If you’re a beginner at playing pickleball, there is a lot to learn including rules, shots, and nuances about the game. But even if you’ve been playing for a while, being able to use your backhand effortlessly is not a skill that comes naturally for most people. So if you’re looking to develop a pickleball backhand, here is how you can start.
Pickleball Backhand For Beginners
Try Out Two-handed Versus One
One tip to start you off on learning your backhand is to determine what you’re more comfortable using: one hand or two hands. You will see a lot of female pickleball pros use a two-handed backhand but many male pros use it as well.
The benefit of using a two-handed backhand is you will have more control of your paddle since your dominant hand is involved. You may also feel like you have more power when you’re having to volley with your backhand.
If you’re still unsure about which method to use, you can always go back and forth and figure it out as you become more comfortable using your backhand.
Open Up A Large Box
If you’re starting from scratch to use your backhand, imagine that there is a large box with a lid in front of you. And imagine that the lid is heavier than you expected as you’re opening the lid up. The reason this is important is that when the lid is heavy, you cannot just use your arms.
You will have to engage your shoulder and bend your knees to give you balance and power. That motion of opening up a heavy lid is the first step to what using your backhand will be like.
Next, stand perpendicular to the kitchen net. So if you’re right-handed, you will be facing left from the court. If you’re left-handed, you will face right. Imagine opening the lid towards the net. That is the motion you want to use with your paddle for a backhand.
Repeat The Motion
Once you have the motion down with how your body stance should be, you will want to repeat this motion over and over again. In the early stages of learning a new skill, you want repetition to develop muscle memory.
You practice this against the wall or grab a drilling partner that will feed you the ball. A ball caddy is extremely useful when you’re working on certain shots that require a lot of balls.
Have your partner feed you a ball as you take a step back with your non-dominant leg. Keep your paddle upwards so your arms and paddle are in a V-shape. You don’t want the paddle face to be pointed downwards.
Then imagine you opening a lid with your paddle as it contacts the ball. This may take tens or even hundreds of balls to be fed to you for your body to adjust. You will see what motions cause the ball to pop up too high, too low, too short, or too far out. And you will be able to figure out the small nuances with your stance and grip to figure out what works best for you.
Play Intentionally
Once you gain some confidence, it’s time to put it into practice. The next time you play recreationally, don’t worry about winning or losing. Focus on taking most of the shots with just your backhand. Even if that means running around your forehand to do so.
This is for you to gain more comfort and confidence in using your backhand. You can also play skinny singles with your drilling partner and take every shot possible with your backhand. With regular practice and intentional playing, you may find that you have a backhand within just a few weeks.
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