In the first part of this article, we had a look at where the backspin was, is, and will be.
Over the last decade or two, this shot has unjustly accumulated a reputation as a defensive shot, so much so that some coaches and players have banned it from their offensive repertoire. It probably explains why it fell out of favor in an era where the game moved away from outmaneuvering opponents to out-powering them.
There is no arguing that backspin is the best shot to use when in trouble. However, there are numerous situations where it can also be very effective in disarming or neutralizing an opponent’s weapon or better still, using it offensively.
Click photo: When stretched wide, this player responds with a slice return. It keeps him in the point and gives him time to set up for a more aggressive topspin groundstroke.
Backspin on Defense
When in trouble - There are a few reasons why backspin is the best shot to use when on the ropes. First, being in trouble usually means you’ll be arriving late to the ball and will have minimal preparation time. This spin requires the least swing to get the ball back over and just as importantly, it travels slowly thereby giving you more time to recover into position. Furthermore, because it is the easiest swing path to control, it is often possible to maintain somewhat control of the ball – such as keeping it low if you notice the opponent storming the net.
When slow physically (due to factors such as injury, old age or beginners who don’t yet move with confidence) - Backspin is not only less strenuous (researchers have determined that it requires half the racquet-head acceleration to generate backspin compared to topspin) but, because it travels slower, it gives players more time to get prepared for the next shot in the rally.
When weak physically or for players with small backswings - Again, beginners will often find themselves in this category. They may not have yet accumulated the strength to take the big violent swings necessary to generate topspin and will find solace in the backspin. And again, the older generation who may have lost the strength to swing fast and hard will like the backspin for its effortlessness.
When tired – Michael Chang most famously used a combination of back and sidespin when serving underarm in the fifth set of the French Open semi-finals in 1989 against Ivan Lendl. It was an exhausting match and Chang was suffering physically and riddled with cramps. Many other top players have also had to resort to backspin to somehow keep the ball in play and a point alive. Because backspin requires half the racquet head speed in comparison to topspin, it also requires far less energy to generate. This becomes important the longer a match wears on and can make the difference between getting the ball back one more time than the opponent and making an unforced error.
When slow mentally - Backspin requires the least brainpower! Beginners are often slow to react not only physically but also mentally to all the different situations they are faced with on court. They may be weighed down by far more thoughts and instructions than a more advanced player. Backspin is probably the simplest shot to use when just getting the ball into the court is already stressful enough! At the top level, pros will often resort to this shot when they’ve lost concentration due to physical exhaustion.
Click photo: Federer blocks this high bouncing serve into the court with a slice return. This ball would be difficult and require much more effort for a one-hander to come over.
When off-balance - Tennis is a game of emergencies and if you play against anyone of your level or above, you will often find yourself off-balance. While your body is busy regaining its equilibrium, it will be tough for you to take your normal full swing so you will need to use an abbreviated motion. Backspin is ideal in those situations as it does not require a big swing, travels slower to your opponent (thereby giving you more time to recover into position) and can still give you an element of control over the ball.
On fast or hard-hit balls - These kinds of shots take time away from you, especially if you like big backswings. As backspin requires minimal preparation to be played effectively, it is a great way to block the ball back while keeping an element of control over it.
On balls that come into the body - Any time you find yourself “stuck” by a ball that comes right at you, you will neither have the time nor the space to take a big backswing. Backspin is a great way to get unstuck.
On balls that are hard to reach - The wrist flick is a magical thing in tennis. Nadal is a master of it on the forehand side. Used in combination with a backspin motion, it allows you to retrieve balls that have stretched your arm beyond its ability to swing. So, if your whole body is so involved in stretching for a hard-to-reach shot, you will neither have time nor strength to use your normal swing path, the “backspinned” wrist flick is the way to go.
When the ball is behind you – You will often find yourself in a situation where the ball is behind you such as when you are wrong-footed or the ball comes at you faster than you expected. The “backspinned” wrist-flick so often used by squash players, can get you out of trouble.
Backspin on Offence
Note how the player disguises his drop shot thereby freezing his opponent, and the ball doesn't jump forward after the bounce.
On fast surfaces where the ball doesn't bounce up:Grass, certain types of indoor carpet and wood (though rare nowadays) are all examples of slick surfaces where the ball tends to “slide off” rather than bounce up, making it very fast and often keeping the ball low. The backspin is ideal on such surfaces for two reasons. First, it lends itself perfectly to counter the low bouncing balls (the racquet is naturally opened). Secondly, the fast bounce often limits the preparation time and players who have big wind-ups and extreme grips (typically clay courters) tend to struggle on such surfaces. On the other hand, players who have the ability to use the backspin with its minimal preparation thrive.
By imparting backspin using a continental grip, this player can control a very difficult volley and win the point.
To play the drop shot: A good drop shot utilizes backspin for three reasons. For starters a backspin stroke requires far less racquet head acceleration so it is easier to control the stroke and thereby the trajectory of the ball. Secondly, it will limit the ball’s forward motion once it bounces, thereby amplifying the shortness of the drop shot (as opposed to topspin which makes the ball jump forward). And finally, a good drop shot relies on disguise and the backspin is ideal for this by allowing you to take the same backswing / preparation as a normal drive except that the racquet then slides itself under the ball upon contact and the follow-through is abbreviated.
On volleys:Because the volley is ideally played with a continental grip, an open racquet face and minimal backswing, the backspin is perfectly tailored for the volley and allows control and positioning of the ball rather than power. Furthermore, because this shot keeps the ball low, it forces your opponent to hit your volleys back up which makes for an ideal put-away.
On high bouncing balls:The backspin is a great way to get the ball “down” and keep it down. If you find yourself in a situation where the ball has bounced beyond your ideal offensive flat or topspin strike zone, it can be used very effectively to get the ball down and force it to stay low, thus keeping it offensive.
Click photo: Backspin slice is a great way to get get under low bouncing balls.
On low bouncing balls:On the reverse side, if you’re facing a low ball, the backspin naturally opens up the racquet allowing the ball to get the required arc to clear the net. And if played properly, it will keep the trajectory of the ball low on the opponent’s side, thereby reducing their ability to hit offensively.
Against opponents who like to use topspin: The backspin is a great way of neutralizing such opponents because, by keeping the ball low, it makes it more difficult for the opponent to drop their racquet head below the ball to generate their topspin. Very often, they will feel forced to brush up more violently which leads to more mistakes and mishits.
Against opponents who like to contact the ball above the net:Players with extreme topspin grips usually thrive on higher bouncing balls because it allows them to present their wrist comfortably at impact. Using a low bouncing backspin will force them to contort wrist, arm, shoulder and back in an uncomfortable position, once again hopefully leading to mistakes and mishits.
To draw the opponent to the net: It stands to reason that any opponent who does not like to volley should be made to volley as often as possible. The backspin is a great way of drawing them to the net as it can easily be hit short whilst keeping the bounce below the height of the net. It will definitely limit the opponent’s ability to put the ball away. Federer excels at this particular strategy and has used it effectively numerous times against the likes of Nalbandian, Safin, and Davydenko, all players who do not feel comfortable at the net.
Click photo: Note the nifty carioca step on this underspin approach shot.
As an alternative to the lob or passing shot: If your opponent is at the net, he has gained an offensive position. Don’t panic as you have several options at hand to neutralize the situation. The lob, passing shot or hard-into-the-body ball can all be effective but the backspin can be deadly in two ways. If you can keep it low and slow, you’ll force the opponent to hit their volley from below the white net band (thereby forcing them to hit up) and regain the offensive. This is especially useful in doubles when the short cross chip shot can be seen used frequently amongst the world’s elite. Alternatively, use the backspin against an opponent who only practices volleys from topspin shots. Due to its different trajectory and speed, you’ll be amazed at the number of freebies you’ll get from their mishits.
To lob: By definition, the lob is a shot that travels high over the net. The backspin is the easiest way of generating a lob because it naturally opens up the racquet face allowing the ball to pop up.
Against a player who likes lots of pace: Because backspin travels slower over the net and is further slowed after the bounce, players who like balls coming at them with pace may find themselves struggling to find their rhythm.
Against advanced players with small backswings: Similar to 22, these players with small backswings have learned to feed off the pace of the incoming ball. They will often struggle to find food if the ball is coming at them with little pace.
As an approach shot: Backspin has three advantages over flat or topspin approaches. First, it travels slower over the net, thereby allowing you more time to get to your ideal volleying position. Admittedly, it also gives the opponent more time to reach your approach! But…..Secondly, it stays low which forces your opponent to hit up and makes your subsequent volley an easy one. And thirdly, as backspin does not require a big backswing, it is easier to control its precision.
Click photo: Fabrice Santoro is the master at mixing speed and spin.
On windy days: During the recent Miami Masters, there were several extremely windy days and it was good to see the top players making more frequent use of backspin in those conditions. It “cuts” through the wind better than any other shot. Due to its straighter trajectory (as opposed to the loop of a topspin), it takes a more direct route from point A (contact with the ball) to point B (the first bounce on the other side of the net) and as such, reduces the influence that the wind has on it. This is especially true when the wind is behind you as the ball, staying lower over the net, will not travel as far. Furthermore, on oncoming balls, backspin, with its minimal preparation, allows easier corrections to your swing path in case the ball makes an unexpected wind-induced wobble.
To break up the rhythm: Fabrice Santoro is truly the master of mixing backspins and topspins to vary up the speed and trajectory of the ball within individual rallies. Some opponents find this very difficult to handle especially those who thrive on an evenly-paced ball. These days, players tend to practice one-dimensionally and are often at a loss on how to deal with variations in characteristics of spin and speed. These are the types of players where chipping the ball from time to time can create all kinds of havoc with their timing.
Against tall opponents: Tall players often like tall balls! Backspin is a great way of forcing them to do just what they don’t like: bending over or bending their knees!
Click photo: Most two-handers hit backspin with one hand but note how well Nathalie Dechy disguises this elegant two-handed slice.
When close to the net with a low ball: You will often find yourself in a situation where the opponent has hit a short ball and it will either be low-bouncing or, by the time you get to it, the ball will be below the height of the net. The problem with using topspin in such a situation is that the ball will bounce up on the opponent’s side and could lead to an offensive response from them. Backspin lends itself ideally here because you can respond with a low bouncing shot and it will give you time to either continue up to the net (an approach shot) or retrieve back to the baseline (if you’re not feeling courageous!)
If you use a continental style grip for your ground strokes: The continental grip lends itself ideally to hitting backspin on both backhand and forehand as it allows the racquet face to be presented perpendicular to the ball without having to contort the wrist in all kinds of awkward positions. It is the way that tennis was played originally when it was first invented and is just as applicable today.
Whenever control is preferable to power such as when hitting with someone with inferior playing skills: This is a little “beyond the obvious” and not necessarily related to competitive tennis. Backspin is a great shot to use when you are trying to help someone improve. Teaching pros use it opulently because it gives their students more time to set up for the ball and the bounce being more predictable and slow, it requires less energy for the pro to hit and makes the ball more controllable.
Bonus Reason: To hit the ball into the stands after you’ve won your match! Notice what spin the pros use whenever they are invited to hit their match balls into the crowds.
So, here you have it: 30 reasons why backspin is just as relevant now as it was forty years ago. 30 reasons why a player who doesn't know how to backspin is like a car with a missing wheel. 30 reasons why every practice session needs to integrate an element of control, not just power hitting. 30 reasons why coaches should strive to develop complete players instead of one dimensional robots. 30 reasons why the backspin can create problems for the opponent and solve your own. 30 reasons why the backspin helps players of all levels and abilities. And…30 reasons why the backspin is making a comeback at the top level.
The backspin is dead, long live the backspin!
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Philippe Azar is a professional with Peter Burwash International (PBI) and has been teaching tennis internationally for more than 15 years. He is presently based at Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club in Japan.
PBI contracts with resorts, hotels and clubs all over the world to direct tennis programs.The company presently has professionals working at 62 facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean. During its 30 years in business, PBI tennis professionals have taught tennis to over three million students in more than 135 countries.
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