Can you still hit with a lot of topspin even with an eastern grip?

[El Pelele]

I use an extreme eastern, but sometimes in the middle of a rally or any other time, my hand shifts back to eastern without me even noticing it, and I keep hitting with an eastern thinking I'm using extreme eatern.

It's just that I just cannot switch or hit with a semi-western grip, it feels incredibly uncomfortable and awkward to me, feels like I'm using a western, which I hate.

I really have to concentrate when I play to keep my grip an extreme eastern, without looking at the racket or anything, sometimes when I'm really tired I don't notice anymore, but when I'm fresh and with energy, then I can keep the extreme eastern. This is a problem!

 

[AznHylite]

You can, but lots of topspin obviously comes harder with an Eastern than a Western. Edberg's forehand (which was a continental) was hit with quite a bit of topspin, and yet his forehand grip is more conservative than an Eastern.

 

[El Pelele]

I heard Federer uses an extreme eastern, the same one I try to use, so I guess you could still hit with many topspin, but like I said sometimes it slips back to eastern

 

[Clay lover]

You may want to close your racquet face more on contact and hit up and through.

 

[the wise wizard]

I use an extreme eastern, but sometimes in the middle of a rally or any other time, my hand shifts back to eastern without me even noticing it, and I keep hitting with an eastern thinking I'm using extreme eatern.

It's just that I just cannot switch or hit with a semi-western grip, it feels incredibly uncomfortable and awkward to me, feels like I'm using a western, which I hate.

I really have to concentrate when I play to keep my grip an extreme eastern, without looking at the racket or anything, sometimes when I'm really tired I don't notice anymore, but when I'm fresh and with energy, then I can keep the extreme eastern. This is a problem!

i would say you can, but there are limits obviously, i can hit a tremendous amount of topspin with my extreme eastern grip but there no pace

 

[[d]ragon]

yes you can but it of course its harder to do. i know a guy who uses a continental grip but hits with some good topspin (consistency is abit of an issue for him tho)

 

[toughshot]

does it matter if your grip slips back to what you feel is more natural?

If it is more natural for you.. i think you should not fight it

semi-western feels natural for me, so it stays that way

 

[some6uy008]

does it matter if your grip slips back to what you feel is more natural?

If it is more natural for you.. i think you should not fight it

semi-western feels natural for me, so it stays that way

I agree, if it doesn't feel natural then you'll just end up switch grips back and fore.

 

[Fedace]

NO YOU CANNOT. with Eastern forehand grip, i think it is impossible to hit topspin shots that look like Rafa's. if you can do it, you may have federer like talent

 

[El Pelele]

NO YOU CANNOT. with Eastern forehand grip, i think it is impossible to hit topspin shots that look like Rafa's. if you can do it, you may have federer like talent

Well obviously not with the same amount like nadal, but with enough to hit hard and get it in.

 

[hrstrat57]

fed yesterday

You may want to close your racquet face more on contact and hit up and through.

There is actually a photo from yesterday's match of Fed on the us open website which clearly demonstrates him doing this with an eastern grip.

Amazing photo.....IMO crystal clear. Whenever I have balls start to fly long focusing on closing the racquet face provideds a quick fix.

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/ph....html?glryid=2008-09-06/200809061220740351077

 

[El Pelele]

There is actually a photo from yesterday's match of Fed on the us open website which clearly demonstrates him doing this with an eastern grip.

Amazing photo.....IMO crystal clear. Whenever I have balls start to fly long focusing on closing the racquet face provideds a quick fix.

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/ph....html?glryid=2008-09-06/200809061220740351077

Heh, I just saw that pic too, and that is not a SW grip, contrary to popular belief.

 

[ProfoundBasic]

I don't think he was hitting a topspin either.

 

[Kokopelli]

...

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/ph....html?glryid=2008-09-06/200809061220740351077

Wow, that's not semi-western. IMO, that's not even extreme eastern. That's a full eastern grip!!!

 

[El Pelele]

Wow, that's not semi-western. IMO, that's not even extreme eastern. That's a full eastern grip!!!

Yeah, and it makes sense, when you think about it. Because Federer volleys a lot, and serve and volley, and eastern is a good grip for it, so that's one reason why.

I have also seen many videos of him practicing, and in those videos you can clearly see he's using an eastern grip. I believe he uses it because of this, because what you do in practice and practicing, is what you will be ultimately doing in the match, it's not like he uses eastern for his practice and then he will suddenly change to a SW come match time, it's not like that.

 

[Kokopelli]

Yeah, and it makes sense, when you think about it. Because Federer volleys a lot, and serve and volley, and eastern is a good grip for it, so that's one reason why.

I have also seen many videos of him practicing, and in those videos you can clearly see he's using an eastern grip. I believe he uses it because of this, because what you do in practice and practicing, is what you will be ultimately doing in the match, it's not like he uses eastern for his practice and then he will suddenly change to a SW come match time, it's not like that.

I think what separate Federer from most, if not all eastern-gripers, is that his point of contact is so far out in front. He has a POC of a western-griper. I think it's the eastern (extreme eastern) grip + the out-in-front POC + the windshield wiper motion = massive topspin

 

[El Pelele]

Take a look at this video for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0oRGhwgVoo

Pause it at 0:08, 0:13!, 0:18!, 0:35, 0:38, 0:48!! And so on.

That clearly is an eastern grip.

 

[TennisProdigy]

There is actually a photo from yesterday's match of Fed on the us open website which clearly demonstrates him doing this with an eastern grip.

Amazing photo.....IMO crystal clear. Whenever I have balls start to fly long focusing on closing the racquet face provideds a quick fix.

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/ph....html?glryid=2008-09-06/200809061220740351077

Alright nice photo, yes Fed uses the eastern grip, he also uses the extreme eastern, semi-western, extreme semi-western, and western grip. Also in this photo he his to ball near the top of his frame...

 

[Kokopelli]

I love this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmhvKafCYsk

1) Eastern grip (or maybe extreme eastern) - definitely not semi-western

2) Way out in front contact point

3) Windshield wiper finish

1+2+3 = possibly the greatest forehand in the history of tennis to date!!!

 

[Nellie]

Federer also takes the ball more on the rise than other players, which give his shots extra lift - you can see in that photo that his face is pretty close, but the ball still goes up because it is coming at a high angle from the ground

 

[BU-Tennis]

I really have to concentrate when I play to keep my grip an extreme eastern, without looking at the racket or anything, sometimes when I'm really tired I don't notice anymore, but when I'm fresh and with energy, then I can keep the extreme eastern. This is a problem!

Why is this a problem. I say that you should pick a swing and then a grip. Not pick a grip and then a swing. Some people feel comfortable finishing their forehand around hip level so a western grip makes sense. But if you like finishing at shoulder level than an eastern grip is fine. But of course Sampras and Nadal both finish with a reverse grip quite often and they are about as extreme both ways as you can get with today's game. If you're slipping to a regular eastern grip then go with it. Strokes and grips change and adapt over time to your game. Davenport started with an eastern grip but switched over towards a more SW grip over the past decade and has tremendous success. Lets face it an extreme eastern grip just doesn't fit very well with today's game. Balls are coming too fast and bouncing too high. All you really have to do it try and hit the ball out a little further in front of you but not much. Just go out and try hitting with a regular eastern and see what happens you might be surprised.