How To Hold A Tennis Racket Properly?

If you want to improve your game, it’s important to hold your racket properly. Learn how to hold a tennis racket with these easy tips.

Tennis Grip Basics

In order to hit the ball properly, you need to hold the racket in the right way. There are three main types of grips- the continental, the eastern and the western. The continental grip is the most common one and it is used for most strokes. The eastern grip is used for strokes that need more topspin. The western grip is used for strokes that need more power.

Continental Grip

The continental grip is the most popular and versatile tennis grip. To adopt this grip, place your hand on the top of the racket and extend your thumb so it sits next to the bottom bevel. Then position your index finger behind the racket’s top bevel. The rest of your fingers will naturally fall into place behind your index finger (as seen in the photo). You should feel comfortable holding the racket in this grip and have enough control to execute all strokes.

Eastern Grip

The Eastern grip is the most popular way to hold a tennis racket and it’s suitable for all types of strokes. To adopt this grip, position your hand as if you were shaking someone’s hand. Curl your fingers around the racket handle and your thumb should be at 12 o’clock. This grip is also known as theshakehands grip.

Western Grip

One of the most common grips in tennis is the Western grip. The Western forehand grip is achieved by curling the last three fingers of your playing hand around the tennis racket. Your index finger remains extended along bevel number two, which is on the side of the racket closest to you. For a backhand, simply reverse the position of your hand.

This grip allows you to hit balls above or below shoulder height effectively and put spin on the ball. Many players who use a Western grip on their forehands have great topspin and can produce very powerful strokes. Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras and Serena Williams all use variations of this grip on their forehand strokes.

How To Hold A Tennis Racket Properly For Different strokes

One of the most important aspects of playing tennis is learning how to hold a racket properly. The way you grip the racket can make a big difference in the quality of your strokes. There are different grips for different strokes, and in this section we’ll cover all of the different grips and how to execute them.

Forehand

There are different strokes in tennis, with the forehand being one of the most important. This stroke is used to hit the ball in front of you and is executed with your dominant hand. If you are right-handed, your forehand will be with your right hand; if you are left-handed, it will be with your left hand.

Your grip is an important part of your forehand stroke. If you do not grip the racket correctly, you will not be able to generate the power or control needed to hit the ball effectively. There are three different grips that can be used for a forehand: the Continental grip, the Eastern grip, and the Western grip.

The Continental grip is the most common grip used for a forehand. To execute this grip, place your index knuckle on bevel two of the racket and wrap your other fingers around the racket such that your thumb is on top of the handle. This grip gives you more control over the ball and is best used for players who have a hard time generating power.

The Eastern grip is similar to the Continental except that your index knuckle should be on bevel three instead of bevel two. This small change gives you more power at the cost of some control. This grip is best used by players who have difficulty generating power with their swings.

The Western grip is by far the most powerful but also the least controlled of all three grips. To execute this grip, place your index knuckle on bevel four of racket and then wrap your other fingers around so that your thumb is on top of the handlebar again. If done correctly, this should form a “V” shape between your thumb and index finger. Players who use this grip typically have very powerful swings but may sacrifice some accuracy as a result.

Backhand

For a two-handed backhand, the dominant hand is the one on top – for a right-handed player, this would be the left hand; for a lefty, it would be the right hand. Take a racket and hold it so that its handle runs diagonally across your palm. Place your dominant hand at the top of the handle and your other hand just below it, and then close your fingers around it. You should now have a firm grip on the racket. If you look down at your hands, they should form an “L” shape.

Serve

The serve is the most powerful stroke in tennis. It is also the only stroke where you have a chance to take a full swing before the ball is hit. Because of this, it is important to learn how to hold a tennis racket properly for a serve.

The best grip for a serve is what is called an “eastern grip.” To attain this grip, hold the racket so that the palm of your non-dominant hand faces up and your thumb and first two fingers are wrapped around the racket handle. Your dominant hand should then be placed on top of the non-dominant hand so that the thumb and first two fingers of your dominant hand are also wrapped around the racket handle. Your index finger of your dominant hand should then be placed on top of your Racquet strings where they cross in an “X” pattern.

Once you have attained this grip, you can then take your racket back for a high-powered serve. To do this, simply cock your wrist back and raise the racket above your head. When you are ready to hit the ball, simply swing down hard and follow through with your swing.

Tennis Racket grips for different playing surfaces

There are three main types of grips for a tennis racket: the forehand grip, the backhand grip, and the continental grip. The forehand grip is the most common grip used for strokes played on the racket’s dominant side, such as forehand strokes. The backhand grip is used for strokes played on the other side of the racket, such as backhand strokes. The continental grip is used for strokes played with the racket in the continental position, such as serving.

Hard Court

If you are playing on a hard court, you need to be extra careful as the ball will bounce higher and faster. For this reason, most people recommend using an overgrip. This will help to absorb some of the shock from the ball and make your racket easier to hold onto. You can also use a combination of an overgrip and an undergrip to get the perfect balance for your game.

Grass Court

The most important thing to remember when playing on grass is that you have to be patient. The ball doesn’t come through the court as quickly as it does on a faster surface, so you need to adjust your strokes accordingly.

Another important factor to consider is your grip. When playing on grass, you’ll want to use a Continental grip or an Eastern forehand grip. This will give you more control over the ball and help you keep it low when hitting it.

Finally, don’t forget to practice your sliced strokes. This can be a great way to gain an advantage on a grass court, since the ball will bounce lower and slower than it would on a harder surface.

Clay Court

If you’re a beginner, you may want to try a grip that’s between the Eastern and Continental. This grip is sometimes called a semi-Western forehand grip.

To find this grip, start with the Eastern forehand grip, and then rotate your hand clockwise until your knuckles point more toward the ground.

Your hand should be in contact with the bevels at 3 and 9 o’clock.