How to Hit a Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball

Using a two-handed backhand in pickleball might seem awkward at first—especially if you have never tried holding the paddle with both hands. But once the grip and body position start to feel natural, it can become one of the most stable shots in your game.

Two-Handed Backhand Grip

The grip is the first thing I would fix before worrying about power. If your hands feel unstable or crowded, everything after that becomes harder.

Where to Strike the Ball

For a two-handed backhand, I want the ball comfortably in front of the body rather than jammed into your hip. The exact contact point changes depending on whether you are driving, dinking, blocking, or taking the ball earlier.

What matters most is what happens before and after contact. If you arrive late, stand too upright, or let the ball get too close to your body, even a centered contact will be difficult to control.

Give yourself room. Set the paddle early. Let the ball enter a contact zone where both hands can work together without your elbows getting trapped against your body.

Getting More Power on Your Backhand

Power should not come from trying to swing the arms as hard as possible. The paddle needs room to accelerate, but your legs, weight transfer, and rotation can contribute far more than a forced arm swing.

Before contact, allow the paddle to load behind the ball. The wrists can stay relaxed, and the paddle tip may drop depending on the shot you are trying to hit. From there, accelerate through contact and finish the stroke instead of stopping the paddle immediately after the ball.

The non-dominant hand plays an important role. On many two-handed backhands, it becomes the hand that helps drive and stabilize the stroke while the dominant hand contributes control and guidance.

Think of a laser pointer in the center of your paddle face. The direction the face is pointing at contact gives you a simple visual for understanding where the ball wants to travel.

When you bend your legs and move your weight through the shot, you add force without needing to muscle the paddle. This can make the backhand feel both stronger and more controlled.

Using a Two-Handed Backhand for Dinks

A two-handed backhand can also be very effective on soft shots at the kitchen. The goal changes from generating maximum speed to creating stability and controlling the height and direction of the ball.

For a simple dink, keep the paddle quiet and use your legs to help lift the ball. You do not need a large swing. Think about presenting a stable paddle face and gently moving the ball over the net.

On cross-court dinks, contact may happen slightly more to the side because you are redirecting the ball across the court. The top hand can help guide the paddle through that angle while the lower body controls the height and balance of the shot.

A Simple Practice Progression

If you are learning the shot from scratch, I would not begin with full-speed live points. Build the movement in stages.

Common Two-Handed Backhand Mistakes

• Standing too close to the ball and getting jammed.
• Squeezing the handle too tightly.
• Trying to create all the power with the arms.
• Preparing the paddle too late.
• Stopping the follow-through immediately after contact.
• Trying to add heavy spin before the basic contact is reliable.

Final Thoughts

The two-handed backhand is not automatically better than a one-handed backhand. It is another tool. If it gives you more stability, confidence, and control, it may be worth developing. If it feels forced or limits your movement, you may prefer using one hand for certain shots.

The goal is not to copy one exact swing. The goal is to build a repeatable backhand that works when the ball comes faster, moves your feet, or puts you under pressure.