The Forehand Bias: Why Overusing Your Strong Side Hurts Your Game

The Forehand Bias: How Overreliance Kills Court Coverage
Pickleball players love their forehands — and for good reason. The forehand typically feels more powerful, more natural, and more comfortable to control. Coaches often encourage players to step around their backhands to hit more forehands, especially in lower-level play where confidence is a factor. But taken too far, that comfort becomes a crutch.

The tendency to favor the forehand over all else — even when it creates awkward positioning — can quietly destroy team dynamics, shrink your effective coverage, and invite smart opponents to pick you apart. It’s called forehand bias, and it's one of the most common (and most limiting) habits in recreational and even competitive pickleball.

Here’s why it happens, what it looks like in real play, and how to fix it before it caps your development.

Why We Favor the Forehand
For most players, the forehand is where things started. From tennis to ping pong to baseball, nearly every paddle or racket sport reinforces the forehand side as the dominant one. The swing path is larger, the mechanics feel more open, and the control feels stronger, especially under pressure.

So naturally, when players are learning the game or trying to stay consistent, they default to their strongest side. Coaches may even recommend early on that players “protect their backhand” by running around it — and for players still developing mechanics, that advice helps in the short term.

But like many shortcuts, the long-term costs start to show.

What Forehand Bias Looks Like
Forehand bias is often subtle. It’s not that players avoid their backhand entirely, but rather that they’re too eager to hit forehands — even when it disrupts court balance, spacing, and timing.

Here are some common signs:

One player constantly reaching across the middle
This is the classic tell. On nearly every ball that floats between partners, the player with the stronger forehand aggressively takes it — even when their partner is better positioned.

Crossed feet during transitions
Players who step around to hit forehands from the backhand side often contort their body, take extra steps, and end up late to the next shot.

Backhands completely avoided at the net
Some players will let balls drift into their non-dominant shoulder zone, waiting until the last moment to swat with a forehand instead of calmly blocking or dinking with their backhand.

Broken partner dynamics
Forehand bias can cause players to poach uninvited, leaving their partner unsure whether to step in or step back.

Mistimed resets and volleys
Because hitting a forehand often requires extra movement (especially when the ball is on the backhand side), the timing and position get disrupted, leading to more errors — even with the “stronger” side.

Why It Hurts Team Play
In doubles pickleball, court coverage is king. It’s not about who has the best shot, but about whether both players can work together as a single unit, covering all zones and handling pressure smoothly.

Here’s what happens when forehand bias creeps in:

1. Middle Confusion
When both players believe the forehand should take every middle ball, chaos follows. One reaches in, the other pulls back late, and nobody hits a clean shot. Over time, teams become predictable and exploitable in the middle — ironically the most important shared zone on the court.

2. Lost Timing and Footwork
Stepping around a backhand to hit a forehand usually requires more movement. In fast-paced exchanges, that extra time matters. Players arrive late, swing off-balance, and lose control — all because they chose a less efficient shot in favor of familiarity.

3. Backhand Skills Stagnate
When players avoid backhands at all costs, they never develop them. This limits not only shot options but also confidence. A strong backhand block, dink, or counter is essential at higher levels, and players who rely only on forehands hit a wall they can’t climb over.

4. Disrupted Partner Trust
Forehand poaching isn't always wrong — but when it becomes automatic, it erodes communication. Partners become hesitant, unsure if they should take a ball or leave it. Over time, that hesitation becomes a weakness opponents can exploit.

How Opponents Take Advantage
Good opponents can spot forehand bias within a few points. Once they do, they’ll begin to:

Target the backhand repeatedly

Exploit the middle with soft shots, knowing the biased player will overreach

Use fast, wide dinks to pull players off-balance after they overcommit to a forehand

Hit body shots that land awkwardly on the paddle-side hip — a difficult zone for forehand-biased players who don't adjust their stance

Forehand bias doesn’t just hurt your game — it makes you easy to scout and easier to beat.

Breaking the Habit
Fixing forehand bias isn’t about eliminating your forehand. It’s about rebalancing your game and developing trust in your full range.

1. Work on Your Backhand — On Purpose
Set aside time in practice to hit only backhand dinks, resets, and blocks. Drill them until they feel like an asset, not a liability. If you’re always “protecting” your backhand, you’re telling yourself it can’t be trusted — and that belief becomes self-fulfilling.

2. Define Middle Ball Responsibility
Agree with your partner who takes what. A common guideline is that the forehand in the middle takes the ball — unless the other player is better positioned or already set. This clarity avoids hesitation and builds rhythm.

3. Watch Your Footwork
If you’re constantly crossing over to run around backhands, you’re probably creating unnecessary movement. Focus on positioning early and taking the shot that keeps you balanced and prepared for the next one.

4. Use the Backhand Block and Punch Volley
Many players shy away from backhands at the net, but a firm, compact backhand volley is one of the most reliable weapons in pickleball. It doesn’t require a big swing — just good paddle angle and timing.

5. Film Yourself
Forehand bias is often invisible from your perspective — it just feels “right” in the moment. But watching footage of yourself will reveal just how often you’re stepping around shots or crowding your partner for a ball you didn’t need to take.

Trust the Whole Toolkit
Your forehand might be stronger — that’s normal. But strength should not come at the cost of efficiency. The best players trust every part of their game. They don’t play favorites with shots. They use what the moment demands.

If you want to grow, stop thinking in terms of forehand vs. backhand. Start thinking in terms of balance, position, and flow. Great teams don’t win by dominating one side of the court — they win by covering the entire court, together.

So the next time a ball drifts toward the middle, don’t just default to your favorite side. Take a beat. Read the play. Trust your backhand — and your partner. Because in the long run, a balanced game beats a biased one every time.