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Develop
Consistency
for the Backhand
Contact Point
The ball is away from the
body and out off of the front foot for maximum power. The wrist will
naturally snap and the racquet head should be level. Notice that the
feet are spread apart and balanced. . The elbow is straight and fully
extended.
The contact point is between knee and mid-thigh height, not
ankle high. Because hitting around ankle height causes a pendulum swing
which makes your backhand inconsistent. Hitting the ball out away from
your body will keep the ball flatter as well as increase power
tremendously. In practice, drop the ball out away from your body and
slightly in front of your front toes.
Drop the ball straight and not
into the sidewall, because it will make the ball come into the body and
causing the elbow to come in as well. Remember that when your step to
hit the ball it will adjust your body position, therefore you must drop
it in front of you so you have room to step into it. Practice extending
for the ball, but maintaining balance.
Follow Through
The follow through is
level after the contact of the ball and rises to about shoulder level.
The racquet, however, is away from the body and not close to the head.
This will keep the ball on a level plane and minimize the chances of the
ball flying on you.
The follow through is the culmination of a
consistent and efficient swing that will improve your game by four or
five points per game. Concentrate on keeping the racquet head parallel
to the ground throughout the swing.
You can visualize that you are
hitting the ball off of a table and you have to keep the racquet level
in order to hit the ball. The follow through will naturally rise
slightly to about shoulder, so that is OK.
Source: Racquetball Magazine.
March/April 1998. Ektelon Performance Series. The Evolution of the
Backhand. Mike Guidry. Pages 42-47.
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