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Tennis Lessons / 2H Backhand / Step 1

Pivot and Shoulder Turn (PST)

How To :

1. Pivot with your outside foot and get the heel of your inside foot up. Your outside foot is on the same side as your non-dominant hitting arm. For example, if you are right handed your LEFT foot is your outside foot. Your inside foot is your other foot – the one opposite your non-dominant hitting arm.

Keep in mind this important distinction: If you are right handed, your outside foot on your forehand is your right foot. On your backhand, it is your left foot. The opposite is true for left-handed players.

2. Transfer your weight to your outside foot.

3. Turn your shoulders sideways.

Figure 1: Frank pivoting and turning his shoulders

Coming out of his split step, Frank pivots with his outside foot, transfers his weight to that foot and at the same time turns the shoulders. The footwork – pivoting with his outside foot and getting the heel of his inside foot up – opens up his hips, allowing him to more easily turn his shoulders sideways.

The racket also starts to come back during this step because his shoulders are turning sideways, not because he is using his arms. In fact, during this step you arms are pretty much along for the ride.

It is also important to pivot and turn the shoulders as soon as you realize you are hitting a backhand. Not only will this give you plenty of time to prepare to hit, but also allow you, if necessary, to move to the ball as fast as possible. Turning sideways lets you run laterally to the tennis ball.

Common Errors:

Not pivoting and turning your shoulders right away.

I alluded to some of the negatives of not doing this above. Not pivoting and turning your shoulders immediate can cause you to prepare late. It can also make you slow getting to the tennis ball.

Using your arms to take the racket back.

This is one of the most common errors and it cannot be emphasized enough. It makes your backswing inconsistent and prevents you from maximizing your potential to create power, spin and hit consistently. Look at the slow motion clips, on both the backhand and forehand sides of all the pros on this site. Every pro starts every groundstroke by pivoting and turning the shoulders. They do not use their arms to take the racket back when they start their motion.

Read 2H Backhand Step 2 »