Competing against left-handed tennis players often causes great difficulty for right-handers. With their constant barrage of shots aimed at their backhand, it seems the lefty has the distinct advantage. But what is it about playing a left-hander that makes them so difficult to play and what can you do to beat them at tennis?


Why the Lefty has the Advantage

1. It’s all in the mind:

According to French neuro-scientist, Guy Azemar, left handed sportsmen and women have a distinct advantage when it comes to opposition sports. Each half of our brain controls the opposite side of our body. But it’s believed left-hander’s brains are more symmetrical and transferring visual information is more evenly distributed. So when lefties are about to play a shot, they’re reaction times are quicker. OK, it may be only milliseconds but it’s still an advantage.

2. They target your weak side

The majority of players have a stronger forehand, which naturally directs the ball cross court to their opponent's forehand. But a lefty’s forehand is aimed at their opponent's backhand, which is commonly their weaker stroke. Furthermore, a lefty’s serve swings out wide to the right-hander’s backhand forcing them out of court.

3. We’re just not used to them

Right-handed tennis players don’t often come up against left-handers. After all, there aren’t many of them, with lefties accounting for around 7-10% of the worldwide population.  But with lefties being in the minority, around 85% of their matches are played against right-handers so they’re far more used to playing against right-handers than the other way around. And as a result, they develop a stronger backhand.

Tips for beating a lefty

1. Strengthen your backhand

If your backhand is letting you down it’s time to work on improving it with lots more practice. Whenever you’re playing a match, whether it’s against a right-handed or left-handed player, force yourself to use your backhand as often as possible. If it works for the lefties, it can work for you.

2. Mix it up

Don’t allow your lefty opponent to exploit your backhand by cross court rallying. Take them out of their comfort zone by hitting down the line more often or including more drop shots. Lefties are used to expecting your backhand on their backhand side, so surprise them!

3. Defuse the lefty serve

Deflect the lefty serve by moving forward towards the ball rather than sideways and attack the ball early. This way you’ll stand a chance of halting that wide ball swing and keeping the ball in play.

Alternatively, why not challenge the server by standing even further to your left. If the lefty thinks you’ve got that side covered, they may be inclined to serve to the middle and therefore your stronger forehand.

4. Practice with a lefty

If you’re not used to playing against left-handed players, try and find yourself a lefty practice partner. With regular practise you’ll soon learn which techniques work best against those tricky left-hander shots. Even the world champion, Federer, found himself a left-handed practice partner to help with his quests against famous lefty, Nadal

5. Strengthen your psyche

If you begin to panic whenever you’re faced with a left-handed opponent, you’re unfortunately putting yourself at a psychological disadvantage before you’ve hit a shot. When you begin your match, don’t focus too much on your opponent's playing hand, instead concentrate on your strong shots while exploiting their weaknesses.

Whether you’re playing a lefty or a righty, the same basic winning strategies still apply. And with regular practice and a few clever tactics, you won’t have any trouble beating a lefty at tennis.