Starting Kids Right: The Backhand

When is it one hand and when is it two? As a coach, you need to have a smorgasbord of options, and that is definitely true when it comes to teaching kids the backhand.  Sometimes I think we get too pigeonholed as coaches and say, “Here's what I'm doing.”  Even if a coach has had success, it might be in spite of what he believes or does on the court. So the big question when it comes to the backhand for young kids is should you always teach two hands?  When, if ever, do you teach a 5 or 6 year old a one-handed backhand?  The answer is going to be in the eye of the beholder, but the decision can have a huge impact on the career of a young player. On the backhand, whichever way you go, how you teach the basics and what you ask kids to do when are huge factors in their technical development.  So in this article let me lay out some of my thoughts on teaching kids both the one-handed and two-handed backhand, and also how to decide between them. Justine Henin started with one-hand and took it all the way to the...