LEFT HIT IN TENNIS (BACKHAND)
A fundamental element that must be mastered from the very beginning of learning to play tennis. The experience of the Tennis Group Academy coaches shows that a left kick is the most vulnerable spot for most players and there are a number of reasons for this.
The main reason is that the movement of a tennis player when performing a backhand is not natural for a person (this is especially true for a two-handed backhand), in contrast to a hit from the right. Hence the difficulty of its perception by beginners.
The second important reason is that almost all coaches begin training in tennis with forehand, giving him a priori more time, and the backhand is studied according to the residual principle. All this leads to the fact that the technique and “stuffing” on the left is much worse than on the right, although there are exceptions to any rule. In our practice, there are pupils who have a better left punch than a right punch.
Stable backhand is the key to success
It should be remembered that tennis tournaments are won precisely due to the stable performance of “unloved” hits, because during the game, as a rule, you have to repel most of the opponent’s attacks from the backhand. The player always seeks to use the weaknesses of his opponent, so the task of the tennis player to level them.
In modern tennis, the backhand can also be used effectively for attack. For example, an aggressive pitching technique on the left and circling strokes with rotation must be present in the technical arsenal of a modern tennis player.
Now let’s take a closer look at the element technique. Distinguish between one-handed and two-handed hit on the left. The question immediately arises, which option to choose? For women, definitely – a left punch with two hands. In the WTA round, only a few tennis players play with one hand on the left. In the ATP tour, many players use one-handed backhand, including the tactics of a tennis star like Roger Federer, but in any case, there are significantly more tennis players with a two-handed hit on the left. Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, Tsonga – they all play with both hands. Two-handed backhand provides greater stability. Even a master like Roger Federer has a weak point in his one-handed backhand, and his opponents are constantly loading this side.
One-handed punch left in tennis
One-handed backhand requires a well-developed strong arm and hand, which leads to the fact that putting this technical element to children under 12 years of age is problematic. However, there are pluses. Firstly, this blow is more natural for humans. Secondly, it allows you to reach those balls that cannot be reached with two hands, which allows you to better cover the court. Thirdly, professional tennis players using a one-handed left punch in tennis make significantly fewer movements on the court during the match. Tennis Group Academy tennis coaches believe that children initially need to put a two-handed backhand, and in the future, when the hand and hand get stronger, the transition to one-handed is possible.
Left handed tennis with two hands
The study of any element in tennis begins with setting the correct racket grip. There are several grip options for hitting the left. The best option, which is recommended by the coaches of the Moscow TG Academy of Tennis and which is used by most professionals, is as follows: the right hand is located on the edge of the racket handle and is in a position for continental grip. The left hand is located close to the right and takes the position of the eastern grip for forehand, if you were left-handed.
Consider the position of the body. There are two options. As with forehand, you can play on the left from a classically neutral stand, or from an open one. With a neutral stance, the tennis player takes a step with his right foot forward and turns the body so that the shoulders are facing the net. With the player open, he leans on his left leg, bends it at the knee and turns the toe so that it is parallel to the back line, while the body unfolds. During the game, the choice of rack depends solely on the availability of time. If there is time for preparation, then the strike is performed from a neutral position, if there is no time, then the backhand is made from an open rack. For beginners, it’s much easier to learn the backhand from a neutral stand.
We take the racket to complete the swing with two hands along the shortest horizontal or loop-shaped trajectory. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows, the elbow of the left hand is brought to the body, but there is a slight gap. There must be an angle in the left hand.
We lower the head of the racket due to the forearm, below the level of the hands. Thus, the end face of the handle will be just above the touch point.
One of the most common mistakes is using only hands, forgetting about weight transfer and shoulder turning
We pass directly to the technique. Biomechanical kicks in tennis on the left are due to the rotation of the body around the right thigh, as well as the movement of the arms towards the ball. A common mistake is to use only hands and neglect body weight and shoulder work, which leads to loss of power.
