A big swing and great timing make this stroke a thing of beauty. 1. Although the ball isn’t in the picture, Gasquet is totally prepared to execute the shot. He has stepped into a semi-closed stance with his right toe angled toward the net. (If the foot were parallel to the net, it would block [...]

Guillermo Coria stays perfectly balanced and composed on his two-handed backhand. HEAD: Coria is making a tremendous effort at this point of the swing, yet his body is nicely composed. His eyes are relaxed and focused on the point of contact, and his head is steady, which allows him to keep his whole body coordinated. [...]

Even a tricky high ball is no match for Ivan Ljubicic’s backhand. Perhaps the most difficult shot for players with one-handed backhands is hitting a ball up around the shoulders. There are three options to use in order to return it: You move in and take it early and on the rise, before it gets [...]

This 19-year-old Hungarian rocketed almost 200 spots up the rankings last season, thanks in large part to her bruising two-hander. 1. Szavay’s preparation is excellent. I like her grip—her right hand is a little over from a Continental, almost like a one-handed backhand grip. This helps keep the racquet face closed so she can hit [...]

Exceptional preparation, great extension, and big-time upper-body rotation are key elements of the Spaniard’s much-feared weapon. At the age of 20, Rafael Nadal, a two-time champion at Roland Garros, has already etched his name near the top of the list of the best clay-court players the game has ever seen. But thanks to his monster [...]

The Russian’s early preparation and explosive swing have proven to be a winning combination. When facing Dinara Safina, you have to pick your poison. Like her older brother, Marat Safin, Safina’s ground strokes are lethal on both sides. Her goal is to take charge of the point and punish any shot she can. She’s so [...]

A full shoulder turn, good balance, and tremendous racquet-head speed make this a much-feared weapon. On the list of all-time great forehands, Roger Federer’s should be near the top. It’s struck powerfully and has remarkable variety and adaptability. Of all the shots in his arsenal, it’s his forehand that he relies on most to win [...]

Early preparation and an attacking mind-set have helped the Russian turn this shot into a world-class weapon. When Maria Sharapova stunned tennis fans by winning Wimbledon in 2004, her serve and backhand were her biggest assets. But in the last year, she has molded her forehand into a weapon as well. She’s more aggressive off [...]

Perfect balance makes this powerful shot a winner. At times in the past, Venus Williams’ forehand has failed her, but in this sequence she’s at her best. The four-time Wimbledon champion uses great footwork, superb balance, a good shoulder turn, and a long follow-through to confidently put away this short ball. 1. Williams is in [...]

Tennis of one kind or another was played in France as far back as the twelfth century. It was not until the late nineteenth century that the game, in a somewhat different form, began to take on popularity in Britain with the advent of lawn tennis. Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, in search of a more [...]