This week we are talking Pickleball 2 Handed Backhands!
We see more and more people using the pickleball 2 handed backhand especially in the Pro ranks. We have a lot of tennis and other racquet sports athletes transitioning to Pickleball and bringing their style of play with them, and that includes the two-handed backhand.
Personally, I have a one-handed backhand because when I was 21, I had fusion surgery on my lower back so even in tennis I couldn’t hit a two hander anymore. The rotation is a lot greater with a two-handed backhand because you’re rotating to the opposite side of your body and you’re accelerating with your non dominant side, so for me I had to use a one-handed backhand.
The two-handed backhand takes more torque and more twist to complete. Do I encourage someone if they feel comfortable using a two-handed backhand? Absolutely! You have to go with what’s comfortable for you.
If I’m hitting a tennis ball it’s a different motion, it’s a longer paddle with a bigger backswing, here we’ve got this shorter paddle, so what creates a more compact swing is where your non-dominant hand is.
My left hand is my non-dominant hand and I’m going to take that index finger on my left hand and put it right at the bottom of the paddle face (see video) and that creates a much quicker shorter punch. Remember, a two-handed backhand is driving the ball with your non-dominant hand, that is not a natural occurrence for a lot of players.
Pickleball Two-Handed Backhand
One thing you do see me, and a lot of other players do is have our two hands on our paddle and let’s say we end up kind of blocking the ball you know you’ll see it kind of like a bunt versus a drive. I see a lot of players pushing the ball instead of actually driving with one hand.
So, one of the simpler things to do to work on it and get that rhythm going is take your non-dominant hand and pull your dominant hand completely off the paddle and practice hitting forehands with your backhand grip, where your non-dominant hand is going to be. That increases the extension of the non-dominant hand. It is an entirely different position and torque so be aware of this.
You often see a lot of two-handed players still dink with one hand and attack with two hands, you could still do both, you definitely have options.
It’s a personal choice but be aware one of the most important things is where your non-dominant hand goes, a lot of players want a longer handle but it doesn’t create the acceleration and the control at the non-volley line that you really need. It may be fine at the baseline but that non-dominant hand on that paddle is going to create more of that push, whether it’s up or down.
It’s like you are pulling the paddle back with your non-dominant hand and accelerating it forward. Think about the grip but be aware just because you don’t have a two-handed backhand doesn’t mean you have to create one because that’s the trend.
Bottomline is whether it is a two-handed or one-handed backhand, go with what you are most comfortable with.
Here’s a couple more posts about 2 handed pickleball backhands:
Pickleball’s Two Handed Backhand
