Should I switch from two-handed forehand to a one hander?

[palmerpursuit]

I just finished my first season on the Varsity Tennis team at my school. I am a junior at Monticello High School in New York and I currently play with two hands on both sides. My forehand is like a lefty two-handed backhand and I keep my hands in the same position when I use my backhand. I have never seen anyone else play this way and I got a lot of comments during the season. I did very well this year and had a overall record of 10-3...I played mainly #3 singles....but also #2 and #1.....My coach thinks that I should try to learn a one hander because the two-hander will hold me back...I am a pusher(currently am a 4.0-4.5 player) and find myself struggling to put the ball away even when I try....My serve is not very good,probably because I am not used to using only my right hand....Do you think I should stick to two-hands or learn a one hander even though I am doing well with 2?

 

[[K]aotic]

1 hander allows more freedom and flexibility in shots... so i think u should...

 

[soyizgood]

Without knowing much about your style of play, your ability to hit with one hand, and how well you time your strokes, it's hard to say.

Fabrice Santoro has had a good career using 2HFH. Playing a 1HFH means you have better ability to reach for balls, mix topspin and flat shots easier, open up your game to using slices and drop shots, and more angles to hit.

You have a good record with your 2HFH. So it looks like your FH is reliable. You'll need to hit the ball more in front of you with a 1HFH and it is not as forgiving towards bad mechanics as a 2H is.

Just realize you might take a step back before moving forward if you pursue making this change. Good luck to you.

 

[lecter255]

yea switch to a 1handed forehand. non of the top 10 or 20 pros use a 2handed forehand. santoro is like... the only 1 in top 100?

 

[tricky]

You may want to contact Dave Smith/Tennismastery and/or read his book. He knows a lot about the nuances of the 2H FH, and I think it's covered in his book too.

http://www.tennismastery.net/

 

[Tempyst]

Most definitely, but not because pros do so. Simply because once you are comfortable with it, it is so useful in tight situations.