Mastering the Art of the Two-Handed Backhand in Tennis For Advanced Players

No matter your level of experience or ability, this article can help you perfect your two handed backhand. From selecting the appropriate grip to how to hit a powerful backhand groundstroke stroke, everything from proper gripping technique and powerstroke execution is covered here.

Most professional tennis players now employ two handed backhand strokes; this wasn’t always the case though.

1. The Stroke

Two-handed backhand is an impressive stroke, yet can be tricky to hit consistently and with power. This is due to the need for frequent trunk rotation which requires considerable practice. In this module you will learn how to use body awareness to prepare and load racket for maximum impact and power, while understanding why lock phase of stroke plays such a vital role in creating powerful two-handed backhand.

A two-handed backhand stance is similar to that of a one-handed forehand; with one exception; your dominant foot will be placed in front of the other for extra stability. You may opt for either an open or closed stance depending on your personal preferences; most beginner players begin learning with closed stance as it’s easier to learn; once that skill has been mastered, then move onto open.

Once your stance and grip are in order, it’s time to work on your stroke. Hitting many balls with two-handed backhand is the best way to strengthen its muscle memory; focus on timing the stroke perfectly with follow through for maximum effect.

One-handed forehand shots may seem easier, but this is not necessarily true. Hitting a forehand requires engaging larger muscles like pectorals, biceps, and deltoids while hitting backhand requires using smaller ones like triceps and lats; therefore it becomes much harder to hit forehand shots with maximum speed and power.

Acquiring the proper feel for two-handed backhand play is also of great importance, though this may require practice and patience to achieve. By following these simple steps you can start hitting more consistently powerful backhand shots with two hands.

One effective backswing technique for the two handed backhand is to tuck the racquet head behind and face it towards the court – this creates an extended backswing loop and produces more power.

2. The Grip

As with the forehand, there are multiple grip options to consider when playing two handed backhand. It is essential that you select one that best fits you.

Continental grips are among the most widely-used two-handed backhand grips, used by all levels of players from beginners to pros alike. Unfortunately, continental grips may lead to inconsistent and weak shots for all users; to get maximum power from your two-handed backhand you should opt for semi-continental grips instead.

A semi-continental grip is a variation on the continental grip where your dominant hand (the one hitting the ball) touches the racquet with slight overlap, providing more consistent control than continental grips as it allows your dominant hand to maintain more stable positioning on the racquet and maintain control during follow through – essential elements for creating effective two-handed backhands.

Eastern grips offer another excellent option for two-handed backhand play. Similar to continental grips but with greater pressure applied, some of the top tennis players use eastern grips because it gives them more control and speed for their backhand shots.

No matter which grip you choose, it’s crucial that you practice hitting two-handed backhand shots with all of them. This will enable you to familiarize yourself with each shot while mastering its execution properly. Furthermore, try hitting backhand shots from different positions on the court; cross court, down line and over net should provide maximum variety in practice sessions.

Two-handed backhand shots can be difficult to master for many players due to its reduced power and consistency compared to single-handed shots, but by applying proper technique, footwork, stance and swing techniques you can boost your two-handed backhand to take your game to new heights.

3. The Stance

When playing two handed backhand tennis it’s essential to understand the proper footwork, stance, and swing. A two handed backhand requires you to utilize every part of your body in order to hit the ball correctly; without proper footwork stance and swing you could find yourself quickly losing control of both ball and shot.

Two-handed backhand stance differs slightly from that of a one-handed backhand, as power for this shot comes from both your body and arm simultaneously, requiring your legs to be further apart than during one-handed swinging. This is necessary because its power comes from rotating hips rather than just arms alone – meaning hip rotation must occur for maximum power production.

Assuring you have an ideal backhand stance will also ease your transition between hitting backhands with your dominant hand and forehands, as a beginner or intermediate player it can be tempting to switch over when rallies begin and two-handed backhand feels awkward – when this occurs it is essential that you remember you can still enjoy great tennis games by working on two-handed backhand.

One of the many advantages of two-handed backhand is its effectiveness at handling high balls. When engaging in a rally with an opponent, high balls will often come your way and a great way to handle them is with two-handed backhand stroke. You have two choices when hitting high balls: you can either back yourself further behind baseline for higher bounce or move your stance forward to hit it straight up & out and add topspin to it by hitting straight up into your partner’s shoulder with topspin added.

As is evident, mastering the two-handed backhand in tennis for advanced players requires significant thought and preparation. But with effort put forth on grip, footwork, stance and swing you’ll soon have an effective backhand which can help enhance your game and push forward towards victory!

4. The Follow-Through

Two-handed backhand serves all the same functions as its one-handed counterpart; it simply adds more topspin and precise placement of the ball, making it more popular among current players and taught from an early age. Many junior players already utilize this shot.

Though not always thus, single-handed backhand reigned supreme until the 1970s when an elite group of players such as Americans Mary Joe Fernandez and Andre Agassi as well as Swede Mats Wilander and Australian Vivian McGrath began using two-handed backhand. Their success started a revolution that would see two-handed backhand become the dominant variation.

Reason being, two-handed backhand uses more of your body to generate power than just arms alone; this gives a significant edge over one-handed backhand which requires using just arms alone for power generation, often leading to tight, unbalanced strokes with no accuracy or balance.

To hit an effective backhand you need to use all of your body, with the torso providing rotational force and shoulders providing leverage. As a result, you should be able to move swiftly around the court regardless of whether the ball is close, deep or anywhere between.

To achieve this, it is best to utilize correct footwork patterns which will enable you to easily swing up and down as you move to different parts of the court to meet the ball. Furthermore, it is crucial that each part of your groundstroke uses its appropriate stance, for instance an open stance should be taken when handling forehand strokes while closed stances should be used when dealing with backhand shots.

Last, ensure your hitting arm follows through with every strike and doesn’t pause in mid-air, to reduce chances of missing the ball or encountering difficulties with it in flight. This will help ensure a successful strike every time!

Mastering the two-handed backhand takes time and dedication, but can be invaluable if you’re playing regularly and looking to secure yourself against opponents. For anyone serious about improving their tennis game and looking to work on their two-handed backhand, we offer our Tennis Coaching Program which can help quickly hone it.