One or two handed backhand?

I bet this question puzzles the minds of almost all beginning tennis players. So which one is the better one? To be honest, neither. They are both equally good, offering some advantages and some disadvantages with the most important factor being how well you can actually play your backhand. Whether it be one or two handed, if you know how to do it well, you are not losing on anything.

Two handed backhand

Almost all of the kids today are being taught to play two handed backhand. There is only one special reasoning behind this – small kids are usually struggling with one handed backhands as they are not strong enough to control the racket well with only one arm. The other hand provides for extra strength to control and hit the ball well. Even in the young age, kids are nowadays playing with lots of power and not having enough body strength to hit the ball with just one hand puts them under a slight disadvantage in comparison to kids that play two handed backhand.  

Advantages:

• Two handed backhand offers a bit more power that is generated through the other arm
•  Two handed backhand is a bit easier to learn (more control through the other arm)

One handed backhand

The elegant stroke of tennis. Once mastered can be a lethal weapon. One handed backhand offers more control of the ball, but requires more physical strength than two handed backhand.

Advantages:

• One handed backhand offers more control over the ball and is more precise than double handed backhand
• One handed backhand offers more flexibility in hitting the ball, is more versatile

Whether you are playing one or two handed backhand and you are struggling with it, I DO NOT advise to change to the other type. Both backhands are technically quite different and once you played for some time one way, it might be very difficult to switch and change your habits you already gained. Therefore instead of thinking about switching, rather work and improve the flaws you have with your current backhand.