Practicing left hand forehands to improve a right 2 hand backhand?

[Deleted member 23235]

I'm a 4.5 right handed player with a 2 handed backhand; SW left hand, and continental right hand.

Sometimes, when I can't a game with someone at my own level, and I end up with a 3.0 or 3.5 player, I'll work on my secondary shots (ie. play sets, while hitting just kick serves, underspin FH and underspin BH, etc...) or secondary strategies (ie. play to opp strengths, lob/volley, etc...), just to keep it interesting, and to get some practice for other parts of my game...

I've recently began experimenting with hitting a left hand forehand to improve my left hand coordination and general footwork for my 2 handed backhand... I'm just curious if anyone else out there has experimented with this. Have you found it has helped, hurt or done nothing for your backhand? Anyone have any advice?

I read somewhere that Agassi used to hit lefty forehands or challenge folks with his left forehand (something along those lines)...

 

[quicken]

I thought Agassi suggestd right hand dominant BH...

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I thought Agassi suggestd right hand dominant BH...

Now that you mention this, I do recall that comment he made during his analysis of the Roddick backhand,... but I didn't understand it.

 

[bucpride]

Well my coach made me hit with a left-handed forehand first to hone my 2H backhand, it worked great for me. My coach keeps saying that in a 2H backhand the weaker hand is the driver and your dominant hand is just a passenger.

This contradicts Agassi's suggestion but hey, it works for me.

 

[Topaz]

Well my coach made me hit with a left-handed forehand first to hone my 2H backhand, it worked great for me. My coach keeps saying that in a 2H backhand the weaker hand is the driver and your dominant hand is just a passenger.

This contradicts Agassi's suggestion but hey, it works for me.

This is in line with what I've always been told as well, though I know others who say the opposite. I regularly practice LH forehands to improve my 2hbh, and for me, yes, it does seem to help.

 

[WBF]

My college coach had me do this when I had some trouble with my backhand. Choke up to where your hand will be during the backhand (and use the same grip), then practice some mini tennis using that as a lefty forehand. It did wonders for my backhand.

 

[bucpride]

I originally had a 1H backhand, then I was having a hard time return ing serves on my BH and my coach made me switch to a 2Hander

Now, this process took about 10 minutes...she made me hit balls with my left-hand as a forehand, she just said get the balls over the net....which i did although i looked like a ****** hitting wit my weaker hand. After about 5 minutes she said hold the racquet with 2 hands but still swing as if it was a left handed forehand.

I gotta tell you her method, for me, worked wonders. I was hitting my 2H backhands like I never had a 1H in the first place.

My grip is a little bit different though, i grip it as if it was a 1H backhand and I just put my left hand where its most comfortable.

 

[Pusher]

I'm a 4.5 right handed player with a 2 handed backhand; SW left hand, and continental right hand.

Sometimes, when I can't a game with someone at my own level, and I end up with a 3.0 or 3.5 player, I'll work on my secondary shots (ie. play sets, while hitting just kick serves, underspin FH and underspin BH, etc...) or secondary strategies (ie. play to opp strengths, lob/volley, etc...), just to keep it interesting, and to get some practice for other parts of my game...

I've recently began experimenting with hitting a left hand forehand to improve my left hand coordination and general footwork for my 2 handed backhand... I'm just curious if anyone else out there has experimented with this. Have you found it has helped, hurt or done nothing for your backhand? Anyone have any advice?

I read somewhere that Agassi used to hit lefty forehands or challenge folks with his left forehand (something along those lines)...

If you asked Agassi how to hit a 2hbh and then asked Ivanovic or Davenport I suspect you would get two different answers. I've observed that females tend to push with their off-hand while males tend to pull more with their dominant hand. Males tend to hit it with more of a baseball hitting stroke.

In just watching juniors play I see the same type of basic differences I described above. Its also apparent to me that generally females have better backhands than males, relative to their forehand.

So what's the answer? If male I would forget about the off hand forehand and for the girls I would give it a try.

 

[Topaz]

If you asked Agassi how to hit a 2hbh and then asked Ivanovic or Davenport I suspect you would get two different answers. I've observed that females tend to push with their off-hand while males tend to pull more with their dominant hand. Males tend to hit it with more of a baseball hitting stroke.

In just watching juniors play I see the same type of basic differences I described above. Its also apparent to me that generally females have better backhands than males, relative to their forehand.

So what's the answer? If male I would forget about the off hand forehand and for the girls I would give it a try.

Why should males forget the off hand FH? It just might help! More likely, I think the answer would be that it helps some, and not others...and there is only one way to find out...give it a try and see.

I'm still confused by how some preach LH dominance and others RH dominance in the 2HBH. I've asked the question before but it went unanswered...what are the pros/cons of either?

 

[rosenstar]

I thought Agassi suggestd right hand dominant BH...

He did, but many people don't understand the dynammics of Agassi's backhand, for example, how early he took it, his foot placement, right/left hand grip, etc. For most of us, I believe that a 2HBH is escentially a lefty forehand.

 

[93sq.]

I used that kind of training to improve my 2hbh....i got improvement in spin and deepness...and i become more confident in my BH!

 

[93sq.]

But...wait a minute...
IMHO the most important things to hit a good 2hbh are placement and grips!

 

[Jack Romeo]

i've experimented with hitting left handed forehands to try to improve my 2-handed backhand. i did this after reading a while ago that some pros do this (i think it was kafelnikov). i think that because of this drill, my backhand became left-hand dominant. it worked out ok, but i found that on bad days, i had a lot of mishits. so i adjusted and made my right hand more involved in the shot. i think now, my backhand is like 50-50 in terms of the work done by both hands. i find it's a lot more solid now. i don't practice left-handed forehands anymore.

 

[Gmedlo]

The hand dominance in your 2hbh depends on which grip you use for each hand– I could post an excerpt from Nick Bollettieri's book, but that would be stealing money from him.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

i've experimented with hitting left handed forehands to try to improve my 2-handed backhand. i did this after reading a while ago that some pros do this (i think it was kafelnikov). i think that because of this drill, my backhand became left-hand dominant. it worked out ok, but i found that on bad days, i had a lot of mishits. so i adjusted and made my right hand more involved in the shot. i think now, my backhand is like 50-50 in terms of the work done by both hands. i find it's a lot more solid now. i don't practice left-handed forehands anymore.

I think my ultimate goal would be to use 50/50 left/right on my 2hbh... but currently the 50% attributed to my left hand feels rather awkward and uncoordinated... so the overall shot feels like my right hand is arguing with my left hand about where to meet the ball...

I'm not sure if it's placebo effect or not, but for the short time I've seriously practiced my left hand forehand (1/2 dozen times ~ 1 hr each time), I really feel like it has helped me track the ball better on my 2hbh. Now I probably hit my left hand forehand like a 3.0 or 3.5 player... I basically hit it high, with not much pace (but I am choking up on the racquet with my left hand as though I'm holding my 2hbh grip). My theory is that if I can get my left hand forehand to be as good as my current right hand forehand, then my 2hbh wing will become more of a weapon.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

The hand dominance in your 2hbh depends on which grip you use for each hand– I could post an excerpt from Nick Bollettieri's book, but that would be stealing money from him.

Which book? Rather than stealing money, you could advertise for him instead

Also I'm more interested in people's first hand experiences... I have a bunch of books from different authors that comment about the differences in grips (but perhaps not NB's book).

thanks!

 

[tzinc]

Sometimes I don't even use the Right Hand with it I just swing with the Left.

 

[don_nguyen11490]

I used to do this when I still had a 2HBH. But while I was hitting with my left hand, I asked myself "Why not just hit a 2HBH and practice using BOTH arms?" So instead I learned to hit with two hands instead of one. Then I just switched to using a 1HBH.

 

[CityHeightsTennis]

my coach told me 2 HBs are all left hand power. I am a right hander. But if I use right hand more is it strongeR?

 

[FedererISBetter]

I'm 5.0 now, was 4.5 last season... I got this great video from youtube about two handed backhand... a great explanation : )
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WezW20Vlh4w

 

[quicken]

The video is great explanation ONLY
his forms are not great... pretty horrible if you ask me.

 

[FedererISBetter]

How is his form not decent? Everyone has his or her form : ) That reminded me of PoT lol, " Play your own tennis, Echizen" - Tezuka.