Why Roger Federer's backhand might actually be the best in the world

Definition: The backhand is a tennis shot in which one swings the racquet around one's body with the back of the hand preceding the palm. Except in the phrase backhand volley, the term refers to a groundstroke.

Roger Federer is regarded as the greatest tennis player in the history of the sport, not only due to his peerless career but also due to his seemingly effortless style of play. To put it one sentence, Federer's game is defined by impossible shot-making accomplished with an aura of casual ease.

When you think of Federer's best shot, you are naturally drawn to his mythical forehand which legend John McEnroe described as "the greatest shot in our sport". You might also be reminded of the unreadable precision on his serve, which is also one of the greatest in the sport's history. In more recent years, Federer's volleying skills have also stood out prominently.

But the Swiss' backhand, whilst often praised for its aesthetic beauty, isn't given the same reverence as the other shots listed above. In fact, many even consider it to be his "weakest" shot.

Instead, Novak Djokovic's backhand or even Andy Murray's are labelled as the best on tour.

Although Djokovic does possess an incredible backhand, the argument that favors his backhand over Federer's is based on a limited definition of what a backhand shot entails. In other words, the backhand is considered as only a basic flat groundstroke, and in that respect Djokovic's solid-as-a-rock backhand definitely trumps Federer's graceful, yet sometimes prone-to-heavy-topspin backhand.

But when you consider that the umbrella term 'backhand' is more multifaceted than just a flat groundstroke, it changes the argument entirely.

A backhand consists of the standard flat backhand baseline groundstroke, a topspin equivalent, a slice, a lob, a drive volley, a drop volley, a slice drop volley, and a smash. And it is pretty clear that in the variants other than the flat groundstroke, Federer's backhand is superior to that of most players on tour. In fact, most other players don't even utilise those variants as part of their game.

Roger Federer may not have the best flat backhand on tour, but he ranks at the very top or near it in all the other categories listed above. Not only that, but Federer is the only player right now, and perhaps in history, who has maximized all the possible shots off the backhand side.

For those reasons, not only is Federer's backhand can't really be considered a weakness in his game. In fact, it can be argued that it is the best backhand on tour due its versatility, beauty and effectiveness.

The biggest reason why people argue against that, especially in recent years, is the limited definition given to the backhand shot. But by understanding the backhand in all its forms, there is a very compelling argument that Federer's is the best on tour.