Can You Learn To Play Tennis Left Handed?

Can You Learn To Play Tennis Left Handed

You are lefthanded or intending to play tennis with left hand? This is for you. Also, see tennis champions left handed.

Whether you are playing tennis with non dominant hand or you are naturally left handed, playing tennis is still fun irrespective of the hand you are using. Besides, if you can perfect your non dominant hand tennis playing can be to your advantage since both of your hands have an almost equal capabilities.

Can you learn to play tennis left handed? Yes. You can learn to play tennis left handed. Whether you are naturally a left handed person or circumstances have forced you to play tennis using your non-dominant hand, it is possible to play tennis like a pro with your left hand.

Dominant population of tennis player are right handed by nature out of which a small percentage of right handed tennis players are forced to be left handed players due to injuries.

When a right handed tennis player suffers a tennis elbow, the hand becomes too weak to competitively rally a tennis ball. Consequently, other than focusing on treating the right hand to regain normalcy, why not train to be a left handed tennis player? It is very possible.

Statistically, percentage of left-handed tennis players is 10%. Here are practical examples of tennis world champions whose left hand is as good as being a right hand.

There are several pro tennis players who are left handed and have won several Grand Slam tournaments.

5 Greatest Left Handed Tennis Players Of All Times

The following are 5 Grand Slam winners that are left handed.

1. Rod Laver

Rod Laver can be said to be the greatest of them all as an outstanding tennis player. Laver is considered to be the greatest left had player or perhaps men’s single tennis player for having won 2 major Grand Slam calendar.

A Grand Slam calendar comprises of 4 major tennis tournaments that is played annually. They include: Australian Open, Wimbledon, French Open and the US Open.

Laver won all the 4 Grand Slam in the same year. Actually, despite being a left handed player he won the Grand Slam calender twice: 1962 and 1969. Laver has won a total of 52 titles and his highest ranking was no 3.

2. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal, popularly known as the King of the grass courts, is left handed. As of October 2020, Nadal had won 20 Grand Slam titles and he ranks no 1. Most of Nadal’s win come from the Grass courts.

3. Martina Navratilova

Martina is the queen of tennis as a left handed tennis player. Martina has a total of 167 titles and her highest ranking was No 1. Besides, she has won US Open 4 times, French Open twice, Wimbledon 9 times and Australian Open 3 times.

4. Monica Seles

Monica is a female left handed tennis player. Despite having not won any of the Wimbledon tournament, Monica has won 9 Grand Slam titles from the US Open, French Open, and the Australian Open. Total titles she won including other tournaments totaled to 53 titles.

5. Jimmy Connors

Jimmy Connors is a left handed tennis player. He has won a total of 8 Grand Slam titles mainly from U.S Open and Wimbledon. However, his total titles were summed to 110 before he retired.

Other left handed tennis players you can be interested to know include but not limited to:

  • John Enroe
  • Angelique Kerber
  • Boris Becker
  • Petra Kvitova
  • Goran Ivanisevic

Thus, being a left handed is not an excuse not to be a champion or good at playing tennis. In fact, according to wbur.org left hand players have more advantages to win a game. It even becomes more advantageous if a tennis player has perfected playing tennis with non dominant hand.

4 Left-Handed Tennis Strategies For Better Play

The following are some of the left-handed tennis strategies on how to play tennis left handed.

1. Learning To Play Tennis As A Left Handed Player

It is very possible to learn to play tennis with a left hand and even be a pro. Besides, being a left handed person makes you have an added advantage when rallying tennis with a right handed person.

The following are key scenarios in which you as the left handed can concentrate more during training as a left handed tennis player.

  • Tennis ball spin
  • Backhand technique
  • Out-wide serve

2. Left Handed Tennis Players Can Maximize Ball Spin

Hitting a ball at high speed such that it spins more in air at great heights can easily confuse the opponent on which specific direction the ball will land.

The spinning technique is commonly applied by Nadal to win most of his matches against a right handed person. The ball even becomes complicated to be returned back when it ends up at the back hand of a right handed opponent.

3. Tennis Left Handed Players Winning With Backhand Technique

90% of tennis players in the world are right handed. As a result, chances of a right hand tennis player practicing tennis with another right handed person is high compared to practicing or even meeting a left handed person.

Thus, during a tennis rallying a game of a right handed person can be completely different from a game of a left handed person. A right handed person playing automatically focuses the ball to the opponent’s forehand assuming the opponent is a right hand persons.

However, is a player is a left handed person, when the ball is hit from the left side and strikes to the court of a right handed person the ball ends up appearing at the back hand.

Defending a back hand shot can be quite challenging to a right handed person and here is a high chance of the left hand player winning the game.

4. Tennis Left Handed Engaging In Out-Wide Serve

Learning to serve left handed is essential. Left handed tennis serve should be focused to the weakest side of the opponent.

While aiming to have the ball served at backhand side of the right hand opponent, left hand tennis players can swing the ball wide enough to the opponents back hand.

Since a right handed person has not mastered receiving a tennis ball from the back hand which of often his or her left side, it becomes quite challenging to return the ball.

Tips: Right Handed Player Rallying With A Tennis Left Handed Player

If you are currently a right handed player you ought to be prepared to play with a left handed tennis player to your advantage. Otherwise, left handed players can take advantage of a right handed weak point to score.

Being a right handed person, the following are how to beat a left handed tennis player

a. Maximize Serving To Lefty’s Backhand

As much as possible, focusing the ball to the less dominant hand of your opponent should be key. Assuming you are positioned at the deuce court, slice the ball to make it spin to greater heights and land to the backhand of the lefty.

As much as possible, limit serving the tennis ball to the forehand of the lefty which is his left hand side. You will be serving an easy return ball for the lefty.

Serve to the right to have the lefty strain enough to be able to return the ball and increase your chances of winning.

b. Tennis Ball Spins By Lefty

Left handed tennis players spins the ball more often and the ball will be channeled to your left hand which is your backhand

c. Focus Down The Line

As a right handed person, you need to ensure that your tennis shots makes the lefty stretch as match as possible to have a chance of winning.

For instance, when you are doing your backhand or forehand crosscourt, be sure to have it focused down the line. The left handed tennis player will have to stretch and strain to return with his or her backhand.

d. Serve Down The Center

Whenever you position yourself in an ad court, be sure to serve your tennis ball down the center. The lefty will definitely stretch hard enough to be able to return the ball.

e. Lefty Slice Serve

When a slice serve is played by a left handed, you as the right handed person you should position yourself more to the left side. In that manner, returning the ball can be much easier since you won’t overstretch during the backhand return.

Besides, a left handed serve may not always be directed to the left but it can be focused in the middle and the ball can enter you directly from the center. Be ready to return such a shot.

Pro Tip For All Tennis Players

Watch your opponent rallying tips in advance. If possible, have an idea of how your opponent plays prior competing. When studying your opponent, some of the key areas to focus on include:

Study The Dominant Hand

Is your opponent left handed or right handed? Understanding which your opponents is forehand and backhand helps you mentally strategize how to play tennis effectively.

Monitor Serve And Return Shots

Besides, keenly monitor how your opponent reacts to shots. Understanding how your opponents returns the ball can give you an idea of what to expect when you start rallying together.

Areas Of Interests

Every tennis player has a special area they believe when striking the ball at it gives a higher chance of winning. Perhaps, due to tennis game experience a player has realized that hitting the ball towards a specific direction is less likely to be effectively returned. Be aware of such intent to be safe.

Besides, the target are can be random or consistent. Be sure to watch out the shots to know whether the strikes are random or consistent to be prepared to return the ball whichever the case.

Do Not Play With Emotions

Both left handed players and right handed players will always focus on each other’s weakest, less dominant, or perhaps backhand.

Finding yourself unprepared to return several shots from the backhand can be emotionally disturbing. Stay focus, prepare in advance for such shots, and all will be well for you.

Practice

Despite left handed tennis players being quite a small population that is not to rule out the possibilities of you encountering one in your life time. As a result, prepare to play with a left handed person just as the left handed player prepares to play with the dominant hand players.

Being found off-guard as a right handed person by a left handed person who will be focusing on your less dominant hand can easily result in a loss for you.

Practice in advance just in case. Besides, you can use the left handed playing tactics to rally your fellow right handed person to your advantage.

Conclusion

Learning to play tennis as a left handed or perhaps learning to play tennis with a non dominant hand is very possible. It has been proven by the greatest Grand Slam winners that being a left handed tennis player can be used to your advantage. Learning key left-handed tennis strategy is essential to win a game.

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Brett Haber

My goal is simple: to immerse you in the world of tennis like never before. Whether it's analyzing the strategies of top players, delving into the history of the sport, or offering insightful commentary on current events, my words aim to entertain, inform, and ignite your own passion for tennis. Join me on this thrilling journey through the courts, and let's ace this adventure together!

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