I use an Extreme Eastern grip for my forehand, which works fine until i have to play a low ball, at which point my grip tends to slip west to semi-western or maybe 3/4 western because i end up doing a windshield-wiper. After that, i try to reset to Extreme Eastern again. Sometimes i don't have time to reset and i end up hitting flat with the wrong grip, sending the ball to the net.
I'm wondering if this is what the pros do? Should i try to use one grip for all? Semi-western? Extreme-eastern has served me fine for high balls so far, as i tend to hit flat (perpendicular racket face).
I personally don’t agree that you should keep doing what you are doing. I would suggest sticking with one grip for flat and top spin and having another for the rare slice on your forehand.
Generally speaking, a semi western grip
is even more proficient with higher balls than lower balls. You have mentioned that you switch to a semi western grip when the balls are low and low balls could be considered one of the only weaknesses of a semi western grip.
If you are already able to hit low balls with a semi western grip, I don’t see why you wouldn’t hit higher balls with a semi western grip as well. Semi western has more potential for top spin, but can also hit flat shots quite well as well.
Conventional wisdom would state that if anyone were changing their grip based on the incoming ball, the semi western grip would be easier for high balls and then the player would switch to more of an eastern grip for any ball below the waste, or even continental for an extremely low slice.
What you do have right is that semi western does
go hand in hand with the more modern windshield wiper technique. I simply wouldn’t suggest that someone should necessarily attempt that on a regular basis for extremely low balls, because it becomes a little tougher to actually get below the ball enough to effectively use the low to high swing.
As a result, I can imagine inconsistency in your strokes if you continually switch grips. That’s nothing personal to you, but it’s one of the reasons I would suggest against having multiple choices of grips for one stroke, as well as something you have mentioned yourself. “Sometimes I end up on the wrong grip”.
Long story short, I would work on developing a semi western grip as your go to Forehand grip, with the only negative thing being that you would now have a bigger grip switch for volleys, slices and serves as well as (perhaps) a little more difficulty hitting flat and taking time away from your opponent.
The goal in practice would be to work on avoiding net mistakes with your semi western grip, even on flatter shots.
