When did the semi-western forehand become widespread?

[Dennis Anyone?]

Have to ask: when did the semi-western forehand become widespread?

As a high-schooler who took up the game in the early eighties, I now recall players then using either a classic eastern grip or the then-modern full western.

I didn't play much in the nineties, and I when returned to the game, it seemed that most pros and recreational players were using the semi.

When did coaches start teaching this technique widely? I'm sure it has been around for some time, but not as dominant as it is today.

[[osu]ilovecows]

My guess is probably when strings started rewarding heavy topspin play with the switch to polyester. Players could whack the ball as hard as they wanted, but had to keep it in by using more spin.

[Rickson]

The western grip was popular in the 80s?

[J011yroger]

I would think that when Agassi hit the scene it was the beginning.

J

[J011yroger]

I started playing around 87 maybe a bit before, and was taught eastern FH (Started 2H both sides at age 4 or 5, then graduated to eastern FH) In my teens on my own, I gravitated to a mild semi western grip, but was still a flat ball striker. Guessing that was around 95?

By then most of the kids were hitting loopy topspin with SW fh and 2HBH.

J

[FloridaAG]

The western grip was popular in the 80s?

I don't know if it was popular in the sense that a majority of the people used it or anything but a lot of people started using the western grip in the 80s. I know because I am one of them - been using it since 1984-5.

[mikeler]

I don't know if it was popular in the sense that a majority of the people used it or anything but a lot of people started using the western grip in the 80s. I know because I am one of them - been using it since 1984-5.


I took up tennis in 87 and played many junior tournaments in the late 80s here in Central Florida. Most of the tournament players I faced hit with heavy topspin Semi-Western or Western forehands.

[WildVolley]

The western grip was popular in the 80s?

It definitely wasn't taught as the standard grip back then, but it was not uncommon.

Borg was still a hero and people all said he hit with a Western grip. A lot of kids actually played with a Western that was far more extreme than what I believe was Borg's semi-western grip.

[Dennis Anyone?]

The western grip was popular in the 80s?

On the men's tour, younger players such as Aaron Krickstein and clay courters such as Andres Gomez employed variations of the western grip. Many juniors I played with in the San Francisco Bay Area were transitioning from a more classic game to a more modern one. I'm sure it had a lot to do with the move from wood/aluminum to graphite.

As for the semi-western, I blinked--for a decade--and everyone was using it.

Anyone know if Agassi used a semi as a successful junior? Or if that developed at Bollettieri?

[Dennis Anyone?]

ilovecows;3190688']My guess is probably when strings started rewarding heavy topspin play with the switch to polyester. Players could whack the ball as hard as they wanted, but had to keep it in by using more spin.

Hmm. Not sure. The full western already gave extreme amounts of spin and preceded the popularization of poly.

(On a hybrid note: I used hybrid stringing going back to the eighties, I think. The original Prince ProBlend with Kevlar crossed with synthetic was great for string-breakers with limited funds. Loved it in the 200G. Still have a fondness for heavy/flexy racquets with stiff stringbeds.)

[Rickson]

So basically, you're saying that it went from the efh to the full western to an in between grip? Wouldn't that be devolution?

[LeeD]

Short guys employed FULL western grips back in the mid '70's.
HaroldSolomon and EddyDibbs, specifically, held full on western forehand grips and were rated top 20 in the world in those days. They looped with extreme topspin, and with their two handed backhands, used top both sides in addition to one handed slices off the back side.
But the first top player to employ openstanced western grips successfully was probably Borg, on the pro scene anyways.
Some local players in GoldenGateParkSanFrancisco used full western grips, A levels like NickSaviano, but most of thems didn't like volleying.

[Djokovicfan4life]

So basically, you're saying that it went from the efh to the full western to an in between grip? Wouldn't that be devolution?

You make it sound as though more western = better. If that were true, we'd all be using Hawaiian grips by now. :)

[J011yroger]

If that were true, we'd all be using Hawaiian grips by now. :)

Cowabunga!!

J

[Bagumbawalla]

There has always been a wide variety of grip styles.

Eastern, continental, and western are terms for locations the grips were most associated with.

Continental-- Europe. Eastern-- the U.S. east coast. Western-- the hard courts of California.

Probably the full western became widely popular during the heyday of players like Borg and Villas-- and the more modified version some time after- as people realized it was a stroke too extreme for thei needs.

[Rickson]

Does that mean the semi western became popular in Texas?