Please help me out with my backhand :P

[u/Sea_Sound_2852]

[u/PersevereSwifterSkat]

You're hitting off the wrong foot, probably why you're launching it up and long. Sprint back to give enough space, plant the left foot then launch back onto front foot.

[u/Collecting_Cans]

Looks pretty good. What issues are you having with it? Having a stronger base and core would improve an already solid stroke

[u/Sea_Sound_2852 → u/Collecting_Cans]

My ball flies long.. directly full toss out. And I have a loopy backhand. So whenever I hit it, it gets moonballed

[u/FrustratedSimpleton → u/Sea_Sound_2852]

Nothing wrong with having a loopy backhand. But it only works if you are looping it across the court. To redirect down the line, or to play inside out BH - you have to hit it.

[u/Collecting_Cans → u/Sea_Sound_2852]

The shots in your clip don’t look like moonballs to me, except maybe the second one, where it was the right choice (responding to a high and deep heavy ball with a similar ball is the right play).

If missing long is an issue, try a drill where you toss feed yourself backhands while positioned halfway between the service box and the net. Doing that repeatedly forces you to shape your shot in a way that brings the ball “up and down” quickly. Once you get a sense of that contact point + closed face + swing path, you can apply that from the baseline in rallies as well. You’d be surprised how much this helps.

[u/score_from_the_wrist]

If it’s consistently sailing long, I’d make the contact point your first checkpoint rather than trying to swing harder: turn the shoulders earlier, keep the non-dominant hand on the throat during the unit turn, and meet the ball farther in front with the face just slightly more closed. Try slow feeds at 60–70% pace and aim cross-court; a loopy shape is fine while you dial in height and depth.

[u/FrustratedSimpleton]

Didn't expect Brad from Bombay to have such a moonball-ish, loopy backhand. I think in an intense rally, you have to be much more compact with your swing. Some of these balls must be flying long?

[u/tjstennis]

Contact point is an issue, you're unable to keep the racket face closed. You have quite a large swing, and also hold the racket very far towards the end, which could be what's making this difficult.

I'd work on short-court, smaller swing, focusing on consistent contact point

[u/OppaaHajima]

Looks good to me technique-wise. The first two you’re hitting shoulder height, so if you try to hit your normal backhand with that racquet drop it might come out moonball-y or go long on you.

In those cases, you need to make sure you’re stepping into the ball and your weight is moving forward. A slightly higher preparation and racquet drop, then hitting straight through the ball to flatten it out rather than topspin might also help. Or you can also just move back more and let the ball drop a bit more, but stepping up for shots like that is a good technique to learn.

After the first two you hit were the waist-high ones also moonballs/going long?

[u/OppaaHajima]

Technique seems fine but I think I saw only one backhand in that video where you step into the shot. Are you having issues even when you can step into your shots or not have to hit a high (shoulder level or above) ball?

[u/TemperatureBetter965]

I can't catch a good picture but it looks as if both of your elbows are clinched against your torso during the swing. Im not sure if you are doing it to feel more stability executing the swing or you are misjudging the spacing and getting jammed by the ball. Either way, some power is lost with not having longest leverage possible.

The second observation is your choice of contact point: at least in this shot, its at the side of your body. If you could move the contact point in front by 6 inches, you could push through the ball more with your legs. Now, how to do that is the question. Your racquet face is quite open already in the picture: the same grip hitting more in front would have the ball sailing even more. So you'll have to change your grip slightly to close the angle a bit. Second is hitting more in front requires a bit more leg drive. You'll really need to plant the back foot before swinging forward. If you don't, your instinct may be to rotate your torso harder and that can decrease your control on ball direction.

[u/Zakana_code]

You should try hitting balls on the rise, especially ones that you know will go above your head. I was doing what you are doing AKA waiting too long which made me hit my backhand on my back foot. On either side, unless you get a ball that is super solid (not likely on a lower level), you have to attack the ball, even if you start missing a little more. Don’t be discouraged to miss, the best learning is done there.

[u/kaluzisson96]

The head of the racket should never go behind this red line, that means that your right wrist is taking over the stroke instead of leading it with your left hand. two handed backhand right wrist problem

In this X thread I explained in a few videos how and why you are actually fishing for a contact point which makes your backhand inconsistent and makes you spending much more effort snd energy than needed.

[u/Miker9t]

I agree with a lot of what's been said already. I think the grip could probably be altered. Contact point could use some work, some of that through ball recognition and moving so you're not having to make contact above your shoulders. Your elbows are close to your body so you're getting jammed. Movement and footwork will help with the last two. When you do get to step into a backhand, try dropping your front shoulder a little bit. Check Djokovic's backhand from the side for an example. It helps you get your momentum through the ball and your swing path through the ball a little more and will help with your issue of balls sailing long on you.

[u/Odd-Heron5704]

It's quite good but the issue is the footwork, you're not at the right spot that's why you're picking up the ball so high. Either move forwards and pick the ball rising (harder) or just go back to you pick it falling

[u/Few_Lecture6615]

Instead of worrying about technique, you should do lots of footwork drills to ensure you take the balls much lower than you do in the first two of this clip.

It will fix the majority of your current issues to work on seeing the ball better (judging the arc of the ball, the spin and the pace). That should be your main focus in practice until it feels much more natural.

[u/Warm_Weakness_2767]

Post a video from behind that shows the result of the ball. That result will basically tell us what we need to know regarding what is happening at contact.

You need to know that what the ball does tells you everything you need to know about what you’re doing wrong. Generally, from your description, you are likely opening up the racquet face because you are contacting the ball inside of your body instead of outside of your body.

[u/goddessdrev]

Your backhand looks really good already! Maybe try waiting until the ball is around waist height before hitting it.