A: If opponents keep sending the ball to your backhand, it’s rarely random.
They’ve noticed something.
Maybe your backhand feels less comfortable. Maybe you tend to pop balls up from that side. Maybe they simply see it as the safest place to apply pressure.
It can feel personal—like the whole court is being ignored just to attack one spot.
But targeting a backhand is one of the oldest strategies in racket sports. The answer is not to swing harder or force winners.
The answer is structure.
First: stop treating every backhand like a problem
Many players react emotionally when the ball keeps coming to their backhand.
They feel like they need to “prove” it’s not weak. They swing bigger. They go for low‑percentage winners from positions that don’t call for it.
That usually feeds the opponent’s plan.
Your backhand doesn’t have to be a weapon. It just has to be reliable.
If you can send the ball back low, deep, or safely into a neutral spot, the pressure shifts back to your opponents. They don’t get the easy errors they were hoping for.
Consistency beats hero shots.
Second: prepare earlier and cleaner
Backhands often break down because preparation starts too late.
As soon as the ball is headed to your backhand side, turn your shoulders and get the paddle set early. That early coil creates space and time so you can swing smoothly instead of stabbing at the last second.
A few keys:
- Get the paddle in front of your chest, not parked at your hip.
- Make contact out in front of your body, not beside or behind you.
- Keep a relaxed grip so the paddle stays steady instead of vibrating at contact.
You’ll be surprised how many “bad backhands” disappear just by preparing a half‑second earlier.
Third: use your feet to create forehands when you can
Targeting the backhand only works if you stay planted.
Whenever you have time, use small adjustment steps to slide around the ball and take it with your forehand. Most players already do this naturally on slower balls from the baseline.
The key is choosing your moments:
- If the ball is neutral or a little slower → step around and use the forehand.
- If the ball is fast, low, or pulling you wide → stay with the backhand so you don’t open up the court.
You’re not trying to turn every backhand into a forehand. You’re just stealing a few balls each rally so the pattern isn’t one‑way traffic to your weaker side.
Fourth: aim for bigger, safer targets
When opponents keep feeding your backhand, your job is not to win the point from there.
Your job is to keep the rally organized.
That usually means aiming for:
- Deep balls through the middle
- Crosscourt patterns with margin
- Soft resets that land safely in front of your opponents
The middle is especially helpful. It:
- Reduces angles
- Creates hesitation over “who takes it”
- Gives you more room for small mishits
A steady backhand into good zones often frustrates opponents more than an occasional flashy winner. They were expecting freebies; instead, they have to play.
Fifth: fix your position at the kitchen
At the non‑volley zone, opponents love to attack the backhand because many players:
- Let the paddle drop down by their hip
- Park the paddle over on the forehand side
- Get jammed in the chest or backhand shoulder
A simple adjustment goes a long way:
- Keep the paddle centered in front of your body in a neutral position.
- From there, it only needs to travel a short distance to cover either side.
- If balls keep coming at your body or backhand shoulder, take a small sidestep to create space instead of reaching across yourself.
Those two or three inches of space keep your paddle path clean and stop the ball from eating you up.
Sixth: understand what they’re really trying to get
When opponents keep hammering your backhand, they’re usually hunting one of three outcomes:
- A rushed mistake straight into the net or out
- A short ball they can attack on the next swing
- A weak, high reply they can drive at your feet or body
If you take those outcomes away—by sending back a steady, boring ball into a smart target—the tactic loses its bite.
Eventually, they either change targets or start forcing low‑percentage shots themselves.
Drills to make your backhand steadier
- Backhand Consistency Drill
From the baseline or kitchen line, rally using only your backhand.
Focus on:
- Early preparation
- Contact out front
- A smooth, compact swing into big targets
You’re training “boring reliable,” not power.
- Step‑Around Decision Drill
Have a partner or ball machine feed toward your backhand.
- When the ball is slow or sits up, take a small step around and hit a forehand.
- When it’s fast, low, or wide, stay with the backhand and keep it simple.
This teaches you when to create a forehand and when to trust the backhand instead of forcing it.
- Middle Target Drill
Place a marker (towel, cone, or line of tape) in the middle third of the court.
During practice rallies, aim your backhands through that zone. You’re wiring in the habit of choosing large, safe targets instead of flirting with the sidelines when you’re under pressure.
A quick self‑check during matches
If opponents keep living on your backhand, ask yourself:
- Am I preparing early enough?
- Is my contact point out in front of my body?
- Am I choosing big, safe targets instead of forcing winners?
Fix those three, and your backhand starts feeling a lot less “exposed.”
The bigger picture
Every player has a side opponents will test. That’s normal.
Your goal isn’t to make your backhand untouchable. Your goal is to make it stable enough that targeting it stops producing easy points.
When your backhand becomes calm, patient, and predictable, opponents eventually realize something important:
That “weak spot” isn’t helping them anymore.