Difference between a continental and a chopper grip?

[acer]

Hi there

Can someone please explain the difference between a continental grip and a chopper grip?

Thanks

Acer

[Andres]

The chopper, I believe, is a tight fisted continental. Squish your hand around a continental, and you have a chopper :)

[The Gorilla]

why would anyone do that?,it would tense up your arm and you would lose power on your serve.

[Andres]

More controlled volleys, without wrist torque, perhaps? ;)

[Andres]

This is what the BBC Academy says about the Chopper grip ;)

Chopper grip
This is the way to hold the racquet for the serve, volley, sliced backhand and smash.

It is known as the chopper grip, because it is the way you would hold an axe.

It allows you to swing the racket head faster when serving, which is how to generate power and create spin.

To find the grip, hold the racket as if you were using the edge of the racket frame as an axe, that should be the correct grip.

The V of your thumb and forefinger should be just to the left of the top of the grip.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/tennis/skills/newsid_2054000/2054361.stm

[Andres]

Grip variations and overall tips
Between an Eastern and Continental grips is the Chopper grip. This grip can be used as a beginner grip and reduces the need to change grips in order to hit forehands and backhands.

The reverse angle view of the grip shows how the fingers should be spread around the rackethandle and relaxed. The thumb should be supporting the racket pushed against the side of the racket handle. It is important that the grip is relaxed until shot execution to reduce the liklihood of developing tennis elbow. To assess grip size click here.

Overall Tips: Choke up, or slide your hand toward the racket's face, for more control. The amount of control depends on which stroke is used. Don't squeeze the handle too much, and keep your arm relaxed while swinging. Keep your wrist straight and your fist tight so that the racket doesn't spin out of your hands.

The best grip is the one that's most comfortable for you. If you find grip variations that work particularly well, use them.

http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/thopper/PE117/Tennisunit/Materials/tennisgrips.html

[Andres]

Apparently, it's not a continental, but not quite an Eastern either. So it's a mild continental towards Eastern.

[Ryoma]

Whatever grip you use, you need to maintain a laid back wrist when you serve.

[paulfreda]

I have heard it [chopper grip] called the 'hammer grip'
It is how you normally grab a hammer.

Edit in; On 2nd thought, this chopper grip may NOT be the same as a hammer grip.
Hitting with an axe requires more downward force than a hammer/nail situation. So one would move the index finger base knuckle more toward the top but not quite on top {Eastern BH].
This is actually the grip I use for volley and OH [and some serves].
So in summary; it is halfway between Continental and Eastern BH. [I think]

Can anyone confirm this ?

[The Gorilla]

Whatever grip you use, you need to maintain a laid back wrist when you serve.

if you grip it tightly tho,it is harder to do this.

[nagan]

said above.

I think a chopper grip is what some call a hammer grip, where it makes almost a right angle between the racquet and the hand.

(So, the Continental is more flexible (wider angle), but the chopper has a bit more power (for volleys...) in my opinion.

[Amone]

Apparently, it's not a continental, but not quite an Eastern either. So it's a mild continental towards Eastern.

They call it the Australian. It's the continental equivalent of the Extreme Eastern.

[tennis_hand]

Your hand position is the same as that of the continental, where your index finger knuckle is at the bezel between eastern forehand and eastern backhand.

the difference from the continental is, that your four fingers are perpendicular to the racket handle in a hammer grip. Your four fingers form an obtuse angle with the handle in a continental grip.

The hammer grip is good for volleys, backhand and forehand drop shots and also backhand and forehand slice shots. Some people use it to serve too.

Courtesy of Turbotennis:

Continental:

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/images/turbo_01_03/fig1r.JPG


Hammer:

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/images/turbo_01_03/fig5r.JPG

[Mahboob Khan]

The main difference between the chopper grip and the continental grip is the position of the index finger (the fourth finger). If the index finge is spread around the handle in a "trigger pull" position, it is a continental grip; if the index finger is bunched together with other fingers it is a "chopper grip". The base knuckle of the index finger for both the grip is on bevel 1 or upper part of bevel 1. By the way there are many other names for the continental grip such as "hammer grip".

[paulfreda]

Hmmmm ...... not sure who is correct; Mahboob or Amone.
Is it [chopper grip] a hammer/continental or in between Cont and EasternBH ?

Like the kick serve, some believe kick just means topspin and other insist in means American Twist.

This terminology ought to be standardized somewhere.

[acer]

Your hand position is the same as that of the continental, where your index finger knuckle is at the bezel between eastern forehand and eastern backhand.

the difference from the continental is, that your four fingers are perpendicular to the racket handle in a hammer grip. Your four fingers form an obtuse angle with the handle in a continental grip.

The hammer grip is good for volleys, backhand and forehand drop shots and also backhand and forehand slice shots. Some people use it to serve too.

Courtesy of Turbotennis:

Continental:

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/images/turbo_01_03/fig1r.JPG


Hammer:

http://www.tennisserver.com/turbo/images/turbo_01_03/fig5r.JPG


Nice pics tennis_hand. I guess a picture really is worth a 1000 words. LOL. Thanks for all the input and advice everyone. It does seem a little confusing and that's why I asked. From piecing everything together, what I can see is the continental grip has the four fingers spread out and and at an obtuse angle as in picture 1 above. The chopper grip, which I always thought was the same as the hammer grip as I assume you would hold a small axe and a hammer the same way, has the four fingers tight together and perpendicular to the handle.

Andres Guazzelli's post gave some good insight on when to use it. Is there any other input on when you would use a continental grip and when you would use a chopper grip?

Thanks

Acer