What's Federers best looking shot?

One for the fed heads (thank the bbc for this one). It's post wimby slump and with only a few minor tournies on of like to ask this question. Rogers always been a very pretty player to watch, with his shot production often considered the tiebreaker between him and the other big cheeses.  So what's his best looking to you.  For me it's his serve, like Petes a beautiful action, the ball just hangs there for a second whilst he gets his weight right forward 

Never been one for his forehand oddly.  I've always liked the "armier" forehands, novaks or murrays. Odd looking shots sometimes, but they look more deliberate which makes them look stronger. So what's the consensus. Is the forehand the jewel in the crown or something else

"What's Federer's best-looking shot" ? is the question.

And This is the answer .........



https://www.606v2.com/viewimage.forum?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi55.servimg.com%2Fu%2Ff55%2F18%2F11%2F57%2F32%2Fimage11.jpg

I personally like his slice backhand and his forehand. The serve is otherworldly in terms of precision and variety. Plus he hits all the serves off the same toss position and in mid serve can change a kick serve into a slice and vice versa based on the returners first move. That is truly remarkable. But his forehand for me is perfect because it has it all. Power, spin, precision, and he can take it earlier and produce with it on the run. The slice backhand is really nice. But sometimes I think he falls in love with it too much especially in recent years and cedes too much initiative. Still he seems to just knife it wherever he wants and with wicked zip on the ball.

Ones like these.

(The one against Raonic at 0:58 is a personal favourite)



And he his these better than anyone else I can think of:

The flick BH is a very hard shot, but Federer makes it look so easy.





This is a good collection of some of his best shots.

Feds forehand has changed a lot over the years. It's more spinny and less of a whip as in his dominating years. For me, that original forehand when he would leap and whip his hand was a thing of beauty. Especially the inside out forehand which he could create insane angles and paint the line. Sadly, he seems to have lost that shot somewhat as he has slowed down and can't create the space needed to come around it.

Even now though- any time fed leaps while hitting the forehand- to see it in slow mo is a true marvel of technique and style.

TRuffin wrote:Even now though- any time fed leaps while hitting the forehand- to see it in slow mo is a true marvel of technique and style.

Post a video, since this has become a video chronicle.

I thought the reaction after said a lot

True enough lk.

In fact, the reactions on both sides of the net tell their own very familiar tale :

- the opponent (in this case Andy), with that forlorn look of how can he do that - and how on earth am I expected to deal with it ...?

- Federer, behaving as if it's the most normal thing in the world .........

We may continue to see such snippets of magic for just a short while longer ..... perhaps one or two years more (?) ...... before he's gone from the tour. Best enjoy while we can.

Got to the backhand smash for me, looks like he's gonna pop a joint everytime he does it. Don't think he ever misses it

CAS wrote:Got to the backhand smash for me, looks like he's gonna pop a joint everytime he does it. Don't think he ever misses it

Think I'm right in saying (?) that many of the top pundits ('top' as in .... those who reached the very summit of the game in their playing days) have often described it as one of the hardest shots to execute effectively.

Yes it is lags and the best guy I ever saw at this shot was in order:
Henman (seriously good at this shot)
Rafter
Sampras
Edberg
Becker
Federer

For me Feds best looking shot is his slice from deep in the BH corner DTL curving out towards the trams...a peach of a shot and no one plays it better. He doesn't use it enough either (Djokovic hates it although more adept getting it back these days).

Any ridiculous half volley he does always makes me purr, there were a couple against Soderling at the 2009 US Open. The first two sets I don't think anyone has played at a higher level

In my opinion it's close between the baseline half-volleys (like the Ferrer Masters Final, or the Murray Wimbledon 2012), or the backhand slice down the line hugging the floor.

The fake drop-shot that he plays deep past a bemused opponent is always entertaining too. And the fake low shot at the net (Gulbis).

There's a few, but of the "proper" shots I go with the baseline half-volley winners. They're just his own.

Forehand of the basic shots (forehand/backhand/serve/volley/smash). I quite like the backhand driven down the line for a winner.

The volleys because they are old school although in the 1990s there were 5-10 players who could do it just as well.

And those touch improvised type shots.

The overhead backhand smash I have to agree with Lydian Tim Henman was the master, I don't think I ever saw him miss one.

Easily the half volley backhand from the baseline, I just don't any other players playing this shot consistently like he does.