The backhand stroke is one of the main tennis strokes. It is frequently used during all stages of a tennis match or practice and is therefore an extremely important skill for any tennis player to master. The aim of the shot is to hit the ball over the net and inside the lines on the opponent's side of the court. For the athlete to achieve this, he will need to generate both high racket speed, good hand-eye coordination and precision in ball placement. Thus, transmitting maximum speed to the ball and, at the same time, placing it with precision are major skills that a tennis player always seeks to improve. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe impact force, or the force at the point of contact, that causes the speed of the ball, is determined by the speed of the racket at the point of contact. moment of contact with the ball. At the same time, the maximum speed can only be achieved when the maximum distance is used for acceleration. In simpler terms, this can be described as going backwards. The goal of the backswing is to prepare a longer path for the racquet to travel and create as much momentum as needed in that specific shot. There are two types of backhand strokes commonly used by more advanced tennis players: the straight and the circular. The circular backswing gives the player more power in the shot by extending the trajectory of the racket to the ball; therefore, giving the ball higher momentum at impact. However, circular backtracking is not always beneficial. When the opponent hits the ball with a lot of force and speed, the player may not have enough time to return the ball with a full circular backswing. In attempting to do so, one might hit the ball in an unfavorable position, due to lag with the racket, causing the ball to go in an unintended direction. In this case, a straight backswing might be more appropriate, as this type of swing requires less time. However, a straight backswing will never generate as much speed as a full circle swing. A skilled and advanced player will be able to gauge the right amount of backswing for each ball they hit and will adapt the backhand stroke thereafter. The backhand can be broken down into a large number of different phases depending on how advanced the player is, this essay, however, will focus on the backhand of a beginner to intermediate player, which will be broken down into four phases: The Preparation Phase , the execution phase/backswing, the contact phase and the follow-through. The preparation phase begins with the player facing the net, feet shoulder-width apart and body weight on the forefoot. The knees are slightly bent and the racket is held with both hands in front of the body in alignment with the pelvis. In the second phase, called the backswing phase, the player's entire body turns to the left, with the right shoulder facing the net. . At the same time, the racket is picked up at shoulder level in a straight or circular motion, while the weight of the body rests on the left foot. In the contact phase, the pelvis and spine rotate towards the side of the left foot. court so that the trunk and upper body are now facing the net, and the weight of the entire body is shifted to the right foot as the racket is swung forward and slightly upward, striking the ball in front the body. As an additional producer of speed, the knees begin to extend at the end of this phase and continue toextend into the next and final phase. In the final phase of the tennis backhand, the face of the racket is parallel to the court at the point of impact of the ball, thereby altering the lift of the ball as it continues to swing forward and upward . The arms continue to move up and forward until this movement is no longer possible. The arms then turn towards the right shoulder where the movement ends with the racket resting on the player's right shoulder. As a finishing touch, the knees will extend to the maximum, giving the backhand more power and lift. Anatomical analysis The first phase to analyze is the preparation phase. In the preparation phase, the player faces the net with the racket in both hands in front of the body. The player stands with legs apart, knees slightly bent and body weight forward. In the sagittal plane and bilateral axis, the hamstring group (Biceps femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus) causes the knee joint to flex in a concentric contraction. The player stands on tiptoes, meaning that slight plantar flexion of the ankles occurs in this position. The agonists of plantar flexion are the gastrocnemius and soleus, which perform the concentric contraction in the same plane of motion and axis as knee flexion. In the upper body, the elbows are flexed by the biceps femoris and brachioradialis in a concentric contraction when placed in front of the body facing the net. This also occurs in a sagittal plane and in a bilateral axis. The other major joints of the body remain in an anatomical position during this phase. The second phase is called the execution phase or backswing phase. In this phase, the racket is picked up at shoulder level and the whole body is turned to the side, preparing for the arrival of the ball. In this phase, horizontal adduction of the right shoulder occurs at the same time as horizontal abduction of the left shoulder. All of this occurs in the transverse plane of movement on the longitudinal axis, and it is the concentric contraction of the anterior deltoid and pectoralis major that allows horizontal adduction, and of the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus that creates horizontal abduction. This action causes a twisting movement in the upper body which allows the racket to be brought back. The next major joint movement occurs at the elbow. Elbow flexion occurs in the sagittal plane on the bilateral axis. Concentric contraction of the biceps brachii and brachioradialis causes this action. This action allows the racket to be brought across the body. From there, we move from the joints of the upper limbs to the joints of the lower limbs. Internal rotation of the right hip occurs when the left foot steps back to position the body sideways with the right shoulder facing the net. Hip rotation occurs in the transverse plane and vertical axis and is moved in a concentric contraction by the tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius. This movement causes the lower body to twist and also prepares the body to hit the incoming tennis ball. The next joints to talk about in this phase are the knee joints. The knee joints do not flex or extend during this entire phase, they remain in isometric contraction. Finally, the ankles are plantar flexed in the sagittal plane and in the transverse axis. The gastrocnemius and soleus are the muscles that contract concentrically to allow this to happen. In the third phase of the backhand movement, the upper body rotates while the lower body shifts its weight toward the right leg and foot. ForFor the body to apply these movements, a number of joints in the body must move, thus giving them movement. Starting from the top going down; the infraspinatus and teres minor perform a concentric contraction, resulting in external rotation of the right shoulder joint in a transverse plane and vertical axis. At the same time, the left shoulder joint, moved by the pectoralis major, deltoids, subscapularis and latissimus dorsi in a concentric contraction, performs internal rotation in the same plane and axis at the level of the right shoulder joint. In the third phase, both elbows extend until they reach the point of contact with the ball. The main driver of this action is the Triceps Trachii, which contracts concentrically in a sagittal plane and vertical axis. Another muscle that helps with this movement is the Anconeus, located like the Triceps Brachii on the back of the arm. Shifting the lower body and shifting weight to the right leg is a response to movements in the hip joints. The externally rotated right hip consists of the iliopsoas, Sartorius, and gluteus maximus in a concentric contraction. And the internal rotation of the left hip joint is the Gluteus Mimimus in a concentric contraction. Both hip rotations occur in the transverse plane and in the vertical axis. As we go lower in the movement, we meet the knees. Both knee joints extend during the contact phase, giving the backhand more power and lift. The main driver of this movement is the rectus femoris, located on the anterior part of the upper leg, between the knee and the hip joint. The rectus femoris performs a concentric contraction in the sagittal plane and the bilateral axis. Finally, in the third phase, there is the ankle joint, or more precisely the left ankle joint, where the gastrochnemius and soleus contract concentrically, resulting in plantar flexion of the ankle in the plane sagittal and bilateral axis while the player's weight is shifted to the right foot and leg. In the fourth and final phase of the backhand, little movement occurs in the lower body. The only joints that play a primary role are the knee joints, which perform extension. This action is performed by the rectus femoris in a concentric contraction in a sagittal plane and a bilateral axis. However, in the upper body, movement occurs in several joints. From flexion of the elbows, the Biceps Brachii, assisted by the Brachioradialis, contracts concentrically in a sagittal plane and a bilateral axis. The shoulder joints continue their movement from the previous phase, internal and external rotation, as the arms strike the ball and continue to their final position resting on the right shoulder. The wrists are the last joints on this list. At the same time as the right wrist is hyperextended, the left wrist deviates radially. These two movements are caused by the Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus and the Extensor Carpi Brevis in a concentric contraction. Like any movement performed in sports, the backhand swing also presents a number of safety concerns. There are a number of mechanical errors that can be made during the swing, which in turn can harm the speed and accuracy of the ball. One of the most common mistakes is having a bad grip when transitioning from the forehand grip to the backhand grip. To solve this problem, you can use a grip that is between the forehand and backhand grips and which.