Fresh from another epic battle with Mohamed El Shorbagy in the Super Series final, world no. 2 Ali Farag joins us this week to share his thoughts on the backhand – specifically options from the mid-court area.
In this great new playlist, Ali turns his expert eye to focus on cranking up the pressure in this key area of the court and takes us through how best to deal with a variety of different shots from this position.
There’s no escaping the fact that the majority of the game tends to take place up and down the backhand wall, yet the mid-court is an area that is often not fully exploited by many players. We talk a lot about the front corners and the back corners, but actually, the ball is frequently left in that middle third of the court and the way we approach the backhand from a tactical perspective should take this into account.
The aim of this article is to help identify the practices that will allow you to best implement Ali’s insights into your game, and allow you to start to really dominate your opponents in this crucial area.
Try these sessions to practice hitting the different zones!
Try this 40-minute solo session that’s focused solely on the backhand side. Make sure you give yourself space and don’t get too far over in the channel.
If you can get on court with a training partner then give this backhand focused pairs session a go.
To really allow you to step in and cut off balls around the mid-court, lateral movement is crucial – check out our lateral agility drill video to help optimise your speed & agility in these areas
Related content
Check out these other great playlists and further improve your understanding of the game.
1. Attacking in the deep backhand with Laura Massaro
It’s not always possible to attack from the middle of the court, sometimes you’ll have to take opportunities from the back of the court. Find out more with Laura Massaro.
2. Quick tips for backhand pace and accuracy with Peter Nicol
This a really insightful series where Peter talks us through some of the small changes that he makes to Jamal’s swing in order to improve his ball striking.
3. Backhand technique with Jethro Binns
You need a solid technique to hit consistently good shots on the backhand side. This playlist will help you get the mechanics of your swing working properly.
Let us know how you get on with the sessions, we’d love to hear your feedback!
Not watched the full playlist yet?
Check out the full series here and find out how to start dominating on the backhand!
Watch the playlist in full