What do Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Andre Agassi have in common? Powerful and consistent two-handed backhands. In the past, most players, especially in men’s tennis, focused on developing a powerful forehand and a consistent backhand. The backhand was used to redirect the point to set up for a forehand, where the attacking shots would take place. For example, top U.S. players, such as James Blake and Pete Sampras, ran around their backhands to hit their forehands anytime they could. Today, coaching methods have improved and players look strong from both sides. Many are using their backhand shots aggressively and have become all-court players. However, that’s only on the professional tour.
Among junior and amateur adult players, many continue to struggle with backhand confidence. Backhand is often referred to as the weaker side and, strategically, players often direct most of their shots to the backhand. So, if you feel your backhand is weaker and want to transform it into a weapon, then you must do the following:
(1) Practice your backhand. No joke, the top reason players lack backhand confidence is that they obviate hitting with their backhand.
The most common place where the backhand is neglected is in the 20 to 30 minutes many spend hitting down the center of the court. I see players hitting a bunch of shots with their forehand before hitting one with the backhand. Then they get back to hitting forehands. Imagine years go by and you’ve hit 800 thousand forehands and 50 thousand backhands. Which side practiced more? Repetition matters.(2) Your reach is shorter, so you need to move more on the backhand side. We often default to keeping the same footwork on both sides. But your backhand setup requires an extra step or two. That means you need to move more and a bit faster to get in a good hitting position.(3) Use your back leg. Many players find it comfortable to lean on their front leg before hitting the backhand. But when you lean on your front leg before hitting the ball, there is no weight transfer into the ball — your body weight has already been transferred. Your shot relies more on your upper body and arms to generate force. Furthermore, your balance is off, which makes you stiffer. Your solution is to make a wider step with your back or outer leg before closing with your front leg. And then keep yourself balanced and feel some tension on the back leg before you accelerate to hit the ball.(4) Practice attack shots with your backhand. You want to teach yourself to accelerate aggressively with your backhand shots. The best way is to hit thousands of shots that are fed all over your backhand side. Follow bullets (2) and (3) and practice on long, short, high, and low balls. Make sure to use your body weight for each shot you hit. You will develop your two-handed backhand into a weapon.
