Federer is Back, I hope.

I'm watching Federer make quick work of Gonzalez in the U.S. Open. His sluggish start is seemingly gone and the 70+ percentage of his first serve going in is his strength. He seems to be sailing through the match. His forehand is back on track for this match and I hope this is a portent of his results in this tournament.

In less than an hour and a half he won the match. Watching Federer trade strong groundstrokes from the baseline and then fluidly move to the net to close the point is reminiscent of some of the best of the past eras. As much as I like to see Nadal become a strong rival I hope that Federer can again reach number one.

Two Handed Backhands

Standard Two Handed Backhand Grip

Grips used for each of these can vary, but here are examples. The most common one is the continental grip combined with an eastern forehand grip. The dominant side generally holds a continental while the opposite side uses an actual forehand grip, usually eastern. This method allows flexibility in the finish, offering greater wrist mobility and the option of moving to a one handed backhand for a hard to reach ball. The continental also sets up the possibility of a slice backhand for high balls or very wide ones. (Continental=serve grip, grab the handle as if you would use the edge of the frame for the head of a hammer.)

There are a number of reasons to learn a two-handed backhand. Foremost for younger players is the lack of strength many have for holding the racket for a one handed backhand. Adults learn with this for similar reasons or to feel power that they cannot find with poor timing they might have initially with a one handed backhand.

Tennis elbow can force this for adult players and require them to learn a whole new approach to playing tennis that include a loss of reach and more rotation of the body. This rotation may bring about back or disc issues for older adults and should be a consideration when choosing the type of two-handed backhand to develop.

Picture Agassi or Connors with their very rigid rotation of their bodies when hitting the backhand. Both of them developed back problems over the years and it is likely that their backhands contributed to these problems.

Imagine Borg with his loose free flowing stroke, and limited rotation. This type of backhand is ideally suited to adults, especially those with existing back issues. Much of the racket velocity is accomplished by the forearms and upward lift versus the rotational velocity derived from the firmly held two handed backhand.

Double Forehand Grip

This method of gripping the racket changes a few things. One is reduced flexibility, though it can be a more powerful stroke, and it is often the one used by the rigid rotation backhands. The downside of this approach is the poor grip, very weak, for reaching volleys and wide balls that require a reversion to a one handed reach. Try hitting a backhand volley or ground stroke with one hand using an eastern forehand grip and you will be convinced of this problem.

Court Surfaces

The various court surfaces available are different in texture, bounce, and speed.

In terms of playability, each surface has a advantages over the other depending on need and circumstance.

Clay courts have a slower and often unpredictable bounce, but offer less shock to the legs and more time to get to the ball. This surface is especially suitable for older players since it is easy on the joints and back. I prefer clay for that reason, if no other.

Rubberized Base courts have a slow, almost hollow bounce, but give the cushion to the legs that hard courts do not. This is my second choice for playing while trying to prevent joint wear and injuries.

Hard courts offer a reliable bounce, fast response, and low long term maintenance effort. I used to love them, but do see that these courts favor the young, fast, and flexible. If you have back, joint problems, or arthritis, these courts let you know it quickly.

Continental Grip - The all around tennis grip.

With the big looping forehands in use today by the top players and many juniors it seems as if the continental grip is discounted as a relic of the past. True, it is no longer the grip of choice by professionals since the serve and volley game has almost disappeared while slower surfaces are dominated by heavy topspin western grip ground stroke players.

Where does this leave the lonely continental grip player? They are not necessarily lost. A doubles player can play a whole match with one grip if the grip is continental. Moderate topspin, easy slice and lobs, and natural under-spin volleys and drop shots are just a few of the benefits. Fast exchanges are handled easily when grip changes aren't needed. Lack of power is not an issue in most league or amateur doubles matches since guile and control carry equal weight.

Singles players used to playing against loopy forehands are often so befuddled by the flat and under-spin variations from continental grip players that it has an effect of wrecking their timing. It sometimes pays to be that lone dinosaur out there with a bag of tricks not regularly seen in the past two decades. Also, most players that have played continental can still work up the topspin when needed.

As a teacher, I can tell you that I generally use this grip on all shots to reduce spin and speed generation when working drills with students.

How to get a continental grip. If you know how to drive a nail, you know how to get a continental grip. Visualize using the edge of the racket as a hammer. This is also known as the serve grip.

To sum this up, if you have always used this grip, staying with it is not much of a handicap unless you are going on the tour. For the rest of us, it adds another dimension to what has become a one dimensional approach to tennis, the heavy topspin format.

If you want to become an all court player, learn to use the continental.