Serve with your backhand rather than your forehand: a gesture that is sometimes seen - but rarely - among professionals.

Spanish Paquito Navarro practices it when it serves on the left, as does the Brazilian Lucas Campagnolo, sometimes. Before them, this was also the case of the Argentinian Sebastian Nerone, No. 1 worldwide in the early 2000s. Among girls, the specialist is called Carolina Navarro. On the French side, Adrien Maigret sometimes practices this type of service.

 

service lapel maigret tison

Among amateurs also, we sometimes meet players who engage on the backhand, with more or less fortune. Why did they make this choice? Here are at least four!

Easier to print effects

Whether it is forehand or backhand, it is advisable to give the service ball a cut or sliced ​​effect, so that its rebound is lower. This is done by moving up and down, with the racket head being almost horizontal. However, this gesture is more natural and more effective on the backhand side, while it requires a twist of the wrist on the forehand side, which is rather uncomfortable: moreover, have you often seen good tennis players make cut forehands? Most of the time, the sliced ​​effect will therefore be more efficient on the reverse side, with a bullet that shoots more.

A surprising rebound after the glass

Most servers try to touch the glass to make it harder for the receiver. To achieve it with its reverse is the promise ofa particularly confusing rebound for the opponents: on the one hand because they are more used to relaunching services from a forehand, on the other hand because the more accentuated slice causes the ball to fall more quickly to the ground.

This element of surprise is easier to obtain by serving with a crossed backhand: left side if the server is right-handed, right side if he is left-handed ... Note, however, that good raisers end up, after a few games, getting used to to these bizarre trajectories.

Better ability to vary

The one who serves with his backhand has another asset: that of power vary more than others. It can indeed be used on the window side, on the median line or “on the body”, aiming at the receiver. But he can alternate between a backhand serve and a forehand, which multiplies the combinations and favors the effect of surprise. Add to that, from time to time, a topspin serve with high rebound and your pallet will have something to make the opponent turn pale!

More precision and / or speed

For players whose backhand is the strongest point, using this weapon on engagement is the assurance of superior precision, reliability and often speed. Clearly, a better ability to find the areas sought and to serve fast and low balls able to to speed up the receiver.

Alejandro Galán, current world No. 1, whose backhand is better than the forehand, might benefit from converting to this technique. But he's still young and maybe someday will.

As for you, whatever your age, don't hesitate to give it a try - remembering to throw the ball a little higher and in front of you. And maybe you will know a revelation that will make you change sides ...

Video credit: YouTube KikePadelX3

After 40 years of tennis, Jérôme falls into the pot of padel in 2018. Since then, he thinks about it every morning while shaving… but never shaves pala in hand! Journalist in Alsace, he has no other ambition than to share his passion with you, whether you speak French, Italian, Spanish or English.

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