A Guide to the Most Common Tennis Grips
You might think that when someone talks about his or her tennis grips, they are talking about the portion of the racquet which is gripped during play. For instance, some people might prefer synthetic tennis grips while others like leather grips.
While this is one way to use the term, most often when referring to tennis grips, players are talking about the manner in which they hold the racquet. There are six commonly used grips. Let’s look at the forearm grips:
The 8-sided racquet handle
First of all, you must know that a tennis racquet handle has eight sides, or in other words, it is octagonal. Each one of the sides is known as a bevel. The bevels are usually referred to by their number (1-8). To see which is which, hold your racquet perpendicular to the ground. The number one bevel is facing up. Then you number them going clockwise, two to eight.
Continental grip
This is the easiest grip to learn and when tennis began as a sport, was just about the only grip used. Today it is used for defensive shots, overheads, volleys, serves and slices. You can use this grip by taking your index finger and placing it on bevel number one. You should see a V made by your thumb and forefinger. If you are left-handed you would use bevel 4 instead of bevel 1.
All tennis players use this grip on serves and volleys. It results in a powerful and controlled shot. It’s particularly good for quick volleys close to the net. With this grip, aim your shots just above net level.
Eastern forehand grip
This is one of the easiest grips to use when making forehand shots. It is one of the first grips beginners learn. They are told to shake hands with the racquet. Another way to think of it is to lay the tennis racquet on a table--then close your eyes and just pick it up. This is the grip to use in long rallies. It is powerful and allows you to return a ball with topspin or a flat shot.
Semi-western forehand grip
This is one of the tennis grips used for powerful baseline shots. To find the grip, put your hand in the position of the Eastern forehand grip and then move your knuckle over one more bevel clockwise. This is a grip used by pros and many coaches are starting to teach it to their young students. You can hit a shot with lots of topspin. It is particularly useful on high shots.
Western forehand grip
With your hand in position for the semi-western forehand grip, simply move your knuckle clockwise over one more bevel. Remember, if you are left-handed, you always should always be moving your knuckle counter-clockwise. This grip is preferred when playing on a clay court. It makes it easy to handle balls which are high but you will have trouble with balls which are low.
No matter which forehand grip (or backhand) you use, you have to practice it over and over until you are comfortable returning the ball with it. Some tennis grips allow you to change to another grip more quickly which means you are ready for the next shot earlier, giving you an advantage.
Taking tennis lessons can help you use each of these tennis grips correctly and find out which are the most effective for you. Also watch other players and take notice of the grips they use. Using the right grip at the right time and becoming comfortable with it can help you to win many matches.