Backhand Yips

[Ashtonbrewer94]

I need some insight:

I have the yips with my two handed backhand. Like Charles Barkley’s golf swing bad (YouTube that if you need a laugh lol). However, my serve return is actually really good off the backhand wing because I can just bunt hard serves back.

My one handed backhand is pretty solid, but definitely still has some improvement to make and my serve return isn’t as good. However, I don’t miss wildly with the one hander, only the two hander. Should I just transition to the one hander and keep working on my technique to get comfortable on serve returns? Or try to get over the yips and stick with the two hander? I’m a strong 4.0 player

 

[Rosstour]

Fix the yips, I had the same problem recently.

Are you shanking the ball wide crosscourt?

Pulling up too quickly and dumping in the net? I was doing both.

 

[Ashtonbrewer94]

Fix the yips, I had the same problem recently.

Are you shanking the ball wide crosscourt?

Pulling up too quickly and dumping in the net? I was doing both.

Shanking it, hitting it a mile long, dumping it in the bottom of the net, all of the above lol. Just zero confidence in adding any racket speed to generate spin.

 

[E46luver]

take a lesson and hit BH for 3 hours straight
yips and confidence issues simply mean lack of drilling

 

[golden chicken]

You could try hitting left handed forehands for a bit in practice. Leave your left hand choked up on the grip where it would be if you kept your dominant hand on the bottom. You'll probably find you start off significantly weaker and less coordinated. That forces you to slow down a bit and focus on clean contact and solid mechanics. Once you do that, your small stabilizing muscles in the forearm will have time to get stronger as they get used to doing all the work. Then, when you go back to two-handed, those stronger muscles can be used to control the racket face better throughout the swing, which should be more efficient since you had to recruit more of your legs and body to swing left-handed only.

 

[Rosstour]

Shanking it, hitting it a mile long, dumping it in the bottom of the net, all of the above lol. Just zero confidence in adding any racket speed to generate spin.

Here is what fixed it for me.

My main hitting partner and I start our warmups off with volleys. Very close in to the net, ball has to land in the service boxes. Then we move back.

He advised me to stop hitting one-handed slices during that initial warmup and to "brush up" on the ball with two hands. I did, and slowly it has affected the entirety of my game. Now it's much more second-nature to move to the ball with two hands on the racquet, turning the body. And now my 2HBH is my most consistent shot.

I'm a pretty one-hand-dominant player and without really drilling myself will just get lazy and use one-hand backhands, which end up being mostly slice in a match setting. But in the last few months that has totally changed and my game has become much more symmetrical. Just changing that little bit of the warmup has improved my 2HBH in the rallies, off the return, and even translated into less lopsided net play.

 

[Ashtonbrewer94]

You could try hitting left handed forehands for a bit in practice. Leave your left hand choked up on the grip where it would be if you kept your dominant hand on the bottom. You'll probably find you start off significantly weaker and less coordinated. That forces you to slow down a bit and focus on clean contact and solid mechanics. Once you do that, your small stabilizing muscles in the forearm will have time to get stronger as they get used to doing all the work. Then, when you go back to two-handed, those stronger muscles can be used to control the racket face better throughout the swing, which should be more efficient since you had to recruit more of your legs and body to swing left-handed only.

I can actually hit left handed forehands pretty well; I was a +3 handicap golfer before I got back into tennis, so using my core and legs comes natural to me. But I do agree; when I focus on making a lefty forehand, my backhand improves

 

[chic]

Personally I've found that if my 2hbh is off I'm not taking my preparation early enough or not bringing it far enough back.

Troubleshooting is annoying, gl

 

[Ashtonbrewer94]

I did forget to provide some background information on my left wrist: I have experienced lingering wrist issues for years, and there are days when my wrist is too stiff or in too much pain to effectively use it in the same way a lefty would hit a forehand. This is probably the main reason I'm contemplating the wholesale change from 2HBH to 1HB. The other reason being I can generate a lot more topspin with my 1HB.

 

[McGradey]

This is a good video for the 2HBH

The drill where you alternate between using a lefty forehand and both hands really works.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I need some insight:

I have the yips with my two handed backhand. Like Charles Barkley’s golf swing bad (YouTube that if you need a laugh lol). However, my serve return is actually really good off the backhand wing because I can just bunt hard serves back.

My one handed backhand is pretty solid, but definitely still has some improvement to make and my serve return isn’t as good. However, I don’t miss wildly with the one hander, only the two hander. Should I just transition to the one hander and keep working on my technique to get comfortable on serve returns? Or try to get over the yips and stick with the two hander? I’m a strong 4.0 player

What exposes the yips more than anything for me is mini-tennis or hitting softly against the wall. Then all of my flaws are magnified and obvious.

What I try to do is focus on a smooth swing and watch the point of contact so I'm not moving my head and let the result take care of itself. That almost always works. When it doesn't, it's usually due to a hitch in my swing or maybe poor footwork.

 

[Chas Tennis]

High Speed Video Feedback

Compare your backhands to high level ATP backhands using high speed video and the same camera angles. Use about 240 fps and small motion blur to see the fastest motions of the stroke. For small motion blur, video in bright direct sunlight. Don't use warm up or relaxed hitting but the better strokes that the players use when they are not pressured and want to hit pace.

You will see differences. Check to see if other ATP players use your technique. Decide what to do about the differences.

 

[BevelDevil]

I've used a 1hbh for most my tennis life, but adopted a 2hbh when I started to teach my kid to hit a 2hbh.

First I tried an Agassi-style 2hbh, with my dominant arm (right) being straight. This was wildly inconsistent.

Then I reversed it by making my left arm completely straight and my right arm slightly bent. I think of my left arm as a wood plank and my right hand pulling that plank around my body. Because of this, there was minimal movement of my left arm. It's a pretty consistent shot. I'm actually shocked at how comfortable I became with a 2hbh, from both open and closed stance. It's not very powerful, though.

 

[Searah]

last time i got yips was in doubles.
i won first set 7-6 then again 7-6.
next set i think i was nervous because despite my winning all my matches my opponent wasn't mentally giving up when in my low bracket.. my opponents by now at least start getting depressed.
and my forehand just wouldn't go into the court.. so i thought i'd just focus on topspin and even that went out.
between points.. i noticed my hands were shaking.. i couldn't stop shaking! maybe lack of nutrition? not sure.

sadly i never got my forehand back that game.. and my last set was with a strong teammate.. so i proceeded to just lob all game and let my teammate do most the work. won that 6-4.

good to have other weapons to relie on. but also helps i do doubles.

 

[sredna42]

I need some insight:

I have the yips with my two handed backhand. Like Charles Barkley’s golf swing bad (YouTube that if you need a laugh lol). However, my serve return is actually really good off the backhand wing because I can just bunt hard serves back.

My one handed backhand is pretty solid, but definitely still has some improvement to make and my serve return isn’t as good. However, I don’t miss wildly with the one hander, only the two hander. Should I just transition to the one hander and keep working on my technique to get comfortable on serve returns? Or try to get over the yips and stick with the two hander? I’m a strong 4.0 player

one of the best 2hbh vids i've seen.