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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

A no-frills motion paves the Frenchwoman’s way to the net. Reigning Wimbledon champion Amélie Mauresmo is an all-court player who, unlike most of her peers, regularly attacks the net. And whether she’s coming in off a short ball in a rally or attacking a weak serve, as she is in this sequence, her slice backhand [...]

Aggression plus top-notch mechanics make for a fearsome shot. Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic likes to clock the ball, and in a baseline battle she can hang with the best. Last year, she beat the likes of Nadia Petrova, Elena Dementieva, and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her way to a career-high fi nish of No. 12 in the [...]

Perfect balance, precise footwork, and an uncanny ability to watch the ball make Federer’s backhand a shot worth emulating. It isn’t just that Roger Federer can masterfully hit any shot in the book—and a few shots that aren’t—but that he makes it look ridiculously easy. One of the keys to Federer’s success, and the principle [...]

David Nalbandian has all the ingredients for a great two-handed backhand. A few years ago at the U.S. Open I saw David Nalbandian play for the first time. He was about to turn pro and I was extremely impressed with how smoothly and easily he executed his strokes, especially his backhand. Whenever I teach students [...]

SHOULDERS » Safin accompanies his racquet take-back with a significant shoulder turn. His front shoulder is even with his chin, and you can see a good portion of his back. This will get a great deal of upper-body rotation into the shot and help him generate huge power when he wants it. ARMS » As [...]