Well so did the varied surfaces, faster balls and heavier racquets, now it's like we're all playing on clay, so we all have to be baseliners. Also Tsitsipas is a very good player, but he needs to have more green smoothies like Djoker.
Roddick is the absolute best analyst and commentator. He needs a big TV broadcast contract for all things tennis. Retire the old guards and replace them with Andy.
I still feel like a prime Thiem served as an example of a one handed backhand maximally adapted to contemporary tennis, and benefited from the range of motion it allows. It's interesting what Roddick mentioned concerning the return of serve with two hands, and transitioning to one.
Yes, thank you! Him and Wawrinka proved it was more than viable in the modern power-baseline game. Call it copium or whatever, but I think we’ll see a great Thiem/Wawa style one hander again, probably through the permutation that Andy mentioned though.
Definitely a modern take caused by the newer game... as a older/smaller player (vs 6'4" kids nowadays) I've had to transition to 2H for close balls and returns.
Federer, Wawrinka, Thiem... Tennis isn't just a sport, it's also entertainment and box office. I think the great natural talents will always drift towards artistry and audiences LOVE IT. The OHBH is fundamental to that. A knight will rise......
I think Federer basically put the 1HBH on life-support for nearly 20 years. I think at the highest levels it's probably on its way out but there's a place for it at the club and rec level.
Only in 2019, that is five years ago, 3 players with one hander finished top 10. 4 players in 2017. It's not even that long ago. It's just that Federer retired, Wawrinka is on the verge of retiring, Thiem got injured and isnt able to come back, and Dimitrov and Tsitsipas are too inconsistent.
@@GodSpeed91 It's really crazy comparing 2017 Fed to prime Fed (2004-2007). It's like he went from having the most dangerous forehand in the game to having the most dangerous backhand in the game.
I suspect the real reason 2H-BH is so popular these days at the top is because kids start playing when they're just 4-5 years old. At that age a child just doesn't have the strength and coordination to properly perform a 1H-BH - they need the support of their other hand. 30-40 years ago racquets were far more heavier so a child would need to be at least 7-8 year old to be able to swing one. Overall it seems the older you were when you started playing tennis, the more the likelihood you would have preferred a 1H-BH (maybe because as you age, 1H-BH feels more "natural" ?). Examples: - Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz - all of them started at 3-4 years old => 2H-BH - Federer, Wawrinka - both started at 8 years old => 1H-BH An interesting fact is that both Sampras and Thiem started playing tennis around 6-7 with a 2H-BH but switched to 1H-BH several years later.
Agree with you 100%. Younger childs can not swing a one hand backhand, they naturally choose 2 hands. I learned 1HBH mysely for more hitting-range, and my 1HBH got speed several year before my FH. Same thing happened to my droughter, she got more 1HBH speed severall years before her FH. I assume 1HBH is more natural to get more swing speed.
I was going to say what Roddick brought up at the end. I’d love to see someone come along with a hybrid backhand. Returns with two, maybe hits most rally balls with two and then rips winners with one. Tsonga used to do it a little bit and Monfils did it recently but it’d be cool to see someone make it a regular part of their game.
I agree with the assessment Roddick laid out, but I also think the reason one handers are declining comes down to what is being taught. If you have 8 out of 10 pros teaching two handed, vs the two teaching one handed... its a numbers case. You can make every shot and play great defense with a one hander, and its more versatile in certain situations. It comes down to what is comfortable, and what is taught.
It’s no coincidence that Djokovic and Murray have two of the best two handed backhands of all time and also happen to be two of the greatest returners in history. It’s ridiculous that Federer’s return game was as good as it was with a one hander, no one else with one has been close to his numbers on return in the past 20 years
We don't teach juniors to hit OHBH, so of course no one is coming up with a OHBH. So we have massive selection bias. The samurai banned left-handed people from dueling left-handed, they had to learn swordsmanship right-handed. As a result, there were virtually no left-handed people who were good at dueling. It leads to the obvious conclusion that ... left-handed people were not good at swordsmanship.
The one hand backhand winner down the line against a tight window is one of the most beautiful things in all of sports. It’s a shame that young players are being taught solely to use the two handed…
Andy makes an interesting point at 06:15. In the future, some players may be able to switch from two to one-hand based on the shot. So return serves with two and switch to one-hand for rallies.
But why wouldn't they just stick with two hands though? Why bother going back and forth? What advantage does a one hander give that warrants going back and forth?
@@amsd1231 if well used, a one hander offers a tighter angle to the shot. This has to do with the freedom granted to the shoulder blade of the dominant arm, which in the one hander can fully extend and in the two hander cannot fully extend and the arm actually folds. Every shot has its pros and cons. As an amateur I actually hit double handed backhands on high balls and returns, and one handed backhands in rallies.
Tsonga kind of already did this at times. He hit the occasional great one hander. He may have even been a better player if he played the one hander all the time.
The answer why you might use a 1hbh in a rally ball at that level is that you can hit a ball harder and with more spin with a 1h. However, as serve return is probably the 2nd or 3rd most important shot and Andy went into how the return has changed, it’s a net negative as it’s difficult to be offensive off a return 1h. It forces you to block the return in most instances. with slower and higher bouncing surfaces, it’s a death trap to at the pro level to bunt returns now
OMG I've just discovered this podcast. WOW - I am beyond hooked. I've always wanted to get these type of inside-tennis insights from a top player. Love love this!
I have a OHBH because that's what my dad taught me. I hear this comment all the time and as a 3.5-4.0 player, my response has always been, "Talk to me when you can consistently serve like John Isner otherwise let me be”
Borg used to hit with a hybrid form. Starts out two-handed, then releases the racquet with one hand upon impact. I'm nobody, but I used to hit this way and it felt natural.
The 1HBH is more difficult to learn and coach so juniors don't bother trying when they can improve more quickly and win with the 2H. Since Jimmy Connors broke the mold, followed by Borg, the advantages of the 2H have only increase. With today's strings and frames it becomes MUCH easier to learn and win with the 2H. But Stan Wawrinka and Federer show the true potential of the 1H.
both showed potential but also weaknesses. Federer clay results and matches against Rafa were impacted mostly because of his innability to deal with high bouncing balls and his great weapon against others especially against his generation of players like Roddick(his slice/chip return which works against big servers like Raonic/Isner etc) wasnt effective at all against Nadal,Murray and even Novak the last years when he improved on dealing with the slice shot. And the main weakness of Wawrinka is also his return shot(he slices 90% of his backhand returns) which means he is on the defensive and now when he is in his later years and cant run so much means he cant be effective and contender for big titles anymore
Interesting point Roddick brings up about the possibility switching from the 2 hand on the return to 1 hand on the rallies. I've wondered about this myself. Getting all the defensive advantages of the 2 hander when you need it and using the 1 hander when offensive opportunities arise.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is still only 25 yrs old & has kept the one handed backhand alive in the Top 10 unbroken for 5 yrs since the age of 20. Stef dropped out for one week. He'll be back up there soon hopefully. We have some younger players like Top 20 now Top 25/26 Lorenzo Musetti & a few others too. 18 yr old Pavlos Tsitsipas has a OHBH too. Stefanos Tsitsipas' bachand was was whipping this week in Los Cabos.
Sadly there actually aren't a few others. Players born in 2000s: it's Musetti (b. 2002) at #24, and after that Mpetshi Perricard (2003) at #165, Mayo (2003) at #307 and Kodat (2003) at #340. No true standouts. Tsitsipas (1998) is still flying the flag to some extent, as are older guys like Dimitrov (1991), Eubanks (1996), Lajovic (1990), Evans (1990), and a few other guys. But no true top player anymore. I still have Tsitsipas with a small chance of winning the Roland Garros one year. But the tour really is dominated by two-handers. Just too much power and pace in today's shots for the one-hander to stand a chance. Unless you're extremely extremely talented, and even then that side could be exploited (case Fed). You need that wing practically to be immaculate to be able to hang. Perfect technique, timing, anticipation and footwork. A two-hander gives you more margin in terms of all of these to still be competitive.
The 1-handed topspin backhand is the most beautiful shot in the sport. Federer and Wawrinka were always tremendous eye candy when they played each other. It’s sad to see that shot go away, for now.
Unfortunately I agree. I have a beautiful one hand backhand which I absolutely love playing. When it works, it’s poetry, but it always breaks down at some point. My double handed backhand, not as pretty but is just so much more reliable.
It's similar to the demise of net play, the one-hander thrives in an attacking, "move to the net" strategy, so it's natural that two-hander has become dominant in today's era of baseline play.
I thnk it's like left handedness. Certain ppl feel more natural hitting 1h--BH. I'd love to hit 2h-BH b/c it makes sense but when I try it, it feels awful/constricted. Likewise there will be some juniors who are more natural using 1 hand.
I have to be a bit careful about it as I can strain my shoulder/rotator cuff. Glad to hear others are ripping it. The best feeling is making early contact and ripping a BH winner. @@antran251
I admire Andy Roddick, as a player and also as a person specially when he started the podcast, I learn so much from him and his experience and mentality . What I would like to add to what he said is : If a 7 or an 8 years old wants to play or try a single handed backhand, we have to encourage that and teach him exactly how to hit a single handed backhand Cuz I have seen coaches against the single handed backhand and they kinda forced their players to play double handed and these players believe me they have always struggled with their backhand cuz naturally it doesn’t work , single handed backhand is always gonna be out there , cuz players are different and there are some players just like myself who had a fantastic double handed backhand but when I turned 17 it just stopped for no reason but I know the reason , it’s just because my coaches the 4 of them never ever encouraged me or taught me how to hit a proper one handed backhand even though I asked them a lot and I tried to change but it didn’t work so in my last year at juniors my backhand just doesn’t work anymore, I’m a trainer now I can hit all kinds of forehands all kinds of grips and I do proper rallies but double handed backhand I can’t even demonstrate it , so when a player wants to play a single handed backhand please give him a chance and don’t just force him to play double handed backhand
I think it impacts the return the most. Easy to serve to that wing and know you're getting a sliced/chip return. But double hander you get the best of both worlds - the power and also can take one hand off and slice.
Loving the pod so far Andy and Jon - keep up the great work :) I'm a little biased because I have a 1HBH, but I'll try and keep my pro-1HBH stance as neutral as possible. I had one point I wanted to make, then I'll make a few other minor points. The main point: I think there's a VERY good reason why we're not seeing juniors hitting one handed BHs now. Coaches aren't teaching it anymore. I was a coach for a number of years, and my default backhand lesson was "two hands on the racquet, hold it like this, get that low-high loop happening, etc etc". In one group, I had a kid who naturally hit with a one hander, and I said "don't change". I think if coaches give kids the choice, it'll still remain a fairly common thing on the Tour. A couple of minor points: Wrist injuries. This is one reason why the 2 hander might win in the end. It takes a LOT more dexterity to generate good topspin with a 1HBH, you're relying entirely on the amount of "twist" that your wrist can handle. So that's a pro 2HBH argument. Returns are certainly tougher with a 1HBH... but Roger did it for years. If your slice is good enough (and Andy made this point during this vid), someone like Ash Barty can almost use it exclusively. Roger did the same. It's not a huge disadvantage if your BH slice is good enough, you can knife that thing low crosscourt on return, or down the line with a bit of curve on it. I hope it survives, and I hope there's some currently-employed coaches out there that will give kids the option to develop their one hander. It DEFINITELY looks super cool - Wawrinka, Fed, Thiem, even Musetti or Gasquet look amazing when they smack one down the line. It's great to have a bit of "wow" factor in the sport :)
Alberto Mancini, Thomas Muster. Two awesome, driving backhands that could easily open it up from the middle baseline and go up the line. You could actually see them coming. The set up, the step in, the rotation as the head comes thru and the arm straightens and they just drive the piss out of the ball.
Hard to believe one handers can't be effective any more. Federer dominated for twenty years. And the biggest part of the appeal of Federer was his one handed backhand. An absolute thing of beauty and a huge part of why Federer's game was aesthetically pleasing. Maybe you just have to have a lot of talent and a lot of natural power and athleticism to pull it off. Also, you have to figure that it started when today's players were little. They were taught two handed backhands and away you go. The two hand backhand probably a lot easier to teach and probably gets positive results a lot more quickly. It would be nice to interview Federer about the demise of the one hand backhand since he is the all time one hand backhand master
Federer has gone on record said he will teach his kids play two handed backhand, as you said he thinks it’s easier to learn and defend from bad position.
Love the channel. Just to state that many players use the 1-hand slice now. So, you mean the topspin 1-hander. The one weakness of the 2 hander is reach. Sure, there are exceptional players like the joker & others who can slide and flip it. But, ya, I agree a hybrid 2-hander return and a 1 hander for the rest is a plausible combo.
I think the long and short of it is that both Roger and Pete stated at different times that they had basically a love-hate (more hate for both of them, I think) relationship with their one-handed backhands. Roger reinvented his backhand after his 2016 injury, coming back in Australia with a new backhand grip and new racquet in 2017 -- revitalized his game. But, he has said he will teach his kids a two-hander, which speaks volumes. Both Andy and Jon make fantastic points here. For reference, I have a one-hander and it is my stronger side (5.0 player who played in college), but I taught tennis for years and wouldn't switch anyone's backhand to a one-hander. The amount of time and effort required to just get back to even from where they would have been with their existing two-hander is absurd. To Andy's point, when I first started learning my one-hander, while playing college tennis, I did return with two but play the rest of the points with one. That went away on its own over time because I wasn't practicing the two-hander much anymore at that point, but I promise there were servers that made me wish I could still return with two hands. In any case, I'm betting we'll see players come back with a one-hander -- but it will nearly always be few and far between.
I do feel like growing up playing with a 1h back hand helps the player develop a better touch and helps with becoming a better player at the net. I can't think of many great volley oriented players who had 2h backhands
Just one question. If a two handed backhand is so good why not on the forehand too? It worked for Seles and to some degree that French guy. The only reason there's so many two handed bh is because that is what they were taught. Didn't Sampras and Federer start out with two handed backhands? Myself I can't figure out why anyone who is big and strong would use a two hander when a one hander is better. You get so much resilience and it's easier to position yourself for the shot. It's sad. I miss the old game and players like Henin, Navritolova, Warwinka, McEnroe, Sampras and so many others.
Re: two-handed forehands... It's the difference between adduction (bringing joints or limbs toward the midline) and abduction (moving joints or limbs away from the midline). It's been routinely shown that the same muscle groups will be stronger or able to move more weight with adduction than with abduction. You can test this in the gym with your arms and with your legs, using resistance. So a one-handed backhand is an abduction movement (moving away from core/midline). It can be helped by using the non-dominant hand, which is moving in adduction (toward core/midline). Whereas, a one-handed forehand is an adduction movement, which is naturally stronger. It would be hampered, not helped, by adding the non-dominant hand which is now moving in abduction, to do a two-handed forehand.
Love this conversation. Andy, you were / are one of the wittiest and coolest tennis professionals in recent decades. I attended your press conference at the ATP finals in 2010. It was hilarious. A proper star. If you had the awareness to translate your wit and sense of humour, this playfulness that is in your character into your game, you could have won even more. That said, I have been sharing the same opinion regrading the use of both the so called 1-handed and the 2h BH for years now. That kind of player, well, that is the player of the future - the one that knows how to use both shots - returns with 2h and knows how to use the so called 1h BH in the rallies. But, here is the thing - the biggest misconception regarding the so called 1HBH is that it is simply not one handed. The left hand action is crucial for that shot. If one does not understand what is the role of the non hitting hand in the BH, then one, simply does not understand the mechanics of that shot. The biggest advantage of the 2HBH is the ability to hit in open stance and shortened shoulder/body rotation move. However, the so-called 1HBH is catching up. Why are they not more 1HBH on junior level? Because the coaches do not teach them. Why? Because coaches are short, not narrow, sighted. There are very very few that take a long term look at a new tennis player / devotee when they start teaching them tennis. Uh, this was long... Keep on spreading love for this divine game. PS: if one does not know the mechanics of the 1H BH, one struggles with the BH slice and BH volley. Now, can one be a complete tennis player without the BH slice and a strong, reliable BH volley?
Musetti, Dimitrov, and Shapo are my favorite players to watch. Musetti is also beating all of the big servers like Zverev, Fritz, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with his chip returns. I just think the game looks far more beautiful and interesting when you watch the really good one-handed backhanders play at their peak levels.
Loved Edberg’s Backhand and Kuerten’s. The powers at be are creating robotic tennis players, they all have to play the same and have the same strengths to compete on tour now. Even the grass is slow at Wimbledon. They used to play on fast medium and slow courts, before Andy’s time and that has morphed into slow and slower courts. First they came for the serve and volleyers, then they came for the 1 handed backhand. I loved tennis when players could compete and thrive with different games and styles, not so anymore. Sad.
People do have different styles you just need to have a certain amount of tennis knowledge to be able to differentiate them. Also grass at Wimbledon is still fast
Something I don't often hear about...is that hitting a OHBH just FEELS so good. I'll always be a rec level player, but being able to go out on the court with a guarantee that you will feel that feeling every time...well it's a little bit priceless.
I hit a 2 hander from 1989 to 2015, then went to one hander until Feb 2024...been back with 2 hands for a month after ironing out some technical flaws...it is going great...returns are the main advantage...also when the opponent thunders a massive forehand deep to the backhand corner...with 2 hands that shot is 10 times easier.
Thankfully Grigor's resurgence has meant we didn't have to wait too long to see someone with one in the top 10. But unless Musetti steps up, in 5 years or so we're only going to get the occasional guest appearance from OHBH players. Hopefully there are some coaches in the future who value shot making and style over sheer bloody minded practicality, and the services become less homogenised so we can see different styles flourish again. Andy makes a really interesting point though about switching to OH during points though. Tsonga did this on occasion. It gives me hope that a savvy player looking to get an edge could do this. It may be the spark Alcaraz needs against Sinner in future.
As a tennis coach using rhe one hander, I wish my first coach taught me the double-hander. Such a difficult shot that requires so much familiarity and muscle memory, its like learning the forehand twice. My students want to imitate it thinking it looks cool. I tell them not to cause its nothing but trouble. You know what looks cooler? Not missing.
I’m just the average Joe. And have always hit a 1h bh. I was never taught tennis just picked up a racket with friends and that’s what felt comfortable. It seems like a comfort thing for people who arent playing professionally. I physically can’t hit a 2h. I can’t twist my body enough to make the ball go anywhere. I’m sure with training and coaching and time I could learn. But as someone who just plays to play, doing what works with my body, is what works. Haha
As a former D1 player and a tennis pro for 17 years, and I have a one-handed backhand myself, I don’t think I ever started a beginner with a one-hander. The only one-handers that I coached, that I could remember, came to me with a one-hander already which I then worked with or switched to a two-hander. A two-hander is so much easier to learn and have success with from the start. Let’s be honest. You want to have success as a tennis pro? You teach what will make it easier for your lessons to have success. The same basically goes for all the pros who ever worked for me or who I worked with. This means that as time goes on, the one-hander eventually fades away.
But Sampras started with a double hander and moved to single hander....🤔 Depends who's hitting it?, Wawrinka backhand is more of a weapon than his forehand....🤔
I think Sampras did it in part for serve and volleying, which is pretty much dead. Federer went to the net a lot more when he was younger too. Wawrinka is just legitimate baseline bludgeoning with his backhand, swinging over every ball. Loved to watch it.
Two hander is definitely the go to, but you will always have ultra talented artists like Federer, Edberg, Graf, etc that will turn up and even with a weaker backhand compete at the top level.
This would be sad. I miss the two handed forehanders also, I forget that one player way back that did that. I will always miss the Nadal vs Federer era, it was like seeing your classic match of red vs blue.
It was one-handers (Edberg, Becker, Sampras) who drew me to tennis in the first place. Presumably it’s market forces that are leading to changes in strings and court surfaces, but at what point does/should the market desire for variety of playing styles and approaches kick in? The most popular rivalries (Borg- McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal) all featured two vs one handers.
Love Roddick in this podcast. Miss the old tennis players like Agassi, Chang, Sampras. Watching Agassi v. Sampras was incredible. Not as much a fan today.
A more pointed enquiry should possibly be why has it gone the way of the dinosaur. We know the powers that be have slowed down the game, via the court speeds, allowing for a higher bounce. And even Andy has said during his playing years that it's been the string tech.( polyester monofiliment) that's been the biggest game changer, along w/ a huge uptick in wrist, elbow, rotator cuff issues. Tennis will die if we don't keep its elegant, artistic roots.
Andy, returning with two hands and switching to one is something in my small i am trying since month and also use the two hand for very high backhand balls to return deeply in play! Do you think is something feasible really??? You are the first i hear speaking about it! A lot of respect from one of your fans in Italy! Max
You NEED to do some sort of a collab episode with Gill Gross!! I think it would work out so, so well and you would get along & be brilliant conversation partners for each other 💜🎾
Great analysis by Roddick. However I disagree that the one-hander takes "more time to set-up". I think the footwork and transition from forehand to backhand is less awkward with a one-hander. However, I agree with Roddick's point that the one-hander usually produces a more defensive shot, like a chip, against a big server.
There is a strength required for the 1-hander that is not developed until mid teen years for boys and women often just never really do. And it’s hard to make that change so late in a kid’s life.
Indeed, don't remind any other player doing it. But Tsonga did it in a purely instinctive way from time to time. The first player that does it really as a consistent and clear game plan is not born yet
Could you answer just this one question (and I have a lot of similar ones). In some bigger tournaments you can see, say, four one-handers in the first round. It happens, that they all win their first matches. In all these matches their opponents very often hit their serves on the backhand side. The one-handers do so too. Now, if the OHB is so inferior, how is it possible that one-handers so often manage to break their two-handed opponents serve more often than the two-handers manage to break the one-handers serve? In some cases (Tsitsipas) it might be because the one-handers have greater serves, but the above described thing happens also when the two-handers have a more powerful serve than the one-handers. If we talk about the highly ranked one-handers, they manage to break serves and win matches more often than they lose - and they seldom fight another one-hander. How is this possible? (I have a dozen or so, similar questions, and I have never seen them been answered in any adequate way.)
The only two-handed topspin backhand that makes sense is Björn Borg's-before his retirement. Why? Because, he used the double-fisted power and then he let go of the supporting hand to allow the leading arm its full stretch, full follow-through. The modern two-handers, Andy for one, don't let go. They virtually handcuff both hands from start to end (of the swing), and therefore prevent the leading arm from achieving its full stretch, because the supporting arm already reaches its limit, as its shoulder points to the opposite direction. In other words, you let your physical structure limit your follow-through scope. You end up having to put extra shoulder turn, body turn in the attempt to compensate that limitation. It's awkward, and not natural. Why not just simply let go of the supporting hand?? One reason two-handed backhand has become popular is because people have a misconception of the two-handed power, which in reality depends on that follow-through degree of freedom of the leading arm. The second reason is its popularity, which generates a vicious cycle. As for Mr. Borg, it's a mystery why he has abandoned his signaturized most beautiful two-handed topspin backhand he used throughout his pro career, and are now just following the token traditional common swing? Smh.
I've been saying it for a while, but to me, polyester strings are like metal bats. Doesn't belong in the pro game. Get rid of poly , and you will see more variety in the game. More attacking tennis. Probably more one handers too since you don't have to deal with such a high backhand etc etc.
Roddick says it at the end, return with two, then switch to one is possible and effective, they just dont teach it anymore. Also the slower courts and strings these days dont help, maybe that can change too. Guys like Kuerten and Wawrinka may have been very effevtive combining their one hander with a two hander return.
Andy your so good and funny. Hope to meet you someday in Las Vegas. Maybe I’ll see you at my 7.0 65s match at Spanish Oaks. I always rooted for you in your career. Rick
It's interesting the other guy said that the women's game got there first. It confirms my thinking that the mens game is turning more and more into a faster version of the women's game. The mens' game used to have these intense rvialries with two players that had completely different styles of play. Now they all have the same style of play. Say goodbye to variety in tennis - it's been orchestrated this way by the tennis body and the TV channels to provide a high quality but generic product due to better racquets but slower courts and balls. That means players can hit harder but but they can still chase down balls so we supposedly have have longer more exciting rallies. I'd rather watch miraculous unpredictable winning shots that have flair rather than watch one player outpound the other but that's just me.
The main reason why the vast majority of players used 2 hands is because they are pushed into them as 5 year olds. I cringe when i see some 6 foot 8 inch dude with a tiny little 2 handed backhand he's been using since he was 3 foot 4.
The hook shot in basketball created the highest scoring player of all time (second highest now), and was regarded as "unstoppable" so hardly just aesthetic.
When a ball is in your strike zone, it's hard to argue that one hand is better than two, but there's a flexibility that comes from a strong one-hander that can pay dividends when the ball is coming at a weird angle or when you want to do something besides smack the ball hard (e.g., chip/slice). Andy alluded to this when mentioning the idea of returning with two hands but doing other backhands with one. A one-handed BH has never really been about beauty to me; it's more about effectiveness (or lack thereof). If I were teaching today, I'd make a case for learning both since it only increases the effectiveness of your arsenal. P.S. *Love* Andy's podcast! He's so good at being an engaging, honest broadcaster.
I don't think this signals the end of an era. Players will always adapt to speed, spin, and court surfaces. The one-handed backhand may even make a bigger comeback, given its versatility.
It isn't a problem if you do it like wawrinka then its a serious weapon but the technique and the difficulty are higher. I'd argue I like the hybrid idea too. I am waiting.
History says that Novak’s the GOAT, but for mine it’ll always be Roger as he played the most beautiful tennis - thanks mostly to one handed backhand winners. It is peak skill and mastery. Novak couldn’t/wouldn’t do them.
I mean its dying certainly but younger players like Tsisipas still have it, Thiem and Dimitrov aren't close to retirement yet either. It will still continue and hopefully some fathers and coaches are teaching their sons it right now
Less coaches knows how to teach one handed and less players are even allowed to play one handed bh nowadays. So of course less professionals play 1 handed… I think if equally many players played 1 hand and was taught properly, there would be more top 100 players with 1 hand then 2 hands. But we will never be able to know for sure, either way.
like Roddick said, it would be mostly for aesthetic reasons. Its a huge weakness on modern courts and spin rates of shots with high bounces and on the return. Even the best one handers like Wawrinka,Fed and Gasquet struggled on the return and even with the fact Wawrinka prefered clay all of them can be considered underachievers on clay and got pummeled by Rafa, while Novak with his 2hander showed how to deal with Nadal's forehand on clay. And ofc it matters in the early childhood/teenage years, not only the kids with the one handers be kinda left behind on the progress they would also struggle mentaly with all those bad results. Teenagers thesedays hit harder than players in the 90s and hit spins similair to top players, so it would require huge and i mean huge strength in the arm of the kid and wrist strength in the kid playing one handed to survive
I think the last time two men played a Slam final where both used a single handed backhand was the Australian Open 2007 Federer vs Gonzales, Gonzales had a monster forehand which when it was on could hit through anyone but his backhand was a kind of floating slice not a Federer slice, not cutting through the court he only occasionally 'drove' through the backhand side and it seemed a liability as he couldn't hurt anyone on that side but I wonder how long before we see another Slam final with two men playing one handed backhands years, decades?
Tsipas dropping out of top ten dosnt mean its the end of the 1hbh. His was very good , but he has peaked and for now sliding. Others will come along And , many commentators fail to point out - 1hbh players are generally best around the net !!!
The one hander also adds variety which makes viewing tennis more interesting.
truly
Well so did the varied surfaces, faster balls and heavier racquets, now it's like we're all playing on clay, so we all have to be baseliners. Also Tsitsipas is a very good player, but he needs to have more green smoothies like Djoker.
I hope this podcasts takes off. Roddick has such good comedic timing combined with amazing insight into the game.
I was going to post the same thing. I watch a lot of tennis related channels on YT and Roddick insights blow all of them out of the water.
Saw andy had a podcast im all about it.
Of course it will. Fluent, funny, knowledgeable, experienced. It’ll take off.
Roddick is the absolute best analyst and commentator. He needs a big TV broadcast contract for all things tennis. Retire the old guards and replace them with Andy.
When are they going to teach fourhand on each side? I wish I would have done that with my son. It's common sense.
I still feel like a prime Thiem served as an example of a one handed backhand maximally adapted to contemporary tennis, and benefited from the range of motion it allows. It's interesting what Roddick mentioned concerning the return of serve with two hands, and transitioning to one.
Yes, thank you! Him and Wawrinka proved it was more than viable in the modern power-baseline game. Call it copium or whatever, but I think we’ll see a great Thiem/Wawa style one hander again, probably through the permutation that Andy mentioned though.
Definitely a modern take caused by the newer game... as a older/smaller player (vs 6'4" kids nowadays) I've had to transition to 2H for close balls and returns.
Yeah but in case of prime thiem his backhand was still the weakest shot. His strength was his heavy forehand which his whole game based around
PLAYSTATIOn5
Yeah, in a way it is but requires a lot of effort.
Federer, Wawrinka, Thiem... Tennis isn't just a sport, it's also entertainment and box office. I think the great natural talents will always drift towards artistry and audiences LOVE IT. The OHBH is fundamental to that. A knight will rise......
I think Federer basically put the 1HBH on life-support for nearly 20 years. I think at the highest levels it's probably on its way out but there's a place for it at the club and rec level.
Totally agree
Only in 2019, that is five years ago, 3 players with one hander finished top 10.
4 players in 2017.
It's not even that long ago. It's just that Federer retired, Wawrinka is on the verge of retiring, Thiem got injured and isnt able to come back, and Dimitrov and Tsitsipas are too inconsistent.
You should see 2017 Federer and after that, he just ripped his backhands almost anywhere he wanted.
There's been other great ones like Wawrinka Thiem Stef and that's it. Maybe Dimitrov but he's not good enough. Other than that it's extinct.
@@GodSpeed91 It's really crazy comparing 2017 Fed to prime Fed (2004-2007). It's like he went from having the most dangerous forehand in the game to having the most dangerous backhand in the game.
I suspect the real reason 2H-BH is so popular these days at the top is because kids start playing when they're just 4-5 years old. At that age a child just doesn't have the strength and coordination to properly perform a 1H-BH - they need the support of their other hand. 30-40 years ago racquets were far more heavier so a child would need to be at least 7-8 year old to be able to swing one. Overall it seems the older you were when you started playing tennis, the more the likelihood you would have preferred a 1H-BH (maybe because as you age, 1H-BH feels more "natural" ?).
Examples:
- Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz - all of them started at 3-4 years old => 2H-BH
- Federer, Wawrinka - both started at 8 years old => 1H-BH
An interesting fact is that both Sampras and Thiem started playing tennis around 6-7 with a 2H-BH but switched to 1H-BH several years later.
Didn't know it was the case for Thiem that he had a two handed BH first
Agree with you 100%. Younger childs can not swing a one hand backhand, they naturally choose 2 hands.
I learned 1HBH mysely for more hitting-range, and my 1HBH got speed several year before my FH. Same thing happened to my droughter, she got more 1HBH speed severall years before her FH.
I assume 1HBH is more natural to get more swing speed.
I was going to say what Roddick brought up at the end. I’d love to see someone come along with a hybrid backhand. Returns with two, maybe hits most rally balls with two and then rips winners with one.
Tsonga used to do it a little bit and Monfils did it recently but it’d be cool to see someone make it a regular part of their game.
I hope some players still keep hitting the one handed backhand I love watching Roger Federer and Justine Henin play.
I agree with the assessment Roddick laid out, but I also think the reason one handers are declining comes down to what is being taught. If you have 8 out of 10 pros teaching two handed, vs the two teaching one handed... its a numbers case. You can make every shot and play great defense with a one hander, and its more versatile in certain situations. It comes down to what is comfortable, and what is taught.
totally,unfortunately its tough easier and faster (for success) and for me Djokovic changed the game (sliding blocked double-backhander)
It’s no coincidence that Djokovic and Murray have two of the best two handed backhands of all time and also happen to be two of the greatest returners in history. It’s ridiculous that Federer’s return game was as good as it was with a one hander, no one else with one has been close to his numbers on return in the past 20 years
Great content, Andy is one of the best at explaining tennis. Not many pros can or want to explain technical details the way Andy does. Keep it up!
I like the emphasis on the return. Once the rally starts, the one hander has many good qualities like spin, power and variety.
What?!?
Gasquet had great matches against Roddick. I will re-watch those highlights now. 🙂
We don't teach juniors to hit OHBH, so of course no one is coming up with a OHBH. So we have massive selection bias. The samurai banned left-handed people from dueling left-handed, they had to learn swordsmanship right-handed. As a result, there were virtually no left-handed people who were good at dueling. It leads to the obvious conclusion that ... left-handed people were not good at swordsmanship.
The one hand backhand winner down the line against a tight window is one of the most beautiful things in all of sports.
It’s a shame that young players are being taught solely to use the two handed…
Agree with you !
I love Andy's analysis of players' games, it is not something we hear anywhere else. Love this podcasr!!❤❤❤❤
Andy makes an interesting point at 06:15. In the future, some players may be able to switch from two to one-hand based on the shot. So return serves with two and switch to one-hand for rallies.
But why wouldn't they just stick with two hands though? Why bother going back and forth? What advantage does a one hander give that warrants going back and forth?
@@amsd1231 if well used, a one hander offers a tighter angle to the shot. This has to do with the freedom granted to the shoulder blade of the dominant arm, which in the one hander can fully extend and in the two hander cannot fully extend and the arm actually folds. Every shot has its pros and cons. As an amateur I actually hit double handed backhands on high balls and returns, and one handed backhands in rallies.
I wanna hear his take on two forehands. There’s that Russian American kid doing it in juniors.
Tsonga kind of already did this at times. He hit the occasional great one hander. He may have even been a better player if he played the one hander all the time.
The answer why you might use a 1hbh in a rally ball at that level is that you can hit a ball harder and with more spin with a 1h. However, as serve return is probably the 2nd or 3rd most important shot and Andy went into how the return has changed, it’s a net negative as it’s difficult to be offensive off a return 1h. It forces you to block the return in most instances. with slower and higher bouncing surfaces, it’s a death trap to at the pro level to bunt returns now
OMG I've just discovered this podcast. WOW - I am beyond hooked. I've always wanted to get these type of inside-tennis insights from a top player. Love love this!
Justine Henin? Everybody raved about her backhand...
Thank you
I have a OHBH because that's what my dad taught me. I hear this comment all the time and as a 3.5-4.0 player, my response has always been, "Talk to me when you can consistently serve like John Isner otherwise let me be”
Borg used to hit with a hybrid form. Starts out two-handed, then releases the racquet with one hand upon impact. I'm nobody, but I used to hit this way and it felt natural.
Wilander as well, as far as I noticed.
The 1HBH is more difficult to learn and coach so juniors don't bother trying when they can improve more quickly and win with the 2H. Since Jimmy Connors broke the mold, followed by Borg, the advantages of the 2H have only increase. With today's strings and frames it becomes MUCH easier to learn and win with the 2H. But Stan Wawrinka and Federer show the true potential of the 1H.
both showed potential but also weaknesses. Federer clay results and matches against Rafa were impacted mostly because of his innability to deal with high bouncing balls and his great weapon against others especially against his generation of players like Roddick(his slice/chip return which works against big servers like Raonic/Isner etc) wasnt effective at all against Nadal,Murray and even Novak the last years when he improved on dealing with the slice shot. And the main weakness of Wawrinka is also his return shot(he slices 90% of his backhand returns) which means he is on the defensive and now when he is in his later years and cant run so much means he cant be effective and contender for big titles anymore
Interesting point Roddick brings up about the possibility switching from the 2 hand on the return to 1 hand on the rallies. I've wondered about this myself. Getting all the defensive advantages of the 2 hander when you need it and using the 1 hander when offensive opportunities arise.
Good stuff. I still use the OHBH but I started playing 45 years ago.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is still only 25 yrs old & has kept the one handed backhand alive in the Top 10 unbroken for 5 yrs since the age of 20. Stef dropped out for one week. He'll be back up there soon hopefully. We have some younger players like Top 20 now Top 25/26 Lorenzo Musetti & a few others too. 18 yr old Pavlos Tsitsipas has a OHBH too. Stefanos Tsitsipas' bachand was was whipping this week in Los Cabos.
Sadly there actually aren't a few others. Players born in 2000s: it's Musetti (b. 2002) at #24, and after that Mpetshi Perricard (2003) at #165, Mayo (2003) at #307 and Kodat (2003) at #340. No true standouts. Tsitsipas (1998) is still flying the flag to some extent, as are older guys like Dimitrov (1991), Eubanks (1996), Lajovic (1990), Evans (1990), and a few other guys. But no true top player anymore. I still have Tsitsipas with a small chance of winning the Roland Garros one year. But the tour really is dominated by two-handers. Just too much power and pace in today's shots for the one-hander to stand a chance. Unless you're extremely extremely talented, and even then that side could be exploited (case Fed). You need that wing practically to be immaculate to be able to hang. Perfect technique, timing, anticipation and footwork. A two-hander gives you more margin in terms of all of these to still be competitive.
Great talk and I agree with Andy-everything he said about the one-handed backhand is correct.
The 1-handed topspin backhand is the most beautiful shot in the sport. Federer and Wawrinka were always tremendous eye candy when they played each other. It’s sad to see that shot go away, for now.
Unfortunately I agree. I have a beautiful one hand backhand which I absolutely love playing. When it works, it’s poetry, but it always breaks down at some point. My double handed backhand, not as pretty but is just so much more reliable.
It's similar to the demise of net play, the one-hander thrives in an attacking, "move to the net" strategy, so it's natural that two-hander has become dominant in today's era of baseline play.
I have a hard time caring about a match if there isn’t a one hander playing. Every two hander looks identical to me, like watching pong on Atari.
lol sometimes feel the same
do you play, though?
they all look different to me, sometimes very different.
I thnk it's like left handedness. Certain ppl feel more natural hitting 1h--BH. I'd love to hit 2h-BH b/c it makes sense but when I try it, it feels awful/constricted. Likewise there will be some juniors who are more natural using 1 hand.
Same here. I tried to learn the 2HBH but it just felt off and I could never get it. 16 years later now I'm ripping balls off my BH like Warwrinka
I have to be a bit careful about it as I can strain my shoulder/rotator cuff. Glad to hear others are ripping it. The best feeling is making early contact and ripping a BH winner. @@antran251
I admire Andy Roddick, as a player and also as a person specially when he started the podcast, I learn so much from him and his experience and mentality .
What I would like to add to what he said is :
If a 7 or an 8 years old wants to play or try a single handed backhand, we have to encourage that and teach him exactly how to hit a single handed backhand
Cuz I have seen coaches against the single handed backhand and they kinda forced their players to play double handed and these players believe me they have always struggled with their backhand cuz naturally it doesn’t work , single handed backhand is always gonna be out there , cuz players are different and there are some players just like myself who had a fantastic double handed backhand but when I turned 17 it just stopped for no reason but I know the reason , it’s just because my coaches the 4 of them never ever encouraged me or taught me how to hit a proper one handed backhand even though I asked them a lot and I tried to change but it didn’t work so in my last year at juniors my backhand just doesn’t work anymore, I’m a trainer now I can hit all kinds of forehands all kinds of grips and I do proper rallies but double handed backhand I can’t even demonstrate it , so when a player wants to play a single handed backhand please give him a chance and don’t just force him to play double handed backhand
I think it impacts the return the most. Easy to serve to that wing and know you're getting a sliced/chip return. But double hander you get the best of both worlds - the power and also can take one hand off and slice.
Loving the pod so far Andy and Jon - keep up the great work :)
I'm a little biased because I have a 1HBH, but I'll try and keep my pro-1HBH stance as neutral as possible.
I had one point I wanted to make, then I'll make a few other minor points.
The main point: I think there's a VERY good reason why we're not seeing juniors hitting one handed BHs now.
Coaches aren't teaching it anymore.
I was a coach for a number of years, and my default backhand lesson was "two hands on the racquet, hold it like this, get that low-high loop happening, etc etc".
In one group, I had a kid who naturally hit with a one hander, and I said "don't change". I think if coaches give kids the choice, it'll still remain a fairly common thing on the Tour.
A couple of minor points:
Wrist injuries. This is one reason why the 2 hander might win in the end. It takes a LOT more dexterity to generate good topspin with a 1HBH, you're relying entirely on the amount of "twist" that your wrist can handle. So that's a pro 2HBH argument.
Returns are certainly tougher with a 1HBH... but Roger did it for years. If your slice is good enough (and Andy made this point during this vid), someone like Ash Barty can almost use it exclusively. Roger did the same. It's not a huge disadvantage if your BH slice is good enough, you can knife that thing low crosscourt on return, or down the line with a bit of curve on it.
I hope it survives, and I hope there's some currently-employed coaches out there that will give kids the option to develop their one hander. It DEFINITELY looks super cool - Wawrinka, Fed, Thiem, even Musetti or Gasquet look amazing when they smack one down the line. It's great to have a bit of "wow" factor in the sport :)
Alberto Mancini, Thomas Muster. Two awesome, driving backhands that could easily open it up from the middle baseline and go up the line. You could actually see them coming. The set up, the step in, the rotation as the head comes thru and the arm straightens and they just drive the piss out of the ball.
Very old style tennis. Had them playing now, they would be swiped off the court
Hard to believe one handers can't be effective any more. Federer dominated for twenty years. And the biggest part of the appeal of Federer was his one handed backhand. An absolute thing of beauty and a huge part of why Federer's game was aesthetically pleasing.
Maybe you just have to have a lot of talent and a lot of natural power and athleticism to pull it off. Also, you have to figure that it started when today's players were little. They were taught two handed backhands and away you go. The two hand backhand probably a lot easier to teach and probably gets positive results a lot more quickly.
It would be nice to interview Federer about the demise of the one hand backhand since he is the all time one hand backhand master
Federer has gone on record said he will teach his kids play two handed backhand, as you said he thinks it’s easier to learn and defend from bad position.
Love the channel. Just to state that many players use the 1-hand slice now. So, you mean the topspin 1-hander. The one weakness of the 2 hander is reach. Sure, there are exceptional players like the joker & others who can slide and flip it. But, ya, I agree a hybrid 2-hander return and a 1 hander for the rest is a plausible combo.
I think the long and short of it is that both Roger and Pete stated at different times that they had basically a love-hate (more hate for both of them, I think) relationship with their one-handed backhands. Roger reinvented his backhand after his 2016 injury, coming back in Australia with a new backhand grip and new racquet in 2017 -- revitalized his game. But, he has said he will teach his kids a two-hander, which speaks volumes. Both Andy and Jon make fantastic points here.
For reference, I have a one-hander and it is my stronger side (5.0 player who played in college), but I taught tennis for years and wouldn't switch anyone's backhand to a one-hander. The amount of time and effort required to just get back to even from where they would have been with their existing two-hander is absurd.
To Andy's point, when I first started learning my one-hander, while playing college tennis, I did return with two but play the rest of the points with one. That went away on its own over time because I wasn't practicing the two-hander much anymore at that point, but I promise there were servers that made me wish I could still return with two hands.
In any case, I'm betting we'll see players come back with a one-hander -- but it will nearly always be few and far between.
I do feel like growing up playing with a 1h back hand helps the player develop a better touch and helps with becoming a better player at the net. I can't think of many great volley oriented players who had 2h backhands
True. For recreational players only
Just one question. If a two handed backhand is so good why not on the forehand too? It worked for Seles and to some degree that French guy. The only reason there's so many two handed bh is because that is what they were taught. Didn't Sampras and Federer start out with two handed backhands? Myself I can't figure out why anyone who is big and strong would use a two hander when a one hander is better. You get so much resilience and it's easier to position yourself for the shot. It's sad. I miss the old game and players like Henin, Navritolova, Warwinka, McEnroe, Sampras and so many others.
Re: two-handed forehands... It's the difference between adduction (bringing joints or limbs toward the midline) and abduction (moving joints or limbs away from the midline). It's been routinely shown that the same muscle groups will be stronger or able to move more weight with adduction than with abduction. You can test this in the gym with your arms and with your legs, using resistance.
So a one-handed backhand is an abduction movement (moving away from core/midline). It can be helped by using the non-dominant hand, which is moving in adduction (toward core/midline).
Whereas, a one-handed forehand is an adduction movement, which is naturally stronger. It would be hampered, not helped, by adding the non-dominant hand which is now moving in abduction, to do a two-handed forehand.
most graceful move in tennis
Love this conversation. Andy, you were / are one of the wittiest and coolest tennis professionals in recent decades. I attended your press conference at the ATP finals in 2010. It was hilarious. A proper star. If you had the awareness to translate your wit and sense of humour, this playfulness that is in your character into your game, you could have won even more. That said, I have been sharing the same opinion regrading the use of both the so called 1-handed and the 2h BH for years now. That kind of player, well, that is the player of the future - the one that knows how to use both shots - returns with 2h and knows how to use the so called 1h BH in the rallies. But, here is the thing - the biggest misconception regarding the so called 1HBH is that it is simply not one handed. The left hand action is crucial for that shot. If one does not understand what is the role of the non hitting hand in the BH, then one, simply does not understand the mechanics of that shot. The biggest advantage of the 2HBH is the ability to hit in open stance and shortened shoulder/body rotation move. However, the so-called 1HBH is catching up. Why are they not more 1HBH on junior level? Because the coaches do not teach them. Why? Because coaches are short, not narrow, sighted. There are very very few that take a long term look at a new tennis player / devotee when they start teaching them tennis. Uh, this was long... Keep on spreading love for this divine game. PS: if one does not know the mechanics of the 1H BH, one struggles with the BH slice and BH volley. Now, can one be a complete tennis player without the BH slice and a strong, reliable BH volley?
Gaston Gaudio’s one-hand back hand was both beautiful and very effective.
Musetti, Dimitrov, and Shapo are my favorite players to watch. Musetti is also beating all of the big servers like Zverev, Fritz, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with his chip returns. I just think the game looks far more beautiful and interesting when you watch the really good one-handed backhanders play at their peak levels.
Loved Edberg’s Backhand and Kuerten’s. The powers at be are creating robotic tennis players, they all have to play the same and have the same strengths to compete on tour now. Even the grass is slow at Wimbledon. They used to play on fast medium and slow courts, before Andy’s time and that has morphed into slow and slower courts. First they came for the serve and volleyers, then they came for the 1 handed backhand. I loved tennis when players could compete and thrive with different games and styles, not so anymore. Sad.
People do have different styles you just need to have a certain amount of tennis knowledge to be able to differentiate them. Also grass at Wimbledon is still fast
i wish that old men had their devices taken away so that they couldn’t write trash.
I've been a two-hander for nearly 40 years. But as my footwork declines, I find one-handers both more practical and versatile.
For recreational club players, 1hbh is fine
Subbed. Didn’t know this podcast existed. Love hearing from ex-pros about the game and what they are up to now.
Something I don't often hear about...is that hitting a OHBH just FEELS so good. I'll always be a rec level player, but being able to go out on the court with a guarantee that you will feel that feeling every time...well it's a little bit priceless.
I hit a 2 hander from 1989 to 2015, then went to one hander until Feb 2024...been back with 2 hands for a month after ironing out some technical flaws...it is going great...returns are the main advantage...also when the opponent thunders a massive forehand deep to the backhand corner...with 2 hands that shot is 10 times easier.
Thankfully Grigor's resurgence has meant we didn't have to wait too long to see someone with one in the top 10. But unless Musetti steps up, in 5 years or so we're only going to get the occasional guest appearance from OHBH players. Hopefully there are some coaches in the future who value shot making and style over sheer bloody minded practicality, and the services become less homogenised so we can see different styles flourish again.
Andy makes a really interesting point though about switching to OH during points though. Tsonga did this on occasion. It gives me hope that a savvy player looking to get an edge could do this. It may be the spark Alcaraz needs against Sinner in future.
As a tennis coach using rhe one hander, I wish my first coach taught me the double-hander. Such a difficult shot that requires so much familiarity and muscle memory, its like learning the forehand twice.
My students want to imitate it thinking it looks cool. I tell them not to cause its nothing but trouble. You know what looks cooler? Not missing.
I’m just the average Joe. And have always hit a 1h bh. I was never taught tennis just picked up a racket with friends and that’s what felt comfortable. It seems like a comfort thing for people who arent playing professionally. I physically can’t hit a 2h. I can’t twist my body enough to make the ball go anywhere. I’m sure with training and coaching and time I could learn. But as someone who just plays to play, doing what works with my body, is what works. Haha
I think we'll see a top level player at some point in the next 10 years who does both depending on what they're trying to do with the ball
As a former D1 player and a tennis pro for 17 years, and I have a one-handed backhand myself, I don’t think I ever started a beginner with a one-hander. The only one-handers that I coached, that I could remember, came to me with a one-hander already which I then worked with or switched to a two-hander. A two-hander is so much easier to learn and have success with from the start. Let’s be honest. You want to have success as a tennis pro? You teach what will make it easier for your lessons to have success. The same basically goes for all the pros who ever worked for me or who I worked with. This means that as time goes on, the one-hander eventually fades away.
But Sampras started with a double hander and moved to single hander....🤔
Depends who's hitting it?, Wawrinka backhand is more of a weapon than his forehand....🤔
I think Sampras did it in part for serve and volleying, which is pretty much dead. Federer went to the net a lot more when he was younger too. Wawrinka is just legitimate baseline bludgeoning with his backhand, swinging over every ball. Loved to watch it.
Kuerten changed as Well
Two hander is definitely the go to, but you will always have ultra talented artists like Federer, Edberg, Graf, etc that will turn up and even with a weaker backhand compete at the top level.
Great podcast, these are a must for tennis fans!!
This would be sad. I miss the two handed forehanders also, I forget that one player way back that did that.
I will always miss the Nadal vs Federer era, it was like seeing your classic match of red vs blue.
Fabrice Santoro?
@MJ-zb4lv that mightve been the guy. I also miss watching Ferreros career as short as it was
Los gringos ya no pegan a una mano desde Sampras... en el resto del mundo aún tenemos algunos que lo hacen... por arte espero que no nos extigamos!
Ridiculous was coming hear to rant but what roddick is fantastic to listen too
It was one-handers (Edberg, Becker, Sampras) who drew me to tennis in the first place. Presumably it’s market forces that are leading to changes in strings and court surfaces, but at what point does/should the market desire for variety of playing styles and approaches kick in? The most popular rivalries (Borg- McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Federer-Nadal) all featured two vs one handers.
Love Roddick in this podcast. Miss the old tennis players like Agassi, Chang, Sampras. Watching Agassi v. Sampras was incredible. Not as much a fan today.
A more pointed enquiry should possibly be why has it gone the way of the dinosaur. We know the powers that be have slowed down the game, via the court speeds, allowing for a higher bounce. And even Andy has said during his playing years that it's been the string tech.( polyester monofiliment) that's been the biggest game changer, along w/ a huge uptick in wrist, elbow, rotator cuff issues. Tennis will die if we don't keep its elegant, artistic roots.
Andy, returning with two hands and switching to one is something in my small i am trying since month and also use the two hand for very high backhand balls to return deeply in play! Do you think is something feasible really??? You are the first i hear speaking about it! A lot of respect from one of your fans in Italy! Max
Andy + podcast = match made in heaven
You NEED to do some sort of a collab episode with Gill Gross!! I think it would work out so, so well and you would get along & be brilliant conversation partners for each other 💜🎾
Great analysis by Roddick. However I disagree that the one-hander takes "more time to set-up". I think the footwork and transition from forehand to backhand is less awkward with a one-hander. However, I agree with Roddick's point that the one-hander usually produces a more defensive shot, like a chip, against a big server.
Hi Andy, could you make another video talking about the different one-handers you played?
There is a strength required for the 1-hander that is not developed until mid teen years for boys and women often just never really do. And it’s hard to make that change so late in a kid’s life.
Tsonga Is a Pioneer using both backhand
Indeed, don't remind any other player doing it. But Tsonga did it in a purely instinctive way from time to time. The first player that does it really as a consistent and clear game plan is not born yet
Yup, everyone is becoming all court players. You still have specialists depending on play styles, but pros can be aggressive off both wings now.
Could you answer just this one question (and I have a lot of similar ones). In some bigger tournaments you can see, say, four one-handers in the first round. It happens, that they all win their first matches. In all these matches their opponents very often hit their serves on the backhand side. The one-handers do so too. Now, if the OHB is so inferior, how is it possible that one-handers so often manage to break their two-handed opponents serve more often than the two-handers manage to break the one-handers serve? In some cases (Tsitsipas) it might be because the one-handers have greater serves, but the above described thing happens also when the two-handers have a more powerful serve than the one-handers. If we talk about the highly ranked one-handers, they manage to break serves and win matches more often than they lose - and they seldom fight another one-hander. How is this possible? (I have a dozen or so, similar questions, and I have never seen them been answered in any adequate way.)
The only two-handed topspin backhand that makes sense is Björn Borg's-before his retirement. Why? Because, he used the double-fisted power and then he let go of the supporting hand to allow the leading arm its full stretch, full follow-through.
The modern two-handers, Andy for one, don't let go. They virtually handcuff both hands from start to end (of the swing), and therefore prevent the leading arm from achieving its full stretch, because the supporting arm already reaches its limit, as its shoulder points to the opposite direction. In other words, you let your physical structure limit your follow-through scope. You end up having to put extra shoulder turn, body turn in the attempt to compensate that limitation. It's awkward, and not natural. Why not just simply let go of the supporting hand??
One reason two-handed backhand has become popular is because people have a misconception of the two-handed power, which in reality depends on that follow-through degree of freedom of the leading arm. The second reason is its popularity, which generates a vicious cycle.
As for Mr. Borg, it's a mystery why he has abandoned his signaturized most beautiful two-handed topspin backhand he used throughout his pro career, and are now just following the token traditional common swing? Smh.
I'd also note that players with 1-handed backhands tend to be better at the net - another gameplay aspect that has been on the decline.
Roddick should take over announcing when McEnroe is done. I love Roddick's commentary!
I've been saying it for a while, but to me, polyester strings are like metal bats. Doesn't belong in the pro game. Get rid of poly , and you will see more variety in the game. More attacking tennis. Probably more one handers too since you don't have to deal with such a high backhand etc etc.
Roddick says it at the end, return with two, then switch to one is possible and effective, they just dont teach it anymore. Also the slower courts and strings these days dont help, maybe that can change too. Guys like Kuerten and Wawrinka may have been very effevtive combining their one hander with a two hander return.
Its not just pretty, it also feels much better than a two handed Bh
Andy your so good and funny. Hope to meet you someday in Las Vegas. Maybe I’ll see you at my 7.0 65s match at Spanish Oaks. I always rooted for you in your career. Rick
Ok roddick is a goddam great analist and i dont even know english all that much. Cheers from 🇧🇷. Ps. Guga had the best oh bh ever
Everyone says the one-handed backhand looks great, and I agree, but the interesting question is: WHY? What is the aesthetic argument here?
It's interesting the other guy said that the women's game got there first. It confirms my thinking that the mens game is turning more and more into a faster version of the women's game. The mens' game used to have these intense rvialries with two players that had completely different styles of play. Now they all have the same style of play. Say goodbye to variety in tennis - it's been orchestrated this way by the tennis body and the TV channels to provide a high quality but generic product due to better racquets but slower courts and balls. That means players can hit harder but but they can still chase down balls so we supposedly have have longer more exciting rallies. I'd rather watch miraculous unpredictable winning shots that have flair rather than watch one player outpound the other but that's just me.
The main reason why the vast majority of players used 2 hands is because they are pushed into them as 5 year olds. I cringe when i see some 6 foot 8 inch dude with a tiny little 2 handed backhand he's been using since he was 3 foot 4.
The hook shot in basketball created the highest scoring player of all time (second highest now), and was regarded as "unstoppable" so hardly just aesthetic.
The hybrid sometimes one and sometimes two handed for situations, like returning/slicing/chipping/drop shots, will be increase.
When a ball is in your strike zone, it's hard to argue that one hand is better than two, but there's a flexibility that comes from a strong one-hander that can pay dividends when the ball is coming at a weird angle or when you want to do something besides smack the ball hard (e.g., chip/slice). Andy alluded to this when mentioning the idea of returning with two hands but doing other backhands with one.
A one-handed BH has never really been about beauty to me; it's more about effectiveness (or lack thereof). If I were teaching today, I'd make a case for learning both since it only increases the effectiveness of your arsenal.
P.S. *Love* Andy's podcast! He's so good at being an engaging, honest broadcaster.
Tore my rotator cuff adapting two hand to reduce stress. Now wondering why I didn’t learn it earlier
I don't think this signals the end of an era. Players will always adapt to speed, spin, and court surfaces. The one-handed backhand may even make a bigger comeback, given its versatility.
In the pros yeah but in recreational tennis. The one hander still huge
aiden mayo is an upcoming 20 year old player in the top 300s who returns with two hands but plays a one hander!
Podcast will work because nobody talks tennis like Roddick. No bullshit tennis, the real deal all the time.
Dimitrov back in top 10, Tsitsipas is 25, Shapovalov is 24, Musetti even younger, all 3 will be in the top 10 for the next 10 years
Funny how Federgoat dismantled Roddick with his OHBH
the hook shot was and still is oNe of the most effective shots in the NBA, a tough shot for defence!
It isn't a problem if you do it like wawrinka then its a serious weapon but the technique and the difficulty are higher. I'd argue I like the hybrid idea too. I am waiting.
History says that Novak’s the GOAT, but for mine it’ll always be Roger as he played the most beautiful tennis - thanks mostly to one handed backhand winners. It is peak skill and mastery. Novak couldn’t/wouldn’t do them.
I mean its dying certainly but younger players like Tsisipas still have it, Thiem and Dimitrov aren't close to retirement yet either. It will still continue and hopefully some fathers and coaches are teaching their sons it right now
I wouldn't claim that Thiem isn't close to retirement yet, unfortunately
Less coaches knows how to teach one handed and less players are even allowed to play one handed bh nowadays. So of course less professionals play 1 handed… I think if equally many players played 1 hand and was taught properly, there would be more top 100 players with 1 hand then 2 hands. But we will never be able to know for sure, either way.
like Roddick said, it would be mostly for aesthetic reasons. Its a huge weakness on modern courts and spin rates of shots with high bounces and on the return. Even the best one handers like Wawrinka,Fed and Gasquet struggled on the return and even with the fact Wawrinka prefered clay all of them can be considered underachievers on clay and got pummeled by Rafa, while Novak with his 2hander showed how to deal with Nadal's forehand on clay.
And ofc it matters in the early childhood/teenage years, not only the kids with the one handers be kinda left behind on the progress they would also struggle mentaly with all those bad results. Teenagers thesedays hit harder than players in the 90s and hit spins similair to top players, so it would require huge and i mean huge strength in the arm of the kid and wrist strength in the kid playing one handed to survive
I think the last time two men played a Slam final where both used a single handed backhand was the Australian Open 2007 Federer vs Gonzales, Gonzales had a monster forehand which when it was on could hit through anyone but his backhand was a kind of floating slice not a Federer slice, not cutting through the court he only occasionally 'drove' through the backhand side and it seemed a liability as he couldn't hurt anyone on that side but I wonder how long before we see another Slam final with two men playing one handed backhands years, decades?
Tsipas dropping out of top ten dosnt mean its the end of the 1hbh.
His was very good , but he has peaked and for now sliding.
Others will come along
And , many commentators fail to point out - 1hbh players are generally best around the net !!!