For years, hitting the backhand with two hands instead of one has been the preferred style at both the pro and recreational levels. In a perfect world I would teach a player to use a two-handed backhand for service returns and topspin drives, but still be adept at the one-handed slice for variety, defense, and volleying. But most players rely on one style over the other and accept the limitations. In the case of the two-hander these occur when a player has to reach to hit a ball on the run. And since two-handers tend to be deadly when stationary, it becomes that much more important to force them to move. Here’s how you can make things uncomfortable for opponents with two-handed backhands.

BEGINNER

OBJECTIVE 1: Take advantage of an abbreviated swing.
When players first learn the two-hander, they can be consistent with the shot, but they tend to have a somewhat restricted swing. Instead of a free-flowing, accelerated stroke, it’s more of a bunt or block. With that being the case, it becomes much more difficult for them to control the ball when they’re on the move. And at this level, you don’t have to move your opponent far.

A simple way to do this is to hit several balls in an offensive manner to the forehand side of the court. This will get your opponent to move to that area and open up room on the backhand side. Don’t aim at the lines, as just making a player hit on the run with both hands on the racquet (or, even better, forcing him to take one hand off of it) can cause huge balance problems.

OBJECTIVE 2: Keep the ball deep in the court.
Another limitation of an abbreviated backhand stroke is that it makes it difficult to hit balls that land close to the baseline. Since you may have a two-handed backhand as well, you’d be wise to try to back up your opponent. That way, he’s hitting from deep in the court and you can move up close to or in front of the baseline. This gives him a small target to hit to, while you have more options.

To hit deep shots, concentrate on the height of the ball over the net rather than the pace. If necessary, take something off the ball and give yourself plenty of net clearance so you have a large margin for error as well as a deep shot. This will put pressure on your opponents, which can cause errors on the two-handed side.

INTERMEDIATE

OBJECTIVE 1: Force your opponent to hit a variety of two-handed backhands.
Even if the two-handers you’re playing have a measure of versatility, they still won’t be completely comfortable hitting when they’re off-balance. So along with backing up your opponent with a series of deep balls to the backhand, you should also mix in some short and low shots as well. That way they’re struggling to reach the ball, and generating racquet-head speed while moving forward can be difficult. Ideally you’ll force them to remove the nondominant hand from the racquet, which will likely result in a poor shot.

Another way that you can make your opponent uncomfortable is to jam a serve into the body. Having both hands on the racquet can make for an awkward reply on a hard serve right at the chest or hip.

OBJECTIVE 2: Pick on the backhand volley.
By testing your opponent’s two-handed backhand with a short ball, you’re also bringing him closer to the net. While it’s not always the case, many players who have two-handed backhands don’t volley as well as players with a solid one-handed slice. Given that, if your opponent chooses to follow a midcourt ball to net, test him on the backhand side. You don’t have to hit a perfect shot; if you can hit it low and make your opponent volley up or stretch, you’ll be in great shape on the next shot.

ADVANCED

OBJECTIVE 1: Try to disrupt your opponent’s rhythm.
For a highly skilled player, the two-handed backhand will often be a dominant shot. It’s usually not as overpowering as his or her forehand, but it’s steadier.

Most two-handed players enjoy getting into a rhythm in which they’re hitting the ball somewhere between thigh and chest height. That’s generally the strike zone, and they don’t miss too many balls in that area.

If that’s the case, what you want to do is mix up your shots so your opponents are forced to make contact with their backhands out of their comfort zones. On one ball, hit a slice that makes them reach below their knees, and back it up with a high roller that moves the point of impact to the shoulder. At this level, the more you show your opponents different heights and spins, the better off you’ll be.

OBJECTIVE 2: Use your serve to stretch the court.
Two-handers are good fastball hitters—having the extra hand on the racquet makes it difficult to overwhelm them with a serve. But because their reach is limited, a spin serve that jumps away from them will cause them problems. For instance, if you and your opponent are right-handed, use a kick serve in the ad court that jumps up and away from his backhand. Or if your opponent is a left-hander, a slice serve out wide on the deuce side will stay low and skid, potentially forcing him to return the ball with one hand on the racquet.

Article by Paul Annacone, Illustrations by Craig Zuckerman – Tennis.com

So, how do we do it? For one thing, you need to get inside the court during the rallies! Easier said than done – it’s a psychological leap because you’re leaving that familiar comfort zone behind the baseline – so try it in practice first! The other thing that will take some adjustment is your back-swing. There will be less time for it, so you need to make it as efficient as possible – a good shoulder turn will probably suffice. Relax at the knees and stay light on your feet. Start your swing early enough to ensure firm contact just out in front of your body. Although you’ve had to adopt a more compact back-swing, accelerate the racket head and follow through smooth and long and full.

One thing you’ve got to consider is the angle of the ball as it comes on to your racket – instead of a flat or downward trajectory, the ball will be angling upwards onto your strings. You’ll find you won’t keep the ball in the court if you use an open racket face. So adjust your grip to close the racket face slightly. It’s probably a good idea to brush up on the ball to impart some topspin. This will give you a greater degree of control.

Article by Dave Winship

The back-swing stage of the action involves stretching the muscles to store elastic energy for the forward swing. If there is too much of a pause between the back-swing and the forward swing, the benefit of the stored energy can be lost. Obviously it’s not good if your elastic gives out on you!

For maximum efficiency, try to time it so that there’s little or no pause between the completion of your back-swing and the start of your forward swing.

If you’re used to taking the racket back very early, you might find it a useful compromise to prepare early and then quickly take the racket back still further prior to swinging forwards.

Well, in matches we often ONLY need to play a simple volley like this to finish points. This is particularly the case with strong baseline players. Often a groundstroker will hit several tough shots in a row, force their opponent way off court, come in to the net at this perfect opportunity (as they should), and need only a simple tap into the open court to finish the point. Yet they miss by going for too much on the volley.

Even net rushers finish many points with simple “tap” volleys. In your mind’s eye, recall all the times Pete Sampras or Stefan Edberg or Patrick Rafter would come to net and hit a great first volley forcing their opponent way out of position, and then only need to tap the passing shot reply into the open court for a winner. The last shot was, and should be, the easiest. This is a reason the $10,000 volley is so essential to learn- it is the money shot when you come to net.

How to hit it? Well, keep your technique simple as can be. Racquet head up, move your feet, both eyes REALLY watching the ball, keep your swing (a block, basically) really small. Whenever you miss a shot like this (and we all have!), it is costly. By learning in practice to play the shot like $10,000 is riding on the execution of it, you will grow more comfortable and confident about finishing points at the net during matches.

Article by Bill Mountford, Director of tennis at USTA National Tennis Center

By keeping your head still, your eyes will instinctively follow the path of the ball. Experts agree that while you can watch the ball, you can’t actually see the ball during contact anyway. By keeping your head still, you will maintain better balance (our heads actually weigh a lot and when you move your head it has an immediate affect on your balance) through the course of your swing.

This is never more crucial than on mid-court balls. You are getting up to a short ball quickly, trying to attack the ball and hit an aggressive shot, all the while continuing to move forward. There is so much movement, that it is easy to jerk your head up before contact to peek where you mean to hit it. Usually this causes poor contact with the ball and you lose your accuracy.

The world’s #1 player Roger Federer offers the best example of how to play these mid-court balls most effectively. He always seems to arrive to the ball quickly with smooth racquet preparation, and then he keeps his head completely still through the completion of the swing. In fact, it looks as though he is still looking at where he hit the ball for a full moment after he’s hit the shot. This simple technique enables Federer to make perfect contact with the ball, and to execute this shot consistently and confidently.

Article by Bill Mountford, Director of tennis at USTA National Tennis Center

As you begin the forward swing with your hitting arm on a one-handed backhand, the other arm needs to extend back and away from your body.  This movement serves as a counter-balance, and keeps the back shoulder from rotating forward during the swing.  While the two-handed backhand is more rotational- like on the forehand, your hips and trunk rotate through the shot- the one-handed backhand is a more lineal stroke.  Extending the non-dominant hand out and away from the body “anchors” this lineal movement on the one-handed backhand.

There are differences in what the non-dominant hand does on the finish of the swing depending on the shot you choose.  For a slice backhand, the hitting arm finishes low and in front of the body so the non-dominant hand extends away and upward.  On a topspin drive, the hitting arm finishes above your head so the non-dominant hand is conversely extended down and away from your body.  This counter-balance action is crucial, particularly when the shot is hit on the move.

Article by Bill Mountford, Director of tennis at USTA National Tennis Center