Backhand topspin tutorials are useless

[dingyibvs]

Precisely.... This sport is technical af and very difficult. It's also what I enjoy about it, there are so many different shots to learn! And tweaking your own shots is part of the fun too.

Hah, that's one thing we differ on. I don't want to learn many shots, I just want to learn all the basic shots and do them as well as I can possibly do! I want to know every intricate detail about those relatively few shots and execute them to perfection in every single situation. After all, no matter what trick you pull it's gonna be some combination of back, top, side, and no spin, and I just wanna be able to attack them with as all with the most powerful topspin I can unleash. 以不变应万变

 

[Der_Echte]

Sparks are a flyin' and the popcorn is plentiful, everyone pull up Ur chairs.

Somehow, I think zeio is gunna talk sum tt sense.

 

[Metaxa]

Interesting and wrong until you mention impulse. Impulse is change in momentum, so it's not just racket speed that counts, it's weight transfer. Use a heavier blade with the same technique and racket speed, you'll get more power. Same blade, but wear a weighted wrist band, again more power. What if you wear a weight belt around your hips? Then it depends on technique. No properly timed hip turn (or weight transfer technique of your choice), no increase in power. No core tension connecting hips to shoulders to elbow, etc., extra momentum dissipates before it gets to the ball, so no increase in power. But with proper technique, weight transfer makes a big difference. That's why kids less than half your weight can hit bullets.

I don't think so. We trained with wristbands a lot between the '75s > '85s. The only purpose was to generate speed when we played without wristbands, not to create more power. In those days, strength was of secondary importance, that only came much later.

 

[Metaxa]

People find it easier to learn in specific ways, Some people learn by watching, others by reading, some by listening, as a coach you have to find the way they like to be taught!!

I think it has to be mostly a combination of everything you list above. Combine that with innate talent and there is a future in you (overall). Otherwise, it will be hard, very hard work.

 

[dingyibvs]

I don't think so. We trained with wristbands a lot between the '75s > '85s. The only purpose was to generate speed when we played without wristbands, not to create more power. In those days, strength was of secondary importance, that only came much later.

Agreed. I don't agree with @brokenball too often but he's right here. Extra weight on the wrist will not allow you to generate more power. It may allow more energy transfer from the wrist/hand to the ball, but it'll decrease the energy transfer from the body/arm to the wrist/hand.

Using a simple example, imagine attaching 20 lbs to your wrist, then try to hit a ball. Some people will hardly be able to lift their hand, how fast do you think the ball can be hit?

 

[Dr Evil]

I don't think so. We trained with wristbands a lot between the '75s > '85s. The only purpose was to generate speed when we played without wristbands, not to create more power. In those days, strength was of secondary importance, that only came much later.

Momentum (mass x velocity) is the key. Both components contribute, not just the velocity/racket speed. You hit harder with a weighted wrist band if you maintain the same racket speed. You also hit harder if you increase your racket speed (with no wrist band). Both scenarios involve increasing the power you generate. You trained with a weighted wrist band to develop your fast twitch muscle fibers, similar to the way sprinters develop explosive speed out of the starting block by training with resistance bands.

 

[kindof99]

I have tried to help several members in my club with their backhands. The most problem is too early timing, and hitting the ball too far away from the body.
Also most people try to learn powerful loops without even learn basic driving, then they will not know how to use their bodies.
Using a lot of wrist for backhand is over-rated.

 

[_ak]

I don't know why BH loop is considered difficult, I began using it in real matches much earlier than FH loops. In doubles it can be even more straightforward, you see a long ball, you rush to it, for some reason it's easier to have it in front of you than on your side and you shoot.

 

[kindof99]

I don't know why BH loop is considered difficult, I began using it in real matches much earlier than FH loops. In doubles it can be even more straightforward, you see a long ball, you rush to it, for some reason it's easier to have it in front of you than on your side and you shoot.

Timing and space are crucial for backhand loop. And most amateurs rush..

 

[_ak]

I'd say timing and place are even more more crucial for forehand

 

[longrange]

The upper body also doesn't rotate that much. The FH loop hip rotation is completely different from the BH mechanism like what you said. Bh is achieved by bending the knees differently between legs.

A very simple experiment i used before to illustrate, If you keep both knees straight at first, and then bend your right knee only - this forces your right hip to go a bit forward and the left hip to go a bit backwards thus already achieving a small anticlockwise hip rotation. Vice versa is true too.

So from this simple experiment you can already see how a difference in knee bend angles between the 2 legs can produce hip rotation.

And this is the BH hip rotation mechanism that I'm referring to. Obviously the left leg can't be straight, but it is less bent compared to the right leg during the BH backswing. You can actually see the right knee come forward more during most pro players BH backswing.

Ah, this actually makes a lot of sense, I do this naturally executing chiquita where the FH leg goes under the table and extends throughout the stroke giving it power. I should try this for other backhands then. Thanks, blahness your stuff is always illuminating.

 

[Der_Echte]

Timing and space are crucial for backhand loop. And most amateurs rush..

Some people can do better BH looping before they develop FH, maybe because the ball is closer to their eyes and they see it better.