Federer grip

[Rainalkar]

A few questions:

1.does Federer holds the racquet in continental grip while awaiting the ball,
2.does he change the grip from neutral when playing either forehand/backhand while under pressure, like on 1st serve returns, when there is little time to prepare,

3.he uses eastern classical grip on his backhand, so I guess it's easier for him to change grip when returning (if so), but how do guys that play a more extreme grip one handed backhand (like Henin) cope with 200kph serves, do they change the grip?

[oneguy21]

Good questions

Unfortunately, I can't provide a good answer to any of them.

[chiru]

A few questions:

1.does Federer holds the racquet in continental grip while awaiting the ball,
2.does he change the grip from neutral when playing either forehand/backhand while under pressure, like on 1st serve returns, when there is little time to prepare,

3.he uses eastern classical grip on his backhand, so I guess it's easier for him to change grip when returning (if so), but how do guys that play a more extreme grip one handed backhand (like Henin) cope with 200kph serves, do they change the grip?

I can answer your question 3 i think. assuming that you hold the racket as continental, it is further to move it to extreme 1hbh than eastern. on the other hand, if the grip you hold while awaiting serve is semiwestern, it's basically very little distance from semiwestern fh to extreme 1hbh (if there's any difference at all depending on how extreme your bh is). similarly it's 0 motion to sw forehand and very little motion to western forehand if those are the forehands you are combining with the extreme 1hbh. so i imagine that these players use semiwestern as their standard return grip. i used to do that when i played more extreme grips.

[Rainalkar]

That is funny stuff. When I rotate the handle (I play eastern-semi western forehand, and eastern 1h backhand) I always rotate the upper part of it, if you understand what I mean. I can see how players who play with extreme grips would do the opposite, but when i looka at slow motions of Fed it doesn't seem to me that he holds the racquet in semi western.

[tennis_hand]

useless questions.

the pros don't know and don't care their grips.

[Rainalkar]

Subconciously they always switch to the same grip, it's a natural movement for them. Questions are not meaningless.

[nikdom]

Subconciously they always switch to the same grip, it's a natural movement for them. Questions are not meaningless.

Going to continental between shots makes sense and I think the pros do that although I've never observed closely enough.

I've been caught in a situation where I was gripping my racket in a semi-western grip awaiting a forehand, but the ball came in cross-court at a sharp angle pulling me off the court with me trying to hit a squash like return - but I couldn't do it because the racket face needs to be open for it.

I definitely go to continental when I don't know which side I have to play from next. Helps me transition to an eastern on the BH easily or if I have to move in, then I'm set up perfectly for a volley.

[Rainalkar]

I do would like to know how this works with at least some players, if anyone could explain, thanks.

[FEDERER>buttpicker.]

federer is the greatest, his grip is unparalleled.