(Show Me) How to Hit the Topspin Two-Hand Backhand Approach

[ext2hander]

(Show Me) How to Hit the Topspin Two-Hand Backhand Approach Shot, i.e. topspin 2HBH's hit well inside or at the service line. I've only seen muscle 2HBH's hit at the baseline in this forum. List age for relevance.

The most common backhand approach is the 1H-BH slice approach, particularly on low returns. Great for players versed in the 1H-BH, but what about players limited to the 2H-BH?

Here are recent samples of my approach shots using the extended two-hand backhand (E2HBH), for mid-height, high, and low approaches.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=grXRNkcHktM

My last post highlighted the E2HBH for a variety of shots, mostly aggressive baseline strokes with strong penetration and topspin sufficient to drive deep into the court. For this post, I have extracted clips to focus on approach shots hit from the backhand side. 68+ here.

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Lately, my LH-FH has improved considerably for hard low returns at the baseline ... and for low short balls, allowing me to return low topspin returns that surprise myself! And same for short high balls, with swinging LH-FH ... getting more ambidextrous by the day. Starting to prefer the LH-FH over my radical E2HBH, as I can apply whip action topspin and angles hitting one hand. Someday, I'll show this, but then, it would be nothing special -- other than being hit with my unnatural side.

See also my prior post, Show Me Your Two-Hander.

Note: The E2HBH stroke is not limited to the Medicare enabled, realizing that your game can get better when retired -- versus working stiffs sitting on their butts all day! Just Do It! :roll:
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[Shroud]

These dont look like approach shots. and well they look flat to me mostly. Which isnt bad for an approach IMHO.

Conners had a great 2handed approach.

 

[Ballinbob]

I just a normal 2HBH down the line and try and keep it low, nothing too special.

 

[ext2hander]

These dont look like approach shots. and well they look flat to me mostly. Which isnt bad for an approach IMHO.

Conners had a great 2handed approach.

These are not the perfect examples of my approach shots, but simply the closest I happened to have video'ed. Obviously, I don't come all the way in front of service line, but at my age, who does? Perhaps, I have hours of video recording ahead to capture the moments during games, which I do infrequently.

I do especially like stepping in on slow-to-moderate balls, taking high, and hitting an inside-out cross-court forehand to the deuce court sideline. One of my favorite shots. However, I can hit the low short balls on the rise down the middle, loosening up the grip and body to lift the ball over the net with topspin. On ad-court, I usually need to get a rhythm of consecutive returns to carve around the outside of ball to make final approach.

All my two-hand approaches taken well inside the baseline are hit very flat, in the sense they are hit with considerable pace, yet with sufficient topspin to drive deep into the court or sidelines. I don't normally hit the classic high-bouncing topspin two-hander, too must effort in the long run. I'd rather try to end the point in doubles. No one said approach two-handers had to exhibit massive topspin, as all of my approaches do not. Remember, I am not playing 4.5 level tennis, never have, never will.

But I would really like to see how other players hit their approaches with their two-hand forehand for net height or higher, or for low balls on the rise. All two-hand videos on the TT tennis tips are shown for hitting heavy topspin from the baseline.

 

[ext2hander]

. . . No one has any Two-Hand Backhand Approach shots from well within the baseline? just stand in-place baseline and hit muscle shots?

Or, perhaps like Jeff Salzenstein suggests?