Technique: Classic and Modern Two Handed Backhand Part 1 Classic

It is time for the two handed backhand analysis.  If you have a one handed backhand the blogs for the two types of one handed backhands are here and here.  So....Lets get started.

General Backhand

With the general two handed backhand (THBH) you want to take the racket back with two hands (right hand on bottom for right-handers) and then bring the racket forward.  Andy Murray shows us his highly praised backhand technique:


Classic Two-Handed Backhand

Players that hit it:  Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Duval, Sabine Lisicki, Jelena Jankovic

This backhand was favored by a lot of ladies in the 90s.  As the two handed backhand became the favorite of coaches training their students, they started to teach that the backhand be hit like a forehand.  So what you get is the classic "C motion" backswing (the way you start the stroke makes a C shape with your racket) and the wrap around the neck followthrough (finishing your stroke around your neck).



 Sometimes without the C motion.


But what makes this backhand more interesting is the way the players pull the racket close to their body and keep the left arm bent all the way through.  It is a technique that promotes core strength, which is why a lot of people use it from childhood.

The bonus of this shot is the spin and control combination.  Since it mimics the forehand so much, you can bend the elbow and lift up on the shot for maximum spin.  You can grip the racket super hard and spin some angles and good, hard to attack shots.  It's also great for defensive lobs.

Both JELENA JANKOVIC and SABINE LISICKI show off the versatility in this type of backhand.


The weakness in this backhand is its restriction and the lack of easy power.  Because this backhand is so tight into your body, you can't blast a ball too easy when it is coming at you slow.  So if you want  to blast one of these, you have to lean into the shot or the ball needs to be right around your bellybutton AND you need to be standing upright.  We all know that doubles partner that can hit a backhand 100 mph in or out from a super simple swing.  This is the reason.

One more thing to note: Many times a kid has been taught this backhand and then they grow up to be a huge muscular person with this backhand.  The fact that they are so big makes it so that this is the only two hander that they can hit freely and they are super restricted still.  If you have a lot of mass in your upperbody area, you might want to seriously consider switching to a one hander.  If you are beginning, you DEFINITELY want to switch.  I'm not saying that you will hit the ball BETTER, but the potential is there.  A big guy's potential with a two hander gets worse if he lifts weights because he loses flexibility.  Basically your two-hander loses potential the more you practice it.  That doesn't happen with a one handed backhand.  You can get as big as you want!

This double fister is nice and you can use the spin to move the ball around easily.  I suggest you use it  to roll angles and make your opponent run everywhere.  Just don't let the ball get too far from you or you will have to let go of the racket with one hand and slice.  When I had it, my opponents did not like it too much because I could use a compact swing to keep them running.  I do miss that a lot!