switch from two handed to one handed backhand?

[grtp]

I am a varsity singles tennis player for my high school and I have a two handed backhand. My entire game is based on power. But my backhand is quite slower than the rest of my game. It doesn't have as much pace as my forehand. My question is, my backhand is normally two handed, but sometimes when I am messing around I use a one handed backhand (like Federer) and I can rip it as fast or faster than my forehand. It is not very accurate but I am still wondering wether I should work to get it to be more accurate or just stick to the slower but more accurate two handed backhand. Any advice would be very much appreciated. oh, by the way I forgot to mention I am right handed.

 

[gugafanatic]

if your entire game is based on power then the one-handed backhand will not benefit you. If you are going to switch, you will have to learn to slice alot more balls and be alot more patient on your backhand topspin.

 

[gmlasam]

grtp,

If your 2 handed backhand is weak, then it is your stroke mechanics. You are probably not using trunk and should rotation effectively and using your arms more. Your backswing preperation could be off as well. You should be able to rip a two handed back hand as much as your forehand.

 

[erik-the-red]

I've always thought the single-handed backhand drive was the most beautiful shot in tennis.

The shot actually forces you to truly drive through the ball, the source of power!

So, if you really want to, go ahead and learn the shot. It looks good and may not necessarily be weaker than a double-handed backhand.

 

[MChong]

That's odd; I have a two-handed backhanded and am in the process of switching to a one-handed backhand. I found that I could generate a bit more power with the two-handed backhand, but I couldn't get the angles I was looking for and the one-handed backhand seems to be helping in that area. I'm not completely sure on what to use yet, but only time will tell.

 

[BreakPoint]

I can hit my one-handed backhand with more pace and control and with more angle than my forehand because I drive through the ball better on my backhand side. The mechanics of the one-handed backhand forces you to have to hit the ball further out in front which facilitates driving through the ball better. Both the forehand and two-handed backhand lets you get lazy and get away with hitting the ball late and spin the ball back over the net which doesn't have nearly as much power as driving through the ball.

 

[Bungalo Bill]

...Both the forehand and two-handed backhand lets you get lazy and get away with hitting the ball late and spin the ball back over the net which doesn't have nearly as much power as driving through the ball.

Everything was great right up until you mentioned the information above.

Dont agree with you at all on the laziness of a twohander. It is anything but a lazy stroke.

 

[lude popper]

2hander. make sure your chin touches one shoulder on the backswing and the other on the follow through. rotate your shoulders like a madman and make sure to transfer weight forward. never have weight neutral or back foot. drive the ball like you were hitting through 5 balls in a line; use less upward brushing -- contact the ball early in order to maximize incoming energy . . . and you will have major pace. make sure to use your legs: bend and push off against ground.

 

[|SLICER|]

Nothing feels better than a solidly hit 1h BH on a low ball, zooming inches over the net...

I currently use both 1H and 2H, anything below the waist is pretty much 1h, anything higher usually a 2H.

If I have plenty of time to set up on a slow, short ball, I usually go to my more powerful 2H.

I would give it a try it is very fun! Which is why you play tennis

 

[Rickson]

Make the switch! The 1 hander is a beautiful stroke and there's nothing more rewarding than hitting a 1 handed backhand winner.

 

[alan-n]

The two handed backhand is quite a workhorse of a shot, this was the main reason why I switched to the one hander. I don't have to take that extra half step on the run... Or muscle the shot with my body as much anymore.

To get pace out of the two hander I had to be sure to thrust must weight into the shot before swinging forward to hit through the ball real well. Shots on the run required quite a bit of my body to muscle and accelerate the racquet face quickly in a short swing.... Sometimes jumping in the air so that I can thrust my torso around into the shot. You often see players like Safin and Ferrero do this to get their weight and pace into the shot after running it down.

Work on your backhand slice shot first... Only that becomes a reliable shot and weapon then switch permanently.

 

[FREDDY]

keep the two handed BH. work on it. one hand isnt so great. i was in the same phase and i everyone like the coaches at the park i goto tell me to stick with two hands. the one handed back hand will lead to a lot of slicing especially when you havent had much work on it. its more of a showy shot.
TWO HANDS is much more stable. the guys/girls that use one hand has had a grip load of practice, but its only my opinion.

 

[alan-n]

keep the two handed BH. work on it. one hand isnt so great. i was in the same phase and i everyone like the coaches at the park i goto tell me to stick with two hands. the one handed back hand will lead to a lot of slicing especially when you havent had much work on it. its more of a showy shot.
TWO HANDS is much more stable. the guys/girls that use one hand has had a grip load of practice, but its only my opinion.

I've played with this and can only conclude the dead obvious whether 1 or 2 hands being better is dependant on who plays (duh), not that one is better than the other. Though in the long run, at the highest levels, and as you get older the one hander will dominate. When you get older and play more doubles matches and depend more and, and more on precise placement, drops, slices.... when you want to save energy for long matches the 1 hander will prevail. And if you have world class talent, Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer.... All one handers so it doesn't make sense to conclude that the 2 hander is superior to 1. Most 1 handers learn the continental grip early on, that doesn't constitute as more grip practice, I only use 2 grips, eastern and continental.... BTW I love hitting slice shots to high schoolers who try to hit the 2 hander like Roddick, right into the net

 

[HuusHould]

Does anyone have a success story going the other way? Single hander to double hander? If so, what was the key to getting it with the new shot? And how long did it take?

 

[FiReFTW]

Does anyone have a success story going the other way? Single hander to double hander? If so, what was the key to getting it with the new shot? And how long did it take?

Dont do it! Dont switch that elegant beauty of a shot for that brute fugly looking thing!

 

[Bender]

Dont do it! Dont switch that elegant beauty of a shot for that brute fugly looking thing!

That's assuming the 1HBH that is being replaced was elegant looking to begin with.

Most amateur 1HBHs are nothing remotely close to the fedr 1HBH. It's more of a E FH shovel shot dinked over with an unnatural wrist bend at contact.

Also, @HuusHould I switched from 1HBH to 2HBH a while back (but still can hit with the 1HBH). If you have any specific questions about making a successful transition, let me know.

I'd talk about what the key was for me, but what worked for me is not necessarily what will work for you.

But anyway the transition for me took about a week, then shortly after I stopped playing tennis altogether. When I came back, I switched grips and it became my most consistent weapon in about a year. My forehand is a bigger weapon (when it's on, which isn't often enough, I will redline) but it's far less consistent.

 

[ByeByePoly]

That's assuming the 1HBH that is being replaced was elegant looking to begin with.

Most amateur 1HBHs are nothing remotely close to the fedr 1HBH. It's more of a E FH shovel shot dinked over with an unnatural wrist bend at contact.

Also, @HuusHould I switched from 1HBH to 2HBH a while back (but still can hit with the 1HBH). If you have any specific questions about making a successful transition, let me know.

I'd talk about what the key was for me, but what worked for me is not necessarily what will work for you.

But anyway the transition for me took about a week, then shortly after I stopped playing tennis altogether. When I came back, I switched grips and it became my most consistent weapon in about a year. My forehand is a bigger weapon (when it's on, which isn't often enough, I will redline) but it's far less consistent.

Switched in a week? That is faster than some of your past posts.

 

[Bender]

Switched in a week? That is faster than some of your past posts.

Switched in a week in that it was usable in a game (partly because I sucked at everything back then).

It’s been a weapon now for the past two years, maybe three, and I’ve been playing regularly for about five years with some large breaks inbetween.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[winstonlim8]

Does anyone have a success story going the other way? Single hander to double hander? If so, what was the key to getting it with the new shot? And how long did it take?

I had to play with two hands when I injured my arm some years back. It wasn't all that hard for me to make the change as I bat left-handed naturally.

I didn't notice a significant loss of power but I did get more control when I could get into position properly. Sharp angles were a bit easier with two hands because the left hand allowed me to whip the ball for more topspin.

I hit a Chris Evert-style backhand though, with lots of waist and shoulder rotation and very flat for the most part, using more topspin only when I wanted to angle the ball or lift it up off a low return.

I couldn't slice the ball at all no matter how much I studied both Evert and Connors' videos. I just don't have their talent.

I reverted to my natural one-hander when my arm healed because it gave me more variety. I could hit an extreme slice,a drop shot, lob or power a flat slice with the same take back and preparation.

Funny though, I always found it easier to jump when hitting the one hander.

 

[ByeByePoly]

Switched in a week in that it was usable in a game (partly because I sucked at everything back then).

It’s been a weapon now for the past two years, maybe three, and I’ve been playing regularly for about five years with some large breaks inbetween.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

blah blah blah ... let's see the video

My 2hbh wasn't usuable in 2 years ... and I cleared the fence with the ball machine for the first two weeks. It was a long time before I felt comfortable hitting the 2hbh toward the golf course on the outer courts at the tennis center. I guess that is one way to chart new stroke progress ... I don't think about the golf course anymore.

Edit: usuable means matches my 1hbh slice low UE ... so still not usuable if we include winning.

 

[ByeByePoly]

I had to play with two hands when I injured my arm some years back. It wasn't all that hard for me to make the change as I bat left-handed naturally.

I didn't notice a significant loss of power but I did get more control when I could get into position properly. Sharp angles were a bit easier with two hands because the left hand allowed me to whip the ball for more topspin.

I hit a Chris Evert-style backhand though, with lots of waist and shoulder rotation and very flat for the most part, using more topspin only when I wanted to angle the ball or lift it up off a low return.

I couldn't slice the ball at all no after how much studied both Evert and Connors. I don't have their talent.

I reverted to my natural one-hander when my arm healed because it gave me more variety. I could hit an extreme slice,a drop shot, lob or power a flat slice with the same take back and preparation.

Funny though, I always found it easier to jump in the one hander.

Great signature ... lol

 

[winstonlim8]

Thank you. I try to be truthful always.




Not that I succeed all the time.

 

[Big Bagel]

I am a varsity singles tennis player for my high school and I have a two handed backhand. My entire game is based on power. But my backhand is quite slower than the rest of my game. It doesn't have as much pace as my forehand. My question is, my backhand is normally two handed, but sometimes when I am messing around I use a one handed backhand (like Federer) and I can rip it as fast or faster than my forehand. It is not very accurate but I am still wondering wether I should work to get it to be more accurate or just stick to the slower but more accurate two handed backhand. Any advice would be very much appreciated. oh, by the way I forgot to mention I am right handed.

I would give the one-hander a shot. If you aren't able to get good power from your two-hander, it's probably not very natural to you. Do you feel like your arms are restricted? When you unleash the one-hander, does it feel more free? If so, you are probably more naturally a one-hander.

In general, the two-hander is taught because most people find it easier having the extra hand on there for stability. It's also easier to generate power with a short swing. The one-hander actually has the greater potential for power because of the greater extension, but most people are not able to do it very well and it requires a longer swing to get the racquet moving the same speed. Just look at Wawrinka to see the incredible potential for power the one-hander holds. But that's also part of why he does better at the French Open than Wimbledon; he loves hitting the power one-hander which requires a long swing, but he doesn't have time to make the full swing often enough on the fast grass compared to the slow clay. Federer doesn't rely on big power from his one-hander which is why he's been able to have such success on grass... that and his incredible slice.

I started with a two-hander but it was just awful, especially if I tried to hit it hard. When my coach first had me switch, while it was difficult and took awhile, it immediately felt more free, natural, and relaxed. That's how my coach knew that we had to keep at it. That's usually how I now decide with my players if I am going to try switching them to a one-hander. Most players I still think should use a two-hander; that's always what I teach first. But if you're backhand is a liability then there's no harm in trying. And if you feel restricted when you hit a two-hander, but free when you hit a one-hander, then I would absolutely give the one-hander a real chance.

 

[JohnYandell]

The point that needs to be considered here: Some players are far more arm dominant with the arm they hit their forehands and serves with. They are less likely to hit two handers well. It's not which shot is better--that debate can't be separated from the players hitting them. There will always be great players with both. In fact the number of one-handers at the top of the game is surprising considering it's a point of religion to teach two-handers to juniors. The right question to ask is whether I am more natural with one hand.

 

[rogerroger917]

Your 2hbh doesn't need to be as powerful as the fh. For my son we worked on getting his 2hbh to be rock solid. Be able to redirect. Sharp angles on the run. And worked a lot on the dtl shot. A lot. From varying depths on the court. His fh is a canon. His 2hbh is solid and deceptive because he can change direction on balls that other kids don't think he is able to on. It's fairly flat slight top spin. Side spin as well when he changed direction on the ball to go down the line.

 

[ParrotOnStrings]

I switched from 1h to 2h backhand last september because I couldnt get speed into the ball or attack with my 1hb. after 10 months of playing 2-3 times a week (around 4-6 hours weekly), and around 24 hours with a trainer, I finaly got used to that crazy feeling that had nothing to do with 1h backhand or forehand. it was basically a completely new world to me when I started learning.

now my 2hb is a lot better than my 1hb ever was, but still it's a lot less persistent than my forehand. this might take another year until forehand and backhand have almost the same speed and precision.

so if you expect to change to 2hb within a month, it's not gonna happen, unless you are a extremely talendet player. =)
but for me, it was worth.

 

[Bender]

Your 2hbh doesn't need to be as powerful as the fh. For my son we worked on getting his 2hbh to be rock solid. Be able to redirect. Sharp angles on the run. And worked a lot on the dtl shot. A lot. From varying depths on the court. His fh is a canon. His 2hbh is solid and deceptive because he can change direction on balls that other kids don't think he is able to on. It's fairly flat slight top spin. Side spin as well when he changed direction on the ball to go down the line.

Looks like your kid and I have similar options on the backhand wing. I can hit hard on the forehand side but it can be erratic, which I assume is not an issue with your kid's though.

Still, I can hit wide angles, down the line, topspin, and flat regardless of whether I am stationary or on the run. I can also hit those stomping counterpunching / defensive backhands as well since my backhand is like 80% left handed. Angles on the forehand on the deuce court isn't as good unless I'm already rallying at an angle though so I need to work on that.

I usually fare well against lefties because their bread and butter is to rally endlessly CC to my BH with their FHs, and I can hang then outhit them most of the time. It's the hard hitting righties that I have more difficulty with, which I think is odd. Usually I try to engage in BH to BH rallies with them then run around my BH to open up angles with my FH from the AD court.

...I should just practise my CC FH more.

 

[heninfan99]

Does anyone have a success story going the other way? Single hander to double hander? If so, what was the key to getting it with the new shot? And how long did it take?

doing one handed forehands on that side on the wall helps a lot when switching from a one hander. This is what helped the most.

 

[HuusHould]

Also, @HuusHould I switched from 1HBH to 2HBH a while back (but still can hit with the 1HBH). If you have any specific questions about making a successful transition, let me know.

I'd talk about what the key was for me, but what worked for me is not necessarily what will work for you.

I'd be interested in what the key for you was? Also, what situations, types of balls were most difficult when developing your double hander?

For me it's been a biting kicker (one that breaks and kicks up). Especially if I thought it was going to go to my fh. I find if I pick it early I can almost half volley the return effectively (an option I never had with my single hander), but if it gets big on me I'm in trouble.

I also have trouble when I get the decision of whether to drive or slice wrong on the return. I find that having your hand on the handle, as opposed to the throat gives you less reach. Also I find the preparation for a fh return isn't as natural with my hand on the handle in the ready position.

I lack power on the double hander in general. Ive been told this is because Im not a good coiler. Im used to using my forearm to flick the ball on my single hander. I have a good lasso forehand that requires forearm strength as opposed to a well timed coil/uncoil. Do you have any tips for coil efficiency/strength, medicine ball throws maybe? I've been breaking strings due to mishits at the tip of thr racquet much more frequently while using the double hander.

My idea of advantages of the double hander are that it is easier to;

1- take the ball earlier,
2- control lobs, as a result of better feel with 2 hands (also loopy neutralisers),
3- control angled "roll" shots,
4- control a faded/swinging shot,
5- go over with control the return of a big/fast serve,
6- disguise, especially when hitting passing shots,
7- control a shot on the half volley when in good position,
8- hit and disguise a drive volley,
9- flatten out,
10- run through (esp with a front foot hop) a shot when approaching the net.
11- slide into an open stanced defensive shot (Novak Djokovic style)
12- hit with an open stance.
13- keep the ball low over the net when engaging in a cat and mouse exchange near the net.

Disadvantages of hitting the double hander;
1- Less reach (you can't compensate for being a bit out of position),
2- Less power when receiving a ball with no pace,
3- Less spin potential in reply to slow balls, as the single hander has more leverage.
4- Half volleys are impossible if in poor position.
5- More likely to shank the ball at the tip of the racquet due to the arc of the swing being naturally sharper as a consequence of less reach.
6- More difficult to handle the body serve,
7- More difficult to adjust to an unpredictable/ inconsistent bounce.

I INVITE ALL POSTERS TO COMMENT on the pros and cons of each shot!? Cheers.

 

[zaph]

I don't buy the reduced power argument, I am not big and have no problem generating pace with 2 hands. Look at Nadal and Djokovic, not exactly struggling on paceless balls off the backhand. The problem is your stroke mechanics, not the using 2 hands.

The problem with switching is control and taking the high ball. We have loads of players at our clubs who can hit big one handed backhands and blowup after 3 or 4 shots. They aren't steady enough and have to reply allot on slicing to stay in points.

They also struggle on high bouncing balls, which is even harder for them when there is allot of top spin. I wouldn't consider the one hander unless you're 6 foot plus and have allot of upper body strength.

 

[Big Bagel]

I'd be interested in what the key for you was? Also, what situations, types of balls were most difficult when developing your double hander?

For me it's been a biting kicker (one that breaks and kicks up). Especially if I thought it was going to go to my fh. I find if I pick it early I can almost half volley the return effectively (an option I never had with my single hander), but if it gets big on me I'm in trouble.

I had the exact opposite experience. I still use my one-hander mainly, but on the big kickers that get shoulder height or higher, I find it much easier to drive the ball with a two-hander. With my one-hander, I'll either lack power (unless I go way back like Wawrinka at the French) or I have to slice it. I like my slice return, but I try not to over-use it.

I also have trouble when I get the decision of whether to drive or slice wrong on the return. I find that having your hand on the handle, as opposed to the throat gives you less reach. Also I find the preparation for a fh return isn't as natural with my hand on the handle in the ready position.

I lack power on the double hander in general. Ive been told this is because Im not a good coiler. Im used to using my forearm to flick the ball on my single hander. I have a good lasso forehand that requires forearm strength as opposed to a well timed coil/uncoil. Do you have any tips for coil efficiency/strength, medicine ball throws maybe? I've been breaking strings due to mishits at the tip of thr racquet much more frequently while using the double hander.

My idea of advantages of the double hander are that it is easier to;

1- take the ball earlier, - I disagree. I have no problem taking the ball early with a one-hander at all, especially on hard courts.
2- control lobs, as a result of better feel with 2 hands (also loopy neutralisers), - Topspin lobs, yes, I agree, but not defensive/underspin lobs
3- control angled "roll" shots, - Yes, I agree
4- control a faded/swinging shot, - Not quite sure what you mean with this one
5- go over with control the return of a big/fast serve, - Yes, I agree, unless you stand way back. The block return is fine, but coming over, especially on big/fast serves, is easier with two hands
6- disguise, especially when hitting passing shots, - I Disagree. I think both can disguise the ball well. There may be a very slight edge with two given the shorter stroke, but the preparation of a one-hander should be pretty hidden from the opponent which aids with disguise.
7- control a shot on the half volley when in good position, - Agree. I actually use two hands on those occasionally
8- hit and disguise a drive volley, - Disagree. I think that neither one has great disguise as you rarely see someone hit a normal (not drive) volley with two hands except in doubles with the extreme pace being hit at them
9- flatten out, - Disagree. I am able to flatten out my one-hander with no problems at all, and I know a lot of others that are the same.
10- run through (esp with a front foot hop) a shot when approaching the net. - Disagree. It might be easier/more natural for most players to do that with two, but people that use one usually do not have much trouble with that at all
11- slide into an open stanced defensive shot (Novak Djokovic style) - Agree and Disagree. It's harder for a one-hander to do that open stance, but one-handers will instead turn with their back to the court to reach out with one hand which gives them extra reach as well, so I would actually rather have a one-hander in this situation, I just wouldn't go open stance.
12- hit with an open stance. - Agree, but one-handers just choose not to hit open stance in as many situations as two-handers. And one-handers are better at hitting in a truly closed stance than two-handers which can be a substitute for going open and can also give you more reach again, but it is harder to recover from.
13- keep the ball low over the net when engaging in a cat and mouse exchange near the net. - Not quite sure exactly what you mean. I don't have trouble keeping the ball low over the net with my one-hander in near net situations though.

Disadvantages of hitting the double hander;
1- Less reach (you can't compensate for being a bit out of position), - Agree
2- Less power when receiving a ball with no pace, - Agree; if you don't, just look at Wawrinka. Two-handers often get more power on their shots because they don't require as long of a swing path to get the same power, but due to the physics of having a longer radius, one-handers are capable of hitting more power IF GIVEN TIME FOR A FULL SWING
3- Less spin potential in reply to slow balls, as the single hander has more leverage. - Disagree. The one-hander can get the racquet moving faster, but the two hander has the potential to get more low-to-high action due to the two hands on the racquet, so I would say it is about equal. One-hander can hit it harder, but they can't flick the wrists the same way, so spin, I would say, is roughly equal on these balls.
4- Half volleys are impossible if in poor position. - Slightly agree because they are extremely difficult no matter what if in poor position, regardless of how many hands you use.
5- More likely to shank the ball at the tip of the racquet due to the arc of the swing being naturally sharper as a consequence of less reach. - Disagree. I see why you would say that, but if you are in good position, you should hit the ball fine with whichever swing you set up to hit.
6- More difficult to handle the body serve, - Agree, releasing with one hand allows you to hit a ball hit right at your stomach which you cannot do with a two-hander.
7- More difficult to adjust to an unpredictable/ inconsistent bounce. - Agree and Disagree. While the one-hander has more room to adjust to an unpredictable bounce (agree), the two hander has a shorter stroke and so can do more with an adjusted swing and oftentimes has an easier time adjusting due to the two hands and keeping it stable (disagree). Overall, I'd actually give a slight edge to the two-hander.

I INVITE ALL POSTERS TO COMMENT on the pros and cons of each shot!? Cheers.

I have put my answers in italics in the quote above. EDIT: I realize now that using italics didn't help. Oh well, live and learn. I have now put them in bold to see if that helps distinguish them.

Overall, two-handers are better on high balls and cases where shorter swings are helpful. One-handers can generally handle low balls better, can hit harder if given time for a full swing, have better reach, and are generally more competent on the slice and volleys due to being more comfortable with only one hand on the racquet. There's an exception to every rule and there are more specifics you could say, but those are the more general ideas I have about one and two handed backhands.

 

[Bender]

I'd be interested in what the key for you was? Also, what situations, types of balls were most difficult when developing your double hander?

For me it's been a biting kicker (one that breaks and kicks up). Especially if I thought it was going to go to my fh. I find if I pick it early I can almost half volley the return effectively (an option I never had with my single hander), but if it gets big on me I'm in trouble.

For me the first key was to get the feel of the racquet drop before 'snapping' back up (for lack of a better word) like it does on the forehand, and making sure the motion is a natural result of a fluid swing, rather than a forced motion.

When I first switched, I had difficulty getting the racquet to come under the ball, because my left hand--having never had anything to do with a racquet until then--could not really 'feel' where the racquet was and what it was doing, and it was worse because it was holding the racquet near the throat and not at the bottom of the handle. When you hold a racquet in your right hand, even with your eyes closed you are able to determine how you are holding the racquet, based on the perceived weight and hand feeling for the angle in which you are holding the racquet. With me, that left hand might as well have been prosthetic because I would have to look at the racquet to see what the left hand was doing.

It was only when I started rallies with my left hand that I got a feel for the racquet on that side. I suspect this is also why my 2HBH developed into a very left hand-dominant shot, where the takeback, swing, contact, and followthrough are all left hand-driven.

The second key for me was to change the feel for how I brought the racquet to contact. My takeback and swing are very pendulum-like / banana shaped; I don't circle the racquet during takeback, but rather swing back, then swing forward in one pendulum motion. However it wasn't always like this; when I started, it used to be a straight takeback followed by a mostly horizontal swingpath with a modest incline. The reason for this change is that I changed the feel for the swing from pushing the racquet to contact, to pulling the racquet to contact.

Pulling the 2HBH to contact brought easy power and spin, and made it more natural to transfer weight from my left leg to my right, so that's where the biggest improvement happened for me. That said, I never really ditched the push type 2HBH; as I have put some years on that type of shot in my 2HBH journey, I realised that it is really good when hitting backhands where you are unable to set up in an ideal way. So the defensive sliding / stomping 2HBH is very much a push shot where I punch the ball back with my left hand in sync with the slide / left foot stomp.

That style of backhand is also perfect when trying to aggressively return lefty slice serves out wide or kickers. You can punch the ball back hard with a bit of backspin depending on how stretched out you are, and it puts you in charge of the point immediately. Worst case scenario the ball is returned with a bit of pace up the middle so no-one really gets an advantage.

I also have trouble when I get the decision of whether to drive or slice wrong on the return. I find that having your hand on the handle, as opposed to the throat gives you less reach. Also I find the preparation for a fh return isn't as natural with my hand on the handle in the ready position.

If I get a serve out very wide to my backhand side and cannot hit a 2HBH, I pivot on my left foot turn 180 to take one step out wide with my right foot to try and reach the ball with one hand to slice. My success rate with those are not amazing but it's good enough considering that those serves are usually very good and should be expected to be difficult to return.

I always have my right hand in my forehand grip and my left hand on the throat of the racquet. Not sure how I can help you switch quickly to the 2HBH, but it's just something you get better with in time. I can count the number of times I could not switch to the proper grip in time for a 2HBH return on one hand.

I lack power on the double hander in general. Ive been told this is because Im not a good coiler. Im used to using my forearm to flick the ball on my single hander. I have a good lasso forehand that requires forearm strength as opposed to a well timed coil/uncoil. Do you have any tips for coil efficiency/strength, medicine ball throws maybe? I've been breaking strings due to mishits at the tip of thr racquet much more frequently while using the double hander.

I never had any issues with power, but it seems that you are too reliant on your forearm for both your forehand and backhand. You should not be using the forearm to flick the ball on the 1HBH in the first place unless you are going for a finesse shot, to my knowledge, and the reverse forehand / lasso forehand / buggy whip forehand is generally not a forearm driven shot either.

I would suggest that you do shadow swings in front of a mirror (make reference to a pro's forehand if possible) and do medicine ball throws if you have access to them. I don't do medicine ball throws and prefer to do more traditional weights, but YMMV.

 

[Bender]

My idea of advantages of the double hander are that it is easier to;

1- take the ball earlier,
2- control lobs, as a result of better feel with 2 hands (also loopy neutralisers),
3- control angled "roll" shots,
4- control a faded/swinging shot,
5- go over with control the return of a big/fast serve,
6- disguise, especially when hitting passing shots,
7- control a shot on the half volley when in good position,
8- hit and disguise a drive volley,
9- flatten out,
10- run through (esp with a front foot hop) a shot when approaching the net.
11- slide into an open stanced defensive shot (Novak Djokovic style)
12- hit with an open stance.
13- keep the ball low over the net when engaging in a cat and mouse exchange near the net.

I would agree with most of these, other than 6 in that you can't disguise a drop shot or slice nearly as easily with the 2HBH. The drop shot is easy to disguise if you slice very often, but if you like to throw in a drop shot but don't slice that much like me, then you really need to work on the disguise, namely committing to the same takeback before last minute hitting the dropper.

Disadvantages of hitting the double hander;
1- Less reach (you can't compensate for being a bit out of position),
2- Less power when receiving a ball with no pace,
3- Less spin potential in reply to slow balls, as the single hander has more leverage.
4- Half volleys are impossible if in poor position.
5- More likely to shank the ball at the tip of the racquet due to the arc of the swing being naturally sharper as a consequence of less reach.
6- More difficult to handle the body serve,
7- More difficult to adjust to an unpredictable/ inconsistent bounce.

I INVITE ALL POSTERS TO COMMENT on the pros and cons of each shot!? Cheers.

Disagree with #1. While technically you are right that the absolute distance you can reach with one hand is going to be greater on the 1HBH, the ideal hitting zone for a 1HBH is far far smaller than it is for the 2HBH. So what if you can reach further with the 1HBH when you can't hit a topspin 1HBH outside of the same if not smaller strike zone as the 2HBH? Once a ball is outside of a topspin 1HBH strike zone, the only option for most people is to slice (the sliding open stance 1HBH, Thiem style is not common at the amateur levels)--but then there's never been anything to prevent a 2HBH player to do the same.

#2 and #3, that has more to do with your technique than inherent power. The difference in power levels between the two are minimal. Besides, potential maximum power is pointless for most people arguing for the 1HBHs, when few ever get the 1HBH technique down to make use of that upper ceiling. Get the weight transfer / kinetic chain down, and do drop feeds. I've played with enough lobbing and moonballing pushers to be able to hit big BHs from 3 m behind the baseline.

#4, depends on what you mean by half volleys. If you mean having to hit normal BH volleys that land on your feet, then I can't comment as I hit volleys with one hand anyway. If you mean half volleying from the baseline, that's an area where my BH actually shines. I hug the baseline when hitting backhands, and can only do so because I hit very early off my BH wing. So half volleys on that wing is a common occurrence; when I'm just doing practice rallies with a hitting partner and he hits it very long, I will hit swinging volleys from the baseline. My success rate on those used to be garbage but they're pretty reliable these days.

#5; never experienced that. I've had shankfests when I used to hit with a 1HBH, but never on the 2HBH. The occasional shank here and there but otherwise I hit very cleanly on the BH side. Wish I could say the same for my FH, which I can only describe as "bipolar" and "high maintenance".

#6 again, disagree with this unless you can drive with a 1HBH off a body serve. The 2HBH is significantly less sensitive to your setup and positioning, meaning that unless you are really out of position you can hit flat and topspin drives with the 2HBH, where a 1HBH player would be forced to slice or improvise, eg high topspin balls to the BH, shots going out wide, hitting open stance, hitting balls that land at your feet, etc.

#7; disagree strongly. A racquet is easier to manoeuvre with two hands than with one, especially if the racquet is already moving fast and difficult to influence. Not only that but again, 2HBHs are less setup-sensitive, so it should be easier to adjust to an unpredictable bounce, not harder.

 

[ParrotOnStrings]

yeah that slapback thing is hard to achieve ... but when you get it right, and you feel it... you will think you are the god of backends now =)

 

[Jamesm182]

I am a varsity singles tennis player for my high school and I have a two handed backhand. My entire game is based on power. But my backhand is quite slower than the rest of my game. It doesn't have as much pace as my forehand. My question is, my backhand is normally two handed, but sometimes when I am messing around I use a one handed backhand (like Federer) and I can rip it as fast or faster than my forehand. It is not very accurate but I am still wondering wether I should work to get it to be more accurate or just stick to the slower but more accurate two handed backhand. Any advice would be very much appreciated. oh, by the way I forgot to mention I am right handed.

I have done this exact same thing myself (im left handed) but damaged my right wrist in the gym. I too found a lack of power on my two handed backhand , and luckily my left arm was more dominant in the stroke.
I would look to practice spin production with your one hander and see how you get on , and also any necessary grip adjustments.
I have actually found a large power increase since the change. However the trade off is as another poster has said, I have to be more patient in points.

This can be a positive though as I feel a more complete player now , and my slice has improved massively also. Another key point is that you can not be lazy with your footwork on a one handed backhand , whereas a two handed backhand you can just lean on the ball sometimes and get away with being out of position.
The hardest transition for me personally was on the return of serve.

 

[HuusHould]

doing one handed forehands on that side on the wall helps a lot when switching from a one hander. This is what helped the most.

Yeah it is a very useful method. I find the situations that give me trouble and try to simulate them against the wall (first with a non dominant hand fh, then eventually the 2 fister). I find for the body serve simulation, it's easier to hit the ball on the full as it comes of the wall, so like a drive volley (I progress from cramping myself up a bit to actually running around my fh - this simulates a poor footwork decision). Hitting on the full takes out the bounce variable.

 

[HuusHould]

Another point I forgot to mention is that with the 2 fister its easier to disguise whether you are going to drive or slice.

 

[Big Bagel]

Another point I forgot to mention is that with the 2 fister its easier to disguise whether you are going to drive or slice.

That's just not true. For a slice, you have to take the racquet back higher than a two-handed drive on the average shot. With a one-hander, the take back is a lot more similar, plus if you have good shoulder turn you are hiding the racquet behind your body with the one-hander, whereas most two-handers have more separation between their racquet and body on the take back to get the racquet head to lag behind the hands. WTA players don't do that as much and have more of a smooth swing so there you can debate which has better disguise, but with the ATP-style backhands, the one-hander definitely has the edge in disguising a slice. You watch players trying to disguise slice shots, they disguise is almost always better with one-handers than two-handers.

 

[HuusHould]

That's just not true. For a slice, you have to take the racquet back higher than a two-handed drive on the average shot. With a one-hander, the take back is a lot more similar, plus if you have good shoulder turn you are hiding the racquet behind your body with the one-hander, whereas most two-handers have more separation between their racquet and body on the take back to get the racquet head to lag behind the hands. WTA players don't do that as much and have more of a smooth swing so there you can debate which has better disguise, but with the ATP-style backhands, the one-hander definitely has the edge in disguising a slice. You watch players trying to disguise slice shots, they disguise is almost always better with one-handers than two-handers.

On a passing shot some double handers can hit a slice with the same preparation as a drive. It has to be a player that has a relatively open takeback on their topspun double hander. It's just a lot easier to essentially bunt the ball back with a double hander. With a single hander most types of shot require a full stroke. I **** the racquet head right up on the double hander. Good comments on my other points though, I agree that the ones you disagree with are debatable.

 

[HuusHould]

For me the first key was to get the feel of the racquet drop before 'snapping' back up (for lack of a better word) like it does on the forehand, and making sure the motion is a natural result of a fluid swing, rather than a forced motion.

When I first switched, I had difficulty getting the racquet to come under the ball, because my left hand--having never had anything to do with a racquet until then--could not really 'feel' where the racquet was and what it was doing, and it was worse because it was holding the racquet near the throat and not at the bottom of the handle. When you hold a racquet in your right hand, even with your eyes closed you are able to determine how you are holding the racquet, based on the perceived weight and hand feeling for the angle in which you are holding the racquet. With me, that left hand might as well have been prosthetic because I would have to look at the racquet to see what the left hand was doing.

It was only when I started rallies with my left hand that I got a feel for the racquet on that side. I suspect this is also why my 2HBH developed into a very left hand-dominant shot, where the takeback, swing, contact, and followthrough are all left hand-driven.

The second key for me was to change the feel for how I brought the racquet to contact. My takeback and swing are very pendulum-like / banana shaped; I don't circle the racquet during takeback, but rather swing back, then swing forward in one pendulum motion. However it wasn't always like this; when I started, it used to be a straight takeback followed by a mostly horizontal swingpath with a modest incline. The reason for this change is that I changed the feel for the swing from pushing the racquet to contact, to pulling the racquet to contact.

Pulling the 2HBH to contact brought easy power and spin, and made it more natural to transfer weight from my left leg to my right, so that's where the biggest improvement happened for me. That said, I never really ditched the push type 2HBH; as I have put some years on that type of shot in my 2HBH journey, I realised that it is really good when hitting backhands where you are unable to set up in an ideal way. So the defensive sliding / stomping 2HBH is very much a push shot where I punch the ball back with my left hand in sync with the slide / left foot stomp.

That style of backhand is also perfect when trying to aggressively return lefty slice serves out wide or kickers. You can punch the ball back hard with a bit of backspin depending on how stretched out you are, and it puts you in charge of the point immediately. Worst case scenario the ball is returned with a bit of pace up the middle so no-one really gets an advantage.

If I get a serve out very wide to my backhand side and cannot hit a 2HBH, I pivot on my left foot turn 180 to take one step out wide with my right foot to try and reach the ball with one hand to slice. My success rate with those are not amazing but it's good enough considering that those serves are usually very good and should be expected to be difficult to return.

I always have my right hand in my forehand grip and my left hand on the throat of the racquet. Not sure how I can help you switch quickly to the 2HBH, but it's just something you get better with in time. I can count the number of times I could not switch to the proper grip in time for a 2HBH return on one hand.


I never had any issues with power, but it seems that you are too reliant on your forearm for both your forehand and backhand. You should not be using the forearm to flick the ball on the 1HBH in the first place unless you are going for a finesse shot, to my knowledge, and the reverse forehand / lasso forehand / buggy whip forehand is generally not a forearm driven shot either.

I would suggest that you do shadow swings in front of a mirror (make reference to a pro's forehand if possible) and do medicine ball throws if you have access to them. I don't do medicine ball throws and prefer to do more traditional weights, but YMMV.

Good feedback. I have a pendulum swing as opposed to the loop or straight back also. So do you find returning the lefty slider a lot easier with the double hander? (say a relatively slow majorly breaking lefty serve that pushes you into the grandstand)

I think regarding the grip you can actually get away with not changing from the fh if you have to. But good to hear you can do it on time.

I put my hand on the handle rather than the throat, which necessitates a very specialised 2 handed slice where necessary, which I of course havent been doing until now with my single hander. But I think I can master it. You actually can get more spin with a 2 handed thrust on the slice.

 

[HuusHould]

I find one of the biggest difficulties with the 2 hander, apart from lack of reach on the return if serve, is returning the body serve. Any suggestions folks?

 

[IowaGuy]

Another point I forgot to mention is that with the 2 fister its easier to disguise whether you are going to drive or slice.

1 hander has much better disguise. Also, better disguise for drop shots (since you're slicing some of the balls anyway).

Watch some of Agassi's videos, it's blatantly obvious when he is going to slice. Same for Nadal or Joker - you definitely know a slice is coming (they often don't even try to disguise whether it's a slice).

On the other hand, can you tell what someone like Gasquet is going to hit?

 

[HuusHould]

1 hander has much better disguise. Also, better disguise for drop shots (since you're slicing some of the balls anyway).

Watch some of Agassi's videos, it's blatantly obvious when he is going to slice. Same for Nadal or Joker - you definitely know a slice is coming (they often don't even try to disguise whether it's a slice).

On the other hand, can you tell what someone like Gasquet is going to hit?

I agree that's good disguise from my favourite player Richard Gasquet, get a load of these ones from Dolgopolov v Rafa, hard to tell whether it's going to be a scissor kick drive backhand or not;

 

[HuusHould]

Nalbandian with another example;

 

[IowaGuy]

I agree that's good disguise from my favourite player Richard Gasquet, get a load of these ones from Dolgopolov v Rafa, hard to tell whether it's going to be a scissor kick drive backhand or not;

Yes, Dog has sweet droppers. Nalbandian also had very sweet drop shot off both wings.

Agassi also had a sweet BH dropper, he would fake the 2HBH until the last minute, and then unleash the dropper.

My point was with a 1HBH, the disguise is more natural, since you're slicing often anyway, and the slice/topspin takebacks are more similar with 1HBH than 2HBH.

You have to "sell" the dropper a lot more with a 2HBH, since otherwise the opponent will see it coming if you don't slice much.

 

[ByeByePoly]

1 hander has much better disguise. Also, better disguise for drop shots (since you're slicing some of the balls anyway).

Watch some of Agassi's videos, it's blatantly obvious when he is going to slice. Same for Nadal or Joker - you definitely know a slice is coming (they often don't even try to disguise whether it's a slice).

On the other hand, can you tell what someone like Gasquet is going to hit?

A rec players opponent reading your stroke or serve intentions doesn't make the top 1000 list a rec player should be concerned with.

 

[HuusHould]

Yes, Dog has sweet droppers. Nalbandian also had very sweet drop shot off both wings.

Agassi also had a sweet BH dropper, he would fake the 2HBH until the last minute, and then unleash the dropper.

My point was with a 1HBH, the disguise is more natural, since you're slicing often anyway, and the slice/topspin takebacks are more similar with 1HBH than 2HBH.

You have to "sell" the dropper a lot more with a 2HBH, since otherwise the opponent will see it coming if you don't slice much.

I agree with those points, but I think we've gone off on a tangent, maybe it is harder to predict when a single hander is going to drop shot or not mainly due to them slicing more often,(so predicting from previous patterns rather than preparation cues) but my original point was to do with how easy it is to predict whether they are going to hit slice or topspin (to me topspin is assumed when referring to a "drive"), which admittedly probably isn't as important as predicting whether they are going to hit long or short i.e. are they going to drop shot. Sure the preparation for a single hander as far as the backswing path goes is slightly more similar to that of a slice backhand, relative to a double hander who cocks the racquet head up, but you either have to slip the grip or drop shot with an eastern backhand grip which is fairly difficult as a single hander, whereas a double hander might use the continental grip as their standard grip for both the slice and drive.

Interesting technique from Agassi on the drop shot!!

 

[ByeByePoly]

I think the biggest disguise that matters for the slice is being able to hit your slice to targets (sides, depth) AND having a quality drop shot. If you do read a slice early ... but facing quality placement or dropper ... not likely much of an advantage for early read.

That said ... if a 2hbh player was that concerned about it, just go with a higher take back like Cilic. Both Cilic and Fed have take backs pretty close for drive and slice. The tell in both is the racquet head goes further behind their head for the slice.

@00:57

@01:26

 

[IowaGuy]

I think the biggest disguise that matters for the slice is being able to hit your slice to targets (sides, depth) AND having a quality drop shot. If you do read a slice early ... but facing quality placement or dropper ... not likely much of an advantage for early read.

Yeah, I think that's why Fed has so many uncontested droppers (opponents don't even try).

Even if they know he's going to slice, because his slice drive is so good, they really can't adjust that much for a potential dropper. By the time they realize it's a dropper it's too late.

Whereas, for many 2HBH (like Agassi), you can tell from their swingpath that it's a dropper. Cilic might be an exception, I haven't watched much of his video apart from his finals with Fed.

 

[IowaGuy]

you either have to slip the grip or drop shot with an eastern backhand grip

Not that hard to "slip the grip" with the non-hitting hand (Gasquet is a great example). Depending on the player, many OHBH keep a conti grip anyway in between shots, and then switch to FH or 1HBH drive grip (or just slice with the conti).