Mastering the one-handed backhand slice in tennis requires more than just strength alone; to be successful at it requires hitting below shoulder level while maintaining pace.
A slice can also be an effective approach shot, providing an option to keep the ball low when approaching the net and make it more difficult for an opponent to hit a high volley shot.
1. Stance
One handed backhand slices are among the most beautiful shots in tennis (think Roger Federer’s), yet require immense strength for effective use. Many newcomers to tennis struggle with using it as an offensive weapon early in their careers due to a lack of strength required.
Mastering this beautiful stroke requires developing a firm stance. While there are various stances players can adopt when hitting this groundstroke shot, a closed stance works best as this closes your hips and torso inwards to generate some sidespin on the ball.
Many club coaches put a lot of emphasis on separating hands to hit backhand slices accurately, yet too much emphasis can actually lead to weak backhand slices. This occurs because the non-dominant hand will be too far away from the body which causes its movement in an uncoordinated fashion. Instead, for maximum accuracy and power it should move closer towards the body so the racquet moves synchronously with body movement, which results in accurate yet powerful strokes.
One important element of your stance is foot placement when taking this shot. Your left foot should face away from the ball while your right should slightly in front. This ensures that when impact occurs, the racquet remains square with the baseline rather than crossing over to hit down on the ball which would create more sidespin and result in weak slices instead of powerful slices.
At contact, it is crucial that players remain sideways at contact when hitting this groundstroke. Many newer players struggle with this aspect as they tend to take large steps forward when hitting this shot; this is not an appropriate method of hitting backhand slices as this could lead to wide or misdirected shots and can result in the ball going far off into corners of the court.
2. Weight Distribution
The one-handed backhand slice is an invaluable shot in tennis for various reasons. It serves both defensive purposes (blocking wide balls and returns) as well as specialty uses such as reaching drop shots and transitioning low, short balls to the net more effectively, helping players be more aggressive by altering pace and spin of rallies.
One key to performing an effective one-handed backhand slice shot is making sure you use your body correctly. One common misstep new players often make is placing too much weight on their dominant leg during a shot – which can cause them to lose balance and control over the ball.
Uncommon but common error involves not transferring enough weight onto the ball. This can cause you to lose balance and reduce power when shooting, so the best way to transfer more weight into it would be stepping forward with your non-dominant foot as you hit each shot.
An effective one-handed backhand slice requires lots of power. Therefore, it is vital that you practice with a partner and engage in drills designed to build this power. I have found one particularly helpful drill consists of having your partner feed you balls from the service line while working as a unit and loading weight onto one leg while turning.
As soon as you hit the ball, aim to do so as hard as possible – this will allow you to develop an unstoppable one-handed backhand slice that your opponents will fear and try to avoid.
As my final tip for you, make sure that you are following through correctly with your slice. Many coaches and beginners place too much emphasis on separating their hands in the follow through, leading to disconnected strokes. By practicing what has been discussed herein, you can learn a one-handed backhand slice which you can use against opponents as a powerful weapon.
Mastering the one-handed backhand shot in tennis is essential for both novices and more experienced players alike, offering immense potential to elevate your overall game and take your tennis to new levels. Remember to practice fundamentals regularly while intuitive technical elements develop naturally over time.
3. Follow Through
Have you ever watched a professional match? If so, chances are you may have noticed that players using one-handed backhand slices tend to possess superior net games overall. This shot naturally “pushes” players forward when played; thus enabling them to attack from positions of strength more frequently while discouraging defensive players from following back.
As soon as it comes to attacking with one handed backhand slices, there are numerous strategies at your disposal. From rolling shots and line and cut shots to rolling shots and rollouts, your attacks should leave the defense wondering what might come next – keeping them guessing until the attack happens next time! Furthermore, being more versatile as an attacker will give long rallies more momentum behind it!
An effective slice requires proper follow through. Too often, players stop their arm after contact and this results in weak shots that lack power behind them. Therefore, it is crucial that your arm moves freely through its follow through phase before gradually slowing as you approach the net.
As part of your follow through, aim to strike the ball directly in front of your body when hitting a slice racquet stroke. Too often beginners hit their slice using their racquet crossed over or behind their body when hitting, leading them into making more sidespinful swings that often result in floaters.
When practicing one handed backhand slices, it’s best to work on your stroke with an instructor or partner who can feed balls to you. As you establish proper stance and weight distribution, have them feed short low slices to practice follow through using follow through practice shots; once complete they should watch your finish and provide advice as improvements. Over time this will enable you to develop a powerful slice which can become part of your arsenal.
4. Control
The one handed backhand slice is an essential weapon in every tennis player’s arsenal, providing defense from wide balls or blocking returns, specialization (reaching drop shots and transitioning on low short balls), adding spin, changing pace of rallies or changing pace through adding spin to an already spinning rally – it even forms part of their return of serve!
Remembering the key requirements for hitting one-handed backhand slices successfully is key in order to create consistent slices. Errant slices often occur because players open their stance too wide when hitting this groundstroke. Furthermore, it is imperative that players keep their wrist dorsiflexed early during load phase of stroke for maximum success.
This will ensure they maintain control of their racquet face, and ensure it stays on the face of the ball throughout their stroke. Furthermore, their shoulders and upper body must remain locked into position throughout the swing as well.
Follow through is also critical on this shot, since a good follow through allows players to land both feet safely on the court after hitting a slice and continue with forward momentum after making contact. Due to its long distance travel, however, proper follow through is particularly necessary in order to maintain control of its trajectory across the court.
Mastering the one handed backhand slice is an integral skill any aspiring tennis player should focus on honing in order to take their game to the next level. By following these tips and tricks, players will be able to improve their stance, weight distribution, racquet head speed and follow through for more effective and consistent slices. With these weapons in your arsenal you will add variety to your game while better protecting yourself against modern professional topspin shots.