Would it be effective to use a 'choked-up lefty forehand' instead of a 2hbh?

[thomasferrett]

The main reason people don't use a lefty forehand (if they're a righty) is because it's difficult to switch grips to return serves and to rally with...

However, would it be beneficial to use a choked up lefty forehand instead of a backhand?

What I mean by this is that you take a normal 2hbh grip combo (right hand continental, left hand semi-western) and simply remove the right hand altogether so that you're essentially hitting a semi-western left handed forehand with your hand choked up quite far on the grip.

This would eliminate the need to switch grips (at the least there would be no more grip switching than using a normal 2hbh, and probably there would be less grip switching involved).

Apart from that, the stroke would be less stable than a normal 2hbh, less powerful than a normal forehand (because your grip being choked up and further away from the butt cap means you've got less leverage), but would seem to be a decent compromise between the two...

 

[President]

I think there is a reason that no tennis shot exclusively uses the non-dominant hand, it would just be too difficult to control consistently without the dominant hand supporting it, unless you are ambidextrous. Pros hit backhand overheads (a very difficult and awkward shot, technically) rather than left handed overheads for a reason.

 

[LeeD]

Also, not a lot of power against a fast incoming ball.
SW is so reduced that a tennis ball can deflect the racket's swingpath.

 

[Tight Lines]

I have often wondered about the same thing and why there are no pros doing it. I think one of these days, you are going to see a pro hit forehands off both wings and go pretty high in rankings.

Although I am a natural lefty, I play tennis righty (not sure how that happened ). I often practice backhands with just the top hand and I feel like it's getting good enough to hit like that in actual games. So, yes, I believe that is a good compromise.

Harry

 

[torpantennis]

Also, not a lot of power against a fast incoming ball.
SW is so reduced that a tennis ball can deflect the racket's swingpath.

Remember that with the choked-up grip the racquet is closer to the wrist, so there's actually LESS momentum coming from the ball impact.

 

[TennisCJC]

Why don't you get one of those crazy rackets with 2 grips?

http://naturaltennis.com/why-2-handles/

Then you could use 1 grip for the R handed FH and the other for the L handed FH.

 

[LeeD]

You are certainly welcome to give it a try.
Couple of Open level brother's around here use the lefty forehand and serve, both naturally righties. Yes, they can play solid 4.0 with their left hand, and easy 5.5 with their right. They can HIT 4.5+ with their left hands, but can't play at that level. The switching confuses them, and shots hit into the body are really problems to be solved.
I can hit a rightie forehand better than a lefty forehand, but switching would force another decision in the process, and confused as I am, I don't need another choice during a point.

 

[torpantennis]

But really, I already hit a lot of one-handed BH slices, even though I have a 2HBH. Why not also some lefty choked-up FHs, when I have enough time? As with that BH slice, I can basically use the 2HBH take back, and then just decide to take either the left OR the right hand off the handle when I begin the forward swing.

I have to try this!

 

[LeeD]

Like I said, TRY it.
I know too many good players who already have, and I know tons of bad players who tried it also.
The problem is one of too many decisions.

 

[v-verb]

I have a lefty 1 hand forehand. TONS better than my backhand but pales compared to my natural right hand forehand.

That said if I practiced with it more it would get closer to the RH FH. I still slice with a regular backhand

 

[Maximagq]

Why don't you get one of those crazy rackets with 2 grips?

http://naturaltennis.com/why-2-handles/

Then you could use 1 grip for the R handed FH and the other for the L handed FH.

Here is a 5.5/Men's Open player with the two handled racket. He plays with a single handed backhand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24NTyNgjn74

 

[magnut]

i fooled around with this for a while and couldnt make it work. The racquet dynamics change so dramatically when you are that far up on the grip that I could not stop speeding up swings and forcing the left handed forehand. It threw my groundstroke swing speed out of sync regarding left vs right side.

I dont think its a horrible thing to practice though. i have seen pros do it in emergency situations or when being wrong footed. as a normal practice though i think its a no go. I will say that I do practice both left and right handed. there are huge benefits to that.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Maria Sharapova has played quite a few choked-up lefty FHs in competition. Other pros sometimes do it in practice but only (very) occasionally in competition. Maria is somewhat ambidextrous and, as a junior player, played as a lefty for a while. I believe that one of her coaches decided that her right-handed serve was better and her righty strokes were more consistent.

As a tennis lefty, I have hit quite a few choked-up righty forehands with decent results. I naturally throw right-handed and have managed to develop a decent righty serve and FH (but my righty BH leaves something to be desired). The problem with a choked-up FH is that you can get the racket into motion quicker (sooner) but you cannot generated as much RHS -- your top swing speed is less when you choke up on the grip. For the same reason most players can achieve a greater RHS on the FH when holding the grip near the butt of the racket than they can with a 2-handed BH.

 

[spaceman_spiff]

Here is a 5.5/Men's Open player with the two handled racket. He plays with a single handed backhand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24NTyNgjn74

Check out the behind-the-back tweener that Rivera hit at 1:49. He even got lucky and won the point off a UE on the next shot.