Keeping Your Backhand Approach Shots Low
by: Dave Winship @ On The Line

You need to use backspin to keep the ball low after it bounces. To do this, you need to deliver a kind of high-to-low glancing blow - but be sure not to come down on the ball too severely, otherwise you'll end up just chopping it and losing the pace.

Players like Pete Sampras often add sidespin to the sliced approach. This is produced by moving the racket across the ball with an outside-in action, i.e. from outside the line of the ball's flight to inside the line, as well as high-to-low. This makes the ball skid low and away from a right-hander's backhand.

Make a full shoulder turn and take your racket back at around shoulder height, with the face slightly open. Support the throat of the racket with the fingers of your non-racket hand and keep your wrist firm. As you swing through the ball high-to-low and outside-in, keep the racket face slightly open and try to get a l-o-n-g contact. Extend your non-racket hand back behind you for balance and keep your knees flexed throughout. Avoid opening your shoulders.

It's generally a good idea to aim your approach shots parallel to the sidelines. That gives you your best chance of covering the angles on your opponent's passing shot. But you should vary it occasionally, especially if your opponent is weak on the backhand.

Regards.

Dave Winship