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Pickleball is a relatively new sport, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t taken the world by storm.

This sport combines aspects of badminton, ping pong, and tennis, making it a lot of fun, as you can play individually as singles, or as doubles!

Pickleball involves a lot of skills. You have to be quick on your feet, have good aim, be able to dink the ball, volley it, and hone in your groundstroke skills.

One of the most vital skills in Pickleball is being able to maintain a rally.

This means that the ball is constantly in play and moving back and forth over the pickleball net.

As a result, you will need to know a variety of shots and hits to keep the pickleball in play. One of the shots that many wish to master is the two handed backhand shot.

What Is A Two Handed Backhand Shot?

In short, a two handed backhand is everything you assume it is. It is when you use two hands to backhand hit the ball.

A couple of years ago, the two handed backhand shot was not one that was very popular or prevalent, but nowadays, more and more people are utilizing this shot to help them win the game.

A two handed backhand shot is highly popular in tennis, making it not too difficult to transition this technique into the pickleball game.

Thanks to the likes of Simone Jardim, Tyler Loong and Riley and Lindsey Newman, more and more people want to use the two handed backhand shot.

The two handed backhand is highly effective if you want to execute a powerful shot with stability, precision and control.

How To Hit A Two Handed Backhand In Pickleball

With pickleball growing ever more popular (see also ‘Where Is Pickleball Most Popular In The USA?‘), you may need to find ways to stay on top of the game.

As such, you may want to work on your two handed backhand (see also ‘How To Get Fast Hands‘).

If you’ve played tennis before, then you’ve likely already perfected this move, and incorporating it into your pickleball matches shouldn’t be too strenuous.

If you are unsure what to do, then follow these tips.

The first step is to take your dominant hand, and hold it in position on the bottom of the paddle. This is best done with the continental grip.

Then, take your non-dominant hand, and place it on the paddle grip on top of the paddle board, so that the flat of your non-dominant hand is behind the pickleball paddle handle as you hit the ball.

As you go to swing, your non-dominant hand should be doing most of the work and giving you most of the power, while your dominant hand will be guiding the paddle in the right direction.

To nail this hit, you will also need to have good shoulder and hip rotation, as this will help you really drive the hit forward.

You can also place a finger from your non-dominant side on the back of the paddle, this will allow you to gain more control over the hit.

However, it’s not just about the actual paddle and hit itself. You will also need to control your footwork.

In preparation for the two handed backhand, you will need to keep your feet in the right position, so you will need to turn sideways.

You’ll want to keep your feet sideways, but do not step across the body.

Try transferring your body weight to the non-dominant side leg.

What this means is that if you’re right handed, and the paddle is typically held in your right hand, then you will want to move your weight to your left leg.

Then, engage the core, along with your arms, and rotate your body and arms towards your non-dominant side.

When hitting the pickleball itself, before you start to swing, drop the paddle head below the pickleball to give yourself a better hit through and top spin.

Finally, when you hit, the non-dominant hand needs to do the majority of the work, and your dominant hand will have a lighter grip to provide you with stability and guide the shot.

As you swing, move your weight with the pickleball towards your dominant side leg, as the vast majority of your power will come from your legs and core (see also ‘Does Pickleball Help Build Glutes?‘).

When you’ve made contact, rotate the body to the dominant side and follow the pickleball through the hit.

Two Handed Backhand – What You Need To Know

Some of the advantages of a two handed backhand shot in pickleball is that it gives you more power.

With two hands, you’ve got far more force behind your shot, which is perfect for volleys or driving the balls forwards.

This can give you a competitive edge in pickleball, where your drives will be essential in playing the game.

Another advantage is that having two hands on the paddle can give you far more stability and control when hitting the ball with the paddle.

This means that you can control where the ball goes, and improve your aim.

Some disadvantages of using a two handed backhand to hit the ball is that it limits your reach with the paddle, as you won’t have as much range of movement when you’re hitting it backhanded or with two hands.

Another disadvantage is that two hands means that you tend to telegraph your shot to your opponent with a fast shot, whereas one hand on a backhand shot tends to be slower for a drop or dink.

So should you use the two handed backhand?

Well, it comes down to personal preference and what position you feel most comfortable and most confident with.

For many, the increased power you get with a two handed backhand outweighs the negatives, but some people have a strong enough one handed shot.

Summary

To summarize, pickleball is an exciting and exhilarating sport.

As it is similar to tennis, you can incorporate some skills such as the two handed backhand easily.

With our guide, you can find out exactly when and how to use the two handed backhand, along with the proper stance and grip you need to use to take your game to the next level.