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  • Joe Perez: How to do a two-handed backhand in tennis. Tennis backhands, there are two

  • different types. We're going to talk about the two-hander, not the one-hander. The two-handed

  • backhand means just that. You're going to have both hands on the grip, and you're going

  • to swing with both arms, not just with one. Kirk is going to demonstrate the type of swing,

  • and I'm going to tell you then what the reason for using a two-handed backhand would be.

  • Kirk, he has both hands on the grip, notice. And when he turns, he's going to switch the

  • grip from a forehand grip or an Eastern or semi-western to a backhand grip, which means

  • he's going to slide it to his left on top of the racquet a little bit, the right hand.

  • The left hand just grips the racquet in a normal, Eastern grip style. He's going to

  • turn his hips and shoulders. He's going to take a step into the court. Both hands are

  • going to come through the swing, and the dominant hand for a two-handed backhand is the left

  • arm, Kirk's less dominant arm when he's naturally playing tennis. He's a right-handed player,

  • but a two-handed backhand uses the left arm.

  • He's going to drive through the shot, through the ball, with a slightly closed face, with

  • his left arm and right arm but the left arm being dominant. And he's going to finish over

  • his right shoulder, showing the butt cap. I like to say that. Show the butt cap like

  • a flashlight. So again, Kirk's going to have both hands on the grip. He's going to switch

  • the grip slightly, racquet raised so he can do a little loop, comes underneath the ball,

  • brushes up, drives through with the left hand, and finishes over his right shoulder. That's

  • a two-handed backhand.

  • Now, why a two-handed backhand? A lot of players grow up playing tennis when they're very young.

  • They start sometimes five or six, and the only way to hit a backhand when you're five

  • or six effectively is to use two hands. So they grow up playing that way, and they continue

  • to. It can be a very effective shot, because you can get a lot of power when you're young.

  • You can get a lot more power when you're old. Not that a one-hander doesn't have power,

  • but a two-hander can get a lot of power when they're younger. Also two hands are known

  • to have the ability to disguise their shots well, because they can use a little bit more

  • wrist because they've got this other hand helping. Two hands has disadvantages. One

  • of the disadvantages is you can't reach out for a ball that's wide. You have to let go.

  • So a two-hander has to have good feet to get to balls so they can hit the ball in position.

  • Kirk Moritz: Sounds good to me, Joe. With those two hands, make sure that both hands

  • are relaxed. You could be twice as tight on the two-handed backhand and lose some of the

  • fluidity. So you want your hands relaxed. Feel your fingertips on the racquet so you

  • can accelerate that swing and brush up just like you do on the forehand. Soft hands. Hold

  • the racquet looser than you think you're supposed to.

  • Joe: And that's a two-handed backhand in tennis.

Joe Perez: How to do a two-handed backhand in tennis. Tennis backhands, there are two

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