if you're a righty) as you're turning and getting prepared - and when you begin to swing forward and out you ain't going to let your swing 'break the plane' and you're going to try to stay sideways as long as you can before the racket pulls you out with it. Hope this helps
Thanks mate. TBH over the past 5 years I’ve spent a lot more time on my golf swing haha. Yes, I over rotate. You make some good points. I’ll let you know how it goes in a future video.
I have the same problems with my backhand. I feel something is preventing me from rotating my shoulders into the shot. I would be happy to hit my backhand like you.
Two handed backhand is easy and natural for me. I can't say the same thing for my (single hand) forehand at all. I don't have enough body rotation due to many years' bad habit. I can do a very good (single hand) forehand shadow swing, but once dealing an incoming ball, all the bad habits come back. Now I am experimenting two handed forehand, it appears this is the only way going forward. Do you have any other advice? I mean doing a two handed forehand is too unsual. Thanks!
My guess is that it's not the kinetic chain but your contact point that is doing you trouble. Your kinetic chain in general is one to die for ;) You seem to hit too much in front and not enough to the side. Because of that you kind of pull back hips at contact to keep balance and stiffen your arms because the body cannot support arms in that position. Second thing is, you need to stiffen your wrists because your racket is above the wrists at contact. Generally, they should be at the same level at contact. Third thing is you need to allow your elbows to bend a bit: left when taking the racket back, right just before and after the contact. Otherwise you make the swing shorter (I guess that's contradictory to golf).
Thanks for the feedback. I think there are good reasons why my contact point is too far in front. I think it’s a a result of things rather than the cause. That’s where I’m comfortable. My wrists are extremely stiff, that’s why I get no extension after impact. I think the left arm locking is the same as golf. Straight but not locked, mine definitely locks. Going to try and fix that. Maybe the left arm is what puts the contact point in front. And it being locked means my kinetic chain is flawed.
I could feel the pulling freely around the body of my racquet, but struggle to make proper follow through as my follow through ends up too sideways of my body. I still hit the shadow swing so i don't know what the outcome of the stroke. I just worry that maybe with that follow through my backhand would be too flat.
DO you open your racket on contact like one handed backhand ? But Novak Djokovic hits it flat, so the racket head face is always perpendicular to the court
It looks like your racket starts out too open, so to close it at contact, your left elbow have to move up to compensate, breaking the racket-arm-body kinetic chain. A few things you can try: 1. Glue both elbows to you body like a T-Rex through the entire stroke to shorten the chain to just your body and wrist. 2. Start off with a neutral/closed racket face and only let it open up when the racket starts to lag; that way, the racket will close naturally as it moves to the ball.
I love how you present the order of the kinetic chain for the start through to the end. I feel like I've been seeing some players that have the order almost right but maybe the proportion of how much of the work the three parts do, not quite in the right ratio. Like maybe the arm at the right time but two much speed/force being applied through the arm. Any thoughts about this idea? Thank you for your passion for about tennis, I always feel like I learn a lot!
In the TH-cam video "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker emphasizes the significance of a smooth kinetic chain for an effective two-handed backhand. He encourages a free and easy swing, using a weighted object as an example, and shares his personal struggles with achieving this. The speaker explains the sequence of the kinetic chain as body, arm, racket, and after contact as racket, arm, body, noting that this sequence is consistent in other tennis shots and even in golf. He stresses the importance of keeping everything loose in the kinetic chain, including the wrists, arms, knee, and hip, and being on the correct foot. The speaker also offers a free resource for those looking to improve their ball striking and consistency on their forehand and backhand, focusing on footwork and movement patterns. 00:00:00 In this section of the TH-cam video titled "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker discusses the importance of a smooth kinetic chain in executing an effective two-handed backhand. He emphasizes the need for a free and easy swing, using a weighted object as an example. The speaker then shares his personal struggles with achieving this kinetic chain and offers advice to viewers, encouraging them to focus on swinging the racket freely and addressing any issues that prevent a smooth swing. The speaker explains the sequence of the kinetic chain as body, arm, racket, and after contact as racket, arm, body. He also mentions that this sequence is consistent in other tennis shots and even in golf. The speaker then shares his own challenges with maintaining a loose body and arms during the swing and plans to work on keeping everything relaxed to improve his backhand. 00:05:00 In this section of the TH-cam video titled "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker emphasizes the importance of keeping everything loose in the kinetic chain during the backhand swing. He encourages players not to lock their wrists, arms, knee, or hip, and instead, focus on swinging the racket freely. The speaker also mentions the importance of being on the correct foot, as tennis players often struggle with being on their heels like in golf, which can negatively impact their backhand. He suggests practicing both the incorrect and correct swings to understand the difference and improve overall. The video also offers a free resource for those looking to improve their ball striking and consistency on their forehand and backhand, focusing on footwork and movement patterns.
Lean or tilt your whole body away (rearwards) from the ball and you’ll soon get a real swing going again. The side-on camera angle you took shows you leaning forward as you swing - seeing that, I’d be surprised if you don’t experience lower back pain. Watch more baseball sluggers, less golf!
the backhand is very psychological in a way because you believe it is your weaker shot and therefore anytime you need to hit a backhand you tend to get tight. one thing is for sure: you can not have the same racket speed on BH as you can generate on FH. but. on the backhand side, it is easier and more natural to transfer your weight into the shot. why? because there is no good backhand without stepping in. about your technique: your racket drop is not sufficient (meaning, you are still too tight), and you do not stay with the ball (meaning extending your arms into the direction of your shot) after the contact point. happy practicing.
Hope you enjoy the video. Could you please hit the notification bell 🔔 and let me know if it works for you. I’ve had messages saying it doesn’t, maybe because my channel was initially set up for kids by mistake. Thanks!
LOVE how you are your own student here. We all never stop learning and growing! 🧠💪🏽
Wow. I got so much out of this one! (1) how to practice on a backboard - it's okay to just hit one ball and then stop! (2) don't. lock. anything. (3) it's really cool that a pro can show us their weaknesses, not just their strengths.
The exact video I needed at the perfect time. I know something is still off in my 2HBH. I notice when I use a racket that has slightly higher swing weight it corrects my technique somewhat. So, the demo with the tube makes a lot of sense. Thanks Tom!!!
This is a very valuable video lesson! Very timely, too, because my singles league is going to start soon.
this channel is a hidden gem
Can I give three tips - not mine but stuff I picked up that it looks like you haven't got quite right. 1) Your footwork looks wrong sometimes - you need to think back, front, swing - every time move the back leg across, move the front leg forward, swing (MyTennisHQ preaches this). 2) You're tightness is perhaps a mental thing - when you swing that racket needs to whip more, so try to get that whipping feeling which needs a relaxed and lose grip (TheCoach) - let your shoulders drop, even wiggle your fingers before swing. 3) In addition you pull it around to tightly - you should throw the racket in the direction the ball you want to go - i.e. feel like you are throwing that racket head first over the net where the ball should go (TheCoach).
What’s TheCoach? And good points of your post btw
@@bournejason66 th-cam.com/users/TheCoachTennis Lots of very helpful tips videos by Patrick Mouratoglou who runs an academy, and has coached lots of stars most famously Serena Williams. He teaches more by how it should feel then by technical explanation. Check out this one for the backhand th-cam.com/video/L73lvlWjjtg/w-d-xo.html
I’ve found that hitting plenty of closed stance choked lefty (weak hand) forehands (short court) has helped quite a bit, can really focus on relaxing hand and forearm to allow proper striking and finding contact point.
One suggestion to try... lead ur left arm by driving ur left elbow up and forward (swinging something heavier gets the kenetic chain going, but because the racket is so light, maybe that’s the addition to it that’s required for you to perfect it) . When I drive my left elbow up and forward into the shot… it’s the only way I can get my racket to naturally snap and come over the ball (topspin effect). Try it and let us know what you think. When I don’t get that natural coming over the ball effect, my BH feels so damn flat and clunky.
Tried swinging more freely last night and worked really well.
Thank you Tom !
Your explanations are very useful !! 🤝🏻🤝🏻
Amazing honesty, here!
As a coach, I must say I loved this vid. great content.
Great. Love to hear it!
For my part, the biggest flaw in my BH, is 1) not bending the knees enough and 2) when I do, being stuck. I often see this in others as well, and it even seems sometimes that players are able to work lower on the FH side than the BH side. All great THBH prefer to hit the ball in a closed position (the front leg "closed" in relation to the incoming ball). To do that correctly you need to have a low athletic position, so you can rotate into the shot. And if you struggle with your BH there is often a huge discrepancy between how low you feel your athletic posture is, and how low it actually is. A low position also has the benefit of more room to move the racket as you arms will naturally be further away from the body compared to when you stand straight. And lastly, a low position makes it easier to turn the torso as well, esp. in regards to neck movement.
With regards to being stuck: it's much harder to work and move from a low position, and this often translates into being stuck, i.e. you try to conserve energy. But the low position has to be accompanied by dynamic movement, where to chain one split step or movement into the next one.
I think the notion of "kids do this naturally" is an observation of a young person with great movement and dynamic balance skills, from another sport or discipline. By that I mean it's not a coincidence they do certain things right, even the first time they try, because they have acquired a similar or complimentary skillset. You see this when kids that are good at soccer start playing tennis (they are very good at assessing ball flight, and they have great footwork skills).
Definitely going to try this with a player I coach. Really good.
That’s great to hear. Let me know how it goes.
Andre opened his strings on the take back and he’s arguably got the best two handed bh ever.
I tried to emulate Agassi’s backhand when I was young, but for the past 15 years I play more like his wife haha. Only slice.
@@TomAllsopp I’ve still to see a better two hander tbh. He could grind it all day and pull the trigger for a clean winner any time he pleased. Unreal
I use the RF97 which is over 12oz strung and maybe that's what you need to help with the kinetic chain, to get that feel of throwing the heavy object.
Well its already looking much better after you loosen up yourself a bit. As a tennis coach myself, what I might consider is to slightly move your right hands grip to a more eastern backhand grip. It will naturaly close your racquet and it will also allow you to use your left arm throughout the shot more.
U r going to be No.1 tennis channel on utube.
You promise? Haha. Thanks!!
@@TomAllsopp
' No nonsense '
The videos are true to the catchphrase.
Love the fact that your methods and analysis are close to practical challenges.
All lessons goes for toss, when you have to hit the ball .
Good vid on the lack of "freedom" on the 2 hander. I noticed on your lack of freedom shots, you were on the heal of your front foot (like you said). Gives me something to think about.
Enjoyed this and Jeff S video. Would be really interested to see you look at Karue Sell My Tennis HQ 2hbh swing video - his looks great, a real swing, no contact point hitch (like you, me and Jeff). Am wondering whether it’s our non-dom hand (or grip) wanting to do too much.
Amazing frankness... 👏 as great Tom's Serve, FH and slice are as poor is Tom's flat and topspin BH are.... pity... just showing nobody's perfect and smth else intangible what I can't comprehend to express....BUT WHAT A NEW BRAVE [WORLD] TOM!!! How dared he to show himself so defenseless. Bravo to this courage!!! 👏
If you compare your stroke when you're holding the yellow tube vs when you're holding your racket, with the tube, your chain goes like this: load foot, your hip turns, your shoulder turns, your arms follow. But when you're holding your racket, you load foot, your shoulder and arms go, then your hip, so it doesn't look coordinated.
Thanks for sharing as always. If I may, your golf swing actually looks more natural than your two handed BH. Thing I notice in your BH is you're rotating your body out too much too early, which is causing a bit too much lag in your arms. You probably are feeling a bit jammed at contact. Perhaps due to trying too hard to lead with your hip and core in the kinetic chain. One thing that has helped me is to think of a 2-D plane parallel to your back aligned with your right shoulder (if you're a righty) as you're turning and getting prepared - and when you begin to swing forward and out you ain't going to let your swing 'break the plane' and you're going to try to stay sideways as long as you can before the racket pulls you out with it. Hope this helps
Thanks mate. TBH over the past 5 years I’ve spent a lot more time on my golf swing haha. Yes, I over rotate. You make some good points. I’ll let you know how it goes in a future video.
I have the same problems with my backhand. I feel something is preventing me from rotating my shoulders into the shot. I would be happy to hit my backhand like you.
I am not sure if i think correctly. Are the hips in 2 handed backhand first to act when you are about to uncoil? Then arms and then racquet?
When the weight is moving forward, you center and hit better backhands.
Two handed backhand is easy and natural for me. I can't say the same thing for my (single hand) forehand at all. I don't have enough body rotation due to many years' bad habit. I can do a very good (single hand) forehand shadow swing, but once dealing an incoming ball, all the bad habits come back. Now I am experimenting two handed forehand, it appears this is the only way going forward. Do you have any other advice? I mean doing a two handed forehand is too unsual. Thanks!
My guess is that it's not the kinetic chain but your contact point that is doing you trouble. Your kinetic chain in general is one to die for ;)
You seem to hit too much in front and not enough to the side. Because of that you kind of pull back hips at contact to keep balance and stiffen your arms because the body cannot support arms in that position.
Second thing is, you need to stiffen your wrists because your racket is above the wrists at contact. Generally, they should be at the same level at contact.
Third thing is you need to allow your elbows to bend a bit: left when taking the racket back, right just before and after the contact. Otherwise you make the swing shorter (I guess that's contradictory to golf).
Thanks for the feedback. I think there are good reasons why my contact point is too far in front. I think it’s a a result of things rather than the cause. That’s where I’m comfortable. My wrists are extremely stiff, that’s why I get no extension after impact. I think the left arm locking is the same as golf. Straight but not locked, mine definitely locks. Going to try and fix that. Maybe the left arm is what puts the contact point in front. And it being locked means my kinetic chain is flawed.
I could feel the pulling freely around the body of my racquet, but struggle to make proper follow through as my follow through ends up too sideways of my body. I still hit the shadow swing so i don't know what the outcome of the stroke. I just worry that maybe with that follow through my backhand would be too flat.
DO you open your racket on contact like one handed backhand ? But Novak Djokovic hits it flat, so the racket head face is always
perpendicular to the court
It looks like your racket starts out too open, so to close it at contact, your left elbow have to move up to compensate, breaking the racket-arm-body kinetic chain. A few things you can try:
1. Glue both elbows to you body like a T-Rex through the entire stroke to shorten the chain to just your body and wrist.
2. Start off with a neutral/closed racket face and only let it open up when the racket starts to lag; that way, the racket will close naturally as it moves to the ball.
I love how you present the order of the kinetic chain for the start through to the end. I feel like I've been seeing some players that have the order almost right but maybe the proportion of how much of the work the three parts do, not quite in the right ratio. Like maybe the arm at the right time but two much speed/force being applied through the arm. Any thoughts about this idea?
Thank you for your passion for about tennis, I always feel like I learn a lot!
Yes, the sequence of the kinetic chain needs to be well timed. It’s about stopping rather than starting each segment.
I always feel great hitting my 2HBH in short court but it breaks down as I move out to BL. So frustrating..
In the TH-cam video "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker emphasizes the significance of a smooth kinetic chain for an effective two-handed backhand. He encourages a free and easy swing, using a weighted object as an example, and shares his personal struggles with achieving this. The speaker explains the sequence of the kinetic chain as body, arm, racket, and after contact as racket, arm, body, noting that this sequence is consistent in other tennis shots and even in golf. He stresses the importance of keeping everything loose in the kinetic chain, including the wrists, arms, knee, and hip, and being on the correct foot. The speaker also offers a free resource for those looking to improve their ball striking and consistency on their forehand and backhand, focusing on footwork and movement patterns.
00:00:00 In this section of the TH-cam video titled "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker discusses the importance of a smooth kinetic chain in executing an effective two-handed backhand. He emphasizes the need for a free and easy swing, using a weighted object as an example. The speaker then shares his personal struggles with achieving this kinetic chain and offers advice to viewers, encouraging them to focus on swinging the racket freely and addressing any issues that prevent a smooth swing. The speaker explains the sequence of the kinetic chain as body, arm, racket, and after contact as racket, arm, body. He also mentions that this sequence is consistent in other tennis shots and even in golf. The speaker then shares his own challenges with maintaining a loose body and arms during the swing and plans to work on keeping everything relaxed to improve his backhand.
00:05:00 In this section of the TH-cam video titled "The Secret to Developing the Perfect Two-Handed Backhand Kinetic Chain," the speaker emphasizes the importance of keeping everything loose in the kinetic chain during the backhand swing. He encourages players not to lock their wrists, arms, knee, or hip, and instead, focus on swinging the racket freely. The speaker also mentions the importance of being on the correct foot, as tennis players often struggle with being on their heels like in golf, which can negatively impact their backhand. He suggests practicing both the incorrect and correct swings to understand the difference and improve overall. The video also offers a free resource for those looking to improve their ball striking and consistency on their forehand and backhand, focusing on footwork and movement patterns.
Have a margarita before playing and that will loose you up Tom!!!! 😋
You won’t believe it but I’m currently in margaritaville in Nashville haha
@@TomAllsopp say what?! Nawww..... well your in the right spot then!
Nice video !
Tom, are you a one-handed or two-handed backhand ?
I usually slice my backhands
Lean or tilt your whole body away (rearwards) from the ball and you’ll soon get a real swing going again. The side-on camera angle you took shows you leaning forward as you swing - seeing that, I’d be surprised if you don’t experience lower back pain. Watch more baseball sluggers, less golf!
So much back pain!! But no right knee pain until this weeks technical adjustments haha
the backhand is very psychological in a way because you believe it is your weaker shot and therefore anytime you need to hit a backhand you tend to get tight. one thing is for sure: you can not have the same racket speed on BH as you can generate on FH. but. on the backhand side, it is easier and more natural to transfer your weight into the shot. why? because there is no good backhand without stepping in.
about your technique: your racket drop is not sufficient (meaning, you are still too tight), and you do not stay with the ball (meaning extending your arms into the direction of your shot) after the contact point. happy practicing.
Some good points there
To me it looks like your left hand grip is a bit to traditional (far from semi western)) and racked head too open.
have you returned from your traveling with Nitzan?
Yes. A while ago
I have the impression, your wrist arei still locked.
Yes. Ugh.
Why would we learn from you if you haven’t figured out how to hit a backhand…
Because I’m a tennis coach
thats a very poor backhand, no spin, no power and a lot of wrist action. Sorry but its the true.
Well spotted! Brilliant eye. My slice is world class though