Stan Wawrinka: Breaking down his One-Handed Backhand

Stan Wawrinka not only has the best looking backhand on tour but it's also his signature shot and it's deadly. Let's have a close look to understand what makes it so efficient. First, interesting fact, which is something I always insist on, Stan starts his preparation early. As you can see, his racket starts his movement backwards at the same time that his legs are starting to move. The goal is to always be on top of the ball rather than letting the ball control you. There are two ways to end up in a close stance. The first is to move the left leg backwards and the second is to move the right leg forward. As you can see, Stan is choosing the second option which is the most offensive one. Let's focus on his right foot and see how he attacks the ground with his heel first. This improves the bodyweight transfer from the back to the front foot. In other words, when his entire sole touches the ground, it creates a natural movement from back to front. The racket head makes a circular movement, first pointing at the sky, see how much his left arm is helping pull the racket back and then dropping it at the ball level. His left elbow is going far behind, giving a sense of space to the whole motion. Now look, contrary to what a lot of other players do, Stan keeps his arm straight all the way. It is something not very usual as it is more difficult to create pace like this. We all know how powerful Stan's backhand is, so how does he compensate the lack of power due to the straight arm? First, he has a very strong wrist action. His racket head makes a big loop and accelerates a lot just before hitting the ball. But the biggest action is his shoulders. The moment the racket is in touch with the ball, Stan's body starts to rotate and his shoulder plays a big role in guiding the ball. This is possible because his left arm doesn't go the opposite direction, which would block the shoulder. It stays close to his body and somewhat follows the right arm. This is a big difference between Stan and other players' one-handed backhands. The bodyweight transfer is very strong because thanks to the orientation of his foot, his knee bends in the direction of the net, allowing the maximum weight dispatch. The topspin effect is made by the orientation of the racket head that makes a 45-degree angle with the ground when it touches the ball. Now it's your turn to show me your one-handed backhand.