Tennis

Ron Steege, Director of Tennis 303.770.2582 x394

rons@GreenwoodATC.com

The Modern Two-Handed Backhand

by Ron Steege, Director of Tennis Photos by Bobbie Arlotta

Eight-year-old Anna Kalabukhova uses a Continental grip with her non-dominant right hand and a semi-western or hybrid grip with her dominant left hand. Notice the high racquet head as she prepares to loop her swing back and down.

Ten-year-old Allison Murphys racquet is dropping below the ball with continuous momentum, avoiding a pause at this stage ensures maximum racquet head speed. This swing pattern imparts big time topspin, a hallmark of the modern game.

This photo shows twelve-year-old Jessie Murphy as she begins the release of the left hand as it finishes over the right hand. The left elbow is up and her back leg is coming forward, the result of angular momentum and the early stages of a recovery step.

Often youll see players utilizing an open stance on wide challenge balls in todays game. Here, Anna is more closed in her setup with her shoulders coiled and her weight loaded over the back foot ready to transfer her weight forward and really unload on this ball. The racquet has begun to drop behind her as Anna builds momentum and racquet speed.

Contact is out in front with her weight over her right foot. Make sure you maintain a loose grip throughout the swing. On a scale to 5, with 5 being a death grip, you want to strive for a 2 grip pressure which is loose enough that the racquet could be easily pulled from your hands. Notice Allisons eyes are focused on point of contact for centered impact.

The finish is over Jessies right shoulder with the left elbow up and pointing forward. The right elbow is relaxed; the back of her left hand is against her right cheek with the racquet on its edge. This is typical of a topspin drive with contact made around waist level. A high ball finish would wrap more around the outside of the right shoulder.

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