Backhand Slice: Can you slice with Eastern BH grip>
- Thread starter Raul_SJ
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F
FRV
Guest
Switch to continental unless your talent is FRV level.
IowaGuy
Hall of Fame
I'm not aware of any pros that slice with eastern BH grip.
Would be very difficult to get the proper racket face angle for slice, if using eastern BH grip.
Pretty easy to switch back and forth to continental, once you get the hang of it, not that far to travel from one grip to the other...
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
I mostly drive it. Once in a while, I have to return a really low ball and I slice it back and my resultant slice shot will be relatively flat, low over the net and penetrate and skid low (when I do it right). Just like the Coach Avery shot below... Not aware that I am changing from my normal Eastern BH grip. But maybe I am already switching grip to Conti subconsciously. Either that, or I might be keeping the Eastern grip and doing something with the wrist.
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F
FRV
Guest
Well if it works, it works. I guess there's nothing wrong with an eastern backhand slice and you do not need FRV level talent to pull it off.
Cashman
Hall of Fame
I'm not saying you NEED to, but it makes hitting a good slice a heck of a lot easier.
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
You're saying you get more spin with Conti slice vs EBH slice?...I prefer the attacking knifing slice, less spin, like Rosewall hit? Not sure which grip Rosewall used... Emerson video above, demonstrates with Eastern grip. That is surprising since I thought those Aussie guys (Rosewall, Laver, Emerson) used Conti grip.
IowaGuy
Hall of Fame
Well, he calls it an "eastern BH grip" in the video, but that doesn't look like what he's actually using when he takes a swing.
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
Yes, it looks like a much different style than of today.
Emerson talks about extending the RH tip towards the direction of the shot.
Do NOT let the RH tip drop down or pull across the body (I think I see Fed and others do this).
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
You could be right. I have trouble recognizing grips from video. But it looks like Emerson's heel pad needs to be more behind the grip in order to be considered Eastern.
Yes...Those definitions seem to have changed over the years. Even when you listen to Borg and he talks about a Western grip, it's not the Western grip as we know in modern tennis. Borg's was more a Semi Western grip. Emerson and Rosewall had what I felt a more modified conti. You have posted before about Hana Mandalikova. IMO she had a similar grip. Navratilova on the other hand looks like a more conti grip S&V.
I think part of the change is the evolution of topspin. The old timers had to deal with more low shots and their slice techniques were geared to attack those shots. Fed faces balls that can jump high and fast, and it's very difficult to bring those balls down without a conti grip. The swing path too has changed to adjust to that. Not that any of that matters for 4.0/4.5 rec tennis. What Emerson is showing will work fine and probably be more consistent.
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Dragy
Legend
I recently discovered I lean towards Aussie grip on BH slices and volleys. While hitting OHBH drive with strong EBH grip. I think drive slice is more about swing path and strong arm-racquet structure at contact. You kind of punch it (with a backswing, though), while spin keeps the trajectory from arcing and makes it fly farther and skid if compared to just flat bunt.
Wise one
Hall of Fame
Not true at all. Eastern backhand is ideal for slice!
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
The slice is either the more modern high to low (Iowa, Fed, all pros) or old school flatter (Rosewall, Emerson). In either case, you want a degree of open rf at contact (particularly that flat one, otherwise it's a drive
). Eastern bh is more closed than continental on a slice ... opposite of low to high stroke. To me, you would have to work harder for that open rf with eastern bh ... your existing bh drive grip is not a good enough reason to not rotate to continental for slice.I agree with @IowaGuy ... Emmerson's bh eastern looks like continental to me. I had to go check my bh slice grip for that split finger thing. I have a little gap between index finger and middle finger, but not much. I tried that big split ... and hate it.
Rosewall looks cont to me also:
mbm0912
Hall of Fame
I think he needs a larger head size.Well, he calls it an "eastern BH grip" in the video, but that doesn't look like what he's actually using when he takes a swing.
Raul_SJ
G.O.A.T.
Watch the Rosewall and Emerson clips. They are using either Continental or Aussie grip. Not Eastern.
C
Chadalina
Guest
I mostly drive it. Once in a while, I have to return a really low ball and I slice it back and my resultant slice shot will be relatively flat, low over the net and penetrate and skid low (when I do it right). Just like the Coach Avery shot below... Not aware that I am changing from my normal Eastern BH grip. But maybe I am already switching grip to Conti subconsciously. Either that, or I might be keeping the Eastern grip and doing something with the wrist.
Im using a bit more eastern now, looks similar to this guy but better. Notice he opens the face on prep and hits the top of the ball, works magic
IowaGuy
Hall of Fame
FiReFTW
Legend
So much complications regarding grips when its so simple
Use Continental grip for 1st serve, 2nd serve, volleys, half volleys, chip shots and drop shots, block shots, backhand slice, forehand slice, overheads
Use a more extreme grip (Eastern to Semi Western prefered) for Forehand, Backhand
Alternatively, can use a strong continental to Eastern BH for 2nd serve for extra spin/less pace
Done!
Use Continental grip for 1st serve, 2nd serve, volleys, half volleys, chip shots and drop shots, block shots, backhand slice, forehand slice, overheads
Use a more extreme grip (Eastern to Semi Western prefered) for Forehand, Backhand
Alternatively, can use a strong continental to Eastern BH for 2nd serve for extra spin/less pace
Done!
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
That’s me, but add cont for dom 2hbh, lh east for non dom 2hbh, and cont for 1hbh drive. If I was still hitting 1hbh drive, I would be switching to bh eastern. I have tried it with ball machine sessions and liked it. I think my fh grip is a weak east, but roll (maybe weak sw) when going for more ts.
Keep it simple stupid ... or maybe stupid keeping it simple.
Even simpler would be to use a modified conti for every stroke like a JMac.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
Yeah ... but I found that you need at least a little grip roll on that FH side for an assist with the topspin. We aren't Mac.
I actually think many rec players that hit a good mix of ts and flat might benefit from rolling our fh grip on demand. It doesn't make much sense in the pro game ... most ATP are topspin all the time, and a lot of WTA is pretty flat all the time. But a rec player like me hits mostly a flattish (a little topspin) on FHs, but adds more ts on a sharp angle cc fh, or topspin lob. It would make no sense for me to keep a sw fh grip all the time, I'm driving a flattish ball most of the time. But ... the flip side is weak eastern isn't very good for ts lob or those times I go for my max fh ts. I found out by accident that I roll my fh grip every now and then, I had no idea. What I'm not sure of is how far I roll it, or if it varies.Yeah ... but I found that you need at least a little grip roll on that FH side for an assist with the topspin. We aren't Mac.
I use a conti for everything. Not even a modified conti. No illusions that I will even be a high level rec player let alone compare to JMac. It works for me. My game is much more consistent and I play some good players. A few here have said they do the same. I gave up on topspin
IowaGuy
Hall of Fame
And also Edberg for most shots (except serve was a little towards eastern).
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
I probably played cont fh for 30 of the 40+ years ... and weak eastern isn't exactly a cross country trip.
I have 5.0 friends that play/played cont fh ... they would laugh if you told them their grip was holding them back.I probably played cont fh for 30 of the 40+ years ... and weak eastern isn't exactly a cross country trip.
Just like the Emerson clip I posted, I usually tend to post a lot of old-timer videos. Not by accident. I'm fascinated with how they used to play with minimal grip changes or even more or less the same grip throughout. Trying to break down how those guys played at a high level that way is my obsession just like 360 serve, 2hfh, PoMo are obsessions of some other posters here.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
How do you pick your "old school" era? Emmerson, Rosewall, Laver, Stan Smith, Newcombe, Ashe, McEnroe?
All of the above . From Becker onwards it is new school for me. Shows my age. 49.
ByeByePoly
G.O.A.T.
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