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Andy Murray explains the key to a ‘perfect’ backhand

Originally posted on HITC | By Callum Davies | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 1:14 PM ET

Andy Murray’s backhand has long been recognised as one of the best in the sport, a trademark shot that helped define his game.

Whether it was his reliable two-hander that could punch through defences or the way he used slices to break up rallies, Murray’s backhand was often the difference-maker during his prime years.

There’s a strong case to be made that, had he played in a different era, Murray would have added several more Grand Slams to his tally beyond the three he captured.

Even so, his impact on tennis remains significant. Despite retiring only last year, Murray is still widely respected within the tennis world and remains an active presence.

Given how recently he stepped away from the game, it’s worth looking back at some advice he shared with amateur players during his playing days.

Andy Murray’s three key backhand tips

Back in 2015, just before what many consider the best year of his career, Andy Murray gave a backhand tutorial on the LTA’s YouTube channel.

He started with a basic but crucial tip: “The most important thing is to use your legs. Don’t stand too upright. You want to get down nice and low, bend your knees. Very important.”

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Murray continued: “Secondly, you’ve got to turn your shoulders. If you stand too straight on to the court, you’ll end up just using your wrists, and you’ll find that the ball will shoot off the side.

“So you need to make sure you turn your shoulders so that you can really stay balanced and get good power behind the ball.”

The third piece of advice was more advanced but showed why his backhand stood out: “And the third one, this is maybe a little bit more advanced, but you want to use the slice backhand as well to have some variety in your shots, and that’s something that takes time to practice, but it’s very important to have variety on the backhand.

“All of the best players in the world do it. Roger Federer is a perfect example of that. One of the best players of all time, so I’d say work on the variety as well.”

Murray’s training tips are well worth listening to

If there are any doubts about whether Murray knows what he’s talking about when it comes to developing a better backhand for tennis players at all levels – look no further than how many elite players have spoken highly of that part of his game.

Many elite players from both past and present have praised that wing for its reliability and effectiveness.

Novak Djokovic was one such admirer, who told Sky Sports back in 2020: “Consistency, same things like you said but also just not missing much and making opponent’s life very difficult because I feel like whenever I played against him [Murray] I couldn’t penetrate through his forehand.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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