Tennis Backhand: One-Handed vs Two-Handed Technique

Quick read. There is no universal winner between a one-handed and two-handed backhand. Use the same 20-ball feed to compare control, reach, high-ball handling, slice and variety, strength and coordination, and repeatability. The two studies below measured different mechanics, not a better technique for every player.

What to test in each backhand

Make the comparison countable. Hit 20 balls with each stroke from the same feed, on the same day. USTA guidance on choosing a backhand grip puts comfort and racket-face control ahead of a universal rule.

• Control. Of those 20, count the balls that left the strings with the face where you wanted it.
• Reach. Ask for 10 feeds wide enough to make you move. Count the ones you still met in front.
• High balls. Ask for 10 at shoulder height. Count the ones you completed without blocking the ball.
• Slice and variety. Ask for 10 more and change the spin and height. Count the ones that actually changed.
• Strength and coordination. Note which stroke stays more comfortable across all 50 balls.
• Repeatability. Return to the first 20 and count how many land inside one cross-court target area.

Reach and high-ball handling are individual tests here, not universal research conclusions. If the two sets of counts come out level, the biomechanics below name the main mechanical tradeoff: the two-hander connects both arms more firmly to the trunk, while the one-hander prepares with more shoulder rotation and meets the ball farther in front.

What the biomechanics research measured

Reid and Elliott compared 18 college-level male players with high-performance topspin backhands, 6 one-handed and 12 two-handed. Just before impact, both techniques produced comparable horizontal racket velocity. The 6 one-handed players used more shoulder rotation at the end of the backswing and met the ball farther in front. The 12 two-handed players delayed horizontal racket acceleration until closer to impact. Read the Reid and Elliott comparison of one-handed and two-handed backhands.

Stępień, Bober, and Zawadzki had 10 experienced tennis coaches hit 15 flat backhands of each type in a laboratory, from a closed stance with a sponge ball. In the included trials, the two-hander showed greater rigidity through the arms, more contribution from trunk rotation, and a strong velocity role for the non-dominant side in right-handed subjects. Those same 10 coaches produced no clear overall advantage for either technique, and the authors asked for more research including racket and ball velocity. Read the laboratory study of backhand motion patterns.

Those samples are small and trained: 18 college players in one study, and 10 coaches hitting sponge balls in the other. They do not tell every recreational adult or child which stroke to learn. The set of 15 flat backhands from a closed stance also does not test every ball height, stance, or match situation.

Turn early, then meet the ball in front

Prepare early enough to meet the ball in front with the racket face aimed toward the target. USTA's backhand contact and racket-face guidance explains that the contact point sits a little in front and to the backhand side, while the racket face at contact determines the ball's direction.

1. Step 1. Read and turn. Turn the shoulders as you recognize the ball coming to the backhand side.
2. Step 2. Set the racket face. Choose the face angle before the forward swing starts.
3. Step 3. Meet the ball in front. Give the racket room instead of letting contact drift beside or behind you.
4. Step 4. Complete the swing. Continue through the ball rather than stopping at contact.

The guide to moving into position covers the split step and first move that create time for those 4 steps.

On a two-hander, your non-dominant hand drives

The top hand drives a two-handed backhand. USTA's two-handed backhand drill has a right-handed player alternate left-handed forehands with two-handed backhands to feel that role.

Hit 5 non-dominant-hand forehands, then replace the bottom hand and hit 5 two-handers. Run that pair 4 times, 40 balls in all, at a pace low enough to compare motion rather than power.

That drill is USTA coaching guidance. The laboratory measurement is separate: among the 10 coaches above, the non-dominant side carried a strong share of the velocity in the right-handed subjects.

Topspin and slice are opposite swing paths

Topspin brushes up the back of the ball from low to high. Underspin, usually called slice, uses the opposite path. The same USTA backhand guide says slice is typically, though not always, hit with one hand.

A two-handed topspin player who adds slice is therefore often learning a separate one-handed motion. A player who can hit both paths has 2 different balls to choose from on the backhand side. Whether that changes a match depends on the player, not the grip. The low-to-high path also appears in forehand grip and topspin on the other side.

A practice sequence for either backhand

Practice in an order that makes the contact point and repeatability visible.

1. Step 1. Shadow the preparation. Turn, set the racket, mark the contact point in front, and finish. Take 10 swings with no ball.
2. Step 2. Add a controlled feed or wall. Hit 20 balls at a pace low enough to finish the turn before the forward swing.
3. Step 3. Aim cross-court. Hit a set of 20 and count how many balls land inside the same target area.
4. Step 4. Use it in live points. Keep the same stroke when the incoming ball is no longer predictable.

Write down the number out of 20 that reached the target in Step 3, then compare it with your next set of 20. If you are working without a partner, the guide to practicing tennis alone covers wall and solo work in more detail.

When an outside view helps

If the 20-ball counts stay close, video or coaching can give you another view of the choice and the contact point.

Flow State Tennis offers private tennis lessons and adult tennis lessons in Northern Virginia.