In this 2nd blog of 12, I’m excited to share tips on developing the backhand shot. The backhand is often a challenging shot for most players, but it can be turned into a weapon as I did in my career. Below are 3 drills to work on to improve your backhand.
Much like in blog 1, I have outlined 3 target zones for your practice to develop greater accuracy on the backhand shot. The player starts from the center of the court (the “X” mark), and is made to move a few steps towards their backhand side (as shown in the picture below for a right-handed player).
Zone 1 is the deep cross-court which I used very successfully to attack my opponents’ backhands (those who were right-handed). Against players who have a weaker backhand, this is a great shot to use to put them on defense. Notice the trajectory of the shot going away towards the corner of the court.
Zone 2 is the deep down the line which becomes an important shot to change direction in a point or to attack a player who likes to run around their backhand with their forehand. Such players often position themselves further towards their backhand side leaving space for you to attack with your backhand down the line.
Zone 3 is a short cross-court which is a great shot to pull your opponent off the court or as a passing shot when your opponent comes in to the net.
To improve your accuracy when practicing these drills, I encourage you to set measurable targets such as trying to hit “5 in a row” to a specific zone. Also, raise the bar when you achieve this target and play games up to 11 or 21 points with a player scoring a point for each shot hit in the target zone.
Also, check out my video on Developing The Backhand on our YouTube channel for more tips.
Best,
Harsh
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