The grip that you use to hold a tennis racket has a big impact on the way that you play the game. Beginners should always start with the Continental or Eastern grips and only experiment with other grips once they have improved to a higher level of play.
The different grips are defined by how the base knuckle of your index finger is placed on the handle. The different grips offer a variety of advantages depending on the shot being played.
The Continental Grip
The continental grip (sometimes called the “chopper grip”) is a good basic tennis grip to learn, especially for your forehand. This is a common grip that is used by professionals in many situations, including volleys and serves.
Start by placing your dominant hand on the handle and then wrapping your other fingers around it. Position the base knuckle of your index finger so that it’s between 12 and 1 o’clock on the slanted plane of the racket, as shown in the picture below.
Some players tighten their grip just before contact, and this can cause problems. They often lose the sensation of the handle alignment in space, which is very important for the success of any shot. As a result, the ball may curve instead of traveling in a straight line towards the target. This is why it is important to practice with a more loose grip so that you can feel the back bevel of the racket.
The Eastern Grip
The Eastern forehand grip is very popular amongst beginners because of how easy it is to use for all types of shots, including backhands, volleys and even serves. One drawback is that it can be difficult to generate topspin as the racket face won’t follow an arc when hitting the ball.
When coaching beginner players, it’s very important to point out how the hand should be positioned on the handle. This is because most players do not FEEL the positioning of their fingers on the racket handle. Therefore, they can’t accurately tell if their grip is right or wrong.
The most common problem is that they tighten their grip too much before hitting the ball and lose touch with the back bevel of the handle. This can be corrected with simple instructions and lots of repetition. Fortunately, this problem is easy to fix as most tennis racket handles are more elliptical and can easily be felt by the players.
The Western Grip
Using the Western grip allows players to hit groundstrokes with power and good topspin. It is also good for players who want to add an element of aggression to their game.
When holding the racket with this grip, the base knuckle of your index finger should be on bevel number five, with the V formed by your thumb and forefinger covering the rest of the handle. Then, you should spread your remaining fingers across the rackethandle and ensure they are evenly spaced.
Some hard hitting professional players such as Roger Federer still use a semi-western grip today when attacking the ball, which is a good option for more powerful shots like volleys and drives. However, players using this grip should be aware that they will need to flex their wrist when playing these types of shots as the Western grip is fairly closed. This may be uncomfortable for some players and lead to tennis elbow issues if not managed properly.
The Two-Handed Backhand Grip
At the intermediate level, the way you hold a tennis racket begins to become important as you start playing more two-handed backhands. One of the reasons that a lot of players struggle with this grip is that they get too many sensations in their hand and therefore can’t focus on the one thing they need to do – feeling the back bevel of the racket handle.
This is a flat grip that you would use to hit a slice, volley or smash. It is important to move the wrist of your non-dominant hand during the stroke to generate power and spin the ball.
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To get this grip, place your dominant hand into the “V” of the racket handle (ie the V formed by the thumb and forefinger) at 12 o’clock on the bottom bevel (or 1 o’clock if you are left-handed). You should then rotate the wrist of the non-dominant arm to point towards the belt buckle of the player.