What grip do you use?

[VillaJ100]

Me, I change depending on the surface. I use a continental grip on grass, and a eastern on everything else but I have used a semi western on clay. How about you?

[Uchiha Muss]

I guess this is a real life question yes? If it is, I probably use Eastern grip. Just now I held my racket in my hand and compared the alignment of my grip to those pictures on Google Images.

Honestly even if I somehow was using Federer's grip it still wouldn't make a difference. I'm the guy who sticks around tennis court but fails to challenge seriously. Also I only play on Hard Courts. I don't change courts since I stick to one Tennis Club.

My backhand grip is little different. I always try to hold the just end of grip. I use 2 handed backhand so that's better for me. In the past I didn't realize that my both left and right hands were touching each other so that limited me in follow through.

But now I've a good backhand, it's loose and for some reason my backhand is more consistent than my FH.
My forehand is just an embarrassment. I literally hit the ball with my hand very close to my body. No speed and just funny hits. There were lots of times when I caught the ball in my racket's throat.

[Rob ITST]

Semi-Western on the forehand, Eastern backhand for topspin backhands, Continental for everything else.

[djarvik]

Eastern FH and BH. Continental on everything else.

BTW - changing drips to accommodate surface (or anything) is not a good idea. The swing path must change as well to accommodate the new grip - and that is a bad thing all around.


Uchiha - Use your off arm more when hitting the FH and work on your footwork. Seems like you letting the ball play you, as opposed to you playing the ball. I bet you do this a lot on the balls that require you to move into the court a bit or a lot, try to remember to NOT run INTO the ball, rather Parallel to the flight path, think running next to the ball (left or right). The instinct always makes you want to run directly into it....fight it.

[Murderface84]

Semi western FH and a normal two hand BH grip with my right hand in continental and my left in Eastern

[Uchiha Muss]

Hey, does anybody else have their index finger sticking out a little when you're hitting forehand? I notice that a lot and try to clinch harder. Do you guys have like a complete fist grip?

@djarvik Yeah I run forward to the ball unless it's very deep ball that clearly everyone would step back. Sometimes I end up with bad coordination and have to throw my hand at the ball. You know when you try to hit the ball but at the last moment you realize it's much shorter than you thought. So then it becomes hybrid lob-dropshot.

My movement is ok. I''m not fast, but I know about footwork. Your body should be facing left right instead of opponent. Gives you better follow through.

[NINJA STORM 824]

I use nadal's grip but without the crazy topspin.

[Moralspain]

Semi western FH and a normal two hand BH grip with my right hand in continental and my left in Eastern

This, although i've found myself using eastern for the FH, i mean i finish the point and i feel weird i look at the grip and i see kinda eastern grip, pretty strange

[Vieira151]

Think mine is somewhere between semi-western and eastern. It's not good on my index fingers knuckle because it sits right on top of one of the ridges on the grip.

[Murderface84]

Hey, does anybody else have their index finger sticking out a little when you're hitting forehand? I notice that a lot and try to clinch harder. Do you guys have like a complete fist .

Instructors/teachers would probably say that's good what you're doing with your index finger, I've heard it referred to as the 'trigger finger'...honestly I don't grip it like this because I never have and don't feel comfortable with it and don't feel confident in getting solid contact with that grip tweak. If you look at many pros though, they do this with their index fingers. Off the top of my head, Federer Nadal and Monfils noticeably do this.

I have more of a 'hammer grip' (lol) on the racquet but whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever lets you keep a RELAXED GRIP, this is IMPORTANT. You seriously want to have a loose enough grip that somebody could come and pull the racquet out of your hand. If your hands are squeezed tight your body is tensing up, and if your body is tensing up you're not going to be loose, and if you're not loose/relaxed you will NEVER have good technique

[VillaJ100]

Eastern FH and BH. Continental on everything else.

BTW - changing drips to accommodate surface (or anything) is not a good idea. The swing path must change as well to accommodate the new grip - and that is a bad thing all around.


Uchiha - Use your off arm more when hitting the FH and work on your footwork. Seems like you letting the ball play you, as opposed to you playing the ball. I bet you do this a lot on the balls that require you to move into the court a bit or a lot, try to remember to NOT run INTO the ball, rather Parallel to the flight path, think running next to the ball (left or right). The instinct always makes you want to run directly into it....fight it.

I say continental on grass as I pretty much only serve and volley on grass and chip and charge. I probably hit only a few groundstrokes in a grass match

So probably normally on hard courts etc I would say eastern. Does anyone NOT use a continental to serve/ hit volleys?

[Murderface84]

Boris Becker!

[djarvik]

Andy Mutant!

[ELTXETXU]

Me, I change depending on the surface. I use a continental grip on grass, and a eastern on everything else but I have used a semi western on clay. How about you?

My level isn't enough to change my grip depending the surface. Anyway, i only play in cement or in a surface called "tennisquick", a kind of porous concrete (i don't know if this surface is known outside Spain )

Semi-western FH, and semi-western one hand backhand (continental, more or less, for slice backhand and 1st serve)