Learn the Backhand First—Treat a Second Forehand as an Experiment

Most beginners should learn a conventional backhand rather than replace it by changing hands and hitting a forehand from each side. Two forehands can work, but the switch adds another action and another shot-selection decision. Build one dependable forehand, one controllable backhand, and sound spacing and recovery first. If the idea still interests you, test the non-dominant forehand in limited situations without removing the backhand from your game.

The short answer: learn a backhand first

A conventional backhand is the better default for most beginners and returning players. This is a conservative, fundamentals-first recommendation—not the result of comparative research proving that two forehands take longer to learn or perform worse in matches. The available sources do not compare beginner learning time, consistency, or match results between the two systems.

The practical judgment is straightforward. A beginner already has to read the incoming ball, move into position, organize the racket face, make contact, and recover. A two-forehand system adds a racket transfer and a choice about which hand should play the ball. Some players may handle that added complexity, but it is not the simplest place to start.

Mainstream beginner instruction treats the forehand and backhand as core groundstrokes. Early priorities are controllable contact, awareness of the racket face, a manageable swing, and keeping the ball in play—not making either wing powerful or unusual.

None of this makes two forehands categorically wrong. A coordinated player may develop a useful non-dominant forehand, while a player with unusual bilateral ability may eventually make switching central to their game. The recommendation concerns learning order: establish the conventional foundation before adding the experiment.

What “two forehands” actually means

Two-forehand tennis means transferring the racket between hands during a point so that each side of the body is played with a forehand. A right-handed player might use the right hand for balls on the right and pass the racket to the left hand for balls on the left.

That differs from three other arrangements:

• A two-handed backhand: Both hands remain on the racket to play the backhand wing.

• Running around the backhand: The player uses footwork to reach a favorable ball with the established forehand instead of changing racket hands.

Running around a backhand is a situational choice.

Switching hands during a point also differs from choosing a tennis hand that does not match everyday handedness. Rafael Nadal, Jack Draper, Angelique Kerber, and Cameron Norrie are among the naturally right-handed players who compete left-handed, according to ESPN’s examination of natural and playing handedness.

Why the extra hand switch matters under pressure

A second forehand is not merely another swing. The player must transfer the racket, establish a usable grip, choose which hand will play the ball, find suitable spacing, and prepare the stroke. That sequence is a practical description rather than a measured biomechanical finding, but it shows what the experiment must account for.

Commercial coaching guidance on two-forehand tennis identifies timing, grip consistency, coordination, footwork, and decision-making as the main concerns. Those are coaching judgments, not experimentally established disadvantages. They are nevertheless useful categories for evaluating whether switching works for a particular player.

Court situation	Fundamentals-first response	Reason
Routine baseline ball	Established forehand or backhand	Keeps preparation and recovery familiar
Slow, wide ball	Optional opposite-hand forehand	Extra time and space may make the transfer manageable
Fast return or body ball	Backhand block, slice, or two-handed response	Avoids forcing a hurried hand choice
Predictable attackable ball	Consider running around the backhand	Uses the stronger forehand without changing hands

Easy feeds are not a sufficient test. A player may hit an attractive non-dominant forehand when the feed is slow and its direction is known in advance. The more useful question is whether the switch remains early, decisive, and controlled as the player has less time and less certainty.

Watch the preparation rather than the novelty of the result. Repeated grip searching, hesitation on balls near the body, late contact, or confused recovery all suggest that the second forehand is not yet reliable in that situation. There is no supported universal ball-speed threshold; the relevant evidence is the player’s preparation and control.

The conventional choices are one hand or two—not no backhand

The USTA’s beginner backhand guidance describes the two-handed backhand as more common in today’s game, with the dominant hand at the bottom of the handle and the non-dominant hand above it. It also presents the one-handed backhand as an available choice rather than prescribing one style for everyone.

Whichever version you choose, keep the initial goals simple:

• Meet the ball slightly in front and to the side instead of letting it crowd the body.
• Notice where the racket face points at contact.
• Hold the handle without unnecessary tension.
• Use a swing you can control.
• Prioritize keeping the ball in court before adding pace.
• Recover after the shot instead of watching the ball travel.

Early inconsistency is not a reason to conclude that you cannot learn a backhand. New players need time to develop contact and racket-face control. Replacing that unfinished stroke immediately may simply substitute another developing stroke while also introducing a hand transfer.

There is no need to insist that every beginner use the same backhand style. If a player controls the racket face more comfortably with one hand, that remains a legitimate option. The immediate goal is a repeatable response from the backhand side, not allegiance to a particular style.

What Teodor Davidov proves—and what he does not

Teodor Davidov provides a clear example of what is possible. He competes with a forehand from each side and can serve with either arm. At the 2021 Easter Bowl, he reached the boys’ 12-and-under quarterfinals while using forehands from both sides, as Tennis.com reported at the time.

His development does not resemble a beginner casually abandoning an awkward backhand. His father started him playing left-handed at about age eight, and by 2021 he was already competing with forehands from both sides. That chronology makes him an exceptional case study, not a comparison group for adult beginners, returning players, or juniors following an ordinary introductory program.

Davidov says the style gives him greater reach, access to more balls, wider court coverage, different spins, and unpredictability. Those are his assessments, not comparative findings. A Reuters report on his two-forehand game documents both the unusual playing style and his account of its benefits.

He has also said that becoming late because of the hand switch almost never happens. That statement, reported in a profile of his groundstrokes and bilateral serving, is self-reported rather than an independent timing measurement. It does not show that another player will switch equally well.

Davidov therefore demonstrates possibility, not superiority. His example does not establish that two forehands are easier to learn, better for beginners, or preferable to a one- or two-handed backhand. An unusual technique can be competitively viable without belonging at the beginning of a general curriculum.

A reversible way to test your non-dominant forehand

You do not have to choose between suppressing your curiosity and abandoning your backhand. A conservative experiment can be small, gradual, and reversible.

1. Begin with non-dominant-hand mini-tennis. Work close to the net with a short, controlled swing. Learn to receive the racket in a repeatable grip and control the racket face.

2. Move to slow cooperative forehand rallies. Feed predictably to the non-dominant side without changing hands during the rally. Aim for controlled contact rather than pace.

3. Introduce limited hand changes. Switch only for slow or clearly wide balls that provide time and space. Do not begin by trying to convert every backhand-side ball.

4. Continue normal backhand practice. The experiment should add an option, not remove the conventional stroke before the alternative has been tested under less predictable conditions.

5. Vary the placement gradually. Ask a partner to alternate between sides and occasionally direct the ball toward the body. This tests the decision itself rather than a rehearsed swing.

Evaluate the trial with questions instead of unsupported numerical targets:

• Is preparation still early?
• Does the receiving hand consistently find the intended grip?
• Can the player control direction and keep the ball in play?
• Is the choice immediate when the ball comes toward the body?
• Can the player recover without confusion after the shot?
• Does the stroke remain functional when placement becomes less predictable?

Simplify or end the experiment if switching repeatedly produces late contact, unstable grips, loss of directional control, or indecision. The result is useful feedback, not failure.

For a fundamentals-first pathway, the decision rule is simple: establish one dependable forehand, one controllable backhand, and the footwork needed to create space and recover from both sides. Add a second forehand only after those foundations are functional, and judge it by preparation and control under pressure rather than by its appearance during easy feeds.

Can my tennis hand be different from my everyday dominant hand?

Yes. Everyday handedness does not dictate which hand must hold the racket. A naturally right-handed person can learn to play tennis left-handed, and vice versa.

That remains a one-racket-hand system: the player selects a primary tennis hand and develops a forehand and backhand around it. It should not be confused with two-forehand tennis, in which the racket changes hands during live points.

Does using two forehands mean I can eliminate every backhand shot?

Not necessarily, and beginners should not assume that it does. Even a player who prefers opposite-hand forehands may need another response when a return arrives quickly, the ball jams the body, or the transfer is not available.

A backhand block, slice, volley, or two-handed response can remain available for those situations. The non-dominant forehand can be an additional option without turning every rushed ball into a forced hand switch.