SHRINKING GRIPS of modern day player from TENNIS magazine. Don't get it???

[Fedace]

New article from Tennis states modern day pros are all going to smaller grips than they used to in the old days. Why ? It is apparently easier to put topspin on the ball with smaller grips. I don't get this since i use much larger grip size than i should and i find it easier to put topspin with bigger grip. What is physics behind this ? Does anyone know ? Why is it easier to put more topspin with smaller grips ?














The Incredible Shrinking Grip

As racquet handles get smaller, spin gets bigger.

By Bill Gray

Get a grip on this: Racquet handles are downsizing faster than General Motors among both pros and recreational players.

The tree-trunk grips of the Boris Becker (4 5/8 inches) and Monica Seles (4 1/2) era are out. Thin is in.

For example, according to Prince, the average grip size for racquets bought by recreational players has plummeted since 1980, when 58 percent of the company’s racquets sold came with either 4 1/2- or 4 5/8-inch grips. Now 69 percent are either 4 1/4 or 4 3/8, with only 5 percent of grips as large as 4 5/8. Head reports that 4 1/2-inch grips have been shrinking in popularity, so it now produces about the same number of 4 1/4- as 4 1/2-inch grips.

“It’s been a dramatic shift to smaller sizes,” says John McBride, who has worked at Prince for more than 30 years, including 17 years as the company’s purchasing manager.

The reason for the change? Thinner grips make it easier to play in today’s wild-Western forehand, open-stance, wristy style. Rafael Nadal has become the poster player of the skinny gripster set with his 4 1/4 grip, which allows him to snap his wrists into his ground strokes with more ferocity than Alex Rodriguez smacking a home run.

“Players like the thin grips because they can come over the ball much more and whip it,” says Roman Prokes, owner of RPNY Tennis in New York City and stringer to many pro players.

Wilson and Yonex estimate that almost two-thirds of their male pro players are opting for 4 3/8-inch grips these days, while the majority of women who use Babolat frames are going for 4 1/4-inch grips.

“No question, the trend to smaller grips is real,” says Rick Macci, who has coached Jennifer Capriati and Venus and Serena Williams. “The best of the best are using them and there’s been a trickle-down effect to recreational players.”

If you’ve got the skill to generate fast racquethead speed, a smaller grip might be for you. “It increases the whip in the racquet head, and allows you to wrap the heel of your hand below the handle to create more snap and speed on the serve,” Macci says.

Back in the day, thin grips didn’t make any sense. The heavy and clunky wooden clubs of yore required you to use the biggest grip you could hold to lock your wrist in place and prevent the racquet from twisting in your hand when you made contact outside of the small sweet spot.

“Trying to generate spin with those old racquets was practically impossible, like trying to swing a rock with a rope,” says TENNIS racquet adviser Bruce Levine. “Now frames are lighter and more aerodynamic, with open string patterns that put more grab on the ball, making it easy for just about anybody to generate spin.”

And today’s smaller grips make it even easier, helping players put action on the ball with their wrists.

Who has gone the lowest so far on tour? France’s Marion Bartoli plays with a light Prince Speedport Red with an open string pattern and—ready for this—a 4-inch grip, believed to be the thinnest handle used by a pro.

[ubermeyer]

I use a tiny grip since I'm a weak little boy. Big grip makes the racket grip-heavy and I don't like that.

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by ubermeyer

I use a tiny grip since I'm a weak little boy. Big grip makes the racket grip-heavy and I don't like that.

but i think that is just a feeling though. Bigger grips doesn't really make the racket heavy. it just makes it feel like it is heavy. but why is that ? why do we get that feeling with bigger grips ????

[Claudius]

Smaller grips allow for greater racquet head speed.

[LanEvo]

i use a 4 5/8 and it feels fine, but yea i read that article as well

[LanEvo]

u know i never knew that some WTA girls used a 4 even, and RF only uses a 4 3/8

[teachestennis]

[quote=Fedace;3815018]New article from Tennis states modern day pros are all going to smaller grips than they used to in the old days. Why ? It is apparently easier to put topspin on the ball with smaller grips. I don't get this since i use much larger grip size than i should and i find it easier to put topspin with bigger grip. What is physics behind this ? Does anyone know ? Why is it easier to put more topspin with smaller grips ?


Answer: In 1984, Jack Groppel confirmed Vic Braden's claims that research would show that a bigger grip produced better results. Of course, everything Groppel and Braden claimed back then would be discounted over time. In 1989, in the revolutionary tennis book "Tennis in 2 Hours" by Oscar Wegner. In that green book which Tennis Magazine dismissed as basically nonsense, Oscar advocated publicly for smaller grips because he claimed science used by the so called experts was measuring the wrong thing, mainly that tennis was played by "feel" and not played by the conscious thinking brain. Oscar claimed tennis was played by the hand, and that smaller grips increased feel. Oscar spent the better part of eight years coaching in Brazil turning out world class juniors such as Guga Kuerten, who with an incredibly large hand used a very small grip at Oscar's recommendation. The racket looked like a toothpick in Guga's hand at times. While millions in the USA were told to get larger grips, Oscar Wegner became not only the Spanish commentator from I think 1994 though 1998 for ESPN International including WTA events and Grand Slams, but through his commentary seen in most of the Spanish speaking world, players and coaches were thus counseled to get smaller grips. Then, in 1998, Oscar's famous TV Tennis Tips were shown in over 150 countries around the world with the single exception of the United States, where again, his popularity as a coach and Spanish tennis commentator exposed millions to his claims of tennis by feel and promotion of a smaller grip.

Oscar (his website is tennisteacher.com) also advocated holding the grip so loose that I now teach my students to hold the racquet as if it's a stick of butter. This visual works nearly every time. The connection between the feel of the hand and the strings cannot be overemphasized in teaching and learning to play. So players have learned over time that the more mass in the grip likely puts a disconnect between the hand and the strings, and "feel" is everything to a good tennis player and the number one thing pro players are focused on finding to play their best that particular day.

I will be publishing a book on the History of USA Tennis Instruction and I point out what each top coach was teaching in a timeline through history. The 1975 entry alone analyzing a frame by frame analysis of the "most lethal topspin forehand in 35 years" is fascinating, I promise. There is also an article there about how a Russian tennis club with one indoor court and a group of average kids produces more top twenty players than the entire USA the last seven years.

Here is the link to the History of Tennis Instruction if anyone wants to read something fascinating and offer feedback or constructive criticism.

http://www.moderntenniscoaches.com/f....php?f=20&t=13

This is the link about Spartak, the little club with one indoor court that produces top twenty players like they are cookies.

http://www.moderntenniscoaches.com/f....php?f=20&t=13

Love to hear comments. My email is eztennisswing@yahoo.com. My website is www.moderntenniscoaches.com

[TheSubdude]

A smaller grip helps the wrist stay looser. The wrist is the main creator of topspin.

I'm 6'4" with matching hands and use a 3/8 grip. You should see the topspin I can put on a ball.

[ronalditop]

smaller grips allows you to use heavy racquets and still keep good maneuverability, since you still can swing them fast.

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by ronalditop

smaller grips allows you to use heavy racquets and still keep good maneuverability, since you still can swing them fast.

Yes but isn't there a disadvantage to small grips with heavy rackets like Racket Twisting on impact ?? especially with off center impacts. I guess the pros hit the ball on the middle of the racket all the time but amateurs it is a different matter.

[jrod]

Interesting read and posts above....

Note that part of the "trend" towards reduced grip size observed at the recreational level could also be due to the following:

1. Greater use of overgrips today,

2. Resale - You can easily increase grip size so a 4 1/2 grip has a greater market than a 4 5/8 grip.

[wyutani]

damn, i hate those magazines, so expensive...and thin.

[Power Player]

I use 3/8ths and am really contemplating going smaller. Is it a PITA to have your grips resized smaller? I have modern racquets, not sure if that makes a difference.

[yellowoctopus]

I made a switch to a smaller grip size (L2 from L3) a couple of years ago and remain happy with the decision. The smaller grip feels more manuverable and enables me to be more aware of the subtle variations on my forehand grip, producing slightly different shot on each variation. With the new grip, I've also moved to an eastern backhand grip for my single-handed backhand--I now generate more spin on this side.

In all, I don't think the smaller grip directly add more topspin to my game. Instead, I believe it allows me to feel the difference in the subtle variation of my grips, which added more dimension to my strokes.

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by yellowoctopus

I made a switch to a smaller grip size (L2 from L3) a couple of years ago and remain happy with the decision. The smaller grip feels more manuverable and enables me to be more aware of the subtle variations on my forehand grip, producing slightly different shot on each variation. With the new grip, I've also moved to an eastern backhand grip for my single-handed backhand--I now generate more spin on this side.

In all, I don't think the smaller grip directly add more topspin to my game. Instead, I believe it allows me to feel the difference in the subtle variation of my grips, which added more dimension to my strokes.

One thing i disagree with is that i really think for me, the bigger grip makes it easier to find the edges in the grip so i can feel the edges better. but i can tell that it takes longer to switch grips. This is not a problem with guys that hit with average speed but when you face a Big hitter with Big serves and groundies, i did find it a bit difficult to switch grips very Quickly....

[firstblud]

i'm confused now... i use a 4 1/2 grip size... maybe i should downsize lol

i do feel that my grip is tiring after a while of hitting

[teachestennis]

Originally Posted by Fedace

Yes but isn't there a disadvantage to small grips with heavy rackets like Racket Twisting on impact ?? especially with off center impacts. I guess the pros hit the ball on the middle of the racket all the time but amateurs it is a different matter.

I hate to tell you this, but Pros hit their best shots below the sweet spot, nearer the trailing edge of the racket. This has been taught by Oscar Wegner for years, that with todays stronger rackets, you try to hit the ball below the sweet spot, and because all great players hold the racket as loose as possible, whether amateur or pro, the racket twists or flutters per the pic below (I have dozens of pics like this, but this is first one with the ball on the racket) a lot.

Gray was wrong about wooden rackets not being effective with smaller grips also. Wimbledon just had Drysdale play Gilbert and they talked about a study in which great players hit and served with the wooden rackets and on the serve, there was only 3 mph difference, and not much difference on all the shots, so don't believe all this excuse stuff you see tossed about about wooden rackets being so different. Today's power is generated with any racket by pulling across the ball after finding it slowly. Only difference between wood and rackets of today was with the wood rackets, you had to use the sweet spot more. I teach my students to not hit in the sweet spot with great results because the pros hit better when they hit below it also.

At the Australian Open this year in the super slo mo of Verdasco with Nadal, nearly every forehand shot showed the ball below the sweet spot when it hit the strings. Cahill and Carillo didn't have a clue as to why, only Cliff Drysdale did, and that's because he's a big fan of Oscar's MTM which adovcates such. The power of the racket is found in the butt and the edge, but for now, know that you will hit your best shots and it relieves tension on the arm when you hit your FH nearer the trailing edge below the sweet spot. I can post pics if you want to see it, but it happens a lot if you look for it and you can see it on this one tennisone.com video of Oscar Wegner hitting with Randy Ardenfriend.

http://www.tennisonevideonetwork.com...8d138f2b4fdd6f[IMG]

I posted this in the FH section but check it out.

http://wwwmoderntennis.com/uploads/images/QuerreyFHclosed.jpg[/IMG]

The above happens more than you think. Here is his BH and notice where he contacts the ball. Pros really hit below the sweet spot on their FHs as much as possible.

[teachestennis]

oops, didn't put the links in correctly. Here are the pics.

[plowmanjoe]

wow, what's going on in that forehand pic?

[Fedace]

Originally Posted by plowmanjoe

wow, what's going on in that forehand pic?

He is hitting a reverse topspin slice forehand. made famouse by Sam Querry. What grip size is that ??