Players can really get locked up with their two handed backhand.
Locked up, meaning, there’s hardly any power.
There are two critical components to unleashing your natural power source when you play this shot.
Heres’ what I mean …
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Time certainly was not an issue here, nor did reading the short bounce seem to be — might he have been trying to decoy Djokovic? If so, Djok was not buying it, he did not bother to split but just took off cross court.
I also noticed Djokovic hoofing it to his backhand corner. Shows how much of a chess game they are playing. Murray could have hit behind Djokovic if he realized Djokovic was totally committed. But sometimes the court is so open that it just doesn’t matter that your opponent knows where you are going. That seems to be the case here and Murray went for the safe wide open shot, and even knowing it was coming, Djokovic couldn’t do anything but throw up a weak, defensive lob.
You’re right Richard.
For the rest of us, we can’t get away with not having precise spacing so that we can move towards that cross court as efficiently as possible.
Believe me, if we have to slightly reach and jump away from our target (as Murray did) , I guarantee we’re not getting the same kind of power that Andy does …
Brent
Yes, I’ve noticed a big difference between being passive on a short ball (sort of hanging back and waiting for it to come to me, which often screws up my spacing) and being aggressive and getting up to a ball with good spacing and hitting through it. Obviously, the latter works a lot better with a lot fewer times feeling off balance.
It is always interesting to see how incredibly consistent the pros are with fundamentals and then how they sometimes push the envelope and get away with stuff rec players should never do, as in this video. But just think how many times Murray has hit this shot. I’m ecstatic if I play 10 really good hours of tennis (practice and matches) in a week. I probably play about 300 hours per year. Murray plays 10 times as much and he’s younger – but not better looking
So obviously we rec players need to focus, focus, focus on fundamentals.
Morning Robert.
Novak had to guess in this situation where Andy was most likely going to play his 2 hander, either cross court or up the line.
Heck, a drop shot could’ve worked as well …
Brent
Hi Brent,
You make a good point of taking the ball early as it’s the key to effective ball strike and placement!!
When I am playing I have little phrases I use to remind me to align with the ball. Balance,
placement, and power (BPP) helps me keep focused on correct sequence of hitting the ball.
Murray in the video loses his balance at the end of the ball strike but as you say he has the ability to
power through it successfully. Maybe being 6’3″ in addtion to world class skill is a factor working for him
in this point. Question is, who won this match?
Thx,
Daniel
Not sure who won this match Daniel.
You nailed it with your feedback of what we can’t get away with and those cues you use to think alignment first and then direction 2nd.
Brent
Thanks Brent!
I use to have a great spin serve in the deuce court that would set up that play for the cross court winner……………..over the years I lost that serve. I’m now in Vero Beach and took a few lesson from Roscoe Tanner who one hit a 154MPH serve in 1978!!!! He said he never hit flat but was able to hit that serve speed with all slice………………….I’m still in the process of getting control of it but the movement has been great when it hits in! Jeff
So let me get this straight, you’re showing us a video of what not to do though it works for the pros…?
Brent – Good tip. I definitely need to practice the relaxed grip. What helped me most with this video is, first, to look for the short ball and, second, the spacing and shoulder turn. I can relate when I think about the shot that felt good, and why. My two handed back hand is a strength, unless I’m tight and crowding the ball. Like you say, I can’t get away with poor spacing, but Andy can.
Thanks for all that you do!
Best regards,
David