One hand'ers, UNITE!.

[master935]

Anyone that uses a one handed backhand EXCLUSIVLY(not just to slice or if you are pulled out wide, but every time you hit a backhand), is welcome to post.

Talk about why the one handed is better than the two handed, what your experiences have been using it in matches, and anything else you can think of. also post how you got started using it. How you learned to hit with topspin, ETC.

[The Gorilla]

reach, disguise when slicing or hitting a dropshot, power, spin etc

[PurePrestige]

One handers just have, a certain how do you say:
More Reach
More Style
More Skill at Net
More Variety
and I guess, most importantly. More Grandslams.

[cghipp]

I use a one-hander not because I've decided it's the better stroke, but because it just comes naturally to me. I've tried to use a two-hander because I think it would give me some more consistency, but it just felt completely wrong, even though I'm naturally left-handed, and I thought that I might get something "extra" out of having my left hand on the racquet. But even though I could reliably hit a nice, deep crosscourt shot with it, it never felt good. And going into mixed doubles season, that shot just looked very vulnerable (poachable) to me because it was kind of loopy topspinn-y.

The other reason I dropped the 2HBH experiment was that I initially figured that a 2HBH would give me more room for error as far as preparation and hitting late, and I was chagrined to find that I actually had to prepare earlier. I figured that, since preparation was the biggest problem with my 1H, I might as well just work on improving that shot. In that respect, practicing the 2HBH actually helped me improve my footwork for my 1HBH.

I have been using my left hand more often, and have found myself kind of subconsciously hitting a 2HBH shot, but it tends to be kind of a "squash shot" - something that happens when I'm in trouble.

[BravoRed691]

Well i would like to be part of this club but i am, sadly, a poser! But i'm gonna post anyways! I started messing with a one hander cause it was the "cool" stroke to have. But i have continued to use it because i hit the up the line shot better with one hand than with two!

BR

[BreakPoint]

Because real men only use 1HBH's. ;) LOL

But seriously, my 1HBH gives me more power, more control, more reach, more angle, more variety, better for digging up those low short balls, etc. There's nothing I can't do with my 1HBH. It's the Swiss Army Knife of tennis strokes. :-D

Oh, and read this: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/french/2005-05-31-one-handed-backhands_x.htm

And watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vrojpBD2iU

Need I say more?

:grin:

[westside]

Too be honest when i started tennis, i started with a 1h and it became really comfortable for me. Now it's a really strong part of my game and it helps me a lot with slices.

[slice bh compliment]

Hey fellas. One hander here. Ever since I was six. 32 years of one-handedness. That forearm is almost twice the size of the other one.

I play lefty sometimes, and STILL ALWAYS use a one-handed topspin BH. Yes, my commitment runs that deep.

Right now, for some reason, I'm thinking there might be a two hander that will post in this thread as a one-hander. And relentlessly extol the virtues of the true and only religion...I mean stroke production.

Which of course, reminds me of Clayton Bigsby, from Chappelle's Show. Featured on FRONTLINE -- a story on Bigsby, America's first and only black white supremacist. He wore a hood at KKK meetings. What 'CRACKed' me up was his small circle of white supremacist friends who knew he was black ... who did not reveal his blackness to the public because he was ''too important to the movement''.
Great line there.
Anyway, sorry for the TANgent.

Oh, and I'm American and I like Roddick and all......but that Gasquet performance the other day deserves some sort of tribute in a thread like this. That kid's BH is something to be celebrated.

[Thud and blunder]

Dedicated one-hander here.

What I'd like to understand, though, is what advantages two-handers would have at a high level of play. I know the arguments for beginners and children, but at a pro level, what are the arguments in favour of the two-hander, other than that's what some players have been hitting since they were beginners / children? I can't believe that habituation is the only answer here...surely there has to be something those demonic two handers can do better than us knghts of the true path?

[dave333]

The only crappy thing is that its harder to smack really hard returns. After I broke my wrist, I've been using the 1 hander exclusively. I block or slice serves, slice anything high.

[zebano]

Watch the Roddick - Gasquet match... that is all you need to know.

Personally, it's just what I was taught. I have tried the two hander but it's an uncomfortable shot.

[aimr75]

i've always felt more comfortable hitting a 1 hand backhand.. i'm just yet to keep the consistency in the stroke

[Ripper]

I hope I'm not hurting anyone's feelings with what I'm about to say, but I'm convinced that, eventhough 1 hand backhands do have some advantages over 2 hand backhands, most 1 handbackhanders have terrible backhands and, imo, would be MUCH better with 2 hand backhands, because they don't have what it takes to get their backhands to that level where they would benefit from the advantages. There, I said it!

[slice bh compliment]

....... most 1 handbackhanders have terrible backhands ...


Truth. Obviously there are poseurs. Same goes for every sport or hobby.

[cghipp]

I hope I'm not hurting anyone's feelings with what I'm about to say, but I'm convinced that, eventhough 1 hand backhands do have some advantages over 2 hand backhands, most 1 handbackhanders have terrible backhands and, imo, would be MUCH better with 2 hand backhands, because they don't have what it takes to get their backhands to that level where they would benefit from the advantages. There, I said it!A witch! Burn him!

[FiveO]

Lifelong one-hander. It's not "better" nor "worse" than a two-hander.

It is far more natural for me. My game is all-court with a bias toward serve and volley.

I believe that a one-hander is better suited to all-court, net attacking style in that (as stated by others) it provides:

more variety
more disguise
better transition shots, combining the above two elements
better familiarity/foundation for hitting a 1 handed bh volley

A two hander has its strengths too but is better suited to a game more biased toward the baseline in its metronomic consistency and ability to counter punch from less than optimal hitting positions, i.e. when jammed on a return of serve.

Neither is better/worse. Each is suited better to certain player types, game styles and surfaces though.

[aimr75]

Truth. Obviously there are poseurs. Same goes for every sport or hobby.

What youve got to remember is that everyone has to start somewhere.. i'm sure you didnt hit your 1 hander great when you first started..

[slice bh compliment]

What youve got to remember is that everyone has to start somewhere.. i'm sure you didnt hit your 1 hander great when you first started..

Oh NO. I was basically Gasquet at age six.
Kidding. You're right. It takes years, I think.

[diegaa]

you are forgetting one big issue:
1hbh is more stylish, more style makes you look better, thus more chances to get laid. ther I said it.

[Supernatural_Serve]

all of us old schoolers who started playing tennis in the 70s or earlier, are 1hbh players because that's how we were taught.

If I would have used a 2hbh back in the day my friends would have thought I was a f*g, sissy, or something worse. It would have been ridiculed endlessly.

2hbh back in the day was for little girls who couldn't swing a wood racquet.

[Sup2Dresq]

One handers unite!

I started off as a one hander in my early junior years as i was prompted (through yelling by coaches) to change to a two hander. The reason was I was small for my age. I did enjoy success as a two hander as I won my share and could hit any spot i wanted too, however it never felt comfortable. I still remember thinking, if he hits it to my backhand, I'm ending the point. It got to the point where opponents would hit to my forehand to save themselves. I gave up tennis for a while after college/qualies and began 2 years ago to start hitting a one hander.

My old coaches were typical USTA coaches. Power baseline mentality. Thankfully I learned enough through years of training to pick up a one hander and though its not a weapon like my two hander, it also isn't a weakness. Things I can do successfully myself with a one hander is:

- Neutralize power (especially big serves)
- Hit on the run with more effectiveness
- Approach better
- Use less energy
- Have more style like Diegga said and pick up girls.

Things I lost:

-Power. Especially straight up exchanges.
-Hitting high balls better
-Pulling the trigger to go on the offensive
-Disguise on passing shots (slight difference)

I really enjoy the one hander. I'm looking forward to improving it again this summer and taking more matches from my opponents.

[Thud and blunder]

you are forgetting one big issue:
1hbh is more stylish, more style makes you look better, thus more chances to get laid. ther I said it.

Actually, you have to practice the tweener relentlessy to pull mad honeys (Darwinism in action...).

[slice bh compliment]

Actually, you have to practice the tweener relentlessy to pull mad honeys (Darwinism in action...).

You'd think they'd want the repoductive organs to remain as healthy as possible.

So it's really a kind of reverse Darwinism. Or as the wordsmiths call it, msiniwraD.

[slice bh compliment]

you are forgetting one big issue:
1hbh is more stylish, more style makes you look better, thus more chances to get laid. ther I said it.

Aaawww yeeeah. Now you're talkin'.
Billy Dee Williams and Wilt Chamberlain both rock the one handed BH.

Although Safin is an exception, I suppose. Same with Baghdatis.

[Thud and blunder]

You'd think they'd want the repoductive organs to remain as healthy as possible.

So it's really a kind of reverse Darwinism. Or as the wordsmiths call it, msiniwraD.

Exactly; all that showboating is sure to put them out of the gene pool sooner or later....

Back to topic: it seems that most people use a 1h or 2h simply because that's what they were taught...clearly, if a top junior has been locked into one way of doing things in their early years, it wouldn't necessarily make sense to try to change even if there would ultimately be a benefit (since the costs of learning may outweigh the later benefit, which could be pretty marginal anyway). Path dependence, or the qwerty effect in action.

But if we were building a tennis player out of Lego, say, what would we choose, ie analytically, can we say that one has the edge over the other, or are we in the realm of 'it all depends'...

[Lendl's Forehand]

2HB here. You guys are right for the pro's, although of all of the pro's I would take Nadal's backhand over anyone's. For sure genious, on his best day I think Gasquet has the best backhand tennis has ever seen (I have never seen anything like the Gasquet/Roddick display). But for consistency, day to day, I would take Nadal. He has absolutely NO problem with court coverage with his 2HB. But overall for the pros I cant argue against the fact that most of the good #1s in the last 20 years have been 1HB (Mac, Lendl,Edberg, Sampras, Fed).

HOWEVER, one guy here said it best that when you look around your club at the recreational level (say below 5.0), there are so many absolute GARBAGE 1 handers out there. People don't realize that most of us ARENT pros. On average more sub 5.0 players have garbage one handers than two handers. I love seeing that one hander in my matches-it's inside out forehands and kick serves wide to the backhand all day long...

[jaimsblake]

for me i can generate more power using a one hand bkhnd than a 2hndbkhnd
plus it looks sooo much better XD!!!
also it is easier to absorb impact with a i hnd backhand and hit a dropshot than it is to do it with two.

[SilverBullet]

With Federer and Henin-Hardenne challenging to add to their growing Grand Slam collections in Paris, another slew of one-handed standouts ready to emulate them and set the power bar even higher could be just a generation away.

"I hope so," Henin-Hardenne says. "For me tennis is one-handed backhand. No way can it be another way."

This is one of the reasons why Justine Henin is my favorite WTA player.

[Ripper]

One handers unite!

I started off as a one hander in my early junior years as i was prompted (through yelling by coaches) to change to a two hander. The reason was I was small for my age. I did enjoy success as a two hander as I won my share and could hit any spot i wanted too, however it never felt comfortable. I still remember thinking, if he hits it to my backhand, I'm ending the point. It got to the point where opponents would hit to my forehand to save themselves. I gave up tennis for a while after college/qualies and began 2 years ago to start hitting a one hander.

My old coaches were typical USTA coaches. Power baseline mentality. Thankfully I learned enough through years of training to pick up a one hander and though its not a weapon like my two hander, it also isn't a weakness. Things I can do successfully myself with a one hander is:

- Neutralize power (especially big serves)
- Hit on the run with more effectiveness
- Approach better
- Use less energy
- Have more style like Diegga said and pick up girls.

Things I lost:

-Power. Especially straight up exchanges.
-Hitting high balls better
-Pulling the trigger to go on the offensive
-Disguise on passing shots (slight difference)

I really enjoy the one hander. I'm looking forward to improving it again this summer and taking more matches from my opponents.

I don't get it. You seem to be saying that you were better with your 2 hander. So, why the switch?

PS: Oh, ok! Just re-read... To get the girls!

[FatCat]

I don't get it. You seem to be saying that you were better with your 2 hander. So, why the switch?

PS: Oh, ok! Just re-read... To get the girls!

Obviously for the girls...we have to keep our priorities straight here, Ripper!

[tennishead93]

i went form 1 hander to two hander. can use one hander anytime i want. can use two hander anytime i want. good at net thanks to one hander. and best slicer at my academy due to one hander. o yea i forgot my high topspin onehander kicks ass.

[Zets147]

haha so why did you switch?

[master935]

Thanks a lot for all the responses. I never thought it would last long at all, but it is nice too hear from all the other one handers.

[harry2110]

I use a one handed. I tried to hit 2 but I would either miss or hit it with no control.

[35ft6]

Oh, and read this: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/french/2005-05-31-one-handed-backhands_x.htm


"We're very lucky at this time because we have great rackets that help, for sure, because we can be more powerful," says Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, who despite her 5-6 frame rips winners off the backhand side with devastating pace.

World No. 1 Roger Federer, 2004 French Open champ Gaston Gaudio, French teen Richard Gasquet and former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo are capable of disrupting play with clever off-speed angles and spins. But they just as easily can tear the cover off the ball.

As Henin-Hardenne points out, technology is behind part of this trend. Bigger racket faces and juiced-up materials have made it easier to generate pace from difficult ball-striking positions. This article fails to mention that MORE people played with one handers before the technologically advanced rackets. That MORE people have started playing with two hands as we made the move away from wood.As Federer and Henin-Hardenne have shown — both won to advance to the Roland Garros semifinals Tuesday — one-handers allow them a few extra inches of reach that can help them stay in a point or track down balls a two-hander might miss. I'm not sure if the extra reach thing is really true. With a two-hander, you can run at full speed, and then set up and pull the trigger off a shot much quicker. In general, I think because you're footwork and preparation doesn't have to be a s good, two-handed players can actually cover more ground. When I think of guys who can get a lot of balls back, I think of Chang, Hewitt, and Nadal. One handed defensive slice? Everybody has that shot at the elite levels of the pro tour, so that's a draw.

One-handers definitely have the edge in variety though, and when struck well, it's IMO the most beautiful shot in tennis.

I play with with a 1h because I could never hit a 2hander for some reason.

[TheHuntor]

It was great, I tried hitting a two hander again after smartly switching to a 1hb when I started playing again. It felt like switch hitting in baseball with the same results- weak bloopers. 2 handers suck! Bartoli shows up sometimes in my nightmares. 2 hands on both sides.....I shudder at this thought.

[SoBad]

Everyone should develop both strokes before chosing one that's right for him. Mine is one-handed backhand, because I made the switch after mastering both. It's right for me, but there are many players, both friends and top pro's that admire that hit two-handed, that I would not call it superior, simply because it is superior for my game. It's like affinity for net play - part of player's inner self. You can't say someone is good or bad for having natural affinity toward the net. So everybody should stop bashing baseliners and two-handers, because many of them are really good.

[BreakPoint]

This article fails to mention that MORE people played with one handers before the technologically advanced rackets. That MORE people have started playing with two hands as we made the move away from wood.
I think that's because the bigger, lighter racquets make it easier to hit 2HBH's with.

BTW, I hope you're not saying that Henin, Gasquet, and Mauresmo grew-up using wood racquets are you? Because I highly doubt it.


I'm not sure if the extra reach thing is really true. With a two-hander, you can run at full speed, and then set up and pull the trigger off a shot much quicker. In general, I think because you're footwork and preparation doesn't have to be a s good, two-handed players can actually cover more ground.
I can run at full speed and hit a 1HBH. I think it's a lot harder to hit a 2HBH running at full speed because of the torso rotation required with a 2HBH to generate power. You also need to be quicker on your feet to hit 2HBH's well, which is why most older players use 1HBH's since they can just stick their arms out to hit the ball rather than having to move their feet to the perfect spot. The extra reach of the 1HBH also comes in handy for hitting those low short balls that you have to move forward towards the net to hit.

[kanjii]

Love the 1hbh and started my tennis life with it all due to watching Lendl back in the day. The peeps like my backhand very much, graceful, powerful, and stylish. Trying the 2hbh, but footwork seems awkward...thank goodness I can always go back to my Lendl backhand :D

[Jonny S&V]

1hbh for the touch and volley man!

[RoddickAce]

It seems to me that it requires more timing and coordination skill to hit a 1hbh. I started with a one-hander, and tried adding a two hander for more weapons, but I didnt continue cuz I found more pace and angles with the 1hbh (and cuz it looks cooler after the followthrough =D ) .

[Wuffy]

I always liked Edberg for his backhand, and tried to 'copy' it. I always used the 1hbh, and the few times I tried to hit it with both hands I felt 'limited' in reaching the ball and in the way I could hit. It just feels natural to me.
Edberg was definitely the reason why I use the 1hbh, it just looked so cool :).

[Pro Staff Pete]

Too clumsy to hit a 2hbh at start, then developed a single-handed backhand myself by looking at top players from my club and various videos from Sampras and Kuerten. It has developed so surprisingly well, that it's now by far my best shot and arguably the best of the club :) Loving it!

[tennishead93]

haha so why did you switch?

cuz i can get a beep load of power w/ the two hander. also helps when stretched out wide...but this is a onehander thread i dont want to ruin it

[cghipp]

I have improved my backhand a ton recently just by remembering to point the racquet head down toward the ground before I hit the ball. The extra topspin has made it a much more reliable shot, and sometimes it's quite aggressive, but that's usually by accident. I'm hoping it won't be by accident much longer though! Before I started doing this I usually hit with my racquet almost parallel with the ground at the start of the swing, and I had a late-breaking side spin on the ball. That worked out well a lot of the time, but it made me hit the ball wide (or in the net) quite often as well.

[Mick]

i normally play with a 1hbh but the other day, this guy drilled a ball at me twice when I was up at the net. By reflex, I used a 2hbh to block his shots and it worked both times (lucky shots !). I don't think I could have blocked those high speed balls with a 1hbh but maybe a better player could.

[35ft6]

I think that's because the bigger, lighter racquets make it easier to hit 2HBH's with. Plus, it was simply a change in orthodoxy. I'm sure Borg and Evert had a lot to do with it. But I don't see why a 2 hander is any more difficult to hit with a head of X size than a one hander would be.BTW, I hope you're not saying that Henin, Gasquet, and Mauresmo grew-up using wood racquets are you? Because I highly doubt it. Geez. If I wanted to say that, I'm pretty sure I could have come up with a less cryptic way.

I'm saying that the article is wrong to suggest that change in technology played a part in increasing the number of 1 handed backhands. Less people hit with one-handers today, percentage wise, than in the days of wood.
I can run at full speed and hit a 1HBH. I think it's a lot harder to hit a 2HBH running at full speed because of the torso rotation required with a 2HBH to generate power. You also need to be quicker on your feet to hit 2HBH's well, which is why most older players use 1HBH's since they can just stick their arms out to hit the ball rather than having to move their feet to the perfect spot. The extra reach of the 1HBH also comes in handy for hitting those low short balls that you have to move forward towards the net to hit.Like I said in the first post, I'm talking about top spin backhands. Lets say if a guy is on the full run chasing a ball, whether he has a 2 or 1 hander isn't going to affect his sprint speed... but once he gets to the ball, a two hander can get his shot off much quicker. His footwork doesn't have to be as perfect, he can block the shot back with a very short swing, even hit with an open stance, etc.

[heycal]

Did I see Connors hit a two handed slice approach in some clip recently? I thought slice was 1 handers shot.

[BiGGieStuFF]

one hander here. Forehand is definitely the stronger wing but nothing feels better than ripping a running crosscourt backhand winner when your opponent is approaching the net. It just feels natural, fluid, and damn it i look good when I do it! I can approach the net easier too with my chip/slice backhand.

[BreakPoint]

Did I see Connors hit a two handed slice approach in some clip recently? I thought slice was 1 handers shot.
Connors was well known for his two-handed backhand slice approach shots. He also hit most of his backhand volleys with two hands.

[tsongafan68]

thank you master935 for posting this thread because i am a huge supporter of the one handed backhand. i personally started out trying to do the 2 handed backhand a long time ago, and it never worked out. so my dad who was a college player suggested that i try the one handed backhand, and the first day i tried it i felt so much better and more natural doing that. there are numerous different examples of pro tennis players with one handed backhands that surpass the pros with even the best 2 handed backhands, gasquet, henin, youzhny, federer, robredo, volandri, blake, and almagro to name a few. they all have far better reach, precision, control and i also think that a one hander is just as powerful if not more powerful than a 2 hander. but more importantly, a one hander is old school!

[heycal]

Connors was well known for his two-handed backhand slice approach shots. He also hit most of his backhand volleys with two hands.

Really, volleys too? Wacky. I'm old enough to have watched him a bit back then, but have forgotten such details all these years later.

[ameliag]

Check out:

http://www.backhandworld.com

I love this site because it focuses totally on the backhand and has everything you could possibly want to know about the shot on it.

[JohnMatrix]

I hope I'm not hurting anyone's feelings with what I'm about to say, but I'm convinced that, eventhough 1 hand backhands do have some advantages over 2 hand backhands, most 1 handbackhanders have terrible backhands and, imo, would be MUCH better with 2 hand backhands, because they don't have what it takes to get their backhands to that level where they would benefit from the advantages. There, I said it!

lol....this might be true. My coach slices his one hander all day and he at one point was top 20 in the mens open southern cal

[Trinity TC]

Check out:

http://www.backhandworld.com

I love this site because it focuses totally on the backhand and has everything you could possibly want to know about the shot on it.
:) :) :) :grin:

[BreakPoint]

Really, volleys too? Wacky. I'm old enough to have watched him a bit back then, but have forgotten such details all these years later.
Yup, just watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWpY6Qe0go0

[heycal]

Yup, just watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWpY6Qe0go0

Thanks. Fun to see that.

[AceofBase]

Better reach, for me I can hit flat and spin with one hand backhand. But when its a high to your shoulder ball then I hit with two handback hand. Does anyone do that too?

[heycal]

I heard that Mats Wilander used both a two handeder and one hander when he played. Is this true? Can anyone elaborate on when and why he would switch from one to the other? I know many two handers used one in a pinch or for a defensive slice, but I got the impression Wilander did more than that. Anyone know?

[BreakPoint]

I heard that Mats Wilander used both a two handeder and one hander when he played. Is this true? Can anyone elaborate on when and why he would switch from one to the other? I know many two handers used one in a pinch or for a defensive slice, but I got the impression Wilander did more than that. Anyone know?
Yes, Wilander sliced a lot of 1HBH's. Just watch Andy Murray, he does the same thing, i.e., 1HBH slices for rally shots and 2HBH's when he wants to drive the ball or hit passing shots.

[lethalfang]

I've tried both 2-hander and 1-hander before I stuck with the 2-hander.
I use 2-hander for driving backhand only. Of course I volley with a 1-hander, slice with a 1-hander, and I actually block lots of defensive balls with 1-hand as well. I'm an all-court player with pretty good volleys.
A driving topspin 1-handed backhand requires a backswing much longer than a 2-hander, and thus my ability to attack is greatly limited if I go with the 1-hander.
There is only one weakness I notice with a 2-handed backhand, is that disguising a dropshot is more difficult on the backhand side.

[michael_1265]

This is a timely thread for me. I'm a 42 year old 3.0+ player. I've had a two hander ever since I started playing. I only recently took up tennis after many years of not playing, and at the same time, I started playing USTA doubles. I began to feel that my two-hander was becoming a real handicap. One evening, I found some video of Laver online, and it was an epiphany. THAT is the way to play the game! Also, I'm 6'4" and 240, so do I really need the second hand? I decided at the end of the season that the two hander was going. Two weeks ago, I took the court against an opponent who usually plays me tough. Warmed up by hitting topspin one-handers exclusively. It was a totally natural stroke, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I beat him 6-3, and hit about seven backhand winners. What was I thinking all of those years? I can't wait until the league resumes.............

Mike

[BreakPoint]

This is a timely thread for me. I'm a 42 year old 3.0+ player. I've had a two hander ever since I started playing. I only recently took up tennis after many years of not playing, and at the same time, I started playing USTA doubles. I began to feel that my two-hander was becoming a real handicap. One evening, I found some video of Laver online, and it was an epiphany. THAT is the way to play the game! Also, I'm 6'4" and 240, so do I really need the second hand? I decided at the end of the season that the two hander was going. Two weeks ago, I took the court against an opponent who usually plays me tough. Warmed up by hitting topspin one-handers exclusively. It was a totally natural stroke, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I beat him 6-3, and hit about seven backhand winners. What was I thinking all of those years? I can't wait until the league resumes.............

Mike
Welcome to the wonderful world of the one-handed backhand, Mike! :D

[heycal]

This is a timely thread for me. I'm a 42 year old 3.0+ player. I've had a two hander ever since I started playing. I only recently took up tennis after many years of not playing, and at the same time, I started playing USTA doubles. I began to feel that my two-hander was becoming a real handicap. One evening, I found some video of Laver online, and it was an epiphany. THAT is the way to play the game! Also, I'm 6'4" and 240, so do I really need the second hand? I decided at the end of the season that the two hander was going. Two weeks ago, I took the court against an opponent who usually plays me tough. Warmed up by hitting topspin one-handers exclusively. It was a totally natural stroke, I couldn't believe how easy it was. I beat him 6-3, and hit about seven backhand winners. What was I thinking all of those years? I can't wait until the league resumes.............

Mike

Safin ain't small, and he apparently "needs the second hand". Tons of big guys with two handers.

You'll be back.

[heycal]

Yes, Wilander sliced a lot of 1HBH's. Just watch Andy Murray, he does the same thing, i.e., 1HBH slices for rally shots and 2HBH's when he wants to drive the ball or hit passing shots.

Played a match similar to this today. Some 2 hbh's for drives and some rally shots, but tons of 1 hbh slices, both short and deep ones, as well as droppers, to my opponents backhand (I'm a lefty and he was righty), not to mention a few 1 hbh lobs. I guess I'm officially a 2 hbh guy (I switched last year because of TE), but all in all, I probably hit 75% one handers today and only 25% two handers.

[michael_1265]

Safin ain't small, and he apparently "needs the second hand". Tons of big guys with two handers.

You'll be back.

Yeah, the 2HBH is like crack, but I've kicked the habit, I think :-)