Both hands on the racquet. Right hand on the bottom, left hand on the top. Start in the middle, go to the left and take one hand off when going to the right. Tennis revolves around hitting shots until every single one will make it over 100 percent of the time. However, this routine is different for players with special strokes.

Ashley Shirhall has one of those strokes. Usually, people use a one-handed forehand and a two-handed backhand, but Shirhall uses two hands for both sides. The way the racquet is positioned for a two-handed backhand forces her to switch the grip of her hands, using time in a game where every second counts.

Despite the difficulties of using a two-handed forehand, Shirhall has gotten used to it.

“When I was little, I learned to use both hands because I wasn’t very strong yet. Then when I was a little older, I tried one hand but found that I was still more successful using both hands. Now that I’m so used [to] using both, I learned to make it work to my advantage. It allows me [to] hit with more power but it also took a little time getting used to switching my hands on the grip from forehand to backhand,” Shirhall said.

Although the technique is not common in high school tennis, some of the best pro players use  this stroke, such as Marion Bartoli and Pancho Segura. The two-handed forehand is not just for developing beginners, but has some distinct advantages over a regular forehand.

Some of the advantages include: using less wrist; a more stable swing pattern; a repeatable, reliable swing path; and emphasis on better footwork. The shot is not only consistent itself, but it forces the player to be more consistent as well.

Despite being the only one on her team to use a two-handed forehand, Shirhall has not let that hold her back.

“Last year I was [ranked] 13th [on the team] which is considered JV and this year I’m [ranked] fifth. I worked pretty hard [in the] offseason to try [to] make it up to varsity, ” Shirhall said.

Shirhall uses the forehand she is familiar with to improve her game as much as she can.

by BENJAMIN KIM