The careers of these two great pros are separated by decades, but their slice backhands are timeless. In the last 30 years, the way the game is played has evolved dramatically. But one shot, the slice backhand, has made it through virtually unchanged. Ken Rosewall, a fixture in pro tennis until the mid ’70s, had [...]

Get your one-handed backhand up to speed. Problem You lack the power you’d like on your one-handed backhand, especially since you seem to swing with plenty of force. Many times this happens because your racquet is accelerating at the wrong time. Instead of speeding up into contact, you’re actually accelerating the racquet after impact. This [...]

Former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios introduced this technique and Marat Safin and Sebastien Grosjean continue the tradition today. Instead of moving their feet to get into better position on a high backhand, they choose to compensate by jumping off the court to hit the stroke. The technical or strategic advantages are questionable, but you may find [...]

An effective slice can add some much-needed variety to your game. In today’s game, and you see it all the time at the professional leve, players are most comfortable when they’re in a routine of hammering balls back and forth. They like to exchange shots hit from their strike zones, which is between thigh and [...]

A combination of speed, balance, determination, and technique turns a mere asset into a feared weapon. 1. The ball has just bounced, but look at how Hewitt has already prepared his racquet using his non-dominant hand to support the frame. Notice, too, how the elbow of his hitting arm is bent and the wrist is [...]

It’s a risky play, but great disguise, excellent footwork, and solid technique make Hingis’ drop shot a winner. In a game dominated by power hitters, Martina Hingis’ brand of control-oriented tennis makes her a fan favorite. A genius at geometry, the former world No. 1 uses the whole court to beat her opponents. Not only [...]

First of all, every player needs to know how to hit a one-handed backhand- even a player who has a great two handed backhand.  One of the real keys to the successful execution of a one-handed backhand is the role that the non-dominant hand plays during the stroke. As you begin the forward swing with [...]

Roger Federer has arguably the most powerful, versatile one-hand backhand of any tennis player ever (one can argue towards Roger’s favor for more than just his backhand). If you are looking for a one-hand backhand to model after, this video is for you

Extensive hip rotation and a composed upper body make this shot a dependable asset. The great thing about Novak Djokovic’s game is how complete it is. He can do pretty much anything. And while his forehand is a punishing stroke, his backhand might be the more solid of the two shots. Djokovic can hit the [...]

The Belgian uses perfect disguise for maximum effectiveness. Justine Henin is a big player for such a small woman. I first saw her play when she was 10 years old and it was apparent even then that she was tremendously talented. Her signature shot, the one-handed backhand, was well on its way to becoming the [...]