Continue Reading
This is a preview of the article. The full content is available to TennisPlayer.net members only.
If you attend an elite junior event these days, you may spot a glimpse of tennis’s possible future: a player ripping forehands off both wings—and even serving with either hand.
Ambidextrous tennis—playing with two forehands and sometimes lefty/righty serve combinations—has long existed on the fringes of the sport. From Beverly Baker Fleitz and Gene Mayer to Jan-Michael Gambill, Luke Jensen, Hsieh Su-Wei, Marion Bartoli, Monica Seles, and more recent junior standouts like Teo Davidov, dual-sided play has periodically surfaced as both an innovation and an anomaly. Ambidextrous tennis often draws curiosity, occasional admiration, and just as often skepticism. Is playing with two forehands a viable developmental pathway, or merely a stylistic quirk that captures attention without reshaping the game?
Motor Learning Foundations
Motor learning research provides a useful framework for evaluating ambidextrous development. Varying practice drills can improve long-term learning and help players apply skills…
