Why You Need A Two-Handed Backhand In Pickleball
The two-handed backhand in pickleball is like the one-handed backhand of tennis. It’s a shot you wish you could hit like the pros and it looks so good when its done right! In this article we’ll go over all of the reasons why you should hit a two-handed backhand in pickleball, who shouldn’t hit a two-handed backhand and the best way to learn the shot.
Table of Contents
- Why You Should Hit A Two-Handed Backhand
- The Pros hit with a Two-Handed Backhand
- Aggressive Drives and Passing shots
- Solid Volleys and High Balls
- Topspin Lob
- Why You Shouldn’t Hit a Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
- How to Hit a Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
- Conclusion
Why you should hit a two-handed backhand in pickleball
The two-handed pickleball backhand is becoming one of the most important shots in pickleball because you can hit very aggressive drives and generate a lot of spin. There is a learning curve to hitting a two-handed backhand, especially for players who aren’t transitioning from tennis. Using both hands can complicate things, but with no risk comes no reward. Mastering the two-handed pickleball backhand can give you a leg up on your competition.
The Pros hit with a Two-Handed Backhand
Some of the best pro pickleball players hit a two-handed backhand. Men’s top player Ben Johns uses his two-handed backhand to hit strong returns and blast passing shots at his opponents. On the women’s side, top ranked Anna Leigh Waters hits an incredible two-handed backhand. She hits sharp cross-court angles to pull her opponents off of the court and takes two-handers out of the air at the net. It’s becoming more obvious that having a two-handed backhand in pickleball is an advantage, especially at the pro level. So if you want to take a pickleball tip from the pros, you should learn to hit a two-handed backhand
Aggressive Drives and Passing shots
It’s much easier to hit aggressive drives and passing shots with a two-handed backhand compared to a one-handed backhand. The main reason for this is because it’s easier to generate topspin with two hands. Hitting a one-handed backhand with heavy topspin is much more difficult with a pickleball paddle than with a tennis racquet. You need to use an aggressive backhand grip in order to generate a lot of spin. This is a much more difficult shot to pull off. especially since the ball bounces much lower on average.
With a two-handed backhand, you have the benefit of your non-dominate hand to help give you stability and extra strength. It can be easier to flick the wrists aggressively with both hands and generate enough spin to keep the ball in the court, even when you hit it hard. Hitting passing shots and aggressive drives is much easier with all of the extra spin.
Another reason the two-handed backhand helps on aggressive drives is because its a compact stroke. Since the court is smaller in pickleball, you don’t have the benefit of time to take a big backswing. You need to prepare for your shot as quickly as possible. The two-handed backhand allows you to generate a lot of extra power from a compact position and hit aggressively. You gain stability with your core, chest, and shoulders as you hit the two-hander.
Solid Volleys and High Balls
The stability of the two-handed backhand is also applicable to volleys and high balls out of the air. You’ll notice many of the top females hit their volleys with two-hands. The ball is moving so quick during net battles that the extra stability prevents a lot of mishits. A backhand volley with one hand will be weaker than with two hands if the ball is being hit very hard at you. You’ll also see a lot of men on the pro tour hit their volleys with two hands as well. This isn’t a common technique in tennis, but there are definitely benefits in pickleball.
Attacking high balls is also much easier with a two-handed backhand. While the majority of the time your opponent will try to keep the ball low and in the kitchen when you’re moving towards the net, every now and then you’ll get a floating high ball to the backhand side. This is a difficult shot to attack with one hand. Unless you can hit a sharp angle volley for a clean winner, you’re going to struggle to generate enough power if you take a swing. Taking the ball out of the air with both hands allows you to really drive through the ball and take control of the point.
Topspin Lob
The topspin lob is a great shot to add to your tool belt in pickleball. Lobs are much more difficult to hit in pickleball than tennis because of the smaller court and players standing behind the kitchen line. There just isn’t that much court to hit. Add on top of that tall players and you might find yourself wondering why you would ever need to learn this shot at all.
Lobs are typically hit in a defensive position when you’re being pulled off the court and both of your opponents are at the net. When you feel like you’re out of options and can’t hit a low passing shot or a drop into the kitchen, it’s time to bring out the topspin lob.
The topspin lob is a lot like hitting a topspin drop into the kitchen. The motion and feel are very similar. In this case, you’re going to want to aim a lot higher than when you hit a drop but it with the same amount of topspin. Don’t be afraid to aim deep towards the back of the court. If possible, you should try to lob to your opponents backhand side, but when in doubt a lob deep and to the middle is fine.
This shot will take a lot of practice to get the feel for how high and how hard you should hit this shot. The height of your opponents will also change how high you nee to hit the ball. While this isn’t a recommend shot to use all the time, its a great shot to mix into your game to keep your opponents on their toes!
Why You Shouldn’t Hit a Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
As much as we think the two-handed backhand can provide an advantage in pickleball, it isn’t a shot for everyone. Players who struggle with hand-eye coordination or already have a difficult time making contact on the forehand side may want to take a pass on the two-handed backhand. It won’t be worth the frustration to learn until you feel more confident in your forehand and other strokes.
If you have a very weak non-dominant hand a two-handed backhand may never feel very comfortable. It can be an awkward shot to hit if you don’t have control of your non-dominant hand, similar to throwing a ball or shooting a basketball with your other arm. Oftentimes your hands will be fighting against each other to decide which one should be doing the majority of the work.
Slower players may find the two-handed backhand to be too much footwork compared to hitting a one-handed backhand. The two-handed backhand does require more footwork to prepare for the shot, especially if you’re on the run. Older players or players with bad knees might be better off hitting a one-handed backhand as well.
How to Hit a Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
Hitting a two-handed backhand in pickleball is three step process. The first step is learning to use the backhand grip. The second step is proper footwork and paddle preparation. The third step is making contact with the ball and driving through the shot.
The backhand grip starts with having your dominant hand on the bottom and your non-dominant hand on the top. For right handed plays this means having your right hand closer to the bottom of the handle and your left hand above it. We recommend using a continental grip with both hands, but this is less strict with your non-dominant hand. Experiment to see what feels most comfortable for your non-dominant hand. The continental grip is important to use for your dominant hand because you can also use this grip to hit a slice backhand or transition to the net and hit a volley. The less grip changes the better.
The next step is having proper footwork and paddle preparation. In order to hit a great two-handed backhand, you’ll need to be ready to move your feet. This is one of the reasons many pickleball and tennis players struggle to hit a strong two-handed backhand. As soon as you realize the ball is coming to your backhand, you should be focused on getting the paddle back and keeping it low. This should be a short and compact take back. Next you’ll start moving to the ball and prepare to take the last step with your front foot while keeping a proper distance from the ball.
The last step is to finally hit the ball. As mentioned above, you’ll want to step into the shot with your front foot. This would be the right foot for right handed players and the left foot for left handed players. Your foot should be pointing at around 45 degrees from the net. Stepping into the shot as you hit gets a lot of body weight into the ball which allows you to generate a lot of power with a short backswing.
Finally you’ll want to brush up on the ball while making contact. This will help generate the spin you need to keep the ball in the court or hit and low passing shot. Some players like to generate most of the power and spin with their dominant hand, and others like to use their non-dominant hand. There is no right or wrong answer, and using a balance of both is totally acceptable. Practice this with a partner and do what feels most comfortable.
Conclusion
We’re confident that almost any player, regardless of skill level can eventually learn a two-handed backhand. As we mentioned before, for transitioning tennis players who already know how to hit a two-handed backhand, this is a no-brainer. For everyone else this will feel awkward until you get enough practice. The risk of being frustrated learning the two-handed backhand is absolutely worth the reward of being able to attack from the backhand side.