Building A World Class One Hander: Evaluating Players

In my first article in this series we took on the controversial issue of whether a one hander or two hander is somehow “better,” and went into a detailed discussion of the positives and negatives of both strokes. My conclusion was that either stroke can be effective at all levels, depending on the player. (Click Here).

Now let’s outline an assessment process for players and coaches to help in the decision of which to choose. Specifically, what are the underlying physical and psychological factors to consider in the decision making process?

What I look for in the beginning are two things. First, height, and second, right arm/wrist strength. If the player is tall and strong, I usually consider the single-hander as an option. If the player is shorter and weaker, the two-hander is almost always the preferred way to go.

Both can be the correct choice for players somewhere in between. But I also have some very tall boys with two-handers and there are plenty of up-and-coming big, tall boys on the tour with two-handers.

I do tend to teach smaller boys two-handers, unless they show great aptitude and preference for the one-hander. But there are exceptions there as well…