Backhand

The backhand groundstroke requires the player to contact the ball on the non-dominant side. One-handed backhands usually rely on a full shoulder turn, an eastern backhand grip, and a long extension through the ball. This produces elegant, compact topspin or clean flat drives. Two-handed backhands add the non-dominant hand on the grip, giving the player greater stability and disguise. The unit turn loads both hips and shoulders, and the swing uncoils through contact with a follow-through that finishes above the front shoulder. Many elite players mix a one-handed slice backhand with a two-handed topspin variant. The backhand side is traditionally the rally target when opponents probe for weaknesses.

The shoulder turn on the backhand is the most common breakdown point for recreational players. Without a full coil during the backswing — turning the back toward the net and loading the rear hip — the swing has no stored rotational energy to release forward. The result is an arm-only push that lacks pace and consistency regardless of how hard the player swings. The unit turn must happen early enough that the shoulders are loaded before the ball arrives. This gives the player the option to swing forward into the ball rather than meeting it reactively.

Deep crosscourt consistency on the backhand is the tactical foundation most coaches build toward first: if the player can sustain crosscourt exchanges from the backhand side with depth and pace. The rest of the tactical game opens up naturally. Once the crosscourt backhand is reliable, down-the-line and slice variants can be layered in as directional weapons rather than desperation shots.