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Glite Dictionary
backhand stroke

backhand stroke

3.7
A hit in tennis or table tennis when the back of the hand faces the ball
  • noun
translation icon : golpe de revés
  • She executed a powerful backhand stroke to win the point during the match.
  • forehand and backhand stroke

Examples

  • The earliest published tennis skills test was developed by Beall (1928) to evaluate forehand and backhand strokes and the serve.

    Academic text (1990)

  • He practiced his backhand stroke for hours to prepare for the upcoming tournament.

  • This test requires that students return 10 consecutive balls, using a forehand stroke and then a backhand stroke, pitched by a "Prince" pneumatic ball pitching machine into target areas within a specified time period.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Recently, Purcell (1981) developed a test to measure the control and firmness of forehand and backhand strokes of women enrolled in beginning college tennis classes.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Learning how to perform a proper backhand stroke is essential for improving your tennis skills.

Synonyms

backhand
vsbackhand stroke
24 3.8

A hit made with the back of the hand facing the ball

is the specific named action within that broader returning idea
backhand shot
vsbackhand stroke
1 3.6

A stroke in tennis or similar racket sports made with the back of the hand facing the ball

is the same idea but named with a different common term
two-handed backhand
vsbackhand stroke
1 3.9

A backhand shot you make while holding the racket with both hands

is the general term covering hits made with either one or two hands
backhand drive
vsbackhand stroke
6.0

A hard straight shot hit with the racket across the body in tennis

is the general category that covers both gentle and powerful hits

Antonyms

forehand stroke
3.5

A hit where the palm faces the shot, as in tennis or badminton

How Hard

backhand stroke
3.7

Surface Forms

backhand stroke singular
backhand strokes plural

Morphology

backhand + stroke

The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'backhand' names the use of the back of the hand and 'stroke' denotes a hit, so the combined meaning is a hit made with the back of the hand. This is a common, cross-linguistic sports term and follows regular English noun-formation patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Backhand stroke comes from the simple image of using the back of your hand to 'hit' the ball. In tennis and table tennis you turn your palm away and 'hit' the ball with the back of your hand, so the name refers to that kind of 'hit'.