Turning a Backhand Into a Forehand

The ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, features the best men’s tennis players in the world, who have some of the strongest backhands on the tour. And yet, these players are often succeeding by running around those backhands and getting into position to turn them into the more powerful forehand.

Most points end in four shots or less, but when rallies reach that fifth shot, players need to seize an advantage. “Hunting for forehands is not about trying to end the point, but about controlling it and getting on offense as quickly as you can,” said the ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe.

Being the first player to turn a backhand into a forehand, called an inside-out forehand when it’s hit to your opponent’s backhand, is that edge, putting them on the defensive and opening up the opposite corner.

“The forehand is the bigger weapon, and it’s easier to maneuver your opponent because you can create better angles,” added Michael Russell, who coaches Taylor Fritz, one of the eight entrants in Turin.

Craig O’Shannessy pushed Novak Djokovic, who has one of the best backhands, to hit more forehands when he coached him during 2017-19.

O’Shannessy, who focuses on statistics and patterns, has studies showing that forehands are, on average, about eight miles an hour faster than backhands and that between two-thirds and three-quarters of all winners are typically hit on forehands.