Mastering the two-handed backhand can be a game-changer, offering more stability, control and topspin than ever before. Mastering this technique will enable you to dominate rallies by making it hard for opponents to return your shots.
Long rallies will feature many high balls hitting towards your backhand side, and players may attempt to take them with a backhand slice for shoulder height catches.
Grip
Mastering the two handed backhand is an invaluable asset to players looking to unleash more topspin. It is much simpler and quicker to learn than one-handing backhand shots and provides greater stability to help hit through balls more effectively. In addition, two handeders offer greater reach while requiring less arm strength.
Since tennis’ inception, single-handed backhand has been the go-to weapon of players at all levels of competition. But in the 1970s skilled players such as Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert began using two-handed backhand as an effective weapon against topspin topspin backhand play from professional elite players – setting off a transformation.
If you are struggling to develop a powerful two-handed backhand, one key element you can change immediately is your grip. Most players use incorrect techniques when gripping their two-handed backhand, leading them down an incorrect path that eventually ends in poor performance. A continental grip for your dominant hand should be combined with an eastern backhand grip from your non dominant hand for maximum power and spin balance.
Once you have altered your grip, it is important to focus on the stance and footwork for this shot. Stand sideways towards the net with shoulder width apart feet for stability. Also make sure that your dominant foot does not wander into corners of the court as this could result in inconsistent or weak shots.
Keep your shoulders level when swinging with your backhand. If they drop, this could reduce power and control, forcing you to overcompensate by swinging too hard with your arms – potentially missing shots and losing control.
Once you have perfected the stance and footwork for this shot, the next step should be practicing your follow through. Make sure your non-dominant elbow finishes in front of your body to complete a complete follow through.
Stance
The two handed backhand is often misunderstood as being weaker than its one handed counterpart, yet advanced players can find great benefit in learning to master it effectively as part of their game. One key advantage to mastering two handed backhand is being able to hit it both from an open and close stance.
When hitting a two handed backhand from a closed stance, keep your feet laterally close to the center of the court and prepare a short backswing; this will allow for maximum power for your shot while maintaining acceleration on the ball. Conversely, for two handed backhands from an open stance it is important that body stays forwards close to net and prepares a longer backswing in order to maximize power on shot.
Note: when hitting two handed backhand, one key aspect to keep in mind is to relax your hands instead of forcing or gripping at the ball, as this will allow for effortless power generation.
Many people believe that one handed backhands are easier for beginners to learn than two handed ones; however, this is not always true and many professional players employ two-handed backhands as more effective shots for themselves.
Studies conducted recently indicate that top players tend to favor two handed backhands over singlehanded ones, depending on when and how they learned them – some players such as Federer and Nadal learned them as early as when starting tennis, while others learned them later.
No matter if it is one-handed or two-handed backhand hitting, optimizing stance and footwork are essential in increasing swing speed and increasing swing power. The website’s stance module will show exactly how to set up for shots while its footwork pattern ensures they hit it powerfully and consistently.
Footwork
Two-handed backhand requires certain specific footwork patterns and stances in order to play correctly, with key checkpoints as well as effective drills highlighted within this module to help inculcate these movements more deeply into your playing style. The Footwork module offers these as well as simple but efficient exercises designed to ingrain them more fully into your practice sessions.
When it comes to two-handed backhand shots, wrist position is of primary concern. Your wrist should remain relaxed throughout set up, the forward swing, and contact. This enables you to hit the ball quickly while also adding power into each shot.
Shoulder turn is another crucial aspect of two-handed backhand volleying that must be considered when striking two balls simultaneously with two hands. Without enough shoulder turn, your ball won’t travel very far while too much might decrease speed and reduce power generation.
If you want to master two-handed backhand tennis, always finish by placing your body in front of the racquet – this is known as the Lansdorp finish – which allows you to maximize follow-through and utilize all of the power that your body generates. Furthermore, this also improves accuracy as it prevents you from over-gripping the racquet which robs power as well as being unable to hit accurate shots.
Once you have mastered the proper stance and grip with a two-handed backhand it’s time to focus on developing specific shots. Start by practicing hitting cross-court shots for more range, angle, and security when playing against opponents who are ahead in rallies. When this becomes second nature you can move onto practicing down the line shots which require lower percentage hits but once mastered can bring incredible improvements to your game.
Once you have mastered these fundamentals, more advanced techniques such as changing grips or adding topspin to your backhand will add variety and give an edge against competition.
Technique
Backhand shots are powerful shots that require precise technique in order to maximize their effectiveness. Without the appropriate grips, your backhand may become weak and inconsistent; but once you master two handed backhand gripping correctly, your shots can become controlled and consistent allowing you to dominate on court. When performing two handed backhanding correctly you should utilize eastern grips on dominant hands while continental grips should be used on non-dominant hands; this combination provides the optimal combination of power and control.
When using two-handed backhand tennis strokes, aim for keeping shoulders level and facing towards the net. Avoid dropping your front shoulder too low as this may disrupt the rhythm and accuracy of your swing. Keep feet shoulder width apart for stability; once you have found your perfect grip and stance you can work on improving backhand technique.
Although most players opt for one-handed backhands, two-handed backhands are becoming increasingly popular across both men’s and women’s tennis. Many top players such as Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic boast powerful two-handed backhands which offer greater balance of power and spin than their counterparts in one-handed backhands.
Two-handed backhands are also easier to hit when volleying, since either arm can play them. This can be particularly advantageous for players needing to defend against aggressive drives while changing up the pace of play.
Another advantage of the two-handed backhand is that its swing is similar to a forehand — which means you can also use it to hit slices and dropshots – which can come in handy when returning fast, high-speed serves. Furthermore, it can be hit from both a closed and open stance.
Relax your hands to hit a powerful two-handed backhand shot. When your hands are tense, power cannot be generated; therefore, take some deep breaths and relax your body prior to each shot – this will keep your nerves at bay and increase accuracy.
