The two handed backhand dink is the kitchen weapon you need
Last Edited
Dec 31 2024
Category
Instruction
Pro James Ignatowich here. The two handed backhand dink is becoming to most useful shot in pickleball. Gone are the days of people only hitting slice dinks.
Let’s go over the reasons why you should hit the two hander, and also the correct technique.
Why use it?
With a two handed backhand you have the ability to speed up the ball at any time. If you only hit with one hand, your opponent can lean into the kitchen because they know you cannot speed up the ball.
With two hands on the paddle, you become a lot more scary.
Two handed topspin dinks are much harder to deal with than a slice. The ball will roll away from your opponent with topspin, while if you are only hitting slice, the ball will have backspin.
There is no pressure added with a slice backhand; you are essentially just “making” the ball. If you want to be a more offensive player, you need to incorporate two hands.
You can gain more control with a two handed backhand than with one. With two hands, your paddle is steady and there is no chance you flick your wrist while you hit.
On the other hand, people who slice their dinks often flick their wrist to finish the shot, causing the ball to pop up.
How to hit the two handed backhand
There are a couple key factors you want to consider when hitting this shot.
The first thing is making sure you are behind the ball. If you are reaching, the two handed backhand is going to be a tough shot.
You are also going to want to load your legs down. That is how you get under the ball so that you have the control you need to go cross court OR down the line. The lower you get, the more likely you will make the shot.
Read next: When to use your wrist in pickleball
Lastly, if you watch this video, you can see me in a semi-open stance. This is so we can change the direction of the ball if we need to:
If we are in a closed stance then it will be hard to go cross. If we are completely open it’s hard to go line and speedup. Semi open is right in between and allows for more options.
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