An Overview of the Backhand Stroke:
The picture below shows me wearing a glove, and I highly recommend that you purchase a glove to use. The synthetic leather grip that is on the racquet you bought may feel like it doesn’t slip now, but it will get a little bit more slick each time you play. A rubber grip, like the one on this racquet, lasts a long time. The glove will have a much more friction with this grip versus a synthetic leather grip. Highly Recommend It!
Beginning from a forehand grip, turn the racquet slightly towards the palm of your right hand. Please note in the picture that the seam in my glove is just slightly behind the grip itself. This keeps my racquet parallel to the floor throughout my hitting zone.
The Backhand Stroke
The backhand stroke starts again with your eyes on the ball, keeping them focused on the ball until im¬pact. The swing begins with your right foot stepping at a 45 degree angle into the shot. Racquet back early, and keep it away from your body. Be sure that you are more than an arm and racquet length away from the ball, not locking the elbow. You want to stride into the ball at 45 degrees, so you need to allow yourself enough room to execute the shot. Be sure to contact the ball as close to knee high as possible. This will leave you some margin for error. After planting your right foot, begin the stroke by pulling with your back muscles on the right side of your body. Add the shoulders into the swing, and now rotate the hips through. Be sure to pull with your shoulders, not push with your thumb. The backhand should feel as if it is one-third back swing and two-thirds follow through. This is because the racquet is on the side of your body facing the front wall, versus the forehand where it is behind your body. If you turn too far back on your back swing, you will lose sight of the ball.
Your weight should finish on your right foot, without leaning forward. Get low with your legs first, and then stride into the ball at the same height established by the knee bend. Do not get low by bending at the waist. This will limit your rotation and change the path of your shoulders and consequently your racquet. Also, do not go down as you strike the ball, it is too difficult to time this perfectly every time. If you bend as you hit the ball, you are likely to hit the shot into the floor.
The hitting zone for the backhand is similar to the forehand. The contact point dictates where the ball will go. If you contact the ball even with the outside edge of your front foot,
this will make the ball go down the line...Earlier contact will result in a cross court, and a shot contacted behind the front foot will hit a splat. This will be looked at a little closer in the following pages.
Proper Starting Position for the Backhand
Notice where the racquet is. I do not wrap it around behind me, rather I turn my shoulders as far as I can, and then pull forward from there. The more little things you add to your swing, the more there are to mess up. Keep it simple.
Proper Contact Point for the Backhand Down the Line
I have pulled with my shoulders and I am going to contact the ball even with my front foot. I will stay level throughout my swing, and follow through.
Proper Finishing Position for the Backhand
As you can see, I finish my swing high, but have stayed level from beginning to end. This has several advantages: it is more simple to replicate, you have fewer components to get right, and this swing is mechanically correct so it should not cause wear and tear on your body.
Racquet ball, Racket ball, racquette ball, Rball;
