Newfound two hander

[Love40]

I've been playing tennis since I was a little kid, took about a 15 year hiatus at age 25, and got back into it 2 years ago.

I've always had a one handed backhand, and it's always been mediocre. Sometimes I could rip a beautiful shot, but it wasn't consistent. Always much more of a liability than an asset.

I'd never once tried a two hander, but since I started using a semi-western grip last month (with great success) and since I own a ball cannon, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I've practiced the 2 hander twice now on the cannon, and I must say it's got some real potential. I still frame quite a few shots, but when I get the backswing shortened up right and really pay attention to what I'm doing, it's a beautiful shot.

I can definitly see a day when my backhand will actually be a weapon, and at the very least will cease to be a liability in my game.

I'm a convert!! (never thought I'd go to "the dark side")

[tennis4losers]

COol Im really happy for you ...

[Bungalo Bill]

I've been playing tennis since I was a little kid, took about a 15 year hiatus at age 25, and got back into it 2 years ago.

I've always had a one handed backhand, and it's always been mediocre. Sometimes I could rip a beautiful shot, but it wasn't consistent. Always much more of a liability than an asset.

I'd never once tried a two hander, but since I started using a semi-western grip last month (with great success) and since I own a ball cannon, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I've practiced the 2 hander twice now on the cannon, and I must say it's got some real potential. I still frame quite a few shots, but when I get the backswing shortened up right and really pay attention to what I'm doing, it's a beautiful shot.

I can definitly see a day when my backhand will actually be a weapon, and at the very least will cease to be a liability in my game.

I'm a convert!! (never thought I'd go to "the dark side")

Good. Just remember the key to the twohanded backhand is allowing your feet to pivot and your wieght to move over your front foot at contact. The heel of your back foot should come off the ground with the toes touching the ground. This helps ensure the hips where not blocked.

Hit the ball around your front knee or in front of you so the arms can extend comfortably into the shot.

On the onehanded backhand. When a player has an inconsistent onehander there are several places I immediately look:

1. The fixed "letter" that is made from the tip of the racquet to the shoulder should be one big "L". You maintain this L position through the ball and up so you can see the sun through your strings. Forget about the fancier supination of the forearm that brings the racquet up and over. You dont have the consistency for that.

2. The wrist needs to be fixed throughout the shot and it is a good idea to set it and leave it alone once you are ready to come forward.

3. The shoulder turn and the grip change is all you need to bring the racquet back. This is what the good oehanders do anyway. In other words, the backswing is compact. If you look at the majority of pros, their onehander only involves a shoulder turn and they keep the hand within the width of the shoulders barely moving back and only moving to just raise the racquet head a little higher then shoulder level. But the hand still remains pretty close to the ready position as if they are facing the net. Problems happen when the hand moves around too much. Of course, you will find certai shots of pros with their hand back further or higher, but they are pros and have spent countless hours perfecting their timing. You dont have that time. So keep it simple and effective.

4. Bending at the knees to get the butt lower so the hand is lower then the ball. This helps you rise as the racquet is rising to the ball. the trick is not to go up too fast. It is slow and is timed and is not ahead of the racquet.

5. Hit with your back hip turning back into contact and let your shoulders and arm follow the sudden change in direction for effortless power.

[AngeloDS]

Bungalo Bill, you forgot about how to swing at the ball! Hahaha, you should work on this drill to strengthen up that left arm muscles for the two-handed backhands. Hold the racquet in the two-hand backhand position and just only use the tips of your index finger and thumb in the right hand on the butt and use only your left arm.

How to swing at this beast?

It should be a push motion with the left arm and a pulling motion with the right arm. It's how you can add topspin, as well as make sure you get power into the shot. But keep those wrists fixed!


Also, keep your one-handed backhander and two-handed backhander. I could always use my one-handed backhand because it's excellent. But I have my two-handed backhand in the back of my pocket just incase. So work on both.

[joesixtoe]

ok what does it mean to keep your wrist fixed on a two handed backhand??

[Bungalo Bill]

Bungalo Bill, you forgot about how to swing at the ball! Hahaha, you should work on this drill to strengthen up that left arm muscles for the two-handed backhands. Hold the racquet in the two-hand backhand position and just only use the tips of your index finger and thumb in the right hand on the butt and use only your left arm.

[quote]How to swing at this beast?

It should be a push motion with the left arm and a pulling motion with the right arm. It's how you can add topspin, as well as make sure you get power into the shot. But keep those wrists fixed!

For the most part you are right. However, some players like a more dominant tophand. In other words, the bottomhand only serves as a stablizer of the racquet and the wrist is loose on that hand so the racquet can pivot around its ability to move. The tophand drives the stroke and hits the topspin. Just look at Safins backhand in slow motion and you will see what I mean. He is very tophand dominant.

Also, the wrist of the tophand stays mostly fixed as the forward swing begins. Most good onehanders have relatively loose wrists during takeback and when the forward swing begins up to the ball, the tophand lays back and the bottom have bends the opposite way. If you mean stay fixed from that point till contact - you are right.


Also, keep your one-handed backhander and two-handed backhander. I could always use my one-handed backhand because it's excellent. But I have my two-handed backhand in the back of my pocket just incase. So work on both.

Very few people can hit both. They require such different timing skills and other elements that make them unique strokes. It is good to have a onehanded slice and a twohanded topspin backhand for a lot of reasons. Or a onehhander for all.

[Bungalo Bill]

ok what does it mean to keep your wrist fixed on a two handed backhand??

In other words, the wrists are not making the stroke. Your rotation and your weight transfer are. Dont whip around the racquet with from yoru wrists to hit the ball. They should be in a fixed position before and during contact. A good foxed position is with the tophand laid back and the bottomhand bent the other way. Fixed means it remains in that position through contact and doesnt roll or bend differently as you swing the racquet.

This helps the brain calculate where the racquet head is in relation to the incoming ball.

[Love40]

Just thought I'd update ya'll...

I've gone back to my one hander.

After a few weeks of trying the two hander out, I just can't get consistent with it.
It felt great when I nailed the technique, but I'd frame quite a few and had trouble with low balls.

2 days ago I was hitting against my wife and decided to try the one hander a few times and it was just smooth as butter. Best I've hit the one hander in years. It's as if hitting the two hander for a few weeks somehow tweaked my technique so I'm hitting a nice topspin one hander now. I could just rip it at will, got about 6 in a row in pretty as you please at medium hard pace with TS.

Just shows it pays to mess with your game sometimes... :)