The Twoey: The Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
Quick Answer: The twoey is pickleball slang for the two-handed backhand, a drive or roll hit with the non-dominant hand added above the paddle hand. Borrowed from tennis and pushed into fashion by young pros, it adds stability, power and topspin on the backhand side at the cost of a little reach.
A twoey is a two-handed backhand, and the nickname is pure pickleball: nobody in tennis calls it that.
Why did the twoey take over?
Because it solves the weakest shot in most players’ games. The one-handed backhand drive demands wrist strength and perfect timing. Adding the second hand stabilizes the paddle face through contact, which turns a defensive poke into a genuine weapon.
The shot arrived with players who grew up on tennis two-handers and never saw a reason to let go. Watch any pro match now and the backhand drives, counters and rolls off the bounce come overwhelmingly with two hands. The nickname followed the shot into the commentary booths, and by now it is standard pickleball vocabulary.
What does the second hand actually do?
Three jobs:
- Stability. The face wobbles less through contact, so off-center hits still go where you aimed
- Power. The swing recruits shoulders and torso instead of just the forearm
- Topspin. The top hand drives the low-to-high brush, making topspin far easier to produce on the backhand side
The cost is reach. Two hands shorten your radius by several inches, which matters on stretched volleys and wide balls. That is why even two-handed players still hit one-handed blocks and slices when pulled wide.
How do you hit a twoey?
Non-dominant hand above the paddle hand, then swing like a compact tennis two-hander:
- Grip low with your paddle hand, stack the other hand above it, knuckles roughly aligned
- Turn your shoulders sideways as the ball approaches
- Drop the paddle head below the ball
- Swing low to high, driving with the top hand
- Finish over your dominant shoulder
Contact happens out in front, farther than feels natural at first. Most players groove it fastest against a wall, twenty balls at a time, before taking it live. Start at half pace and watch the flight shape: a proper twoey rises then dips from the topspin. A flat, floating ball means the top hand has stopped driving upward through contact.
Should you switch to a two-handed backhand?
If your one-hander floats or breaks down under pace, yes. The twoey is easier to learn, more forgiving, and better at producing offense. Players with smaller frames or wrist issues gain the most, which is why it spread so fast through junior and senior play.
Keep the one-hander for reach situations. The best backhand is both: two hands when you have time, one when stretched. Your grip underneath matters too, and the backhand grip guide covers that choice.
What are the common twoey mistakes?
Four show up constantly:
- Gripping with both hands touching the face, which kills wrist snap. Keep both hands on the handle
- Swinging level instead of low to high, which produces flat balls that sail
- Letting the bottom hand dominate, which is just a one-hander with a passenger
- Using it on every ball, including wide ones the reach cannot cover
A player who already owns a backhand flick will find the twoey slots in beside it naturally: flick for speed-ups at the line, twoey for drives from deeper.
FAQ
What is a twoey in pickleball?
Slang for the two-handed backhand. The non-dominant hand joins above the paddle hand for drives, counters and rolls on the backhand side.
Is a two-handed backhand better than one-handed?
For most players, on most balls, yes. It is more stable, more powerful and spins the ball more easily. The one-hander keeps an edge on reach and stretch volleys.
Do the pros use two-handed backhands?
Heavily. The modern professional backhand drive is a two-handed shot far more often than not, especially among players who came from tennis.
Does a twoey work for dinking?
Some players dink two-handed for stability, and two-handed backhand dinks and rolls are common at the pro level. It is a preference, since dinks need touch more than power.
How long does it take to learn?
The swing feels usable within a session or two of wall work. Trusting it under pressure in games usually takes a few weeks.
Is the two-handed backhand legal?
Completely. The rulebook says nothing about how many hands touch the paddle handle.
A coach who has taught the two-hander to tennis converts can shortcut the whole process. The coaches in our directory are where to look.
Written by the Pickler Junction Team.
