Can anyone actually hit with a Hawiian grip?

[Djokovicfan4life]

I mean, seriously, it just seems impossible for anyone to hit this way. I would think that you would be very injury prone as well with this grip.

Does anyone actually USE this grip or is it just one of those "just because" grips?

[wihamilton]

I can, poorly :).

[Rickson]

I mean, seriously, it just seems impossible for anyone to hit this way. I would think that you would be very injury prone as well with this grip.

Does anyone actually USE this grip or is it just one of those "just because" grips?

It's a stupid grip, but unfortunately there are some people who actually hit with that grip. They'd have trouble changing to the more open grips because I imagine they'd keep an open face because of that wrist contortion they're used to doing. Alberto Berasategui made it all the way to the Roland Garros finals using that HG, but lost to Sergi Bruguera.

[SFrazeur]

I once assisted in teaching a group of kids, where one kid started hitting with that grip. He got mad spin with it that could fly over the other 12 yearold's heads. But his shots had almost no real pace on them, he did not want to change. He left that group, so I never found out if he changed or if he still has wrists.

-SF

[stormholloway]

Just looking at that grip hurts my wrists.

[BeHappy]

berasatugai had to retire because of wrist problems...

[quicken]

Nono...
That would injure my wrist to a point where I would have to get a surgery. That grip wont work for me at all.

[montx]

I think that grip exists only for instructional purposes.

[Chauvalito]

At Newcombe this December a kid from Mexico was using that grip, and was doing it well...very consistent.

Seeing it made me cringe. What would you do if someone sliced it to your forehand...bend over sideways?

[Noveson]

At Newcombe this December a kid from Mexico was using that grip, and was doing it well...very consistent.

Seeing it made me cringe. What would you do if someone sliced it to your forehand...bend over sideways?

Actually you can basically just let your wrist go and have a continental grip haha. So you would just slice back;)

[paulfreda]

I hit sometimes with the Hawaiian grip for fun [normally hit with a SW or a near W strong SW]. It did take me many months of experiementing to get it down but it is a blast to hit with it.
There are all sorts of myths surrounding this grip mostly because few have ever learned it.
The key is a total suppination of the forearm thru the ball PLUS a folding of the inner wrist to get the face square to the net. If either of these moves are done poorly, it will be a poor shot. But when done well it gives a powerful driving heavy topspin ball that you can keep in the court all day long. Even low balls can be handled well when you have it down.

One misconception is that it is an all topspin shot. What I do to hit it well is drive to the target aggresively while swingly low to high with the above mentioned moves of the wrist and forearm. The naturally closed face allows one to swing low to high without any worry of hitting long. It feels funny at first because of the weak position of the hand but you get over it due to the power of the rotating wrist and foream.
Not for beginners or lookylews. It takes a lot of work to learn to hit it well.
Cheers

[Koaske]

I think that quite recently someone posted a video of a futures tournament where one guy played with the Hawaiian grip. It was really looking awkward but worked for him.

Here's the thread with a link to the video:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=167363

[Djokovicfan4life]

Yea, I figured it was kind of a stupid grip, and I would never switch from my beloved semi-western, I was just curious if it was ever used.