The Osmosis Backhand

John Yandell

What can you absorb when you watch the great two-handed backhand players? In this article, we'll take a look at some of the commonalities all two-handers share.

But we'll also look at the 4 major variations of the pro two-handel, a groundbreaking analysis presented for the first time here on Tennisplayer in our Advanced Tennis series (Click Here).

On Tennisplayer we are committed to bringing you the latest cutting edge research, work that pushes the information envelope, and has revolutionized how the two-handed backhand stroke is understood and taught.

In these Osmosis articles, we are boiling this exhaustive and highly detailed analysis down into a more succinct form. We are also presenting it in a new audio/ video format, making it more similar to the presentations I do at coaching conventions around the world. (To see the first Osmosis article on the modern pro forehand, Click Here.)

So w hat is really going on in the strokes of the great two-handers? How do the top players differ and how are they the same? When we look at pro forehands there are obvious techncial differences that can be traced back to fundamentals of grip. As we have seen, this is because there are at least 6 different forehand grips used in the modern pro game. (Click Here.)

When we look at the two-handed backhand, the differences aren't as obvious. The swings look far more similar from one player to the next. Although there are some grip variations in the pro two-handers, these are relatively minor compared to the forehands. In reality, however, the technical differences between two-handed players are significant and real, and understanding them is very important in constructing or improving your own stroke.

Early in my teaching career, before we began to film players with high speed video, I believed that the two-handed backhand was a relatively simple shot that could be taught basically as a left-handed forehand, with a little extra help from the other arm. Today, thanks to that video research, we know it's more complex than that and the relationship between the arms varies considerably from player to player. It's true that one variation of the pro two-hander has the same primary technical characteristics as a forehand hit with the opposite arm. But other versions have very different combinations of front and back arm dominance.

As with the forehand, there are certain factors that all good two handers share in common, and other factors that are variables that can be used with all the hitting arm combinations. So click on my presentation below and let's try to create an overview of what to consider in building a two-handed stroke that works for you!