how to hit a backhand in tennis

The racket face must be positioned parallel to the baseline. This is the stable position we need for the backhand. 1 Prepare for the shot. The continental grip works well for backhand slices, or for drop shots. Keep your legs shoulder width apart and comfortably bent. The two-handed backhand is more commonly used in todays game. Another alternative grip is the Continental grip, which holds the racket at a 45 degree angle and is good for hitting slices. The single backhand was the predominant way of hitting the backhand in the age of the serve and volley. You will notice that as you rotate your shoulders and hips, your racket will also be taken back. The basic swing pattern, like the forehand, begins on one side of your body, moves forward and across, and ends on the opposite side. This enables you to be ready to chase down the ball as soon as you know where it is going to hit. The big advantage is therefore the particularly wide reach. So when we talk about beginner backhands, the good news is theres really only a couple different variations of this. Play Your Court Tennis Tips and Information, How to Find Beginner Tennis Players and Lessons Near You, PLAYYOURCOURT PARTNERS WITH THE BRYAN BROTHERS. Holding the racket head high will help you generate more power and create a natural arc of trajectory when you initiate your swing. Its a forward motion through release and not very forceful. First of all, the logic. CoachUp August 1, 2016 12:00 am No Comments Two-handed Backhand, Video Instruction Tennis Backhand and Forehand are equally important in tennis! How to Hit a Beginner Backhand - A Tennis Lesson For All Skill Levels The motion of the swing follows a high-low-high trajectory. Because you are playing in a more confined space, your swing will be somewhat contrived. Occasionally players will use a two-handed backhand volley to really blast the shot towards their opponent. "It's a good article for knowledge of tennis. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels. Together the hands should form a unit. How To Develop A Clean, Consistent Contact Point, Stop Just Turning! And with those three things, I think were gonna have a pretty good backhand. When we take the racket back were gonna focus on our left hand, our non-dominant hand. Secondly, the racket can be held in one hand, most likely in conjunction with a more significant grip change. Compared to the forehand it is a bit more difficult to play. The swing should go from high to low, not high to low to high. Your racket hand does not come through with your non-dominant hand. In addition to practice and repetition, you want to make sure that you start out with the correct fundamentals. As you get warmed up you can start moving back and start to hit a little harder, remember, faster you hit, faster the ball comes back so be prepared for the incoming ball and work your feet! Then there was a decline of the use of the single backhand when the game shifted to more baseline power plays and players started to prefer the double backhand. How to Hit a Backhand Volley in Tennis (The Right Way) Instead of number 2, number 8 is relevant for you. For now, focus on the path of trajectory and the correct placement of your feet and upper body. Make sure contact is made at waist height slightly in front of your body to enable you to maximize power and backspin. This is where the leverage is greatest when hitting the ball. Its gonna naturally shift and do its thing as you pull that racket back. After making contact with the ball, the players left-hitting arm extends and moves upwards to the right side (we started on the left side for right-handed players). The right time to follow through is when the ball is in the air at hip level. STEP ONE is to cover the grip. When performing the two-handed backhand you can either keep your arms straight in front of you or your elbows slightly bent closer to your body in a locked position. Intent is very important in tennis, to be aware of what you intend to do is the difference between an amateur and a higher level tennis player. The next step towards improving your backhand swing is to drip the racket down below the height of the incoming ball. Your arms should be slightly angled here. The racket should come as low as your knee right before you make contact with the tennis ball. While the backhand tends to be the weak side for most players, persistent practice and development of muscle memory will eventually lead to the proper development of the stroke. Table of Contents show 1. Just go easy at the start, work on your contact point and a clean hit. It will also position your racket for both a topspin shot or an underspin shot. At the same time, extend your left arm backwards in the opposite direction. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. The shoulder and the body should be turned towards your non-dominant side. Hold on! Your top hand, for me as a right-handed player, my left hand, Im gonna take my hand and put it directly behind the back of the racket. This drill is slightly more advanced. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. For more information on executing an underspin/slice shot, be sure to check out the article on how to hit a slice shot. But it is considerably more difficult to master than the latter. This grip combination is the most natural and will produce good results. Your Guide to Hitting the Perfect Backhand - Tennis 4 Beginners It will also help you keep the ball in play. Without the right volley grip, you won't be able to hit clean volleys or be an effective net player in doubles or singles. Tennis Backhand | How to Hit a Tennis Backhand This 90 degree angle or L shape between your arm and racket is very important for hitting the ball at the correct angle for the slice. Move to the ball in a sideways fashion, already turned and ready to hit the shot. How to Hit a One Handed Backhand: A Beginner's Guide Now that you know how to hit a backhand, it's important that you practice your backhand each time you play. In addition to setting up correctly, bending your knees, shifting your weight, and following through with proper technique, an important aspect of hitting a solid backhand is eye-to-ball coordination. A Touch of Tennis with Adam Wood 6.66K subscribers Subscribe 4.7K 502K views 7 years ago Following the Basic Open Stance Forehand Tutorial, our two-handed backhand tutorial is similarly aimed. This site is owned and operated by Giovanni Valle. In this drill, you alternate between the use of 2 hands and 1 hand (your non dominant hand). The backhand comes in two variations - the single-handed and the double-handed or two-handed backhand. 1. While it is possible to slice the ball, its more difficult to do and less efficient than using the one-handed backhand. STEP 2 now that you have your grips lets talk about the take back. It is shot by the player's hand, so it is a bit more difficult to master. The modern game is one of hard-hitting. Think about answering the phone with both hands. Firstly, how to hold a double backhand grip: Your dominant hand will be at continental grip, bevel 2 for righties and bevel 8 for lefties, and non-dominant hand, just rest it comfortably above your dominant hand. There are two types of backhand stances: the traditional neutral stance backhand and the modern open stance backhand. 1 Work on your two-handed backhand if it feels more comfortable. Each variation has its pros and cons, whereas the majority of tennis players prefer the two-handed backhand. The One Handed Backhand Guide The basis of good body preparation is good footwork, especially when it comes to two-handed backhands. Work your way into more extreme grips little by little, you dont necessarily have to go from one to another in one shot. For more information on grip positioning, see the article on how to hold a tennis racket. You want to remain focused on the ball from the time you initiate the backhand to the time you make contact with the ball. To achieve the Semi-Western forehand grip you will place the bottom knuckle of your non-dominant hand on the bottom left slanted facet of the grip and close your hand around the grip. Now you take out the racket backwards. The Right Grip for a Tennis Volley. When you meet the ball just out in front of your body, your ideal contact point is around hip height, and your dominant arm should be extended. Let us consider the swing path of a one-handed person. Two Handed Backhand Guide: 6-Steps (videos) | TennisGate The Semi-Western backhand grip is a rare backhand grip that is good for hitting heavy topspin but bad for hitting flat shots and slices. You want to set up sideways with your dominant shoulder, hips, and outside of your foot towards the net. If not, you can always practice against the wall, a very effective way to improve your backhand and overall game. As I take the racket back, I really cant get the racket too low. Pull your racket back using your left arm, keep your arms outstretched. Youll stay sideways on the follow-through and keep everything very linear, coming through with your arms straight down the court. However, keep in mind that the reach suffers a little because both arms are in use with this backhand. Another major issue is that players believe they have the racket fully back, but it is only halfway back, promoting only half a swing! For a right-handed player, the right shoulder would face the net. Most players choose to use either a one-handed or two-handed backhand very early in their training. Keep your knees bent with your feet separated more than shoulder-width apart to create a solid base to work from. Basically, you will be doing a lefty forehand (if you are a righty). Because of the upright racquet position in the preparation, the rest of the swing will inherently force the player to move the ball from low to high as the motion is completed. This is because it is a highly flexible grip that can be used to hit the ball with a lot of topspin, creates angles, or flattens the ball out easily. The similarities between the slice and the topspin backhand are the grip and the body position towards the ball. Its difficult not to enjoy watching a well-placed one-handed backhand. STEP 3: THE BACKSWING. It contrasts with the forehand stroke, where the palm precedes the back of the hand. At the end of the day, whether you use one-handed or two-handed backhands will not prevent you from developing a strong tennis game. Begin the swing by turning your body and pointing to the side fence with your belt buckle. Finish a proper backhand by pointing the belt buckle to the net. A backhand is basically the shot you play when you need to hit the ball from your non-dominant side. If you intend to play tennis at a good level, having a good backhand is a must. Once you are set up with the racket behind you, initiate the forward swing as soon as the ball strikes the ground. Your email address will not be published. Make sure your eyes stay on the ball so that you can anticipate the balls location and height. How to Hit a crosscourt backhand Hold your racket head high at the start, then drop the head of the racket and swing through the point of contact. Tennis Backhand Grip: The Easy Guide There you finish the backhand. Tennis 4 Beginners is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. At the same time, extend your left arm backwards in the opposite direction. Your chest should be facing the left if you are a right-hander. Good Power Position Balancing The Body Two-Handed Backhand Backhand Grip Eastern Backhand Grip Semi-Western Backhand Grip Final Words How to Tennis Backhand While a forehand is a type of shot wherein you swing the racket across your body with your hand palm first, a backhand is the opposite. The first step to hitting a good volley in tennis is getting the right grip. On the other hand, this backhand can help you to place the shots better on the court. How far back do you need to go? At this point, you have the option of either hitting a topspin backhand shot or an underspin shot. Looking to find the perfect backhand technique? The backhand with both hands is the much more popular variation. background-color:#ffffff; As a beginner thats where I like you to start. Drill #4 Alternating Stance Drill Your split step should occur right before your opponent makes contact with the ball. First, lower the racket a little. Align it according to bevel number 7. To learn how to properly grip your racket with 2 hands, keep reading! The more rigid mechanics involved in the swing can also result in greater consistency. This is fine for now, you just want to get comfortable with the swing. You must lower the racquet head under the ball at the end of the backswing, allowing you to move up and through the ball from your original high-shoulder turn. Volley shots are usually taken using a one-handed backhand setup because of the quick adjustment advantage of the position. Brush up on the ball at the end of the follow-through to generate added topspin. For the one-handed backhand you only need your dominant hand. When you use 1 hand, remember the feel of the swing when you used 2 hands and try to replicate. Ensure youre swinging as a unit rather than just using your arm. Were gonna get the racket nice and high, up to the ear. The same slanted face should point diagonally across your palm to point toward the heel of your palm beneath your pinkie. As the ball comes over the net and approaches your wing, open your shoulders by turning and taking the racquet back. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/97\/Hit-a-Backhand-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Hit-a-Backhand-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/97\/Hit-a-Backhand-Step-1.jpg\/aid636273-v4-728px-Hit-a-Backhand-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"