The slice backhand has gotten a bad rap over the years.
While some past pro players have used it as the foundation when hitting a shot from their backhand wing (Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova; the two greatest females to ever touch a racket), a lot of tennis players today think of it as a shot they only hit when they have to - and even then, they don’t like doing it much.
Others see it as a shot for beginners who don’t ‘know’ how to hit topspin yet.
Still others (like myself) relate it’s value in direct correlation to what it can help a player accomplish on the tennis court - in other words, results
First off, we need to understand why we hit the slice back hand in the first place. This may get ‘tedious’, but stick with me here because the payoff will be worth it.
As a side note, whenever learning something new in this game, always ask yourself two things:
1. Why am I learning to do this?
2. What’s the benefit of doing so?
3. How do I do it?
Answering these questions will get your tennis game where you want it to be.
Onward.
Here is an incomplete but logical list of reasons we use the slice backhand, and some of the benefits in having this weapon in your bag:
Reason #1: Often times you hit the slice backhand when an opponent has hit a low, short ball to your backhand, which prevents you from hitting a topspin shot.
Benefit: Hitting the slice backhand allows you to hit a controlled shot back to our opponent if they have pulled you wide with their low, short ball.
Benefit: A slice allows you the opportunity to hit an approach shot deep, controlled, and off-pace, which gives you time to get to the net and be prepared for your opponent’s lob or passing shot attempts.
Reason #2: The slice backhand is hit when an opponent pulls you wide to your backhand side during a baseline rally.
Benefit: Hitting a deep, cross-court slice in this situation allows you to remain in the point and keep your opponent away from the net.
Reason #3: A slice backhand is often used to keep a point going while waiting for your opponent to make a mistake.
Benefit: In this situation, your opponent may grow impatient and/or lazy. Rallying from the baseline and hitting slice backhands deep into your opponent’s court can cause your opponent to get lazy and hit you a short ball, which you can then attack. It may also cause your opponent to get impatient, leading to your opponent attempting a risky shot to ‘get the point over with’, which statistically leads to a higher percentage of unforced errors (doom on them!).
Reason #4: A slice backhand is used when returning serves that are hit wide to your backhand, for the same reason and with the same benefit listed above in reason #2.
Reason #5: A slice backhand is used to ‘chip and charge’ at your opponent’s well-placed, but slow serve.
Benefit: The benefit here is tow-fold. First, you are hitting an offensive shot in the situation, which allows you to get to the net and win the point with a well placed slice ‘chip’ shot. Second, this tactic wears on your opponent mentally. Your opponent is supposed to be using their serve as a weapon against you, but you are basically saying “I don’t respect your serve, so I’m going to attack it.” This put tremendous pressure on your opponent, because holding serve is the name of the game in tennis, period.
Okay, so now that we’ve looked at SOME of the reasons we use the slice, and SOME of the (really cool) benefits of doing so, let’s turn the spotlight on how to best hit the slice.
In order to hit the slice effectively, we must understand exactly what a slice backhand does. Basically, it is a one handed backhand that approaches the ball from a high-to-low bias, putting backspin on the tennis ball. This creates a ‘lift force’ that is generated by the backspin on the tennis ball as it is traveling through the air. This lift force is caused by a difference in pressure between the top and bottom of the ball.
The difference in pressure on the tennis ball is relative to the ratio of spin (RPM’s, or how many turns the ball makes per minute) and forward velocity of the tennis ball. (Bernoulli - dead physics guy - figured this one out.) This is called the Magnus Effect, and the force that keeps the slice in the air longer than a flat shot (which is why a slice backhand seems to ‘float’ on the air) is called the Magnus Force.
Okay, enough with the physics. Just understand that a slice:
1. Is hit with a swing that moves high-to-low, which creates backspin.
2. This causes the ball to ’stay up’ in the air longer than a flat or topspin shot, because the air underneath the ball is pushing up on it.
Now that we know exactly what a slice backhand is, we can come up with a plan to hit one effectively. What do I mean by effectively? Hitting an effective slice backhand involves hitting the tennis ball in such a way that it moves forward with backspin to your desired target at the desired speed.
Here’s where things really start to get…simple? Yup. Simple. I didn’t say easy. For example, if you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Simple (but not always easy!) So it is with your tennis game. A great secret to success on the tennis court is making it a habit to do what you don’t want to do in order to get what it is that you want - and I know you wouldn’t have it any other way.
Here are the keys you need to focus on to start getting the slice backhand of your dreams.
Key #1
What you need to do: You need to use a Continental grip. End of story. Period.
When: As soon as it becomes apparent to you that you are going to hit a slice backhand,
Why: Using a Continental grip will force you to get into position to hit the tennis ball in your ‘wheelhouse’ or ’strike zone’ for this shot.
How: ‘Shake Hands’ with the racket. The ‘V’ formed by your thumb and index finger should be bisected by an imaginary line that runs up the edge of your tennis racket.
Consequences if you don’t do this: If you choose to use, say, an Eastern Backhand grip, what will happen is that you will be forced to hit the ball further out in front of your body than necessary, causing a loss of power and accuracy.
Key #2
What you need to do: Get turned just before you take your last step into the ball to hit it.
When: As you take you last step toward the tennis ball to hit your shot.
Why: Getting your body turned allows you to use your torso and legs to ‘power through’ the shot as you swing. Your arm and racket are merely extensions of your body and the swing itself.
How: As you are preparing to hit the shot, ’show your back’ to your opponent on that last step before you hit the ball. Your opponent should be able to see the back of your shirt.
Consequences if you don’t do this: You will not be able to use the torque from your legs and torso to power the ball; instead, you will have to use your arm, again resulting in a weak shot with poor accuracy.
Key #3
What you need to do: Lock your wrist.
When: As soon as you take the racket back.
Why: This allows you to have a uniform motion throughout your swing.
How: Simple; just lock your wrist so that your racket and forearm form a 90 degree angle when you take the racket back.
Consequences if you don’t do this: You will have a strong tendency to ‘flick’ at the ball with your wrist, which usually results in one of two things; either a slice shot with a ton of spin but no power, or a ball that flies long with no spin.
Key#4
What you need to do: Keep your elbow ‘tucked’ and SLIGHTLY bent.
When: During and at the peak of your backswing, and as you hit the shot.
Why: Keeping your elbow ‘tucked’ allows you to ‘load’ for the shot. This puts the racket in the proper position during your back swing and allows the racket head to speed up during the ‘unloading’ process, giving you the power and accuracy you desire.
How: Use your left hand to cradle the throat of the racket and pull the racket face behind your head during your back swing. This will automatically ‘tuck’ your elbow for you. AFTER you strike the ball, the elbow will release naturally. Don’t force it, just let it happen.
Consequences of not doing this: Again, loss of power and accuracy due to leading with the elbow. (Starting to see how this all works together?)
Key #5
What you need to do: Make contact with the tennis ball as it approaches a spot just in front of your forward foot, with your weight on your forward foot and your right shoulder above and in line with your right hip
When: As your strike the ball.
Why: This keeps you balanced as your step forward to hit the ball, and allows the potential (stored) energy in your body to be release as kinetic (released) energy to the ball in as efficient a manner as possible.
How: Time your shot so that your forward swing starts once your forward foot is planted after stepping into the shot. This brings your right shoulder in line with your right hip, keeps your momentum moving forward and allows you to hit ‘through’ the ball.
Consequences of not doing this: You will not have the forward momentum you need to hit through the ball, and will lose power and accuracy (there’s a theme here…)
Key#6
What you need to do: Visualize trying to stroke through the far outside (left edge) of the tennis ball.
When: As your prepare your forward swing, and during your stroke.
Why: This is the secret little nugget that allows you to hit deep, powerful and accurate backhand slice shots, because you are approaching the ball from a shallower angle (from the outside). Doing this ’stabilizes’ the relationship between the backspin you are putting on the ball and the forward motion of the ball itself. In other words, it gives you a more reliable shot. (If you ever wondered how Steffi Graf was able to hit such ferocious, yet controlled slice backhands - this is how she did it). This little nugget will take you far.
How: Make an effort to hit the far outside edge of the ball as you stroke.
Consequences of not doing this: You will struggle far longer than you need to in order to get the ‘feel’ of a powerful, consistent slice backhand.
Key #7 (We’re almost done!)
What you need to do: Keep your head still during the shot and focus on the ball.
When: Once your forward swing starts.
Why: Consistency.
How: Keep your eye on the ball, and on the ‘contact point’ in space where the strings made contact with the ball.
Consequences of not doing this: Your shots will not be consistent, because you are looking away or following the ball with your eyes immediately after the shot. Your brain needs a consistent ‘reference point’ to focus on so that it can train your body to allow the movement (your slice backhand stroke) to become ‘conditioned’, i.e. to allow your body to be trained to hit the shot the same way every time. Quit ‘chasing’ the ball with your eyes right after you hit it!!! Just keep your head still until your follow-through is complete.
Trust me, your eyes will find the ball soon enough for you to prepare for you opponent’s incoming shot.
Shoot me your comments below and get out on the courts!!!
To Your Massive Tennis Success,
Coach Kyril
Kyril Popoff is a former NCAA Div1 All-Conference Tennis Player, Instructor, Coach and Author.
His books include THE TEN LAWS OF TENNIS SUCCESS and FOCUS & WIN: WHY YOUR TENNIS GAME ISN’T WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE, & WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!
You can sign up for Coach Kyril’s Tennis Lessons, Tips & Tricks newsletter at: http://www.coachkyriltennis.com
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