How to Hit a Backhand: One-Handed vs Two-Handed

The backhand is the side you get attacked on. Every half-decent opponent will figure out within a few games whether your backhand holds up, and if it does not, they will hit there all day. The good news is that a solid, repeatable backhand is very learnable for an adult. Deuce has his coaching cap on again, and the first question he wants you to answer is the big one: one hand or two.

One-handed or two-handed: which should you learn?

For most adults picking up the game, the two-handed backhand is the easier shot to make reliable. The second hand adds stability, makes it simpler to handle pace and high balls, and is more forgiving on contact point. If you have decent strength and want a backhand that feels natural, start here.

The one-handed backhand has more reach, a more natural transition to the slice, and a lovely feel at the net, but it is less forgiving and takes longer to make consistent, especially against high balls on hard courts. If you already have a one-hander that works, keep it. If you are starting fresh and just want a backhand that defends, Deuce nudges you toward two hands. There is no wrong answer, only the one you will practise.

Hitting the two-handed backhand

Think of it as a left-handed forehand with your right hand along for the ride (reverse for lefties). Your bottom hand uses a Continental grip, your top hand an Eastern forehand grip. Turn your shoulders early, the same unit turn as the forehand, take the racket back with the turn, then drive low to high through the ball, making contact out in front of your body. The top hand does most of the work and the lift. Finish high, with both hands ending up around your shoulder. The most common fault is letting the ball get too close to your body, give yourself room and step into it.

Hitting the one-handed backhand

Use an Eastern backhand grip (rotate the hand on top of the handle). The key difference from two hands is that you must make contact further out in front, and your shoulder stays sideways through the shot, do not open up early. Keep your non-hitting arm back as a counterbalance and let it pull behind you as you swing, which keeps you sideways and stops you from spraying the ball wide. The classic one-hander error is opening the chest too soon, which sends the ball sailing right.

The shot that saves your backhand: the slice

Whichever backhand you hit, learn the slice. It is your bail-out on a tough ball, your defensive reset, and a weapon that stays low and skids. Switch to a Continental grip and brush down the back of the ball with the racket face slightly open, finishing out front. The trick is to keep it from floating: hit through the ball, not under it, and keep the racket head above the wrist. Our guide to topspin and slice breaks the spin down properly.

The faults to watch

Turning late: the backhand punishes a late turn even more than the forehand. Get the racket back the instant you read the ball to that side.
Cramped contact: too close to the body means no swing. Adjust your feet to give the ball room out in front.
Floating slice: chopping under the ball makes it sit up. Drive through it and keep it low.

Make it a strength, not a target

A backhand only becomes solid when it is tested by a real ball, over and over. Get a regular hit going so you can feed your backhand on purpose: ask your partner to play to that side for a few games. RallyHub's Friends Ready Live makes finding that regular hit easy, and once you stop getting broken down on the backhand, you will see it in your match results and your RallyRank.

Pick your style, turn early, give the ball room, and learn the slice as your safety net. Do that and the side everyone tries to attack becomes the side you quietly win points on. Round out the set with the forehand and the volley.