Ambidextrous Tennis – An Alternative For You?
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Prof. Don Mueller is an expert on ambidextrous tennis and perhaps he can show you an alternative to your weak backhand. (besides many other benefits of playing two forehands)
I’ve had a few experiences with “double-forehand” tennis players in the past too.
I saw a couple of club players doing their best with ambidextrous tennis but later I met a well known writer Dan Millman through my friend Brent Zeller.
Dan told me, that he plays tennis ambidextrously and that there are not only physiological benefits of that but also mental. He said that playing two forehands “balances” his mind.
Don Mueller also states that: “Brain scientists believe that by challenging your brain to learn more difficult skills rather than easier tasks, the brain develops new neural connections thus keeping it younger, so to speak.
I have been promoting the two-racket play to seniors in order for them to not only stimulate their physique, but also challenge their mind.
People who have suffered a stroke for example, must relearn certain movements. This centers on the brain’s plasticity.
Perhaps if stroke victims had been more “ambidextrous” before suffering a stroke, the loss of function to one side of their body may be compensated by having trained both sides of the body.”
Besides that Don shares a few more benefits of playing ambidextrous tennis:
1. Less bending
2. Better reach
3. No need to use a backhand stroke
4. Reduced risk of developing a tennis elbow
5. Less arm fatigue
6. Better hand-eye coordination
Don has written much more on this subject and explained in more detail how you can benefit from playing tennis ambidextrously so I invite you to head over to his website and read more about ambidextrous tennis.
Update: Don has added a couple of videos to Youtube where he demonstrates the speed and technique of his serves. Imagine if had you a lefty serve every time you’d need it! 
Update #2: Joe (from the comments below) has mentioned Chris Lavery so I’ve added the video here for you to check another ambidextrous tennis player!
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January 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 am
Interesting idea, trying to become a tennis pro by using either hand!! Hopefully Prof. Don keeps up his tennis research! Interesting read, thanks.
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August 6th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
This is not unheard of, if you watch or reach Prince of tennis…it is just difficult to change decades of habits using the right..perhaps Prof. you could show us a video of you playing an ambidextrous rally…i have never heard of anyone in real life playing tennis with both the right and left…do show use other strokes other than serves…
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August 12th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
To provide you with some other videos of two-racket tennis, I suggest you check out the following:
Two-racket Tennis Groundstrokes/Drills Videos
(Prof. Don R. Mueller)
Groundstrokes (1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctjpv-lAOh8
Groundstrokes (2): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUtgonpE5uA
Groundstrokes (3): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00jj8C0fm_o
Drills-righthand (1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKVKcW0uPIs
Drills-lefthand (1): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdWDiQHI-9M
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March 2nd, 2009 at 12:42 am
check out chris lavery on youtube.com
He is one of the most ambidextrous tennis players in the world.
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March 14th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Joe,
Check out Chris Lavery on Youtube. He is really making strides with his game. Go to wholebrainplanet and see him in action. Enjoy
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October 31st, 2009 at 3:50 am
Rafael Nadal is righthanded that learnt to play tannis with the left, all other activities of his life is done with his predominat hand the right.
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April 29th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
I avidly include in my fitness training the development of motor skills on both sides of the body. As a teaching pro I also challenge my students to do the
same. Do you happen to know of any conferences, symposium or workshops where teaching pros get together and share their insights on Bilateral development?
Thanks Barry
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May 10th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Hello I play with both hands. I did not start out that way and it is a little more complicated on the switching the hand part, but I feel it is worth it when you can reap the benefits. I started playing left handed against players that were at a lower level than me and then I realized it wasn’t superhard to play with the left hand and then I started switching hands with the racket. I guess I am a ambidextrous tennis player.
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