Stan Wawrinka: Breaking down his One-Handed Backhand

Don’t forget Stan has strong legs,the hips

This leg part is amazing! I'm having tons of problems with my 1hbh because I'm always trying to hit it the offensive way, and when im trying to make defensive shots, I'm always one step behind

Thanks for the tips, definitely will try it on my class tomorrow

Not sure why he should "compensate" for his straight arm...

To me it's the fact he extends his arm at the contact point that GIVES him power.

All his weight, torque and body rotation goes into the shot BECAUSE his arm is extended 😎

Edit: try hitting a forehand with a crocodile arm and see if you have power (answer: you will not)

Great coaching. In mind I look like Stan but I'm sure the reality is far from it 😂.

1. there is no ":wrist part" - its forearm rotation part - supination - the wrist is blocked and rotates 2. its a stretch - release action - you stretch going back with hand and going forward with shoulder the gap widens- then the arm catches up - the stretched muscles are mostly the back muscle and supinator and biceps brachii muscles

Easily the best one handed backhand of all time

Hi, How about Roger Federer? he is actually good for one Backhand and has amazing skills?

great analysis ,i notice his core, hips coiling before stretch arm on contact adds to that power .could you please give more insight on the grip change, how changing the grip effect say cross court direction and spin generation. thanks coach

Merci for the left arm thing!

Great video Mr Patrick, Merci beaucoup pour l'information, top analyse.

LOL that he contacts the ball at a 45 degree angle. 🙄 I’d he did the ball would hit the ground and never make it near the net. Next time freeze frame at the exact point of impact not after. Topspin is generated because the racket is going from lower than the ball to higher. Period.

Nice

I used to play as a single handed backhand. However I've decided to change my play with two handed backhand. It seems like the two handed backhand is easier to control and point the target. However I'm struggling when the ball is near to the body. Meanwhile for single handed backhand, the power and top-spin is there. I can reach the ball easier compare with two handed backhand. However, I'm struggling to control and having not enough time to to hit the ball. Just my opinion based on my experience playing amateur tennis for about 30 years.

All he does is rotate. Doesn't go forward. Wrist action probably never came up during he's development. Just plant and rotate, the physics tennis. Not easy, but that simple.

Guess it's time to show you my one hundred backhand 🥴😂.......jk

Best Backhand ever

The best backhand 🔝🔥

Best ,yes. Aesthetically, no. Federer, Dimitrov and Gasguet imo.

I have got some of Stan's Backhand up and running.

Racquet tip pointing up toward sky in so the shoulders line up with the ball: YES
Swinging the racquet keeping it close by the body as Stan does, YES. I use a Compact swing.
Extending the arm out into the ball when it comes in YES.

However when I reach this point, I prefer to just Turn butt to finish than bring the arm up in the finish

As Stan's Backhand is a pretty physically demanding backhand...

Gasquet has best looking looking backhand. Stan most powerful.

Can you please also analyse Thiem's backhand? There aren't any good videos out there honestly

One hundred backhand😂

Gracias por desgranar el golpe.

awesome vid - thanks mate

I mean, some of what he's saying is dubious. The shot they picked to do this video is actually a slight mishit, LOL. The ball makes contact with the bottom part of the racket, quite off-center. That in turn makes the racket "wobble", and that's what makes the racket make the 45 degree angle AFTER it hits the ball. If you pause it exactly at the moment of contact, the racket is MUCH more straight, almost perpendicular, like 85 degrees. The topspin here is achieved not by racket face orientation, but the low-to-high movement of the racket.

Sadly it is almost extinct

Roger’s slice backhand is better than Stan’s.

I have a similar body type as Stan Wawrinka...My back hand style is quite similar, obviously no where near the consistency and power. We have huge legs (read quads) and wide hips and are capable of exploding with rotational movements. Also we are a bit stocky with very wide and powerful chest and our necks are wide and muscular. Kind of the mike tyson of tennis lol

The backhand that won him 2 grand slams in the era of GOATS. Amazing.

45 degrees. Really?

Has it ever been confirmed if Stan is right-eye dominant? Has Patrick ever mentioned this? It would explain how he's able to hit the one handed backhand so well even with a closed stance. And it would give me a perfect excuse as to why I can't hit it like Stan can 😂

This and Nadal‘s forehand are the most beautifully devastating shots in Tennis

His secret is that he’s stronger than everyone in a very specific way while still having good shoulder mobility. The straight arm gives him consistency and he is almost always moving forward when hitting because he’s strong enough to do that. He takes the ball early ish and is strong enough to do this even when the ball is high(for the most part). With his technique can’t snap and slap the ball the way thiem does but it’s better to have Stan’s solid power with consistency and leaning forward than thiems highlight jumping falling backers.

Guga Kuerten backhand was even more efficient than Stan’s.
Maybe you could do some analysis as well :)

is he left eye dominant?

A legendary backhand. I’m surprised his lack of extension with the left arm doesn’t lead to over rotation.

45 degrees 😂

I think Gasquet has the best backhand technically. The reason Wawrinka's backhand is such a weapon from the baseline is because of his trunk width/strength and torso rotation. In short, he's built like a truck and uses this powerful and heavy torso to rotate heavily into the shot.. more than anyone else. Federer and Dimitrov have more of a classic technique where they extend their left arm to stay sideways. Gasquet is a little bit somewhere in between however why I value his backhand the most is because his backhand is exactly a big reason why he had such a career WHILE being nothing special physically.

He's not as athletic and nimble and physically gifted as Fed or Dimi and he's nowhere near as strong as Stan. So to have a backhand on that highest level while being like an average 'joe' compared to these guys means that your backhand has to be technical perfection because you have no other leverage.

He also has nice variety on it, and I honestly think that if his forehand was as good as his backhand or better (like the other guys), and if he was as physically gifted and had the athletics or strength of the other guys he'd be a multiple grand slam champion for sure. That's how great his backhand is for that level and compared to the rest of his game.

Glad to hear from an expert what I was thinking about others backhand. For me Federer always counter swings with his left arm while playing topspin backhands as if he was hitting a slice. Stan swings through and doesn't let his left arm stop the flow.

He hits with his left side extremely well. He times his pivot into the shot beautifully. Great footwork is the key. He has deceptively quick feet for his size and moves extremely well.

Imagine if Wawrinka and Henin had a baby. Ultimate one hand backhand machine!

Analyzing his power without his hip rotation? Wrist flick? I dunno, it's kinda missed from the actual things Stan does.

Guys like Patrick aren’t genuine coaches , they don’t put things in context nor give any player step by step instructions with feedback . Anybody can make such an analysis . FYI having a straighter arm gives you more width which equates to more speed . When you are trying to learn the biomechanics of a one handed backhand pull a cable from behind your left pocket for a right handed or a band , across your body with same alignment as if playing tennis . You will feel the ground hips torso and shoulder engage . Something he didn’t mention is that for each stroke a player must first identify their contact point and spacing for maximum compression . Anyway such convoluted verbal advice as by this businessman actually hurts players because learning tennis has to be developed naturally with feeback and feels not jumbled ideas . A great tip for anyone is study and imitate John McEnroe and learn to play connected by timing the knees and large muscle groups , add the new advanced arm motion to that locked in swing later . Stan l’s backahnd is indeed extremely powerful mostly because of how he utilizes his lower body and his ability to strike the ball at his desired contact point ( anticipation ) while staying down longer and using ground reactions forces better than most . If u are genuine about learning tennis or a pro looking for a real edge contact me and first learn the function of the brain in relation to learning

What about his western forehand grip playing backhand

Actually thats pretty much my backhand but i do a slice when hitting the ball...i havent figured out how to topspin it. Either it goes down on the floor or up to the roof😮

Excellent observations...thanks for posting