Backhands: Is it bad to have a 1 handed AND a 2 handed?

[matchpoints]

I'm naturally a 2 hander but have developed a 1 hander as well when I get lazy. Feeding balls and rallying with guests also makes me use the one hander more, because I'm usually holding balls in my left hand.

Anyhow, I have confidence in both and can hit offensive and defensive with both. Lately, I've noticed that I've been using my one-handed backhand more and more. This is very obvious when I'm just rallying with the other guys and they freak out and ask me "do you have a 2 handed or 1 handed backhand?"

In matches, I still use a 2 hander but once in a while I'll pretend like i'm about to hit a slice backhand and hit a crosscourt one handed backhand when the opponent comes to net. Sometimes I'll hit a one handed backhand on a service return as well when my legs are tired.

So, my question is, is it bad to have both and practice both? For some background, I've played collegiate level tennis. I'm 26 right now, and I'm going to try and play some futures starting this summer after school is over. I'm much stronger now then before. My friends say I'm a late bloomer. Apparently very late.

 

[Rickson]

I used to use both backhands when I started developing my 1 hander, but I've switched to a full time one fisted backhand. You'll find the 1 hander much more rewarding so go with the 1 fisted punch.

 

[Prince_of_Tennis]

I play two handed return and one handed for rallies...I think its easier to hit a two hand when your lazy. How do you hit a lazy one hand? It must just float right...

 

[raftermania]

I'm in sort of a simliar boat there matchpoints. I love hitting with one and two hands off the backhand wing. You can implement them into a match situation with some mental care. The biggest advice I got from one of my coaches was you don't have enough time to think which shot to hit during a point. You watch Prince of Tennis right??? In real tennis, we don't have time to have lengthy dialogues with ourselves and others during the course of one shot. Therefore, I use the one handed backhanded in times where it is most useful and physiologically beneficial:

• like hitting that on the run passing shot / wide ball.
• I also love using it when I have to deal with short balls (you can only hit so far ahead of yourself with two hands).
• and of course, nothing beats the one-handed slice for low balls

A similar example from pro tennis is hot stuff Sharapova. If you or anyone saw her match against Pierce, she hit a one handed forehand! After she hit it, I think Mary Joe Fernandez queued in that Maria is actually very confident hitting a lefty forehand, thus she has programmed herself to hit it in such situations, in this case, on the run. So I really think, it's feasible to implement the two backhands into your game, given they are designated to certain roles.

 

[matchpoints]

I play two handed return and one handed for rallies...I think its easier to hit a two hand when your lazy. How do you hit a lazy one hand? It must just float right...

When you get tired, the legs go out first.

 

[alan-n]

I need to work on my back hand topspin lobs.... I use the two hander to hit topspin lobs back in doubles. Simply because its a lazy shot.

 

[kenc9265]

Decide what is the most effective and most comfortable backhand you want to stick with and practice hard to make it a weapon of choice. Switching back and forth (two backhand/one backhand) will only give you second guesses and make you feel unsure about your shot. Just like everything eles, either two backhand or one backhand, it is only effective as the people who want it to be effective. For example; Aggassi: Two backhand 8 times grand slam title. Pete Sampras: One backhand 14 grand slam title. This shows you that both style work. The important thing is finding what in most effective for you.

 

[johnmcc516]

If one back hand had a huge advantage over the other, then everyone would be using the same stroke. However, they both have pros and cons. I like hitting my twohand backhand because I can it hit much harder then I could a one hander, however I love hitting a one handed back hand slice. They are so effective.

 

[Geezer Guy]

matchpoints, You've GOT to develop both. If you're going to play some futures, and hope to be on the tour one day, this can be your meal ticket. You know that the newcomers rarely make the TV coverage, unless they do something unusual like hit with two hands from both sides, or have a right and left handed forehand but no backhand. Well, this can be your niche. Imagine the comentators discussing your backhands during a match. They'll replay both the 1hbh and 2hbh's in super slow-mo, side by side on split screens, and argue among themselves about which is better, or which you should do in certain situations. Then when you make it big all the young kids will come out with both. They'll argue about how much better Sampras and Agassi would have been if they'd had both. Maybe they'll even name it after you! So, you've GOT to go for it!

 

[johnmcc516]

Dream Big Geezer!

 

[joe sch]

I would think that you would just use whatever stroke worked best for the situation and hopefully this would become almost automatic. I have been trying for almost 2 years now to develop a steady 2 handed bh for service returns and body shots but its still not as realiable as my single bh. The advantage of the 1h bh is more reach so its always the best option when you cant get the desired reach with your 2h bh. As my footspeed and footwork decrease with older age, I realize that a good 2h bh will really help in seniors competition. Thanks for posting your uncertainties and look forward to more posts like this explaining how to merge 1h & 2h into play.

 

[matchpoints]

So far ya'll are saying that you use 2 hander when you're lazy. It's the opposite for me. With a two hander, I have to make sure i'm standing sideways, front knee bent, use both arms, and I have to get in better position. With a one hander, I can cheat a lot more just like my forehand. I can wing it more so to speak. Hence, when I get lazy or tired, I notice I use one hander more. It's less work for me.

My 2 hander is still my more consistent shot, nevertheless, I can still rip winners with the one hander but not as consistently.

Geezer Guy~ If I ever make it on TV (for tennis), my first thanks will be to you my man.

 

[kevhen]

I use a two-hander but sometimes a slice one hander when on the run and late to the ball. I did start using the one hander more and more but finally made myself stop being lazy and take that extra step and hit the two hander since my two harder is much more attacking and more consistent too with better depth. I think it's good to have both the two and one hander as you have a little more reach with the one hander and can stay in some points you wouldn't have been able to without it. If you find yourself getting lazy and just always hitting one handers, then maybe go that route but if your two hander is good then I would keep focusing on that as your #1 choice and stop being lazy and get to the ball so you can rip the two hander.

 

[Bungalo Bill]

I'm naturally a 2 hander but have developed a 1 hander as well when I get lazy. Feeding balls and rallying with guests also makes me use the one hander more, because I'm usually holding balls in my left hand.

Anyhow, I have confidence in both and can hit offensive and defensive with both. Lately, I've noticed that I've been using my one-handed backhand more and more. This is very obvious when I'm just rallying with the other guys and they freak out and ask me "do you have a 2 handed or 1 handed backhand?"

In matches, I still use a 2 hander but once in a while I'll pretend like i'm about to hit a slice backhand and hit a crosscourt one handed backhand when the opponent comes to net. Sometimes I'll hit a one handed backhand on a service return as well when my legs are tired.

So, my question is, is it bad to have both and practice both? For some background, I've played collegiate level tennis. I'm 26 right now, and I'm going to try and play some futures starting this summer after school is over. I'm much stronger now then before. My friends say I'm a late bloomer. Apparently very late.

If you play matches with your twohander - keep a twohander. Use your onehander for slicing.

If you're goofin around, nothing is to stop you from doing whatever you want.

For competitive play and practice, either have a twohander with a onehanded slice or a onehander for all shots. Dont stradle the fence in indecision - it leads to mediocrity.

 

[kevhen]

I agree with Bill. If you start hitting the one hander with topspin and like it, you might as well just focus on the one-hander and drop the two hander. Otherwise focus on the two-hander while using the occasional one-handed slice when playing defense.

I play with an old German guy who hits one hands topspin and slice, two hand topspins, left hand forehands, etc. He couldn't decide how he wanted to play as I relentlessly attacked his backhand and was often having trouble deciding which one to hit on a moments notice and just not making good shots. Now after a year or so he has finally decided to go with the 2 hander which is the toughest for me to attack and as he has his focus and more practice on the one shot he is always using, he has become much tougher on his backhand side.

 

[Venetian]

People talk about a 1-handed slice all the time. Like it's an option to have one. Who doesn't slice? And how many people slice with 2 hands? Lol. It's like saying..."Yeah sometimes I like to mix things up with a one handed serve".

 

[Bungalo Bill]

People talk about a 1-handed slice all the time. Like it's an option to have one. Who doesn't slice? And how many people slice with 2 hands? Lol. It's like saying..."Yeah sometimes I like to mix things up with a one handed serve".

Not another one...a lot of people do not have a slice and at best have a mediocre slice.

Your last sentence was a bit moronic. It was border line idiotic.

 

[alan-n]

Even at the pro level, many players have not developed a one handed slice. Of course all the one handers don't have a choice, but many two handers never have.

 

[bc-05]

agassi! lol.. seriously ive never seen him slices or volleys.. everytime he comes to the net its either he fooked up his volley or he starts running back to the baseline

 

[bee]

I think use both and use whichever feels right at the moment. One thing I like about the onehander is it allows for better disguise when you want to hit a dropshot. Hitting onehanders helps with you backhand volley.

 

[fastdunn]

People talk about a 1-handed slice all the time. Like it's an option to have one. Who doesn't slice? And how many people slice with 2 hands? Lol. It's like saying..."Yeah sometimes I like to mix things up with a one handed serve".

In fact, quite a few people hit 2 handed slice backhand.
Plus lots of 2 handers tend to have weak 1 handed slice unless
they develop a strong one consciously. Because 2 handed backhand is a
slightly different mentality, IMHO.