The contemporary game of tennis is widely affected by speed. Technology and player fitness generate ball speeds upwards of 50 mph during groundstroke rallies. Whether the forehand or backhand is faster for any given player is greatly determined by stroke production and applied spins such as topspin or slice.
Measured Speed
A ball might travel anywhere from 50 to 110 mph during a tennis groundstroke rally. Top professional players have average forehand ball speeds ranging from 69 to 89 mph. A 2005 study by Alexandros Mavvidis and colleagues for the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, found that no substantial difference exists between the speed of a forehand and the speed of a backhand. Based on this study, similar numbers should be expected for the backhand average speeds.
Control Factor
Mavvidis and colleagues noted that it wasn't the speed that was the issue, but instead the proficiency to control the ball at higher speeds. Players often find the backhand side the more vulnerable stroke, causing more errors and chance of being overpowered. To control the ball, a player might not hit the ball as hard as he can and might opt to swing slower to give himself a higher percentage of getting the ball in.
Spin Factor
Players use different amounts of spin for different strategic reasons. Heavy topspin will has a lot of weight. It might take the heavy topspin ball longer to get there, but it has a higher safety margin and is more difficult for an opponent to deal with. Many players employ a slow traveling slice backhand to keep the ball in play, keep it low and work themselves into a point as they look for an opportunity to be aggressive. The more spin a ball has, the harder it must be struck to maintain the same velocity as a ball hit flat. However, a ball with a lot of spin doesn't need to travel as fast to be as effective.
Speed of the Point
When you have to generate pace and speed, you increase your chance of making a mistake. When the point starts off with a high-speed serve — professionals get serves more than 130 mph — the pace exists for the player to work with. Focusing on control, the player doesn't need to accelerate through the ball as fast, reducing the chance of a minor contact error that results in a major shot mistake.
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