How to Get a Better Backhand (Two-Handed, One-Handed, and Slice)

What makes a backhand reliable

A good backhand is built on four things, in this order: an early shoulder turn, a loose grip, contact out in front, and a low to high swing driven by your legs. Power is the last thing to add, not the first. If you rush that order, the ball floats long or dumps into the net, and you start to avoid the shot in matches.

• Grip, two hands: bottom (dominant) hand in a continental or eastern backhand grip, top (non-dominant) hand in an eastern forehand grip stacked above it.
• Grip, one hand: an eastern backhand grip, with the knuckle on top of the handle for a stable face.
• Stance: feet about shoulder width, knees soft, weight ready to move forward into the ball.
• Contact: out in front, around your front foot, roughly waist height, with space between your hands and your body.
• Finish: low to high, extend toward your target, then wrap up near the opposite shoulder.

The most common backhand mistakes (and the fix)

These are the errors that show up again and again for club players. Each one has a simple fix you can feel on the next ball.

• Arming the ball with no shoulder turn. Fix: start a unit turn the instant the ball comes to your side, both hands taking the racket back together.
• Late preparation. Fix: have the racket set before the ball bounces, not after.
• Contact too late or too close to your body. Fix: meet the ball out in front near the front foot and give yourself room to extend.
• A death grip and stiff wrists. Fix: relax to about a 3 out of 10 so the racket head can drop and lift.
• Pushing with the dominant arm. Fix: let the non-dominant hand lead and drive the swing.
• No lift. Fix: drop the racket below the ball and brush low to high to clear the net with margin.
• Lifting with the arm instead of the legs. Fix: bend the knees, step in, and transfer weight to the front foot through contact.
• A big looping backswing. Fix: keep it compact, racket roughly parallel to the ground with the tip up.

How to hit a two-handed backhand, step by step

1. 1Read and turn. The instant you see the ball coming to your backhand, turn your shoulders and take the racket back with both hands.
2. 2Keep the backswing compact. Racket tip up, roughly parallel to the ground, no big loop.
3. 3Stay loose and drop the racket head below the ball. Grip pressure around 3 out of 10.
4. 4Step in and load your legs. Transfer weight from the back leg to the front leg.
5. 5Make contact out in front, near the front foot, about waist height, with space from your torso.
6. 6Drive low to high and finish near the opposite shoulder, with your dominant elbow bent and close to your body.

The single most repeated cue from coaches and players: drive the two-hander with your non-dominant hand, like a forehand from the other side.

The one-handed backhand: should you use it?

For most beginners, juniors, and adults, the two-handed backhand is the safer default. It is more stable, easier to add power and topspin, and far better on fast returns and high balls. The one-hander gives you more reach, more feel, and a natural slice, but it is less forgiving of late contact and harder on high balls above the shoulder. A common setup is a two-handed drive plus a one-handed slice.

If you do hit a one-hander, the fixes that matter most are simple. Stay sideways longer, with your chest pointing away from the target at contact. Make contact even further in front than feels natural. Drive the racket and arm as one unit from your upper back, and keep your off hand extended behind you to stop your shoulders from flying open. A good check: after contact you should be able to see under your strings.

The backhand slice

The slice is your reset shot. It buys time when you are out of position, stays low to make life hard for your opponent, and works as a low approach. The most common slice error is chopping straight down, which pops the ball up and short.

• Use a continental grip, the same one you use to serve and volley.
• Swing forward, then slightly down. The forward drive is large, the downward angle is gentle.
• Keep your wrist firm and locked through contact so the ball does not balloon.
• Stay sideways through the whole follow through and do not peek early to see the result.
• Make contact out in front, around waist height, and extend toward your target.

Why your backhand breaks down under pressure

In a match, nerves tighten your grip, your wrist stiffens, and the racket stops dropping under the ball. At the same time you rush your feet and contact creeps back behind your body. The result is the tentative backhand that floats or nets on the big point.

• Relax your grip to about 3 out of 10 and keep the wrist loose.
• Prepare early. Start the shoulder turn the moment you read the ball to your backhand. Early prep buys time, and time is everything under pressure.
• Move your feet first. Small adjustment steps, balanced, then step in through contact.
• Drive deep. A deep ball keeps your opponent defensive. Short and tentative gets attacked.
• Use the slice as a reset. If you are stretched, late, or the ball is above your shoulder, slice low and rebuild the point.

The backhand return of serve

The return of serve is where a backhand wins or loses you free points. The fix is almost always a shorter swing. Cap your takeback at your hitting shoulder, split step on time, and think of three options based on the serve you get.

1. 1Big first serve, or contact above your chest: block it. Short backswing, firm racket face, catch and redirect deep down the middle.
2. 2Jamming or high second serve, or no time to change grip: slice it. Carve through the back of the ball and aim at the server's feet.
3. 3Slower second serve in your strike zone: drive it. Early turn, compact loop, contact in front, three-quarter finish, aim big crosscourt.

Drills you can do this week

• Non-dominant-hand forehands: drop the bottom hand and hit lefty forehands (for a righty) to feel which hand should lead.
• Shadow swings: groove the turn, contact point, and finish in a mirror, with no ball.
• Drop feeds: self-drop and hit 10 in a row with clean contact before you add any pace.
• Wall rallies: hit steady backhands into a wall, focused on early prep and contact in front.
• Backhands-only game: play points where you can only hit backhands, taking an extra touch when you must. This builds trust fast.
• Target reps: hit consecutive balls into one zone so the shot holds up on big points.

Pick two of these per session. Volume with intention beats random hitting every time. Film one rep from the side each week and compare. If your contact point creeps back toward your hip, fix that one thing and the floaters stop.