Tennis Backswing

Common Questions & Answers About The Backswing

How to shorten a backswing in tennis?

If a backswing is the motion of a swing that moves the tennis racquet into position before striking the ball, then a short backswing encourages a player to limit the amount of movement when pulling the racquet back into place.

As a result, the shortest backswing would be the least amount of motion required to get your racquet into position before bringing your racquet forward to strike the ball.

Some players have short backswings, and some have long. While there is no single correct way to execute a backswing, many coaches will encourage students to shorten their backswing or limit the movement required to get their racquet into position. Doing so tends to simplify the stroke and increase a player’s margin for error. In other words, there tends to be less that can go wrong with a short backswing.

Is a long or shot backswing better in tennis?

Unfortunately, there’s not a clear-cut answer to this question. As long as your backswing helps you accurately position your racquet before moving your racquet forward when striking the ball, then your backswing can be long or short.

A longer backswing may help some players generate additional power, while a short backswing can help players reduce their margin for error when hitting a shot. As a result, it’s common for instructors to encourage beginners to learn most strokes with a short backswing because there tends to be less that can go wrong.

However, as a player matures, it’s natural to develop a more involved backswing which feels comfortable and helps them generate extra power. Typically, most coaches will be okay with a variety of backswings as long as the backswing isn’t negatively impacting a player’s stroke or timing. For example, if a player is consistently late to the ball, they may suggest a player shorten their backswing.