Introduction
If you want to rock the tennis court with a super amazing tennis match featuring some offbeat strikes and woo the opponent and the spectators, then what matters most is the grip of a tennis racket. So, it's obvious that your tennis grip is the determining factor to influence your match results.
What is a grip in tennis?
When you first start playing tennis and understand how to hold a racquet, you must have noticed that the tennis racket is octagonal in shape. This particular octagonal shape helps in having a perfect grip with proper friction to hold it without stressing the hands. In the octagonal shape, each side is known as a bevel. Depending on the bevels on which your fingers are placed, the pattern of tennis gripping is determined. To be more specific, for each time the bevels on which your index finger knuckle and heel pad rests, you have a different grip.
Understanding tennis grips
The bevels are counted from 1 to 8 in a clockwise pattern for a right-handed player and counterclockwise for a left-handed player. Hold the racket perpendicular to the ground, then the bevel 1 will be facing up. These bevel numbers are very important to remember as this gives you an idea of the grips while getting used to it.
What are the different types of tennis grips?
Continental grip-
What is a continental grip in tennis?
Continental grip is also known as chopper grip or hammer grip. This type of grip is good for serves, defense, volleys, slices, and overheads. You can ensure you are doing it right if your forefinger and thumb create a V at the top of the handle.
Position of the grip-
You hold the index knuckle and heel pad on bevel 2 and the overall grip looks like holding a hammer.
Advantages-
- Good for defensive shots like wide balls and drop shots
- If you are at the net, then you can strike quick shots while using any of the continental shots, backhand, or forehand.
- This is the perfect grip for volleys as an open face of racket helps in underspin and control
- For serves and overheads, this is the best grip. The wrist bends inward naturally after performing a strike. As a result, more power and less stress is generated in the arms.
Disadvantages-
- If you are using grip shots with a Continental grip, putting topspin on the ball becomes hard
- This shot lacks consistent
Players who used Continental grip-
- Rod Laver
- Margaret Court
- Billie Jean King
- John McEnroe
Eastern grip (Forehand)-
Hold the racket throat with your non-dominant hand as high as your waist, and keep it perpendicular to the ground. The position will be such that you are looking at the bevel number 1 now. Now move from bevel number 3 clockwise and place the heel pad and index knuckle in bevel number 3. If you are a lefty, you can move your hand counterclockwise to bevel number 7.
Position of the grip-
In the eastern forehand grip, you place your index knuckle and heel pad of your palm on bevel number 3.
Advantages-
- This is the easiest tennis racket grip to learn forehand
- It's easy to change from an eastern forehand grip to a continental grip
- Perfect for players who love attacking the net
Disadvantages-
- This grip can generate extreme topspin
- If the ball is beyond chest level, then it gets difficult to strike
Players who used Eastern Forehand grip-
- Chris Evert
- Pete Sampras
- Steffi Graf
- Roger Federer
Eastern Grip (Backhand)
When you need a one-handed backhand to control and spin, then you need an eastern backhand grip tennis. You can switch to the Eastern Grip easily if you are playing Western forehand. If you want grip, control, and power over your ball, then the Eastern backhand grip is the best. Switching grips is also easier from this grip. For kick serve also this grip helps awesome.
Position of the grip-
To get this eastern grip, put your heel pad and index knuckle in bavel 1.
Advantages
- If you want to spin the ball, this grip will give you super control
- If you love playing at the net, then changing from an eastern backhand grip to a continental grip is easy
- If you want a kick serve, this grip serves good
Disadvantages
- Shoulder high-level shots are difficult to control and strike
Players who used Eastern Backhand grip
- Pancho Gonzales
- Pete Sampras
Semi-western Grip
If you are a baseline player, then a semi-western grip is the best for you. The reason behind this popularity for baseline players is that, this grip gives devastating power and a topspin if aced correctly. A Semi-western grip is more popular in the forehand than any other grips. Waist and shoulder-high balls are struck perfectly with this grip.
Position of the grip-
The index knuckle and heel pad should be in bevel 4 while holding the tennis racket with this grip.
Advantages
- You get both topspin and power
- More control and more safety
Disadvantages
- Striking the low balls is difficult
- If you want to change from the continental grip for volleys from the semi-western grip, then it will be very difficult
Players who used Semi-western grip
- Novak Djokovic
- Rafael Nadal
- Serena Williams
- Andy Murray
Western Grip
Western tennis grip is one of the difficult grips as this is difficult to play consistently with this grip. However, this grip is good for super topspin.
Position of the grip-
You need to place your index knuckle and heel pad on bevel 5 for a western grip.
Advantages
- The Western grip allows higher topspin than other tennis grips
- Balls bounce fast and high
Disadvantages
- Returning low balls is very difficult
- If the surface is faster, then this grip isn't going to help
- It's difficult to change from a Western grip to another or from any other grip to a Western grip
Players who used Western grip
- Karen Khachanov
- Kyle Edmund
- Jack Sock
Double-handed backhand Grip
If you want both stability and control then a double-handed backhand grip is perfect. If you are a beginner, then learning backhand with both hands will be easier. A proper shoulder rotation and swing are needed to offer proper power to strike the ball.
Position of the grip-
For this grip, you need to put the index knuckle and heel pad of the left hand on bevel 7. For the right hand, you need to put the index knuckle on bevel 2 and the heel pad on bevel 1.
Advantages-
- Easier to learn than the normal one-handed strikes
- If you want both control and stability, then this is the best tennis grip
- Perfect for playing low shots
- You can produce a lot of topspin and power
Disadvantages
- For setup, much time is needed
- Wide shots are difficult as they limit the player's reach
Evolution of tennis grips
The origin of tennis grips dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, which is almost 100 years back when the game was on the verge of growing. Because of the predominance of wooden rackets in the early games, players often utilized a solitary grip looking like a hammer grip. The tennis grip types advanced coupled with the techniques. Since it was considered a slacker in shot creation, the Continental grip became well known. Various grips, known as Eastern and Western, arose later on, with their own arrangement of benefits for explicit strokes. These progressions in the grip method revolutionized tennis, permitting players to produce more power, spin, and control. The mind-boggling embroidery of tennis strategy is additionally upgraded by current players who alter their grip inclinations as per their playing style.
The evolution of forehand grips
In the first two decades of the 20th century, Bill Johnston was the best forehand player ever. With the Western grips, he hit the ball shoulder-high. Post-1920s Western players rarely utilized the strong grip, but in the second half of the 20th century, shot-making techniques and equipment changed, and many Western players now use the forehand. As technology advances, grips change. To begin, the Continental grip is used to serve and volley, not slice forehands or backhands. Flat shots are still hit with the forehand grip tennis, though seldom. Low passing shots should be hit. Semi-Western grip rules the tour – with nice spin and pace on the forehand and a simple grip on the backhand. Last, the Western tennis hand grips (and their extreme variations) are some of the most radical grips used on the tour, primarily by clay courters, to produce large amounts of topspin.
Evolution of Backhand Grips
You can use a backhand with one hand or both. Three of the top 100 women ranked used a top grip in 2014. One-handed grip was employed by 24 of the top 100 ranked men, down from 50 years ago. Most 20th-century backhands were played with one hand, utilizing an Eastern or Continental grip. Some professional tennis players in modern tennis use a semi-western one-hand backhand. Eastern forehand is this shot. Eastern one-handers have a higher topspin. Eastern one-handed backhand ball players hit shoulder-high balls well than Semi-western ones and in reverse. Most professionals with strong single-handed backhand drives, including Gustavo Kuerten (retired), Richard Gasquet, and Justine Henin, use the eastern approach.
The continental grip on the dominant hand and Semi-western grip on the non-dominant hand for two-handed racquet. A two-handed backhand is normally hit this way. However, some players hold the racquet differently. Don Budge, regarded as having the best backhand ever, had a powerful one-handed backhand stroke that imparted topspin to the ball. In the 1950s and 1960s, Ken Rosewall, a one-handed backhand, hit extremely accurate slice backhands with underspin. The one-handed backhand slice is a comfortable shot utilized in rallies. He hit countless unreturnable drop shots with his one-handed backhand.
How to change your Lawn Tennis Grip?
When you are in a match, then changing the grip on the heat for the first time is difficult. Instead, it is wise to practice changing grips while you warm up or during the practice sessions. From forehand to backhand is the most common change of grips during any tennis tournament.
The non-dominant hand will drive your grip change from forehand to backhand. You need to loosen your dominant hand grip and rotate the non-dominant hand to rotate the racket to your new grip. Once you have switched to this new tennis grip position, you can try smashing the new shots and practice to switch grips in between the swings. For example, if you want to rock with the groundstroke game, then switching from the eastern grip to other grips with be helpful.
Not all grip is good for every shot
Not one size fits all. The same goes for the grip type. If you want to play skillful smashes, then mastering different tennis grips is essential. Try making a habit of practicing new shots when you get into practice sessions. You will be so feel amazed at the way you will play on the court victoriously by changing your grip from one to another.
