Incredible Wheelchair Tennis Forehand & Backhand Technique (World #2 Alfie Hewett)

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Incredible Wheelchair Tennis Forehand & Backhand Technique (World #2 Alfie Hewett)
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Thank you Court Level Tennis for allowing me to use this video: • Wheelchair Tennis Prac...
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You got this!

[@2MinuteTennis]

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[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

Ryan, it's so cool to hear you nerd out on wheelchair tennis - you honor us, sir! I played both (before and after spinal cord injury) so I can personally attest to just how incredibly frickin difficult it really is. In fact, I was a fairly decent club player in my younger days (3.5/4.0) and I *completely SUCK!* at wheelchair. The difficulty of chair propulsion and positioning, the calculation of multiple, simultaneously-changing vectors, ball recognition, reading/producing spins (hell, we're only 4 1/2" tall in the chair- if you can't spin, you can't serve), it's just unimaginable. Literally, you can't imagine what it's like until you try it. *Hitting the ball is probably the easiest thing we do.* But wheelchair, just like big boy tennis, is a cruel mistress. Despite my pitiful level of ability and equally miserable results, I LOVE THIS GAME! It showed up at a very dark time for me and completely turned my life around. The competitiveness, physical conditioning and comradery has given me a reason to get out of bed in the morning (a very reasonable way to start the day!). The respect and recognition we are afforded by modern society - all of you kind people - goes a LONG way to re-instilling the self-confidence and self-worth to which Life had previously handed out a WWF-style "beat down". So thank you everybody, and especially you, Ryan.

[@edgarvidriales2236]

So I used to play able-bodied and now play wheelchair. Keeping the same grip for forehand and backhand is very useful since your non-hitting hand is busy working the chair. I had a one-handed backhanded standing, and am so glad I did.

[@AkatsukiShadow]

Dude his timing is insane, just seen a wimbledon highlight and he ripped a forehand dtl. Nasty...

[@ognqski]

Thanks for video. Amazing individuals. Thanks for the post. Very humbling.

[@2MinuteTennis]

They’re truly remarkable athletes

[@LowUTR]

It just goes to show how rotation of the torso (hips, abdominals and obliques) is the main driver of power, not "moving forward", a "pronated wrist", or "bending your knees". Knee bend allows for a more forceful trunk rotation, but it is a minor component. This amazing fellow is maximizing 2 out of the 3 and showing what can be done.

[@2MinuteTennis]

I agree with you

[@gabrielhook3609]

Ryan... Greetings from Greece.. "we got this" I really really enjoy your teaches keep it up🥳🥳🥳🎾🎾🎾

[@carriecleary9650]

This is an inverted backhand & many of us use it😉

[@ElliotLove]

Yeah, that's a very common backhand; we call it the "inverted backhand. You mention that it's almost like hitting a forehand, and it basically is. It's the same grip we use to hit a forehand, so we don't have to switch between grips regardless of if it's a forehand or backhand. Switching grips can take time that we might not have since we're using that hand to push as well as hit the ball, so keeping the same grip for both a forehand and backhands is more efficient. Inverted backhands aren't always the best choice depending on angles, speed, and force, so there are times when a continental grip and more "traditional" backhand is used. But with not having to change grips and the inverted backhand being pretty versatile, it's a very natural backhand for wheelchair tennis players.

[@robbliss1130]

Ryan - Yes...you are correct. I am a wheelchair tennis player. It is called the "one handed topspin" backhand and we try to not swich grips too much. All the rules are the same except we get 2 bounces (if we need it). We use a "hub" V pattern with the chair for rallies as well.

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

Hey Rob, I play the Sit-Down Game as well. I've often heard it called the "reverse backhand", but I never really understood that one. It's more of an "upside-down backhand", if you ask me. You strike the ball with the handle up/head down, hence "upside-down". It's actually a good way to hit the ball, but don't tell anybody! 😁 Good (wheelchair) tennis to you, sir!

[@miketang7533]

Amazing athletes 👍🎾

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

At the top of the game, sure. The rest of us are fat slobs just like your average weekend stand-up tennis player. 😉

[@abarekilla]

Wheelchair tennis always has amazed me. You think playing regular tennis is hard enough right?

[@paddlepower888]

They can hit the ball after two bounces , but I’ve seldom seen players on KZbin needing it.

[@abarekilla]

@@paddlepower888 agree. Two ball bounce seldom seen in my observation as well. Amazing technical and physical skill.

[@edgarvidriales2236]

As a wheelchair player who used to be an able-bodied player…it’s a lot different. I’m not going to say more skill, but definitely not less.

[@abarekilla]

@@edgarvidriales2236 upper body strength and stamina must play a big part. Where as being a normal player leg speed and movement is key. Take care and keep playing tennis, it’s good for the soul!

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

@@abarekilla As a soulless wheelchair tennis player, I object to your comment! 😈

[@山田花子-l1s]

Believe it or not, the same grip is used for all shots in soft tennis. So his backhand swing reminds me of it. "For all shots" means that the back face of the racket is used for backhand stoke, and the front face is used for backhand volley! BTW, I personally believe soft tennis popularity in Japanese junior high schools is one of the reasons why we don't see more world-level Japanese tennis players. It's so difficult to get rid of soft tennis habits, as I am experiencing it.

[@paddlepower888]

I learned something new. thanks. from Google: What is soft tennis vs tennis? Soft tennis is a sport that is essentially the same as lawn tennis, but is played with a softer ball as opposed to a hard yellow ball used for lawn tennis. The sport originated in Japan where a softball was preferred over the harder ball. With half the weight and the same diameter as a tennis ball, the soft-tennis ball has far greater air resistance, so it flies more slowly, making it easier to run down, with more time to execute a stroke and less chance of hitting it too far.

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

@山田花子 I hear you brother! Tennis habits are so hard to unlearn, that's why they all say learning correct form right from the start is so important! I play wheelchair, but I played regular tennis before and I have a REALLY hard time changing very basic habits, such as: stopping to hit the ball! In regular tennis, you STOP and set up for the incoming ball. In wheelchair, you are supposed to roll through the shot. Here's another one: turning you back on the opponent! In wheelchair, you are supposed to turn after to hit the ball and push back to the "Hub", an imaginary spot about two metres behind the baseline. I just can't get these basic tenets of wheelchair tennis into my thick skull! Man, I gotta learn how to walk again so I can play regular tennis! (Joking) Later, good (soft) tennis!

[@ElliotLove]

​@@JamesDavisakaRemguyBut as you're turning your back to the opponent to go back to the hub, you're looking back over your shoulder, so you can still see what's going on so you can verify where the ball went and set up for the next shot. If you don't head back to the hub, then you're stuck out in mid court where you're not going to have time to see where the ball is going and get to it even with two bounces, vs if you're back at the hub or behind the baseline, you have plenty of time to see and get to the ball in time (which is why you don't often see top level wheelchair players regularly needing the two bounces). Doing hub drills helps with both the things you mentioned - setting up the shot by rolling to it and often through it, then turning while looking over your shoulder to keep your eye on the ball as you head back to the hub to set up for the next shot. We (where I play) often use the hub drill as a warmup because it helps drill (pun intended) those concepts into you and establish muscle memory so that turning and looking backwards becomes natural.

[@LowUTR]

And yet, like always, you are obsessed with the grip, when it is such a minor component. Sometimes you don't seem to understand the physics (you should watch more One Minute Tennis and Powerflail). Otherwise you wouldn't de-emphasize it so often.

[@2MinuteTennis]

Thanks for watching!

[@JamesDavisakaRemguy]

@@2MinuteTennis The grip is a minor component? I want what HE'S smokin'!! It only dictates where the ball goes. Other than that, yes, it is entirely meaningless. (As was his comment.) Keep up the good work, Ryan, your channel is amazing!

[@LifeIsGoodThankYouGod]

how do these wheelchair play do not get tennis elbow injury..... very cool..... so can hit just with your arm ?