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Building the One-Handed Backhand:

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Building the One-Handed Backhand:

The Essential Non-Dominant Hand

John Craig

This is probably the best analysis ever of how the left or non-dominant hand is critical in a great one-handed backhand. Tried it out myself and loved it! Yes, the right hand and arm have "all the fun" in the swing as John puts it.

But it won't unless what happens before is pure and correct. The grip change. The turn and racket position, and the counter balance. This emphasis could be just what your one-hander doesn’t have. And could transform it!

Figure from Building the One-Handed Backhand:

John is a former Division I Collegiate player with over 35 years of playing, coaching and teaching experience. He is an Elite member of the USPTA, and has been an avid player, student and coach since his passion for tennis flourished in 1976. Based in Orange County, California, John has developed hundreds of students into quality players over the course of 3 decades.

John has held a variety of prestigious tennis positions, including serving as the Director of Tennis at the legendary John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach, CA. John was also the founder and Director of The Edge Tennis Academy, a high-performance Junior Development program, also in Newport Beach. In addition to developing his latest project - Performance Plus Tennis, John is also a Pro at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Figure from Building the One-Handed Backhand:

Source: tennisplayer.net archive — The One Handed Backhand - The Essential Non-Dominant Hand.docx (John Yandell teaching library, 2002-2022). Extracted and rendered as HTML for Tennis Future Lab.