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Tennis Lessons / 1H Backhand / Step 4
Racket Down / Step Forward
How To :
1. Step across body with inside foot / transfer weight to that foot.
2. Racket drops down and hitting arm straightens out.
3. Both hands stay on the racket.
Figure 1: Oliver stepping forward and dropping the racket down
From his prepared position, Oliver steps across his body with his inside foot and transfers his weight to that foot. At the same time, he drops the racket down and his hitting arm straights out. Both hands stay on the racket.
The straight arm hitting position is critical to the one handed backhand. Every single pro on tour who hits with a one hander straightens their hitting arm out when it drops down. The reason, as you will see in the subsequent article, is that it facilitates the correct swing.
If you've watched several of the high speed hitting clips on this site, you may have noticed that the players don't always step across their body when they hit. Sometimes, stepping across is not the best option. A lot of it has to do with your court positioning. If you are at the T and your opponent hits the ball down the middle of the court, you should be more inclined to step into the ball (neutral stance), as opposed to across your body (closed stance), which is more appropriate for wider balls. However, if you have the opportunity to choose which stance to use, go with the closed stance. It has several advantages. First, you get more shoulder rotation during your preparation because the position of your feet lets you get more sideways. This means you can "uncoil" more when you swing. Second, you get more knee bend. Your legs are normally wider apart in a closed stance, allowing you to get lower. This makes it easier to transfer your weight into your shot and push off as you hit.
Common Errors:
Not straightening your hitting arm out.
This saps your one handed backhand of power.
Letting go of the racket with your hand.
This throws off your timing. More generally, you can lose control of the racket.
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