12/03/24
May 30, 2003
0 backhand errors: in the second round of the French Open results in straight sets loss? (sorry, NYTimes link & google had nothing) This is completely fascinating. I've seen the two-handed forehand, which is essentially having two back hands, but I've always wondered why no one played with two forehands. Has anyone ever seen her play?
We heard you the first time.
posted by Fat Buddha at 01:28 PM on May 30, 2003
sorry FB. feeling alittle trigger happy today is all.
posted by garfield at 01:29 PM on May 30, 2003
The timing and precision required to switch hands quickly while running after a ball spinning away from you real fast is prohibitively difficult. The grip mechanics involved would be too error-prone, I think. Take a close look at the picture of her right-handed "forehand." How many other pro tennis players choke up like that? Ugly. Since true ambidexterity is, I imagine, extremely rare, it's even less likely that someone so blessed would compound their difficulties by attempting this. What more, they'd never make it out of, or even into, junior tennis without a coach all but beating it out of them. Also, many high-level tennis players are a little more consistent off the backhand side. The forehand may generate more power, but the backhand is often more reliable. For my part, I'd rather watch Justine Henin hit ten thousand of her beautiful backhands than watch this woman play ten ambidextrous points.
posted by jason streed at 04:27 PM on May 30, 2003
The results speak for themselves.
posted by worldcup2002 at 04:29 PM on May 30, 2003
Sorry back, I didn't mean it to come out quite so snarkily.
posted by Fat Buddha at 04:39 PM on May 30, 2003
The Friday lunch pints strike again!