Photo Lesson: The Basic Two-Handed Backhand

Here, the ball has just left the strings after the racquet met it a few inches forward of the front knee. As noted earlier, this ball is met near the low end of the comfortable range for a two-handed backhand. If the ball were higher, it would ordinarily be met farther back -- as much as a foot farther back at the high end of the comfortable range. With the double forehand two-handed grip, the point of contact would be a few inches farther back, and with a more Western two-handed grip, the point of contact would be a few inches farther forward.

Try to have the long axis of the racquet roughly parallel to the ground, your body sideways, and your eyes locked onto the point of contact.