Technique of Underspin (Slice) Forehands and Backhands:
Underspin, or ‘slice,’ is a crucial skill that tennis players, especially those who predominantly use topspin, need to develop. Unlike topspin, which requires significant racquet speed, the slice is a more controlled shot, beneficial in situations where a player is
under pressure,
cannot produce racquet speed (High one handed backhands),
has a long reach, or
Has limited time and needs to respond quickly.
Overview:
Purpose of Slice:
Slice shots are favored in situations where high racquet speed is not possible, such as reaching for wide or high balls. It provides a controlled and effective response when time is limited, making it a common choice for returns of serve and receiving fast, or high and deep shots.
Effect of Underspin:
Underspin causes the ball to float, opposite to the topspin effect. Excessive underspin, however, can lead to the ball floating beyond the court.
Grip:
The grip for the slice is generally a continental grip, with players sometimes making slight variations based on personal preference. Notably, there’s no need for a grip change between slice forehands and backhands.
Backhand Slice:
More common than the forehand slice, the backhand slice is similar to a backhand volley but slightly larger in motion.
How:For a right-handed player, the left hand on the throat of the racquet draws it back horizontally and above the intended contact point. As the ball arrives, the player brings the racquet down to the ball in an open position. The strings hit slightly under the ball, causing it to rise. Excessive racquet speed can lead to the ball shooting up and out. The racquet begins to close slightly upon contact, affecting the forward motion of the swing and controls the amount of underspin created.
Forehand Slice:
Similar to the volley technique, the racquet lays back horizontally. As it comes forward to the ball, the racquet face flattens to ensure a firm contact, meeting the ball on the underside to create underspin.
Common Error:A common mistake in underspin technique is not having the racquet horizontal enough in the preparation. Keeping the racquet in the same ready position restricts the elbow to provide only downward force, while a more horizontal position allows for the required forward force.
Creating Different Slices:
Just like topspin groundstrokes, players can vary the amount of spin in their slice shots. An aggressive slice involves a flatter contact with little spin, while a more defensive slice has a more open contact, resulting in more spin, more float, and a slower-flying ball.
Importance for All Players:
All players, regardless of their preferred playing style, should equip themselves with a slice to handle situations where generating the racquet speed needed for topspin is not possible. Single-handed backhand players may need the slice when the ball is too high, and double-handed backhand players may use it when the ball is too wide.
Considerations:
While topspin shots allow players to hit with unrestricted racquet speed, the slice requires controlled forward motion. Too much forward motion can result in the spin floating the ball past the baseline.
Similarity to Volley Technique:
The technique for the slice is likened to that of the volley, emphasizing the importance of a controlled and precise motion over excessive racquet speed.
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Technique of Underspin (Slice) Forehands and Backhands
Topspin using tennis players must also develop the ability to slice their groundstrokes. Hitting topspin requires racquet speed. When a player is under pressure and their point of contact is a long reach or high above their heads or very low, and racquet speed is not possible, then attempting topspin will fail.
What is required is a shot that works with a lower racquet speed, this is slice. The underspin of slice will cause the ball to float (opposite of topspin), too much underspin will cause the ball to float beyond the court. This is a shot that favors/requires a lower racquet speed. Two handed backhanders use it to reach wide balls. Single handed backhanders use it when the contact point is too high to create racquet speed. When returning a serve, it is common for a player to have to quickly reach wide or high, and slice is a favored response for this. Slice groundstrokes can be executed in less time than a topspin shot and are there favored when the player has little time, (return of serve, and receiving fast and deep shots.
The Grip: The grip is generally a continental grip with players sometimes choosing a slight varience based on personal preference. A nice advantage of this shot is that no grip change is necessary between slice forehand and slice backhand.
The Backhand stroke: Backhand slice is more common than forehand, because players can create the racquet speed for forehand topsin more easily than backhand, so they will resort to a slice on the backhand more often. Backhand slice is very similiar to the backhand volley however a little bigger.
HOW. A righthanded player will use their left hand on the throat of the racquet as in the ready position. The left hand will draw the racquet back and quite horizontal. As the ball arrives the player brings the racquet to the ball in a very open position so the strings will hit slightly under the ball causing it to rise. Too much racquet speed will cause the ball to shoot up and out. As the racquet approaches the ball it begins to close slightly so the forward motion of the swing affects the forward motion of the ball.. The slightly open position of the strings cause the ball to leave the racquet with an amount of under spin. Just as in Topspin, the player will choose the appropriate amount of spin by varying the swing shape and racquet face position. If an aggressive slice is wanted the contact will be flatter with little spin. If more defensive, the contact will be more open and cause more spin, more float and a slower flying ball. The Forehand slice is also similar to the volley technique. The racquet will lay back quite horizontally and as it comes forward to the ball, the racquet face will flatten to ensure a firm contact but it will still meet the ball on the underside so it causes the ball to underspin.
A common error in underspin technique is not having the racquet horizontal enough in the preparation. If a player simply turns the torso for the shot and leaves the racquet in the same ready position, the elbow will only be able to provide a downward force. When it is laid more horizontally it can provide the required forward force. Just as with volleys, racquet speed is not important in creating most slice shots therefore the turning of the torso is less relavent in producing the shot than simply drawing the racquet back with the arms.
In the same way as topspin groundstrokes enable the player to spin or flatten out the shot at will, so also does the slice stroke. With improvement, the player will develop skills in hitting a flatter or a more spinning slice. All players must equip themselves with a slice to handle those times when it is impossible to produce the racquet speed needed for topspin. Single handed backhand players need the slice backhand when the ball is too high to produce the racquet speed for topspin. Double handed backhand players need the slice backhand when the ball is too wide to create the racquet speed for topspin. A player can hit topspin shots with unrestricted racquet speed. This is not true for the slice. The racquet does need sufficient forward motion, however too much and the spin will float the ball past the baseline. The technique for the slice is similar to that of the volley.