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THE PENHOLD REVERSE BACKHANDBy Richard McAfee, USATT Certified National Coach Traditionally, penhold players used just one side of their racket, held in a pen like grip. This grip produces a very strong forehand style of play with a rather cramped, less versatile backhand. Perhaps the most innovative new stroke technique of the last ten years has been the development of the Penhold Reverse Backhand. First made famous by former Olympic and World Champion, Liu Guoliang, this stroke has now become standard fare for almost all penhold players. This stroke has revolutionized the penhold style by allowing penhold players to develop backhand techniques that are as strong as their shakehands counterparts. The advantages of this stroke are:
Stroke Description The name of the stroke, the Reverse Backhand, describes the stroke. Using the traditional penhold grip, the racket’s regular playing surface is rotated towards the player, which makes the reverse side (backhand side) point towards the opponent. The player then executes a very traditional backhand stroke, loop or counter.
Learning the Stroke When first learning this stroke, you will probably find the wrist position somewhat awkward. However, it should not take long before it begins to feel natural. Your Newgy Robot is the perfect practice partner when learning this or any new stroke technique. Key Stroke Elements:
Stroke VideosOur thanks to Phillip Gustavson, Atlanta, GA, for volunteering to demonstrate the
Reverse Penhold Strokes. Phillip is unusual, as he is a native American player
who decided to learn the penhold style. Phillip plays a traditional penhold
pips-out hitting game combined with strong reverse backhand loops and smashes. Video One – Penhold Reverse Backhand Loop Against Chop You will notice how much this stroke resembles the shakehands backhand loop. Phillip starts the stroke low between the legs and generates a lot of lift with his legs. Also notice that he contacts the ball at the top of the bounce (do not let it descend). He then strokes towards his target, using mostly the forearm.
Notice the natural closed
position of the racket that the Reverse Backhand Grip produces. This makes
counter driving and smashing very easy against topspin. Remember to hit flat,
pressing through the ball, and not letting the wrist “roll over”. Also notice,
how early Phillip is contacting the ball.
Conclusion Ten years ago, many coaches felt that the penhold style of play would soon die out as the backhand was just not strong enough to keep pace with the development of the strong backhand loops of the shakehand players. The Reverse Penhold Backhand has changed all that. Players such as Ma Lin and Wang Hao of China, exponents of this new style, are at the top of the World Rankings. Regardless of your level of play, if you are a penholder, you should strive to add this new technique to your game. It will open up a new world of possibilities for your style and your opponents will not know what hit them.
Courtesy of Newgy Industries Copyright © 2002 Newgy Industries. All rights reserved. |
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Last Update : 10 July, 2004 Copyright © 2001-2006 Ertan Patir Webmaster : |