TM: Two handed backhand tips

By Tomaz Mencinger
TennisMindGame.com

I've recently had a lesson with a club player who had some problems with his two-handed backhand. Let me explain his problems:

1. He was gripping the racquet too tightly, his arms were too tense.


2. Most of the power for his backhand came from his right hand – instead of his left hand and left side of the body.


3. He didn't follow through-long enough in the direction of his shot. Instead he moved across his body and away from the ball with the racquet, finishing above his opposite shoulder.


4. His shots landed short as a consequence of his problems, and he also used a lot of energy to play his backhand.

Here's what we worked on:

1. First he needed to become aware of his tension. When he was, he relaxed a little.


2. He became aware that his left arm was leading the shot and that it should follow the direction of the ball longer.


3. He exhaled while hitting the ball to help him become more relaxed and hit more fluidly.


4. He focused on the word "fast" instead of "hard". Thinking about hitting the ball hard tenses your muscles. Not good.


5. He adjusted his level of trying: he said that in his opinion his backhand was a level 6 if he rated it from 1 to 10. So he focused on playing his backhand as a level 6 and 7.

After 20 minutes he felt that he could hit a long ball with a lot less effort and a lot more control. And remember – this is not the end. We'll be working on his backhand at least 3 -5 more hours before it will become a little more automatic.

Copyright 2006, Tomaz Mencinger -- all rights reserved worldwide

Tomaz Mencinger is the author of The Mental Manual for Tennis Winners and an athletic consultant who works with nationally ranked juniors at the Benc Sport tennis club in Ljubljana, Slovenia.