Tips to Improve Your Two-Handed Backhand

Randy Strause

There are many difficulties for beginning players. Most players can hit a good forehand or a good serve, but the problem is their backhand. That is really what distinguishes a beginner from an intermediate, or a good player from a great one. When I am judging a tennis player, I do not do it based on their best shot. I usually look at their worst (most of times the backhand) to see how good they really are. In the pursuit of a better backhand, I have listed some tips to help improve the difficult stroke.

1. Use the backhand grip.

This tip seems obvious enough, but many players wonder why their backhand is bad when they are using the wrong grip. When you grip the racket, your hands should be touching each other slightly without a gap in between them. They should be as far down the handle as possible, and the racket head should be facing slightly closed (toward the ground). This allows you to put topspin on the ball when you swing.

2. Swing from low to high.

This is also another obvious tip, but many players swing strait across their bodies. By swinging low to high, you can put topspin on the ball. In turn, this gives you more margin for error, and allows you to hit the ball harder without it going out.

3. Swing harder

A common mistake while hitting the backhand is hitting too softly. Players try to dink the ball or just stab at it, thinking that if they swing slower they will be more accurate. This is not true. When you have a closed racket face, if you swing soft the ball will go straight down. The reason you use a backhand grip, and swing from low to high is so you can hit the ball harder. By swinging gently you defeat the purpose of this.

4. Line your feet up

When hitting a backhand, your feet should be perpendicular with the net. This allows you to turn on the ball, and hit it into the court. If you are facing towards the court, the natural pull when you swing will direct the ball sideways. By swinging while facing the side of the court, the natural pull is helping your ball to land in the court.

5. RELAX!

People play their worse tennis when they are stressed. Try to focus on one of these improvements at a time. If you try to focus on too many of them it will just screw the stroke up completely. Relax and try to go through all the adjustments one at a time. This way you are not overloaded, and you can focus on them individually.

Hopefully this article will rapidly improve your tennis game. For other help, look at my other pieces which are full of good information on the tennis game. Good luck with your tennis game, and remember to always play relaxed!