Two-racket Tennis: The Balanced Workout

[Professor Tennis]

Two-Racket Tennis: The two-racket game, unlike its one-racket counterpart, is truly a full-body workout as both sides of the body are utilized in a balanced way to play the game.

Another valuable aspect of the two-racket game is less stress on the arm, now that you have two arms in play. With two-racket tennis you can play more often without wearing yourself out. Hence, you can burn off more calories per week and shed those excess pounds. It's ideal for those tennis enthusiasts who would like to play more than 3 times per week with less risk of injury.

Two-racket tennis affords the player a number of practical benefits over that of conventional tennis:

(1) Hitting with power from both sides.
(2) Bigger wingspan: more easily reach those difficult shots.
(3) Avoid backhand injuries.
(4) Hand-eye coordination for both sides of the body.
(5) Less back strain.
(6) Less arm fatigue.
(7) Greater flexibility.

[tennis tom]

I've seen this and it's quite graceful to watch good players do it, kinda' like ballet. I think it would take a good bit of practice to get proficient at it. I saw Jeff Gillette the pro at Clint Eastwood's Tennis Club, Mission Ranch at Carmel doing it once, maybe it was with the Prof here. But you can't play with two rackets in competitive play, it's against the rules.

[Professor Tennis]

As a physics professor (aka Professor Tennis) I see three inherent flaws to hitting with two hands on the racket:

(1) Placing a second hand on the racket further reduces the player's range of motion. Simple geometry here: Why would a player stretch for a ball with two hands on the racket when stretching with one hand allows for a greater stretch? Perhaps the weakest shot in tennis is that of the player who tries to return a ball, which is at the limit of his/her ability to reach using a two-hand backhand. In this instance, the player simply gets little on the ball. The single-hand return gets more power on the ball and affords for enhanced slice on the ball.

(2) Having two hands on the racket for both forehand and backhand returns suggests that the player needs to switch the placement of the hands on the racket handle when going from the forehand to the backhand shot. A perfect example of this is in the hitting of a baseball: The right-handed batter places his right hand above his left hand on the bat handle, whereas the left-handed batter employs his hands in the reverse order (i.e., the left hand above the right hand). This is the proper way to hit a baseball. This placement of the hands on the racket handle would also be the proper way to hit a tennis ball. Consequently, there is a switching of the hands when the correct hitting method is applied. (Of course, tennis players are known to adopt foolish techniques in simply not knowing any better.)

(3) Whenever a player uses two hands on the racket to return a shot, the player must "cross over" his/her body. The cross over approach to hitting a ball, whether it be in baseball or tennis adds increased strain to the lower back as the player turns to initiate the swing. (A price paid by former Yankee great Don Mattingly and his bad back; keeping him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.) The older we get the greater the risk of straining our lower back when we do the cross over swing.

Some "Physics of Tennis for Thought." Enjoy.

[Tennis Truth]

Interesting observation. I have only seen it on youtube videos. Looked a little goofy and lobsterish to me.

I think additional benefits would include:

Developing ambidextrousness (is that a word?);
Finding a way to make it difficult to get balls out of your pocket or even feed a ball;
Never improving your backhand;
Looking a little "out there" on a tennis court;

I bet Marion Bartolli might be into something like this. She seems to shun convention, and embrace the unorthodox.

Not trying to criticize. Anyone who wants to use two racquets should do so. Maybe the racquet manufacturers should get on board with this. They could double their sales!

[sureshs]

The basic problem with this is of course that you have to cultivate ambidexterity to be any good at it. Given that most recreational players play for the exercise benefits of tennis (mental and physical) than anything else, I cannot see the added value of cultivating ambidexterity. There may be some health benefits, but I have never seen it advocated as such. You can always do some regular exercises with equal effort on both arms if you want.

[Tennis Truth]

Another benefit is that you don't develop that popeye-like, huge forearm like Rod Laver used to have. You maintain a more symmetrical physique.

Down side is that you don't have a free hand to do the following:
toss a ball to serve, or feed (tennis ball or sandwich)
take the racquet back, or change grips
put a ball in your pocket, or take a ball out of your pocket
adjust your balls
wave to your friend who may be on the next court or may be walking by
pick your shorts out of your butt (applies to Nadal, mainly)
signal "out" shot by raising one finger
give someone the finger
adjust your headband
towel off
do common finishing moves after great shots, ie air guitar, rifle shot, makin' popcorn, baseball home run swing, air banjo, Chi Chi Rodriguez sword fight, etc. (would assist with the following finishing moves: Darth maul saber battle, drum solo, lobster man, giant scissors, doubles crutches, snow shoes, biggest earings on the planet, and many, many more
if you are Italian, talk or communicate in any way

Also, on the follow through, you might clang the racquets together sometimes (known as "cymbaling" in the two racquet community).

Also, you might be called for a "hinderance" if you are at the net and the other person has a sitter, and you wave both racquets in the air, trying to guess which way the ball will be hit.

On the plus side though, on the above sitter example, you can cover your face with one racquet, and "other areas" with the other racquet. No need to bail out.

Plus if you drop one racquet, you are still in the point, although you might have to hit a backhand

Like anything, there are pluses and minuses. Who can think of others?

[Prodigy1234]

Originally Posted by Tennis Truth

Another benefit is that you don't develop that popeye-like, huge forearm like Rod Laver used to have. You maintain a more symmetrical physique.

Down side is that you don't have a free hand to do the following:
toss a ball to serve, or feed (tennis ball or sandwich)
take the racquet back, or change grips
put a ball in your pocket, or take a ball out of your pocket
adjust your balls
wave to your friend who may be on the next court or may be walking by
pick your shorts out of your butt (applies to Nadal, mainly)
signal "out" shot by raising one finger
give someone the finger
adjust your headband
towel off
do common finishing moves after great shots, ie air guitar, rifle shot, makin' popcorn, baseball home run swing, air banjo, Chi Chi Rodriguez sword fight, etc. (would assist with the following finishing moves: Darth maul saber battle, drum solo, lobster man, giant scissors, doubles crutches, snow shoes, biggest earings on the planet, and many, many more
if you are Italian, talk or communicate in any way

Also, on the follow through, you might clang the racquets together sometimes (known as "cymbaling" in the two racquet community).

Also, you might be called for a "hinderance" if you are at the net and the other person has a sitter, and you wave both racquets in the air, trying to guess which way the ball will be hit.

On the plus side though, on the above sitter example, you can cover your face with one racquet, and "other areas" with the other racquet. No need to bail out.

Plus if you drop one racquet, you are still in the point, although you might have to hit a backhand

Like anything, there are pluses and minuses. Who can think of others?

This made me laugh so hard

[Professor Tennis]

I'll tackle some of your points:

Finding a way to make it difficult to get balls out of your pocket or even feed a ball;

You can always hold the two rackets in one hand if you need a ball out of your pocket.

Never improving your backhand;

With two rackets you have two backhands: a fun way to play sometimes.

[corbind]

+1 for Truth's genius post!

[PrinceMoron]

I bring six rackets on court plus two pairs of shoes, plus water, tubes of balls, there is even a roll of lead tape in the bag somewhere, net winder. That is all the workout I need. Actually don't need to play to keep fit, just getting to the court does the trick.

[Brian11785]

Originally Posted by Tennis Truth

Another benefit is that you don't develop that popeye-like, huge forearm like Rod Laver used to have. You maintain a more symmetrical physique.

Down side is that you don't have a free hand to do the following:
toss a ball to serve, or feed (tennis ball or sandwich)
take the racquet back, or change grips
put a ball in your pocket, or take a ball out of your pocket
adjust your balls
wave to your friend who may be on the next court or may be walking by
pick your shorts out of your butt (applies to Nadal, mainly)
signal "out" shot by raising one finger
give someone the finger
adjust your headband
towel off
do common finishing moves after great shots, ie air guitar, rifle shot, makin' popcorn, baseball home run swing, air banjo, Chi Chi Rodriguez sword fight, etc. (would assist with the following finishing moves: Darth maul saber battle, drum solo, lobster man, giant scissors, doubles crutches, snow shoes, biggest earings on the planet, and many, many more
if you are Italian, talk or communicate in any way

Also, on the follow through, you might clang the racquets together sometimes (known as "cymbaling" in the two racquet community).

Also, you might be called for a "hinderance" if you are at the net and the other person has a sitter, and you wave both racquets in the air, trying to guess which way the ball will be hit.

On the plus side though, on the above sitter example, you can cover your face with one racquet, and "other areas" with the other racquet. No need to bail out.

Plus if you drop one racquet, you are still in the point, although you might have to hit a backhand

Like anything, there are pluses and minuses. Who can think of others?

Funniest post on this board.

[db10s]

I think this would be great for making all of the people in Health and Fitness or Tips and Instruction mad.... lol

[Tennis Truth]

To those who advocate for two-racket tennis:

Are you trying to encourage this as a competition, or just a form of exercise?

I'll confess that I don't really get it. To me, you could just use one racket but hit a left handed, and right handed forehand, by switching hands. It seems like holding two racquets is unwieldy, and forces changes in traditional tennis strokes because you can't use the off hand the same way. Sure, switching hands is kind of a hassle, but is nothing compared to the downside of using two racquets, which cause problems in feeding, picking up, and serving the ball.

But anyway, I do have a certain appreciation when people try new things, so best of luck to you.

[beernutz]

Originally Posted by Tennis Truth

To those who advocate for two-racket tennis:

Are you trying to encourage this as a competition, or just a form of exercise?

I'll confess that I don't really get it. To me, you could just use one racket but hit a left handed, and right handed forehand, by switching hands. It seems like holding two racquets is unwieldy, and forces changes in traditional tennis strokes because you can't use the off hand the same way. Sure, switching hands is kind of a hassle, but is nothing compared to the downside of using two racquets, which cause problems in feeding, picking up, and serving the ball.

But anyway, I do have a certain appreciation when people try new things, so best of luck to you.

I know a local guy who uses one racquet and switches hands so he can always hit forehands. He plays decently, probably a good 3.5 level at least, while only playing socially at most once a week with no league or tournament play.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by Tennis Truth

...Are you trying to encourage this as a competition, or just a form of exercise?

...I do have a certain appreciation when people try new things, so best of luck to you.

The time I saw it at Mission Ranch, Carmel, it looked more for exercise and movement. It was very rhythmic and dance like. I would think you'd have to be a pretty good player to begin with and would take some practice to get good at it. It looked like it would feel good, I'll try anything once.

[Professor Tennis]

Some of my tennis instructor friends have told me that it would be simpler to teach kids, for example, how to play with two forehands than the traditional forehand/backhand combo. Let me elaborate on what I've found (as Professor Tennis - Physics of Tennis) along these lines:

(1) Some children find after playing two forehands, that their "opposite" hand is their true power hand. Yes, some kids are influenced by their parents to play a particular hand, when in fact, their opposite hand is dominant.

(2) Playing a second forehand assists the player in developing a more powerful and accurate two-hand backhand. Quite simply, the two-hand backhand is really a choked-up forehand.

(3) Learning to play a second forehand develops coordination and power for both sides of the body, which comes in handy for the traditional one-racket game.

(4) Playing a second forehand can lead to the development of an ambidextrous serve. What right-handed player wouldn't want to serve left-handed in order to bolster their game.

(5) Playing a second forehand may be just what the doctor ordered in the case of a player sustaining an injury, perhaps even a career threatening injury. Knowing how to play with that second hand may make for a new chance at the brass ring of tennis.

[Professor Tennis]

Two-racket tennis as a training method can (and should I believe) be used by all types of tennis players (recreational, amateur and professional) hoping to improve motor skills and muscle power for both sides of the body.

Let's take the garden-variety pro player as an example: For the player who uses the two-hand backhand, which can be thought of as a choked up forehand, training the opposite forehand will bolster the two-hand backhand both in power and control. It certainly hasn't hurt Nadal; a natural righty who was persuaded to play lefty.

What about the player with the one-hand backhand? That player would also benefit from opposite forehand training. As one learns how to play an opposite forehand not only is a skill being created in controlling the swing of the racket, but also in the control of the body parts, which go into the completion of the swing. For you one-hand backhanders out there, I invite you to try playing an opposite forehand for a few weeks. Then go back full force to your one-hand backhand. I bet that you will see improvements in both power and control of the backhand from having developed this new skill. You will also find that you have increased stamina and perhaps even a flavor for creating shots that you normally would have been afraid to try. Try the two-racket test. I think your game will profit from having done so. Enjoy…

[beernutz]

Originally Posted by Professor Tennis

Two-racket tennis as a training method can (and should I believe) be used by all types of tennis players (recreational, amateur and professional) hoping to improve motor skills and muscle power for both sides of the body.

Let's take the garden-variety pro player as an example: For the player who uses the two-hand backhand, which can be thought of as a choked up forehand, training the opposite forehand will bolster the two-hand backhand both in power and control. It certainly hasn't hurt Nadal; a natural righty who was persuaded to play lefty.

What about the player with the one-hand backhand? That player would also benefit from opposite forehand training. As one learns how to play an opposite forehand not only is a skill being created in controlling the swing of the racket, but also in the control of the body parts, which go into the completion of the swing. For you one-hand backhanders out there, I invite you to try playing an opposite forehand for a few weeks. Then go back full force to your one-hand backhand. I bet that you will see improvements in both power and control of the backhand from having developed this new skill. You will also find that you have increased stamina and perhaps even a flavor for creating shots that you normally would have been afraid to try. Try the two-racket test. I think your game will profit from having done so. Enjoy…

Why don't you just play with one racquet and then switch hands to always hit a forehand?

[Professor Tennis]

Yes, I've done this. Playing two rackets has advantages that you will never understand until you give it a try. It's as simple as that. You can serve using the two rackets as well and it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. Then you'll be playing the complete two-racket game that I play.

[tennismonkey]

Originally Posted by beernutz

Why don't you just play with one racquet and then switch hands to always hit a forehand?

Originally Posted by Professor Tennis

Yes, I've done this. Playing two rackets has advantages that you will never understand until you give it a try. It's as simple as that. You can serve using the two rackets as well and it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. Then you'll be playing the complete two-racket game that I play.

How do I get balls out of my pockets if I am holding two racquets in my hands?

This is correct. Playing with two rackets will solve world hunger. You will never completely understand unless you try it. I am like the worst infomercial ever. I am not listening to a thing you are saying. I am batshiz insane.