The backhand: one or two hands?

Miguel Lamperti

Hi friends!!!

Many pupils ask me about the possibility of playing the backhand with two hands. There are also many pupils who, never having taken lessons, directly start playing with two hands. Should this be corrected? Is it advisable to play the backhand with two hands? In the next few lines I will describe a series of arguements for and against playing backhand with two hands.


In favour:

• Especially, in children and beginners, it may be that they find it easier to play the backhand with two hands than with one hand, because it gives more ball control and power.
• It allows one to control fast balls better.
• At a more advanced level, it allows one to put more top-spin on the ball and play shots with more angle.

Against:

• The racket is not designed to be used with two hands in the backhand, so gripping the racket with two hands can at times be uncomfortable.
• Using two hands makes it necessary to be closer to the ball.
• It's difficult to balance the body, especially, low impacts.
• At a technical level it is difficult to slice and to volley.

Conclusion:

My advice on the double-handed backhand, is to simply explain the pro’s and con’s and let the pupil decide how he/she feels more confident and comfortable. It’s true that the immense majority of professional players use the single-handed backhand, but one can observe them using two hands for some shots.

I hope this information has been useful

Bye for now friends!!!