I can hit sharp crosscourt topspin shots using forehand even on the dead run, but I couldn't hit such a shot using my two-handed backhand on the run. When rushed by the opponents, by defensive 2hbh can only go down the line, which goes to my opponent's forehand. Any tips to fix that? I can slice it back crosscourt, but it's very hard to go crosscourt using 2hbh. Should I shorten the backswing and use my left wrist more?
It's hard to hit sharp crosscourt angles using 2hbh
- Thread starter jkhtennis
- Start date
TheGreatestAudia
Rookie
My 2HBH is my best stroke and it is not any harder to hit cross court than my forehand. Spot is right. Take it out in front more and it will force you to hit it cross-court.
Doc Hollidae
Hall of Fame
Hit in an open stance. It opens up your hits to allow them to rotate more. When hitting a 2 HBH with a closed stance, your stance restricts your hips from fully rotating, therefore cutting down on your angle potential.
travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
The key to improving your running 2hb is to get better at turning running 2hbs into set 2hbs. The higher the level, the fewer the number of running groundstrokes you will need to hit. If you have disciplined footwork, you'll find that you can play an entire match and only hit 1 or 2 running backhands. The rest of the wide balls you should be able to run to with "a greater sense of urgency," giving yourself time to put the breaks on with your left foot, and then step toward your target with the right foot. If you do this, a dtl line wide 2hb is no different than a crosscourt 2hb. The only difference is that you should step with your right foot toward a different target.
Also, remember to spit step on EVERY shot. This will help eliminate running shots.
Also, remember to spit step on EVERY shot. This will help eliminate running shots.
Tennismastery
Professional
All the responses here are keys to improving your sharp angle crosscourt. However, there is more to hitting it at higher levels.
The first key to a significant crosscourt topspin is to hit more outside the ball as you brush up. This gives you the correct angle of the racquet plane as well as emphasises the spin that will help carve out more angle as the ball is moving in the air.
To do this, while hitting more out in front is the right idea, you must be careful: Hitting too far in front creates the impression to the body that the ball will be hit well wide. In addition, hitting too far in front, the racquet will tend to flatten out instead of hitting more up the outside portion of the ball because hitting more out in front makes the player usually open the hips and shoulder plane too early.
Hit staying very sideways, closing your stance more than neutral. (Open stance opens up the hips even more and it defeats the necessary posistion to hit up the outside of the ball.) Staying sideways will allow you to emphasize hitting up the outside of the ball without pulling the ball too wide.
Keep your dominant elbow closer to your side through contact. This helps keep you from "steering" the ball and raising your elbow (which makes you 'push' the ball instead of stroke it.) Let your non-dominant arm and hand drive up around this dominant's elbow (which acts as a fultcrum of a 2nd class lever at this point).
If you stay sideways long enough, you will hit out around the ball with significant spin and racquet head speed to create the severe topspin crosscourt you are looking for.
Try it and see if you don't get what your looking for.
The first key to a significant crosscourt topspin is to hit more outside the ball as you brush up. This gives you the correct angle of the racquet plane as well as emphasises the spin that will help carve out more angle as the ball is moving in the air.
To do this, while hitting more out in front is the right idea, you must be careful: Hitting too far in front creates the impression to the body that the ball will be hit well wide. In addition, hitting too far in front, the racquet will tend to flatten out instead of hitting more up the outside portion of the ball because hitting more out in front makes the player usually open the hips and shoulder plane too early.
Hit staying very sideways, closing your stance more than neutral. (Open stance opens up the hips even more and it defeats the necessary posistion to hit up the outside of the ball.) Staying sideways will allow you to emphasize hitting up the outside of the ball without pulling the ball too wide.
Keep your dominant elbow closer to your side through contact. This helps keep you from "steering" the ball and raising your elbow (which makes you 'push' the ball instead of stroke it.) Let your non-dominant arm and hand drive up around this dominant's elbow (which acts as a fultcrum of a 2nd class lever at this point).
If you stay sideways long enough, you will hit out around the ball with significant spin and racquet head speed to create the severe topspin crosscourt you are looking for.
Try it and see if you don't get what your looking for.
All the above tips are great, thanks very much! Footwork is the key as travlerajm mentioned, but it takes time to train the left foot to be the dominant foot. Sometimes I just do not have time to plant my left foot in time to hit a good 2hbh crosscourt. Also 2hbh does not have the same reach as 1hbh, it makes it more difficult to hit out in front when my opponents hit a good shot to my backhand corner. Should I use left wrist more and shorten the backswing to compensate? Footwork and anticipation can only be improved slowly, but I can adjust my swing relatively faster.
Shikamaru23
New User
if the shot keeps going wide when you try to hit it too sharply, add more topspin, and you can get a pretty nice sharp crosscourt shot.
Mountain Ghost
Professional
Crosscourt Backhands
On any running shot it’s easy to unconsciously make the mistake of either letting the arm creep farther out away from the body (and more behind the ball) during the backswing, or letting it swing farther out during the stroke itself in an attempt to get around the ball. Both of these “options” result in slower head speed, due to the reduced leverage and/or longer path to travel.
For a right-hander, if the net is at 12:00 and the shoulder is at the center of the clock, during a topspin backhand stroke the dominant arm goes from about 5:00 at full backswing to about 10:00 at full extension (impact). There are two ways for the arm to get there . . . around the perimeter (along the path of the numbers), or in a relatively straight line. The straight line is shorter, faster and provides more leverage. Coming around the outside of the ball for a crosscourt happens at the end of the extension, not earlier in the process.
MG
On any running shot it’s easy to unconsciously make the mistake of either letting the arm creep farther out away from the body (and more behind the ball) during the backswing, or letting it swing farther out during the stroke itself in an attempt to get around the ball. Both of these “options” result in slower head speed, due to the reduced leverage and/or longer path to travel.
For a right-hander, if the net is at 12:00 and the shoulder is at the center of the clock, during a topspin backhand stroke the dominant arm goes from about 5:00 at full backswing to about 10:00 at full extension (impact). There are two ways for the arm to get there . . . around the perimeter (along the path of the numbers), or in a relatively straight line. The straight line is shorter, faster and provides more leverage. Coming around the outside of the ball for a crosscourt happens at the end of the extension, not earlier in the process.
MG
base_liner
New User
I agree. My 2hbh is also my strong point and if you take them early enough it shouldn't really be a problem
Tennis_Gnat
Rookie
All suggestions are great, I might add one more though.
It's also possible to flick the backhand crosscourt.
Just use your wrists and flick them crosscourt. This is if you're way off balance and can't get set up. Flick your wrists quickly.
It's also possible to flick the backhand crosscourt.
Just use your wrists and flick them crosscourt. This is if you're way off balance and can't get set up. Flick your wrists quickly.
