[luvsports!]

http://richard-mills-sports.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/a-dying-art-ode-to-single-handed.html

My light hearted piece on a topic that touches all of our hearts, unless you love the dhbh.

Thoughts?

 

[Chokehater]

I prefer the 2HBH personally but it's always good to have some variety in styles.

But yeah it's understanable that most players got a 2HBH today. Most players have a big FH and / or serve these days that does the damage in that case it's good to have a solid BH and unless you have an amazing technique on your 1HBH the 2HBH will always be superior in that regard. The advantage on return and generally when you are blocking shots is just too good to pass.

 

[zjtennis]

I have to say one thing that I notice about OHBH that really speaks out over DHBH are their DTLs as I see more offensive DTL OHBH than DHBH ones.

 

[Logos]

Double handed forehand to dominate the game in 2025. :devil:

Has there ever been an attempt to master both? Like, 2-handed on return, single-handed as an aggressive shot? Future GOATs will probably possess both, seeking Nole's return prowess and Stanimal's power. :rocker2:

 

[Branimir]

Wawrinka ***** Nole with his one handed backhand in RG final. He also always has more than 3 times as many winners from backhand.
Nadal is one handed backhand killer, but that's only Nadal. Once Nadal is gone players will still use and win using one handed backhand.

 

[luvsports!]

Going to do an article for Tennis.com on this hopefully. Getting stats from lta, usta and aus and french equivalents to see it's decline. This is the jovial prototype.

 

[luvsports!]

Wawrinka ***** Nole with his one handed backhand in RG final. He also always has more than 3 times as many winners from backhand.
Nadal is one handed backhand killer, but that's only Nadal. Once Nadal is gone players will still use and win using one handed backhand.

As I said in the article, less than 10 of the top 100 for both the girls and boys juniors have a shbh.
It's dying out.
Anyone you can think of younger than Thiem who uses it?

 

[Johnny Groove]

Thiem did a good jumping BH there

 

[wildemu]

it's all about absorbing power. Unless you're playing on the purple clay (Miami/IW), you can get that side exploited more easily than the DBH.

 

[GasquetGulbis]

As I said in the article, less than 10 of the top 100 for both the girls and boys juniors have a shbh.
It's dying out.
Anyone you can think of younger than Thiem who uses it?

Akira Santillan, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, Tim van Rhijthonen, Joshua Ward Hibbert

 

[wakeupbomb1234]

http://richard-mills-sports.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/a-dying-art-ode-to-single-handed.html

My light hearted piece on a topic that touches all of our hearts, unless you love the dhbh.

Thoughts?

I think it's perhaps a bit strong to describe the current situation as a 'death', but the basic gist I completely agree with.

If I was coaching a young player now, I would strongly encourage them to have a two-hander. It simply offers far more stability and consistency, and makes it much more likely that you can develop a backhand that is a serious weapon. To play with a one-hander at the very highest level of tennis you need incredible skill, technique and strength, and if you can develop that with a one-hander, why not just go for a two-hander?

The main advantages of the one-hander, apart from aesthetics, are that it offers you a longer reach and more flexibility, but the supreme athleticism of players today has pretty much negated the first one, and you don't really need flexibility now as you can sit behind the baseline rallying on any surface.

Ironically, when I was in the LTA coaching system as a teenager, there was a general feeling that if you had a two-handed backhand that you should at least attempt to use a one-hander. This was not long after wooden racquets, and when the conditions were much quicker and many players came in all the time on every surface except on clay (and some came in all the time on clay).

 

[luvsports!]

Knowledge!

 

[Ibracadabra]

Anyone who tries tennis for the first time automatically uses the single hand, only bots uses two hands baby

 

[GasquetGulbis]

I think it's perhaps a bit strong to describe the current situation as a 'death', but the basic gist I completely agree with.

If I was coaching a young player now, I would strongly encourage them to have a two-hander. It simply offers far more stability and consistency, and makes it much more likely that you can develop a backhand that is a serious weapon. To play with a one-hander at the very highest level of tennis you need incredible skill, technique and strength, and if you can develop that with a one-hander, why not just go for a two-hander?

The main advantages of the one-hander, apart from aesthetics, are that it offers you a longer reach and more flexibility, but the supreme athleticism of players today has pretty much negated the first one, and you don't really need flexibility now as you can sit behind the baseline rallying on any surface.

Ironically, when I was in the LTA coaching system as a teenager, there was a general feeling that if you had a two-handed backhand that you should at least attempt to use a one-hander. This was not long after wooden racquets, and when the conditions were much quicker and many players came in all the time on every surface except on clay (and some came in all the time on clay).

I always look at level of coordination in kids. If they have low to regular coordination/motor skills I recommend two hands, if they are well above average in those things I give the option of using one hand, but only if they want.

 

[luvsports!]

Do you coach at a high level too Gasquetgulbis?

 

[SamprasHewittLOL]

I've never understood why people insist it's dying out. Yeah, it's not the old days anymore where everyone had a 1-hander, but has everyone completely missed the fact that both Thiem and Dimitrov have 1-handers? Granted, Dimitrov is getting to the point where he should have already hit his prime, but Thiem looks like a future #1.

 

[luvsports!]

Two compared to how many dhbhs?

 

[vayuu]

I've never understood why people insist it's dying out. Yeah, it's not the old days anymore where everyone had a 1-hander, but has everyone completely missed the fact that both Thiem and Dimitrov have 1-handers? Granted, Dimitrov is getting to the point where he should have already hit his prime, but Thiem looks like a future #1.

those two will never accomplish anything though, a 1 hander is just mechanically worse in 95% of situations in the modern game

 

[wakeupbomb1234]

I always look at level of coordination in kids. If they have low to regular coordination/motor skills I recommend two hands, if they are well above average in those things I give the option of using one hand, but only if they want.

Actually I heard Federer say that he tried it with two hands and struggled, so he decided it was one hand or nothing. I know when I played I was alright doing the slice with one hand, but hitting through the ball with one hand was extremely erratic!

 

[leng jai]

Once Gasquet, Federer, Haas and Wawrinka retire it's looking pretty bleak for the big single handed backhand.