Follow Through
The fourth step of the two-handed backhand is the follow through. From my contact point, I extend out in the direction I’m hitting the tennis ball. At the same time I continue to rotate my upper body until I’m more or less facing the net. Once I’ve done this, I bring the tennis racket up over my shoulder by bending my elbows. That’s the end of my two-handed backhand motion.
At 24 seconds in the video we watch Frank follow through on his two-handed backhand. From contact, Frank begins his follow through by extending out in the direction he’s hitting the tennis ball. As he extends out he continues to rotate his upper body. To complete his two-handed backhand motion, he bends at the elbows and brings the tennis racket up over his shoulder. The key to the follow through is that it needs to be done smoothly so that you can decelerate the tennis racket and your body in a nice, easy motion.
At 55 seconds we use some pictures of Radek Stepanek’s two-handed backhand to demonstrate the mechanics of the follow through. In the first picture Stepanek has just made contact with the tennis ball. He’s extending out in the direction he’s hitting. You can see that he’s got great extension with his left arm. He’s also rotating is upper body back toward the net. In the next picture, he’s continued to rotate so that he’s pretty much facing the net. He’s also rapped the racket over his shoulder by bending at the elbows. This picture is the completion of Stepanek’s two-handed backhand motion.






{ 10 comments }
Hi Will
Do you recommend bending the knees at all when playing the BH?
I am a competitive club player of about 5ft 8 and feel it sometimes helps to generate power.
Thanks
man nice work. i just came out of my injury. I broke my left wrist and had to use a one hander and now that ive healed ive forgotten everything about two hand back hands but this video helped a lot thanks!!!
Why I can not subscribe? Any problem about the internet?
Its not Roddick on the pics!
He is Radek Stepanek.
Hi Will, as usual, this was very informative. My nickname is the man with 1,000 questions so with that in mind here goes: What grips are you using for each hand? Do you focus on bringing the back high, low, or medium height or just pivot the shoulders and whatever racket height you have is it? I ask that because the modern forehand seems to have the racket brought back high to handle the high topspin ground stroke and then players seem to just adjust the height of their loop to hit their forehand. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim
Hi Will, as usual, this was very informative. My nickname is the man with 1,000 questions so with that in mind here goes: What grips are you using for each hand? Do you focus on bringing the back high, low, or medium height or just pivot the shoulders and whatever racket height you have is it? I ask that because the modern forehand seems to have the racket brought back high to handle the high topspin ground stroke and then players seem to just adjust the height of their loop to hit their forehand. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim
Thanks again for posting these videos. I am now 51 and have just taken up tennis at my local club (never too late you know).It is nice to find clear instruction on the proper techniques to hitting the FYB.
very informative video, thanks!
55 seconds comment: is it necessary to have straight left arm after the impact of the racket with the ball (is it a mistake if it is not). How about the right arm?
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