Who has the world's best backhand?

Boogar · May 8, 2017

Oh Sang Eun, Fan Zhendong, Kenta Matsudaira, Dimitri Ovtcharov and Zhou Yu have all great backhands.

NextLevel · May 8, 2017

Any answer other than Fan Zhendong at the current moment is purely a joke (Jike) right? There might be a few Liang Jingkuns and Karakasevic's and Jeoung Youngsiks out there, but there is only one FZD.

What I find really impressive is the overall global improvement in the level of backhand play. I'm legitimately pressed to find a top 50 player with a bad backhand loop these days with the plastic ball. I especially enjoy watching the top English players play with their backhands,

suds79 · May 8, 2017

Lermanator said:
Best Backhand: Kreanga, Tokic, Ovtcharov, Jimmy Butler and I guess FZD
Worst Backhand: Quadri Aruna

Now there's a way more interesting question thanks to you Lermanator. Who has the worse backhand?.. Among pros obviously.

It pains me to say this but I'm going to say Xu Xin. Quickly try to think when you've ever seen him in a backhand rally more than 2-3 hits in a row? I swear it's never happened. He will either have an error or say "forget this. I'm stepping around this ball."

Boogar · May 10, 2017

hmmm the worst backhand... me!:

From the chinese top players id say Fang Bo, because he is using his forehand at the whole table like a madman

It's really hard to think of one of the top 50 players with a bad backhand.

NextLevel · May 10, 2017

Boogar said:
hmmm the worst backhand... me!:

From the chinese top players id say Fang Bo, because he is using his forehand at the whole table like a madman

It's really hard to think of one of the top 50 players with a bad backhand.

Quadri Aruna used to qualify easily. It is now mostly acceptable but still has strategic issues.

Matt Hetherington · May 10, 2017

Karakasevic for sure, most variation and best backhand touch, full table coverage. True backhand dominant player. Also my training partner for this afternoon. Cho!

Flash Gordon · May 10, 2017

i say karakasevic from serbia. what a feeling and great backhand

Archosaurus · May 10, 2017

I'm gonna take a risk here and say that Karakasevic might have a block as good, or better than Waldner.

gmiller2233 · Sep 25, 2017

karakasevic backhand is pretty crazy. I'm surprised by the diversity of backhand shots definitely has the extreme backhand hook and a inside out topspin ball. Fun to watch.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NextLevel · Sep 25, 2017

Lin Gaoyuan.

KM1976 · Sep 25, 2017

Matt Hetherington said:
Karakasevic for sure, most variation and best backhand touch, full table coverage. True backhand dominant player. Also my training partner for this afternoon. Cho!

Matt, I envy you. Karakasevic is my idol and I really admire his game. Please can you say my 'Hi' to him once you meet him next.

Obviously I would like to know more about my favorite player. How he trains and what combination he uses.

Thanks,
KM1976

ttmonster · Sep 25, 2017

From what I have heard, he does not need do a whole of physical training , he has tremendous touch and bust his chops when he was a kid to get to that level , Matt can tell more ... I have heard stories of how when the rest of the team is doing physical he would be off smoking somewhere and then come directly to the drilling session and blow everybody off the table

KM1976 said:
Matt, I envy you. Karakasevic is my idol and I really admire his game. Please can you say my 'Hi' to him once you meet him next.
Obviously I would like to know more about my favorite player. How he trains and what combination he uses.

Thanks,
KM1976

Ilia Minkin · Sep 25, 2017

This has to be split into "Best close to the table backhand" and "Best long range backhand".

Baal · Sep 25, 2017

NextLevel said:
The topic that never dies. ZJK, FZD, DO. All other backhands are deficient in some way.

Better add Wang Hao in his prime.

And Ilia makes a good point.

NextLevel · Sep 25, 2017

Baal said:
Better add Wang Hao in his prime.

And Ilia makes a good point.

Oh, I was talking about players still playing today obviously. And Ma Long has done some work to make a credible claim for his current backhand to be on the list. But right now, I have a love affair with Lin Gaoyuan's backhand. Special stuff.

Matt Hetherington · Sep 25, 2017

KM1976 said:
Matt, I envy you. Karakasevic is my idol and I really admire his game. Please can you say my 'Hi' to him once you meet him next.
Obviously I would like to know more about my favorite player. How he trains and what combination he uses.

Thanks,
KM1976

He's a very hands-based player so he doesn't do much footwork, focuses a lot on close table countering or fixed position further back from the table. Also he does a lot of creative serve receive practice. I probably won't see him for a little while, I was training with his team in Ostrava at the time but now I'm back in the USA.

Matt Hetherington · Sep 25, 2017

ttmonster said:
From what I have heard, he does not need do a whole of physical training , he has tremendous touch and bust his chops when he was a kid to get to that level , Matt can tell more ... I have heard stories of how when the rest of the team is doing physical he would be off smoking somewhere and then come directly to the drilling session and blow everybody off the table

Haha I won't get into his personal habits

He told me when he was younger he was lazy and always used to get stuck when moving out to the wide forehand, so he would always come back in and play backhand off the forehand corner on the next ball - that was his answer when I asked him how he developed such a good backhand. Truth be told when I first met him he came across as quite intimidating but he's a very nice guy, he's very honest and straight up and he always says what he thinks. I really enjoyed spending time with him while I was in Czech.

ttmonster · Sep 25, 2017

Thats what I heard too Matt .. .great scoop as always ! Any scoops on Korbel , Matt ?

Matt Hetherington said:
Haha I won't get into his personal habits He told me when he was younger he was lazy and always used to get stuck when moving out to the wide forehand, so he would always come back in and play backhand off the forehand corner on the next ball - that was his answer when I asked him how he developed such a good backhand. Truth be told when I first met him he came across as quite intimidating but he's a very nice guy, he's very honest and straight up and he always says what he thinks. I really enjoyed spending time with him while I was in Czech.

ajtatosmano2 · Sep 25, 2017

Guys in the hungarian blade manufacture said that Karakasevic asked them to make a custom blade with x composite lyer (I remember 6 or more). They said that they can't use so much composite, because they would exceed the max. amount of non-natural materials. He said 'I don't care'.

After that he's ended using an allwood blade because he said he needs more control/feeling.

KM1976 · Sep 25, 2017

ajtatosmano2 said:
Guys in the hungarian blade manufacture said that Karakasevic asked them to make a custom blade with x composite lyer (I remember 6 or more). They said that they can't use so much composite, because they would exceed the max. amount of non-natural materials. He said 'I don't care'. After that he's ended using an allwood blade because he said he needs more control/feeling.

If I am not wrong, I guess he is using a Stiga Carbonado 145 ST handle with Tenergy on both sides. But this is my best educated guess after watching him closely. Matt can correct me if I am wrong.

Cheers,
KM1976

Who has the world's best backhand?

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