Learning to hit with non-dominant hand...

[Deleted member 23235]

Anyone else experiment with hitting strokes with the non-dominant hand?

I'm a 4.5 righty, with a western grip forehand and semiwestern/continental 2hbh. I was first inspired to try hitting lefty semwestern forehands to improve my backhand, after watch some good (nationally ranked) juniors doing similar drills. After a while I found myself able to out-rally low 3.5 with my left hand. Further inspired, I started trying to teach myself a lefty one-handed backhand (partly with the idea that I wanted to learn a new stroke from scratch in case I wanted to teach a complete beginner - then I'd have a fresh memory of how uncoordinated it feels in the beginning). As I started developing a "moon ball" left 1hbh. In order to complete my education I started practicing slice/topspin lefty serves as well. I'm fairly confident that I could probably at least stay close with recreational (eg. not competitve USTA ranked) 3.5 players.

Throughout my "lefty" education, I've found that learning the opposite hand is teaching me things that I should do with my right hand. 3 simple examples: 1) in struggling to hit a leftly slice serve, I was able to make some slight adjustments in my right slice serve to get the ball to "break" more. 2) hitting my left forehand is directly helping me hit a better right 2hbh. 3) struggling to hit a consistent lefty 1hbh "moonball" has reemphasized that I need to really lift the ball on all my groundstrokes.

Anybody have similar experiences or comments?

 

[garfonkee]

I actually want to do that.. if I can get access to a ball machine for cheap

Otherwise, I've tried some serves and it really is really awkward.. not to mention my left side has way less muscle than my right hand side..

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Otherwise, I've tried some serves and it really is really awkward.. not to mention my left side has way less muscle than my right hand side..

Actually that's another good point I learned... I found that I couldn't "muscle" the ball on the left side, and need to concentrate on technique, and let the racquet do the work... when I tried the same on the right side, I "loosened" up and it felt much better and smoother.

 

[Rickson]

Anyone else experiment with hitting strokes with the non-dominant hand?

I'm a 4.5 righty, with a western grip forehand and semiwestern/continental 2hbh. I was first inspired to try hitting lefty semwestern forehands to improve my backhand, after watch some good (nationally ranked) juniors doing similar drills. After a while I found myself able to out-rally low 3.5 with my left hand. Further inspired, I started trying to teach myself a lefty one-handed backhand (partly with the idea that I wanted to learn a new stroke from scratch in case I wanted to teach a complete beginner - then I'd have a fresh memory of how uncoordinated it feels in the beginning). As I started developing a "moon ball" left 1hbh. In order to complete my education I started practicing slice/topspin lefty serves as well. I'm fairly confident that I could probably at least stay close with recreational (eg. not competitve USTA ranked) 3.5 players.

Throughout my "lefty" education, I've found that learning the opposite hand is teaching me things that I should do with my right hand. 3 simple examples: 1) in struggling to hit a leftly slice serve, I was able to make some slight adjustments in my right slice serve to get the ball to "break" more. 2) hitting my left forehand is directly helping me hit a better right 2hbh. 3) struggling to hit a consistent lefty 1hbh "moonball" has reemphasized that I need to really lift the ball on all my groundstrokes.

Anybody have similar experiences or comments?

I don't know how many threads I have about doing that. I often play lefty to mess around, but I still can't hit a lefty serve. I can beat any beginner with my left hand and some intermediate players as well.

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

The serve would be really tricky, at least for me. I suck with my left hand.

 

[Mr. Blond]

I play with my non dominant hand because of a torn rotator cuff on the right side. Like many of the others have said the serve was tricky.

I found that it was hard at first because it takes so much more concentration to learn a new skill. With my right hand I learn things quickly, with the left it took me hundreds of repetitions to get a movement into muscle memory.

 

[Rickson]

I play with my non dominant hand because of a torn rotator cuff on the right side. Like many of the others have said the serve was tricky.

I found that it was hard at first because it takes so much more concentration to learn a new skill. With my right hand I learn things quickly, with the left it took me hundreds of repetitions to get a movement into muscle memory.

Did you ever develop that lefty serve?

 

[Mr. Blond]

Did you ever develop that lefty serve?

yeah it is getting there....my kickers are hitting the fence but not with the pace I want. The fact that I am serving from a chair makes the geometry all that much more weird for my opponents. Seems everyone I hit with comments on how disorienting the serve is.

Another couple of months it should be lethal.

 

[Rickson]

yeah it is getting there....my kickers are hitting the fence but not with the pace I want. The fact that I am serving from a chair makes the geometry all that much more weird for my opponents. Seems everyone I hit with comments on how disorienting the serve is.

Another couple of months it should be lethal.

I understand the trajectory must make it difficult. How long before your natural arm heals and will you be going back to the right hand? BTW, let's suppose your opponent has a weak kicker; are you allowed to return his serve from a second bounce as on groundstrokes?

 

[tennisdad65]

I am right handed with a one handed backhand. I tried to play with my left hand when I had a bout of TE.

I had no problem slicing or topspin the lefty backhand with good results. Lefty forehand was very shaky.
i.e. forehand on the non dominant side seemed a lot more unnatural than the backhand.

My lefty serve sucked but I only tried about 20 serves.
Probably got in 4 at 50 mph.. about 10 did not make it to the net

 

[Kobble]

I used to hit lefty forehands against the wall pretty good. One handed backhand is a tough one for me. Has no pop.

 

[Rickson]

I am right handed with a one handed backhand. I tried to play with my left hand when I had a bout of TE.

I had no problem slicing or topspin the lefty backhand with good results. Lefty forehand was very shaky.
i.e. forehand on the non dominant side seemed a lot more unnatural than the backhand.

My lefty serve sucked but I only tried about 20 serves.
Probably got in 4 at 50 mph.. about 10 did not make it to the net

The only reason my lefty backhand feels more natural to me is because I used to play baseball and I use a lefth 2hbh. I use a righty one hander and I definitely feel the lefty forehand is much easier than a lefty one handed backhand so I have the opposite problem of yours.