Still late with two-handed backhand...

[jkhtennis]

Yesterday I barely won a USTA 4.0 singles match. My opponent kept pushing heavy, deep topspin forehand shots to my backhand corner, since I didn't want to retreat that much, I took most of them on the rise with my two-handed backhand. I really had trouble to push those shots crosscourt. Most of the times I could only push them back to the middle court since I was late, then my opponent would hit another high topspin forehand to the same corner again. I could shorten my backswing to control the crosscourt direction better, but that would sacrifice pace. During the last few months, my two-handed backhand got better recently after reading BB's posts and practising the following two drills (Hope this will be helpful to other 2hders as well):

1. Footwork step out drill. Step out with the left foot to hit open stance two handed backhand, this will make footwork much more efficient.
2. Left hand forehand drill. Hit the wall or hit with your practice partners with left-hand forehand. That will improve your two-handed backhand timing.

Anybody has other good drills to improve two-handed backhand?

 

[Bungalo Bill]

During the last few months, my two-handed backhand got better recently after reading BB's posts and practising the following two drills (Hope this will be helpful to other 2hders as well):

1. Footwork step out drill. Step out with the left foot to hit open stance two handed backhand, this will make footwork much more efficient.
2. Left hand forehand drill. Hit the wall or hit with your practice partners with left-hand forehand. That will improve your two-handed backhand timing.

Anybody has other good drills to improve two-handed backhand?

Can you get someone to drop feed you some balls in a rapid succession?

Really work at hitting the ball with the tophand. I mean really make an effort. You should feel your bicep, chest, and back shoulder really making an effort to increase your racquet head speed and flow. This is not only a good workout (gets the heart to rise) but will strenghten, coordinate, and improve the firing of the muscles in the right sequence for a good flow of kinetic energy.

The other one is time tested, hit lots of tophand forehands. Lots of them. In fact, I would like you for the next two months, concentrate on this during practice. Depending on how long your practices are, hit about 20-30 minutes of them each practice for the next two months. Try and raise your skill level to a 3.5 forehand in the next 6 months.

Keep the front side relaxed in both the drills - its hammer time.

 

[jkhtennis]

Can you get someone to drop feed you some balls in a rapid succession?

Really work at hitting the ball with the tophand. I mean really make an effort. You should feel your bicep, chest, and back shoulder really making an effort to increase your racquet head speed and flow. This is not only a good workout (gets the heart to rise) but will strenghten, coordinate, and improve the firing of the muscles in the right sequence for a good flow of kinetic energy.

The other one is time tested, hit lots of tophand forehands. Lots of them. In fact, I would like you for the next two months, concentrate on this during practice. Depending on how long your practices are, hit about 20-30 minutes of them each practice for the next two months. Try and raise your skill level to a 3.5 forehand in the next 6 months.

Keep the front side relaxed in both the drills - its hammer time.

thanks a lot, BB. I will definitely do that in the next few months.

 

[Bungalo Bill]

thanks a lot, BB. I will definitely do that in the next few months.

You can also do the drop feed drill with someone feeding you slow balls in rapid succession. The point is you really want to hit through that ball with the tophand. It helps when you slow the feed so you can focus specifically on this. However, you can do it, just make sure the feed is slow or is drop fed.

 

[dunlo]

Hi
What is a tophand?
I have the same problem sometimes too!!

 

[golden chicken]

Hi
What is a tophand?
I have the same problem sometimes too!!

top hand is your non-dominant hand. if you hit a right-handed forehand, then your left hand is "on top" on the 2h bh side.

BB therefore advocates practicing a left-handed forehand, but choked up with your left hand where it would be if you were still holding a right-handed 2h bh grip

 

[ta11geese3]

Doesn't Yandell say though that there are like 4 variations of the 2hb? And that the lefty forehand dominated version is just one of them?

 

[Bungalo Bill]

Doesn't Yandell say though that there are like 4 variations of the 2hb? And that the lefty forehand dominated version is just one of them?

There are "variations" of the twohanded backhand regarding grips, arm bend, etc...

The tophand even though on some variations may not be as strong or tends to be within a balanced view, still participates and needs to be coordinated and strengthened.

 

[metsjets]

you just need to time the ball and hit the outside. it's not just for forehands

 

[theazneyes]

So the tophand is that important huh?

 

[Bungalo Bill]

So the tophand is that important huh?

Yup. Confuscious says "only when one truly develops it will they truly see."

 

[vinky]

So the tophand is that important huh?

The driving force in the two-handed backhand is the non-dominant arm (left arm for righties). In earlier two-handers this was not always the case, but as the need for more power and control in the game has come about, there has been an increased need to swing like the forehand.

This is why you see tremendous power generated by the pros on the two-handed backhand today

 

[vinky]

So the tophand is that important huh?

The driving force in the two-handed backhand is the non-dominant arm (left arm for righties). In earlier two-handers this was not always the case, but as the need for more power and control in the game has come about, there has been an increased need to swing like the forehand.

This is why you see tremendous power generated by the pros on the two-handed backhand today

 

[jkhtennis]

The driving force in the two-handed backhand is the non-dominant arm (left arm for righties). In earlier two-handers this was not always the case, but as the need for more power and control in the game has come about, there has been an increased need to swing like the forehand.

This is why you see tremendous power generated by the pros on the two-handed backhand today

Yes, I absolutely agree. The tophand provides better control and power. However, for a right-hander, it really takes time to develop a good left-hand forehand. Like BB said, I will happy if my left-hand forehand can reach 3.5 level in three months.