Below is some text from the 1922 coaching book ‘Lawn Tennis Do’s & Dont’s’ by A E Crawley, with it’s eccentric and amusing technical advice on hitting a backhand. What a difference 85 years makes!

Judging by the photo on the book, knee bend was not a priority in 1922!

“To practise this backhand grip, and thereby the backhand strokes, it is best to begin with a very bent arm and do some ‘tapping’ at the net. The bending and straightening of the arm come quite easily, and there you have the kernel of the backhand strokes. It is the same stroke as in jiu-jitsu, in which you strike with the heel of the hand the adversary’s jugular, and knock him senseless. Many good players hit the backhand drive with the arm only slightly bent; for half-volleys and rising balls this is all right, but otherwise it is too slow, and always lacks ‘punch.’ Especially in backhand volleys is the ‘punch’ essential, and this ‘punch’ is the development of the tap-tapping referred to above. It is quite natural that the punch of the backhand drive should depend more on arm-work than does that of the forehand because the arm bends different ways in the two strokes. But body-movement can easily be cultivated in the backhand, after you have mastered the ’smack’ from the bent arm.”

So there it is - all you need to do is practise your tap-tapping and jiu-jitsu chop and your backhand will knock your opponent senseless - or something like that!

John Key

The Return of the King!

It was a truly great moment to witness the return of the great Bjorn Borg to Wimbledon’s centre court. There always was and still is now, an air of mystique and intrigue surrounding the viking of tennis. The blonde hair is now greying but he still looks supremely fit.

I can remember in the late seventies being at Queens Club for the tournament - Borg never played the event but on this occassion happened to just turn up at the club. As he wandered in wearing a big fur coat the place changed instantly. The buzz swept through the club like a Mexican wave. No other player had the same impact as the ‘god’ like Borg.

His Wimbledon arrival in 1973 brought scenes normally associated with The Beatles. Never before had screaming girls run across the hallowed turf just to catch a closer glimpse of a player. The Fila striped tennis shirt, the long blonde hair, the Wimbledon stubble, the topspin and the pop star looks all became synominous with Bjorn Borg.

I was so sure that he’d win yet another Wimbledon title, that early on in the tournament I would start to wonder what he’d do when he won the championship point. Maybe he’d fall to his knees again or raise his hands to the gods.

It certainly was a sad day in 1983 when Borg decided he’d hit his last passing shot on the pro tour. (see Scoop Interview With A Shy, Retiring Star).

Even if the great Roger Federer has equalled Borg’s Wimbledon record, Borg’s ability to constantly win back-to-back French and Wimbledon titles is a record that will not easily be broken.

Welcome back Bjorn!

The Backhand

His backhand was a classic left-handed two-fisted shot, played with two forehand grips. There was no rotation of the grip that we see in today’s game. Because of the grips, generating topspin was virtually impossible. Instead, Jimbo relied on heavy, flat, accurate hitting with very little margin for error. His follow-through was right at the target. (see ‘How on earth did Jimmy Connors play with a Wilson T2000 racquet?‘)

His set-up for the shot was superb due mainly to his excellent movement and anticipation. His fabulous knee bend produced a solid foundation from which to strike the ball. (see ‘Backhand knee bend - the secret ingredient‘)

He also possessed a great ability to change the pace. This contrast in his hitting made the big shots even more effective. He also had an uncanny ability to ghost into the net behind what seemed like an average paced backhand. His timing when doing this was crucial, as surprise was the name of the game - nine times out of ten he was spot on.

Jimmy often practised at Queens Club in London and as a young member, I was in my element when I arrived at the club to find him on the court. I would take up my position on the bench next to the court and not move - taking in every last drop of the experience until he left the court. His work ethic during practice was second to none (being a youngster - I also learned some interesting new words when he missed a shot!!).

Like they say - “what goes around, comes around” - and I’m sure that Jimbo must have eventually experienced the same sensation that Ken Rosewall did in 1974, as his game began to look a little dated compared to the new kids on the block. Nevertheless, in my opinion Jimmy Connors will go down as one of the greats!

Borg, McEnroe, Evert-Lloyd, Vilas, Navratilova, Connors, Nastase, Wade, Gerulaitis, Barker, Panatta, Billie-Jean, Ashe etc etc.

For the men, the socks and the hair were long and the shorts were short. The women had that big collared Teddy Tingling thing going on and of course, frilly knickers.

Wimbledon fortnight always seemed to be baking hot (maybe that was only 1976) and pop star tennis had arrived in the shape of Bjorn Borg. When Borg lost his epic 5 set Wimbledon 1/4 final battle with Britain’s Roger Taylor in 1973, we all knew there were big things ahead for this 16yr old Swedish boy wonder.

Love was in the air in the shape of Jimmy and Chrissie, Bjorn and Marianna and then John Lloyd and Chrissie.

There were great rivalries and great characters. No one player totally dominated either the ladies or the mens, you always felt that a tournament was there for the taking (even if it was from one of only a handful of the top players).

The game was showing the first signs of what we see today in the shape of the topspin of Borg and Vilas. It may have been slower, but it was there.

The game today is a more professional game. Stricter practice regimes, better diets, bigger entourages and a lot more money at stake. The players of today are highly tuned machines. This of course can only be admired but a little part of me can’t stop hankering after the good old days.

Vamos Guillermo!