Mailbag: Making the Switch

Category: Tennis

Publish Date: 03-18-2010 04:00 PM -0400

I've been playing tennis for about six years. I have a two-handed backhand that I've developed well, but I want to switch to a one-hander. What exercises should I do to strengthen up to hit a one-handed backhand for full matches and long hours of practice?—Alex Layfield

While the two-handed backhand revolutionized the game in the late ’70s and has been the stroke taught to most Americans ever since, there’s something very appealing about the one-handed backhand. The two most prominent players with one-handers on tour today, Roger Federer and Justine Henin, have two the most beautiful, stylish games in the history of the sport. My two-hander is my best stroke, but I have to admit that I still covet the fluid, sweeping motion of the one-hander. Whenever I try to hit one, though, it feels as awkward as trying to write with my left hand.�

If you can get over that awkward feeling and want to make the switch, preparation is essential to avoid injury. Two-handers and one-handers may accomplish the same thing on court, but they’re very different strokes that involve different muscles. I spoke to Mark Kovacs, Ph.D., senior manager of strength and conditioning and sport science for USTA player development, to find out the basics to prevent injury when swapping out a two-hander with a one-hander.�

Technique: Kovacs recommends some time with a teaching pro to make sure you’re hitting the one-hander the right way. “Good technique is first and foremost,” Kovacs says. “Injuries are going to come if you don’t have proper technique.”�

Shoulder strength: To condition your body for the one-hander, the first thing you should work is your shoulder strength. “You’re going to need to get all your power from your dominant shoulder, whereas before you had some help from the non-dominant arm,” Kovacs says. To strengthen your shoulder and rotator cuff for the one-hander, Kovacs recommends securing one end of a resistance band or tube at shoulder height and pulling the other end across your body with your arm straight. Next, step on one end of the band and pull the other end diagonally low to high across your body to mimic the motion of a one-hander (like in this floor-to-ceiling lift). ��

Elbow and forearm strength: As with the shoulder, your non-dominant arm won’t be there to support the rest of your arm, either, so you must strengthen your elbow and forearm. One of the best moves, according to Kovacs, is with a heavy hammer or another object that is head heavy. Hold the handle, rest your arm on a bench or the seat of a chair, and rotate your forearm side to side.�

Core stability: The core is important for all tennis strokes, but it’s especially key to the one-hander. “On the one-handed backhand you should be trying to rotate more than on a two-hander,” Kovacs says. He recommends “feet-on-the-ground exercises” to mimic the motion of the backhand. One exercise: Stand facing a wall holding a medicine ball in both hands, and, alternating sides, take the ball back like you’re starting a stroke and follow through by throwing the ball against the wall.

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