Introduction to Tennis Grips | What are the different types of grips in tennis?
Hi all, this will be a short series on the different grips used by tennis players all over the world, so sit back and keep an eye out for more in the coming days! If you prefer video tutorials on tennis grips, check out how to hold tennis racket.
Take note of the different grips:
Tennis Eastern Grip
Tennis Semi-Western Grip
Tennis Western Forehand Grip
Tennis Continental Grip
You can generally tell a player’s style of play just by looking at the grip they are using. Let me clarify something; “grip” used here means how the racquet handle is held and not “over-grip” which is what is used to wrap the racquet handle. The grip you use has a large influence on your style of play, this is because it is one of the factors that determines how much spin you put and how much forward pace you generate.
You might ask, which forehand grip is best? No one grip is superior to another. Some players use different grips depending on the situation they are in, they adapt how they grip the racquet in response to their opponent’s shot.
Select a grip that helps your style of play. If you like to take more risk and initiate an attack to force a weak reply, choose a grip that allows you to hit through the ball and put more pace (think Federer). If you like to bide your time and wear your opponent down before going in for the kill, choose a grip that allows you to put more spin (think Djokovic or more extreme spin; Nadal)
The tennis racquet handle is an octagon, divided into 8 bevels as shown below:
Racket position on palm Bevel numbers
In the coming posts, we will explore the individual grips in more detail so that you guys will get a clearer idea on the pros and cons of the different grips. Stay tuned!
If you like such content, we have more tips for you on our Banana Tennis YouTube Channel.