Interactive Forum February 2017: Alexander Zverev: Two Handed Backhand

[John Yandell]

Alexander Zverev: Two Handed Backhand

Many observers feel that the 20 year old German with the Russian family background, Alexander Zverev, has unlimited potential, with effortless power on his serve, forehand, and his super smooth two-handed backhand.

Take a look particularly at his backhand grips and the subtle rotation of the top hand toward the continental. Who does that remind you of? Is that an "ATP" backswing? What do you say about his hitting arms and extension and stances?

Tennisplayer--the only place to get this kind of look at world class strokes!

[John Yandell]

Alexander Zverev: Two Handed Backhand

[stotty]

I like his backhand. It's good one. It has stood up to the Nadal test with flying colours. Any backhand that can do that must be an outstanding one.

He has both elbows very bent as he initiates the take back, and the shaft stands up real vertical at the end of the backswing. A kid I teach does this and he pulls it off too. I haven't seen the shot live, only on TV, but it looks a flat strike? He definitely looks a born two-hander and looks comfortable hitting off every stance.

He needs to put a bit of weight on. He has legs like toothpicks. He looks tall? How tall is he?

[tommyhorton]

I am no expert on the two hander, but that is a sweet backhand. Some things that jump out is how athletic this big guy is. He has a nice wide stance, stay low and moves in all directions well. His raquet stays in front and stacked up on his unit turn so has a nice flow throughout the shot. I would say racket stacked early, but not racket back early. Has great extension on his followthru with his left arm. Soft hands like butter. Back to the superbowl, go Falcons!

[vrc10s]

Great balance on all the backhands. His head is very still in most of them.

[nickw]

I love this backhand, great to see it in high speed for the first time. Djokovic was always the best model of technical excellence on the two-hander for me, until I saw this guy. Look how smooth that take-back is, the arms and racket are pretty much set right from ready position, they hardly change shape right to the end of the takeback. For me, that's helping build excellent rhythm and timing. The racket pointing vertical is the clearest difference between him and a Djokovic, and for me, this position must be increasing racket acceleration, and in turn potential power. He can hit it flat, and with topspin, and I've seen him do both incredibly effectively. ATP backswing? Definitely. Extension, excellent, although I think you may see him get a bit more when he is in live match mode as opposed to practice court. The grips seem extremely solid to me, looks a bit of a quirk when he shifts that top hand ever so slightly, sometimes after the start of the backswing. Who it reminds me of? No idea, someone else can answer that one.

[hockeyscout]

Terrific player - best 19-year old I have ever seen. He astonished me the first time I saw him play. Special player, and I think when he is in his prime the court is going to seem very small for him and big for everyone else. Physically he is everything you want in a tennis player. Perfect body and range for the game. Covers so much ground. Impressive.

[sjhara]

I think having Zverev’s truly sound backhand follow last month’s David Goffin’s forehand is very informative.
If Goffin’s forehand is a modern ATP forehand, then Zverev’s is the epitome of a modern ATP backhand
with the tip of the racquet not back, but relaxed forward and vertical (particularly seen at 1:42+ in the quicktime version).
To me the hands have a Andre Agassi feel, but the tip is not so vertical or laid forward as in Zverev’s.