More 2hbh grip and grip length considerations (doubles)

[ByeByePoly]

Just talking doubles here, potential added power with both hands fully on grip/handle an important consideration.

This is a topic that will continue to come up, particularly for those with tennis 2hbhs starting to play pickleball. What 2hbh grip, paddle choices, and considerations before paddle purchase.

This topic is on my mind because after 10 months of mainly using 1hbh, I am now using 2hbh for dinks, topspin 3rd shot drop, mix it in on return of serve, etc. Plan to use 2hbh also for some roll volleys, speedups, kitchen and transition swing volleys … already have some but on occasion rather than goto …

Some generally accepted givens:
- 2hbh can be very useful/effective in pickleball
- for most players, 5.3” grips will be long enough for 2hbh with off hand index finger behind paddle face
- now 5.5” (and longer) grips/handles available, can get both hands fully on handle with some paddles
- don’t overlook taper of throat ... if going with index finger behind paddle face, a narrow taper is best


I thought I would add ”considerations/tradeoffs” to the typical 2hbh grip discussion. Unlike tennis, you could make the case there are tradeoffs with 2hbh choices (grips and paddles). Even on the most touch, short cc 2hbh tennis shot, nobody would suggest there could be any advantage to not having all fingers on the grip. Even with touch 2hbh topspin cc … still have a 27” lever, still need to let the racquet do the work, racquet head speed from hinge from both hands/fingers on the grip. With a pickleball paddle … I think you can make the case on many keys shots in pickleball, the finger behind the paddle face adds stability/control that is a plus, not a negative … no matter how weird it looks.

List of potential 2hbh pickleball shots … add to it if I missed some:
- dinks
- roll volleys/flicks
- 3rd shot drops, particularly topspin
- resets
- speedups
- return of serve
- power swing volleys
- 3rd shot drives

I would say for all touch shots (bolded) … it’s all about repeatable control. Even on roll volleys/flicks where you have paddle lag behind wrist/hand … it’s seldom a power shot. Now that I’m used to the weird finger behind face thing on a 5.4” grip … I would not want to take finger off for those shots. I guess a longer handle that keeps my index finger from reaching paddle face with out choking up would also be a negative on these shots.

If we call the non-bolded power shots (pickleball version of power ), does the index finger off handle reduce the power? I think to make the case the off finger reduces potential power/speed … you have to at least talk about 2hbh swings were you have introduced paddle lag trailing the hand. Anyone that learns a tennis 2hbh, and then adds the racquet lag after, is well aware of how much easy added racquet head speed you get by introducing lag. My guess is 90% of rec 2hbhs have no lag, and paddle simply travels with arm/hand … and location of off hand index finger can’t possibly matter.

Obviously … paddle differences in weight, weight distribution (long handles, less paddle face length) matter in all shots, 2hbh included, regardless of grip technique.

What say you? Some of you using a different finger to comment on this post?

 

[vex]

I play the same way. I love hitting 2HBH dinks and it’s amazing because the same motion you use For dinks can become a flick speed up. They can’t see it coming. I’ve also gotten used to the index finger on the paddle face and it’s not longer an issue. In fact I prefer it for certain touch shots like you mentioned. As for longer paddle grips, the last time I read the rules my understanding was that the legal paddle dimensions include the grip. So anything you’re adding to the grip length you’d be losing from the paddle face.

The only thing I don’t love 2HBH for is blocks right at me center mass/at my throat. I just cannot get my body shot blocks to the level they were at with my old Conti 1H grip. But that’s a skill problem I’m working on and I’m not willing to go back to conti grip after getting such massive gains swapping to eastern FH grip for my FH grip. Even the pros seem to struggle with those body/neck balls more than other shots.

 

[ByeByePoly]

I play the same way. I love hitting 2HBH dinks and it’s amazing because the same motion you use For dinks can become a flick speed up. They can’t see it coming. I’ve also gotten used to the index finger on the paddle face and it’s not longer an issue. In fact I prefer it for certain touch shots like you mentioned. As for longer paddle grips, the last time I read the rules my understanding was that the legal paddle dimensions include the grip. So anything you’re adding to the grip length you’d be losing from the paddle face.

The only thing I don’t love 2HBH for is blocks right at me center mass/at my throat. I just cannot get my body shot blocks to the level they were at with my old Conti 1H grip. But that’s a skill problem I’m working on and I’m not willing to go back to conti grip after getting such massive gains swapping to eastern FH grip for my FH grip. Even the pros seem to struggle with those body/neck balls more than other shots.

Yes … if you would have told me I would someday like pickleball and finger behind paddle on 2hbhs I would have said you were smoking something. I agree on the 2hbh speedups … good disguise … and I find it more consistent than my 1hbh speedup. Also … for me easier to add topspin on 2hbh speedup (not sure why … hit my roll volley with 1hbh).

I hit eastern fh for baseline serve, and fh drives… cont 1hbh, cont/east 2hbh.

My approach to kitchen ready position and grips is cont 1hbh … right at me cont 1hbh. My intention is to integrate 2hbh where it makes since (a little to the side with time). I have studied how a player like Anna Lee Waters takes balls directly at her with 2hbh … and it’s lighting fast body/shoulder slide to right to provide space for 2hbh. I have decided for me stick with 1hbh firefight but add 2hbh when time and to the side. Work in progress … we will see. We have all the time in the world at baseline for things like grip changes and alternating 1hbh/2hbh … not so much in a firefight.

Yes … paddle dimension rules is length + width max is 24” … so by definition if you have two 16” x 8” paddles, the one with the longer grip of the two will have less paddle face (probably going to have a swingweight difference also). If I was only hitting 2hbh drives from baseline or 2hbh power swing volleys, no doubt I would prefer longer handle and all fingers on grip. Again … trade offs…