Ben Johns Shocks Fans with Secret Left-Handed Forehand

Ben Johns pulled out a shot at the PPA World Championships that most fans had never seen him use.

In a men's singles match against Brandon French, the right-handed GOAT switched to his left hand and hit a series of forehands.

The crowd and broadcasters took notice.

It looked like a new addition to his game.

But according to Johns, it's actually an old habit.

He explained in a post-match interview that back in his tennis days, he preferred having two forehands.

He brought that left-handed forehand into pickleball when he started playing singles in 2016 and 2017.

Back then, rallies were built around powerful drives.

But as the game evolved, so did his style.

Johns developed a more tactical approach: dropping the ball and moving to the net to pressure opponents.

That cat-and-mouse style required him to hit backhand slices and backhand drops.

So he stopped using his left hand.

He stopped hitting passing shots.

For years, the left-handed forehand sat in his bag, unused.

Now, it's back.

The reason? The game has changed again.

Equipment developments have altered singles play.

New balls like the LT Pro 48 used on the PPA Tour bounce higher.

Paddles generate more spin than ever before.

Johns explained that the traditional drop-and-approach strategy is no longer as effective.

"You can't really drop and come in super well with this ball," he said.

"You can hit accurate drops, but the ball bounces pretty high and people have a lot of spin on their paddles, so they can just take a drop and do a lot with it, so cat and mouse doesn't really work very well."

Drops remain useful for staying in rallies, he noted.

But they are no longer a reliable way to build his game.

Since he does not generate much power with his backhand, the left-handed forehand offers an alternative.

It gives him a weapon to attack from a side where he was previously limited.

Johns debuted the shot in his opening match against French on Tuesday.

He won that match 11-7, 1-11, 11-5.

But his singles run ended the next day.

He lost 8-11, 8-11 to ninth seed Noe Khlif in the Round of 32.

Despite the early exit, Johns made one thing clear.

The left-handed forehand is here to stay.

"When I do play singles, you can expect to see it," he said.

He is unsure how frequently he will compete in singles going forward.

But whenever he steps on the court, the shot will be part of his arsenal.

The PPA World Championships are being held this week.