Is it against rules to play/serve with both hands during match?

[lud]

I know it's crazy, almost impossible.
But, imagine if some talented kid started to play tennis with 5yo, and had crazy coach that forced him to learn to play with both hands equally.

SF scenario, but hey even wierdest thing happened?

 

[sureshs]

With one racket or two?

 

[Mainad]

If it's not against the rules to serve under hand I don't suppose it would be with both hands. Just impractical.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

It is permitted to use both hands as long as you are using just one racket.

 

[Goof]

One of the Jensen brothers did this. Nothing illegal about it.

 

[Shaolin]

A guy that played for my alma mater (large D1 school) switched it up sometimes serving righty, sometimes lefty. He had pretty good results but think he played # 3.

 

[one-hand]

I know it's crazy, almost impossible.
But, imagine if some talented kid started to play tennis with 5yo, and had crazy coach that forced him to learn to play with both hands equally.

SF scenario, but hey even wierdest thing happened?

I watched an interview where Uncle Toni told Rafa, actual righty, to play left handed because most pros on tour are right handed. It would be interesting to know if the coach still thinks the strategy worked considering most top pros are still predominantly right handed.

So I can see Uncle Toni tell kids at RA to play with both hands.

 

[jm1980]

I watched an interview where Uncle Toni told Rafa, actual righty, to play left handed because most pros on tour are right handed. It would be interesting to know if the coach still thinks the strategy worked considering most top pros are still predominantly right handed.

So I can see Uncle Toni tell kids at RA to play with both hands.

Incredible how often this myth gets repeated and perpetuated

Nadal explained in his autobiography that when he was a kid, he used to play with both hands. Tio Toni made him pick one because nobody played with both, and Rafa chose the left hand because he felt more comfortable with it.

 

[jm1980]

I know it's crazy, almost impossible.
But, imagine if some talented kid started to play tennis with 5yo, and had crazy coach that forced him to learn to play with both hands equally.

SF scenario, but hey even wierdest thing happened?

You can do whatever you want. There have been a few who have tried it. But nobody was ever any good at it, specially in men's singles.

It just takes too much time to switch, so you better have a decent backhand on both sides as well. Now you have just doubled the number of groundstrokes to practice for no good reason.

I think this kid Cheong-Eui Kim (career high #296) is the highest ranked singles player with two FHs:

Luke Jensen has a big serve on both sides, was pretty good at doubles and even won a slam. At singles he peaked at #168.

Evgenia Kulikovskaya is another ambidextrous player (career high #91):

 

[Shankadelic]

I know a junior tennis player who plays this way and is currently sitting at 12+UTR rating. It is quite amazing to watch. I don't know if the kid will make the pro tour but will definitely play for a school in one of the power 5 conferences.

 

[Sudacafan]

I know it's crazy, almost impossible.
But, imagine if some talented kid started to play tennis with 5yo, and had crazy coach that forced him to learn to play with both hands equally.

SF scenario, but hey even wierdest thing happened?

Serves:
How would the both hands be used in the serve:
Double handed serve (a double handed backhand analogy)?
Or serves randomly made by either hand, only one hand per serve?

Groundstrokes:
I know some recreational players who normally switched to tennis from other racket sports that play with two forehands. Right handed fh and left handed fh. Never using a backhand.
About those, you know that you should shoot right at their bodies.

I remember seeing righthanded Sharapova returning wide lefty forehands in extreme situations.

 

[BGod]

Beverly Baker Fleitz

1955 Wimbledon Finalist.

She also made 4 other semifinals across the 3 major Slams at the time.

I am surprised we don't see more. I get focusing on the one side but there's really no big reason not to have a player practice with both sides as you're eliminating the need for a backhand and as far as I know the pros spend a lot of time practicing that. So why not two forehands?

 

[BGod]

Groundstrokes:
I know some recreational players who normally switched to tennis from other racket sports that play with two forehands. Right handed fh and left handed fh. Never using a backhand.
About those, you know that you should shoot righ at their bodies.

Yeah they're not using enough power on their shots. I was able to use my left in extreme situations for a topspin lob and I think many people have that capacity. But if you get a genetic freak that can train with both why not?

 

[Sudacafan]

Yeah they're not using enough power on their shots. I was able to use my left in extreme situations for a topspin lob and I think many people have that capacity. But if you get a genetic freak that can train with both why not?

Being strongly right-handed for everything, it has always amazed me how people can use their non-dominant hand in tennis.
I only use my left hand to toss the ball when serving, because there is no other way possible. As my left hand ability for nearly everything is so weak, I normally have problems with the precision of my toss when I serve.

 

[TripleATeam]

I think that having to train 2 serves would lower the effectiveness of both. The margins at the top are razor thin, so if you split your time between two hands for serving, you'll be less effective. Eventually one will be better for you and you'll find more success specializing in one hand than you'll gain out of the surprise factor of an unexpected serve.

But is it against the rules? No.

 

[Ronaldo]

One of the Jensen brothers did this. Nothing illegal about it.

Dual Hand Luke, served with no hands,

 

[jm1980]

Groundstrokes:
I know some recreational players who normally switched to tennis from other racket sports that play with two forehands. Right handed fh and left handed fh. Never using a backhand.
About those, you know that you should shoot right at their bodies.

Easiest way to beat players like this is to find their opposite hand forehand and attack it as if it were a backhand