In today’s game it is vital to be solid off the backhand side. With the speed of the game you can no longer depend on just a big forehand, there’s just not enough time to cover that much space even for an athletic quick player. You must be able to absorb the pace so you can stay in the point.
The key to having a solid backhand is preparation and balance.
First you must get good shoulder turn and at the same time load up on the back foot . After the shoulder is turned and you have loaded up early you should have plenty of time to step into the ball then swing through using your hands more rather then the shoulders, the left shoulder blade must stay back so you aren’t pulling across your body this is the same for one and two handers. Many times I see players turning the shoulders and the front foot at the same time, they are then forced to use too much shoulder and this causes the player to be erratic.
A good drill we do at Celsius to help speed up the process of breaking this bad habit is to force the player to hit all open stance no matter where the ball is. At first it’s very uncomfortable but once the shoulder turn gets better the player starts making easier contact with the ball. After doing this for a while when it’s time to step in its amazing how much more consistency and power is gained.
I strongly recommend watching the pros in slow motion and or when the are warming up. They generally have good shoulder turn and balance. One big mistake some coaches and players make is copying what the see when the game is going at full speed. Don’t be fooled by what things look like on T.V. Do your homework.
