Video summary

Why Your Two-Handed Backhand Misses EVERY Time (Fix This Grip)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Sport

Overview

The speaker explains why a two-handed backhand often goes short into the net, super high, or away from the middle, attributing the problem mainly to the right-hand grip (while the left hand is typically on a semi-western/related position).

They also describe their own past issue: their backhand was heavy and top-spin, which is good for setting up forehands, but hard to flatten out or finish points with the backhand.

Grip and Mechanics Breakdown

The “too closed face” problem

  • With the left hand on semi-western, if the right hand stays “comfortable” (ending up too close to an eastern one-handed backhand-like position):
    • the racket face closes about ~45° on the takeback.
  • Coming through then requires awkward timing to square the face:
    • if you square too early, the ball sails long
    • if you square too late, it hits the net
  • This produces inconsistent contact—often not “in the middle.”

Common compensation

Because the face is too closed, players often compensate by lifting the shoulder/raising the arm instead of driving through. This can cause the ball to drop short unless they add extra effort just to get enough height.

What the Speaker Says Pros Do Differently

The speaker argues that pros typically have a more open/less-closed racket face during the back swing. A more “textbook” setup is suggested:

  • left hand: semi-western
  • right hand: continental

This helps by:

  • using wrist/hand positioning to open/square the racket face more naturally
  • transferring energy forward for more plow-through
  • enabling winners from the backhand, not just heavy setup balls

On-Court Demonstration (Key Examples)

  1. Wrong way:

    • semi-western left + comfortable/eastern-ish right
    • result: balls tend to go down/into problems, requiring lots of lifting to clear the net.

  2. Corrected approach:

    • keep semi-western left, but move the right hand to continental (or slightly further toward an eastern forehand grip)
    • result: easier to hit harder and straighter, and to flatten the ball.

Key Advice

  • If your two-handed backhand doesn’t go long enough / lacks power / misses the middle, start by changing the right-hand grip.
  • Film your grip or have a coach check it, because players often return to what “feels comfortable.”
  • Coaching principle mentioned: grip is usually the first thing checked and often the last thing changed after other tweaks—however, for this common backhand issue, changing the grip can work quickly (often within about 20 minutes).

No sports event occurred in the video; it was an instructional tennis/grip explanation.

Presenters / Sources

  • Quintilian (cited at the start)
  • Chong (referenced as an example the speaker coached/observed)

Original video