Photo Study of Richard Gasquet's One-Handed Backhand

By Jeff Cooper, About.com Guide

As elegant as Gasquet's backhand is, it's also explosive, and the force of his swing propels his follow-through far beyond the classic forward and upward position. On first glance, one might see this follow-through as bad form, but notice that Gasquet's hips are still largely facing the sideline and that the turning you see from his hips upward increases gradually from his abdomen, which is halfway turned toward the net, to his shoulders, which are turned 3/4 toward the net, to his arm and racquet, which are flung almost toward the back fence. All of this is evidence of an explosively--and properly, given the energy involved--uncoiled upper body.