| Do You Find It Difficult To Produce Great Backhand | | | | If this is you then you need to change your mindset |
| Shots? | | | | towards it. You need to see backhand shots as your |
| The backhand shot is for many people far more | | | | way to winning the game, not losing it. Think of it this |
| difficult to master properly than forehand. However | | | | way - most people find backhand hard and few ever |
| having a really great backhand can give you a distinct | | | | really master it as well as they could. So, logically, if you |
| advantage over your opponent and allow you to have | | | | make yourself one of the few who put in the effort |
| the edge in a game. | | | | needed and master it then that gives you a huge |
| There are several reasons for this difficulty but most | | | | advantage over other players. Get good at it and get |
| of them are actually quite basic and can be overcome | | | | known for having a great backhand - get the |
| if you put the work into it. | | | | psychological edge as well! |
| If you are right handed then everything you do which | | | | So How Do I Go About Improving My Backhand? |
| requires any degree of manual dexterity you will do | | | | The answer of course is pretty obvious - PRACTICE! |
| with your right hand. You will be doing this, without | | | | If you want to be good at anything there are no |
| thinking about it, numerous times each day, every day | | | | shortcuts just hard work and repetition. Keep doing it |
| of your life. This means that we automatically get into | | | | over and over and you will get it right. This works for |
| the habit of positioning our body in a way which makes | | | | most things. BUT - and this is a big but - tennis is a |
| carrying out the right handed task comfortable and | | | | highly skilled game and technique is everything. If your |
| effective. The result is that we develop good | | | | technique is bad you will never play great tennis no |
| hand-eye coordination on the right side. | | | | matter how hard you practice. It is essential that you |
| The backhand shot is, of course, on the left side which | | | | learn the correct technique first, get it right and THEN |
| means that our body does not feel comfortable and | | | | practice, practice, practice until it becomes second |
| we have inferior coordination. It just doesn't come | | | | nature. Then you will be on your way to being a great |
| naturally and it doesn't feel right. | | | | player. |
| Another issue is how we view the approaching ball. | | | | If you are lucky enough to be able to afford a good |
| We need to look straight at it so that the brain can | | | | tennis coach and you can find one in your area then |
| process the information properly and make accurate | | | | this is obviously the ideal option. Nothing can beat |
| judgments about speed and distance. If are trying to | | | | personal coaching. If this is not an option for you then |
| line ourselves up to return the shot on the backhand | | | | you can purchase books and guides which will help but |
| then we don't always manage to view the ball straight | | | | ideally you will need to have good quality video |
| and the resulting shot suffers. | | | | instruction which actually demonstrates the correct |
| Lets look at another possible reason why your | | | | techniques for you to follow. This is not something you |
| backhand may not be so great. You just don't have | | | | can learn just by reading about it - you need to see it |
| confidence in it and you avoid using it wherever | | | | being done so that you can watch it over and over as |
| possible. This is possibly one of the main reasons why | | | | many times as you need to, copy it in detail and get it |
| a lot of people never really master backhand. If you | | | | right. |
| never use it how can you ever hope to get good at it? | | | | |