The purpose of this study was to examine differences between players who bend the left elbow and those who stretch it during the forward swing from BST to BC in a 2-handed backhand stroke among outstanding high school tennis players, and to assess the detailed 3D rotational kinematic characteristics of the shoulder and the hip. Statistically significant differences were observed between groups in the longitudinal axis rotation angle of the shoulder and the angle between the shoulder and the arm at BST, and in the side to side movement of the shoulder, the up and down movement of the hip, the side tilt angular velocity of the shoulder, the side tilt angular velocity of the hip, and the front tilt angular velocity of the hip at BC. The difference in the longitudinal axis rotation angle of the shoulder between the 2 groups suggests a difference in the flexibility of the joint in the shoulder arm racquet system. The longitudinal axis rotation angular velocity of the shoulder reached its peak at 75 % of the duration of the analyzed segment and then decreased little by little until BC. This time is considered the stage for increasing the angular velocity of the upper arm, the forearm, the hand and then the racquet, which are more distal segments than the shoulder.