Changing grips for different shots?

[dknotty]

So I mostly hit with some topspin but I'd like to introduce some flat flat shots into my repertoire for variety.

I play with a semi-western grip and I find it uncomfortable to hit flat shots with this grip, is this normal? Do most folks who play with a semi-western grip switch to a continental grip for flat & slice shots?

 

[LeeD]

1. Everyone is different!
2. Everyone is different.
3. Instead of hitting a flatter ball, why not hit the same ball harder with more topspin AND more speed, by swinging faster ala Nadal?
4. Why not, because my arm would wear out.
5. KISS, keep it simple, stupid. Too many grips gives too many options, none of which you own.
6. You might already have a strong SW forehand AND a continental slice forehand, do you need to add more?
7. While a flat ball can go fast, it's more prone to errors....which is why you are using a SW grip....for topspin and MARGIN for error.

 

[dknotty]

1. Everyone is different!
2. Everyone is different.
3. Instead of hitting a flatter ball, why not hit the same ball harder with more topspin AND more speed, by swinging faster ala Nadal?
4. Why not, because my arm would wear out.
5. KISS, keep it simple, stupid. Too many grips gives too many options, none of which you own.
6. You might already have a strong SW forehand AND a continental slice forehand, do you need to add more?
7. While a flat ball can go fast, it's more prone to errors....which is why you are using a SW grip....for topspin and MARGIN for error.

Reason for adding a flat shot is for is for shoulder high balls, deep low balls and generally for variety. My FH isn't bad and I can get good pace but not huge pace (though guess that's just practice practice practice to get better body mechanics).

 

[MurrayMyInspiration]

So I mostly hit with some topspin but I'd like to introduce some flat flat shots into my repertoire for variety.

I play with a semi-western grip and I find it uncomfortable to hit flat shots with this grip, is this normal? Do most folks who play with a semi-western grip switch to a continental grip for flat & slice shots?

When you want to flatten it out keep a semi western grip and just go through the ball more. The swing path will be more through the ball for a flatter shot.

DONT CHANGE GRIP FOR A FLAT SHOT.
KEEP PRACTICING WITH SEMI WESTERN TO HIT FLAT AN TOPSPIN!

 

[LeeD]

Find your regular practice partner.
Talk to him....have his agree to feed you some balls and in return, you feed HIM some balls.
Talking forehands.... hit a few to warm up. Then, hit them as fast as you can swing, full power, no reservations. Swing like you are Kohlshreiber against the wall vs Nadal.
Now is your forehand more powerful? Practice it a bit, feed some to your partner.

 

[dknotty]

Find your regular practice partner.
Talk to him....have his agree to feed you some balls and in return, you feed HIM some balls.
Talking forehands.... hit a few to warm up. Then, hit them as fast as you can swing, full power, no reservations. Swing like you are Kohlshreiber against the wall vs Nadal.
Now is your forehand more powerful? Practice it a bit, feed some to your partner.

I've done that, the shots lose a lot of consistency.

 

[MurrayMyInspiration]

I've done that, the shots lose a lot of consistency.

Go practice some more, does any succesful player change grips to hit flatter shots? No.

 

[LeeD]

Progression.
You start out not being able to hit the ball.
As you hit tons, you get better, and CAN hit the ball.
As you get better, you hit more balls, and harder shots come easier.
If you''re scared to miss now, you will never progress.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Go practice some more, does any succesful player change grips to hit flatter shots? No.

Not too sure about that. There is considerable photo/video evidence that Federer (and other players) vary their FH grip for different shots. Roger varies from a classic Eastern to a weak SW grip. His average FH grip appears to be and Eastern+ (or strong Eastern) grip. The grip changes or often for different contact point heights (in addition to spin variation).

I suspect that players who normally use an extreme grip (SW to Western+) might switch to a more conservative grip (Conti or Eastern) to hit squash shots and drop shots. For the 1-handed BH, some players use the Conti grip for flat or slice shots but use an Eastern BH (or other) for more topspin.

 

[MurrayMyInspiration]

Not too sure about that. There is considerable photo/video evidence that Federer (and other players) vary their FH grip for different shots. Roger varies from a classic Eastern to a weak SW grip. His average FH grip appears to be and Eastern+ (or strong Eastern) grip. The grip changes or often for different contact point heights (in addition to spin variation).

I suspect that players who normally use an extreme grip (SW to Western+) might switch to a more conservative grip (Conti or Eastern) to hit squash shots and drop shots. For the 1-handed BH, some players use the Conti grip for flat or slice shots but use an Eastern BH (or other) for more topspin.

I doubt Federer does that...Would it not be more likely that there is often different variations in our grip slightly as sometimes you are rushed and cannot exactly get the exact same semi western or whatever grip every time?

I doubt Federer thinks to himself, high ball time for more of a semi western grip and short ball if low use eastern grip....

Surely that is not good for feel?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

I doubt Federer does that...Would it not be more likely that there is often different variations in our grip slightly as sometimes you are rushed and cannot exactly get the exact same semi western or whatever grip every time?

I doubt Federer thinks to himself, high ball time for more of a semi western grip and short ball if low use eastern grip....

Surely that is not good for feel?

Federer probably does not think about it most of the time, he just does it. I have no problem whatsoever using multiple grips for the FH, for the BH, and occasionally for serves & volleys. My brain/body compensates for the grip change very easily. If I can do it with such ease, there is no reason that an elite player like Roger can't do it as well.

When playing badminton, I use even more grip variations than I do for tennis. No problem with this either.

 

[Baxter]

I think it's pretty common to change grips for different shots. I normally hit a pretty flat forehand, but if I want to hit with some top I'll go towards western. I think people do it without thinking after a while. You just know what you have to do to get a certain result and you do it.

 

[CaptainCool309]

Honestly just do what feels natural grip-wise.There's nothing wrong with using a different grip for different types of shots. I use a continental grip for most of all my shots because it just feels natural for me, but even I'll admit I lean towards the Eastern grips if I feel I need to hit with more topspin.

I think you should keep your continental grip for slice, but I think you should experiment with what grip feels most natural to you when you hit a flat shot. If hitting flat shots with a SW grip doesn't feel comfortable to you, experiment with an Eastern or Continental. The Eastern is probably the best medium. If you hit your flat shots with a continental like I do, you'll have trouble producing topspin and dealing with high balls. With an Eastern you can hit flat and with topspin, and even slice. But just experiment and find out what feels most comfortable for you.

 

[chip and charge]

lately I have started out points and shots in a rally with my right hand in conti grip then switching to between a eastern and semi western for forehand, then back to the conti. reason is sometimes I'm slow switching from a soft semi wester to the conti grip I need for the two-hander. Kind of makes sense because you are able to hit volleys and slices without changing grips either. Make sense to anybody or am I missing something?

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Quite a few players use a different grip for the ready position when receiving serve. My usual default "ready" grip at the baseline is between an Eastern and SW, but I am closer to a semi-conti grip when returning serve.


.

 

[cg.tennis]

instead of changing grips, i prefer to change the following
1. forehand supination during forward swing. The more forehand supinates, the more open racquet face is
2. Degree of racquet head drop. For low balls, you'll need more spin, so you'll drop racquet head more. For high ball, espcially shoulder level ball, you'll need minimum racquet drop
3. Swing path. To generate more topspin, you'll do more vertical windshield wiper swing path. To flat out, you'll do more horizental swing path.

So I mostly hit with some topspin but I'd like to introduce some flat flat shots into my repertoire for variety.

I play with a semi-western grip and I find it uncomfortable to hit flat shots with this grip, is this normal? Do most folks who play with a semi-western grip switch to a continental grip for flat & slice shots?

 

[RetroSpin]

I have a friend who was an ATP player and then coached female tour players. They were doing some research into this issue of changing grips. They asked a top female pro, who must go nameless here, if she altered her grip for a high bouncing FH. She said no. Then they looked at high speed video of her in a match and everytime she had a high FH, she switched her grip to more SW. It was an unconscious move for her.

 

[rkelley]

So I mostly hit with some topspin but I'd like to introduce some flat flat shots into my repertoire for variety.

I play with a semi-western grip and I find it uncomfortable to hit flat shots with this grip, is this normal? Do most folks who play with a semi-western grip switch to a continental grip for flat & slice shots?

Basically I think you should have one basic grip. From sources I believe the pros do change grips based on the shot, but I don't believe they're changing drastically. I think they make adjustments on a basic grip.

An exception to this rule would be on the fh, where more and more pros have developed a cont. grip squash type fh for when they're pulled really wide.

A suggestion: I wouldn't think in terms of flat shots and topspin shots. I'd think about shots with more spin and less spin.

 

[dknotty]

Basically I think you should have one basic grip. From sources I believe the pros do change grips based on the shot, but I don't believe they're changing drastically. I think they make adjustments on a basic grip.

An exception to this rule would be on the fh, where more and more pros have developed a cont. grip squash type fh for when they're pulled really wide.

A suggestion: I wouldn't think in terms of flat shots and topspin shots. I'd think about shots with more spin and less spin.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

What I'm finding is that with the SW grip I can hit flat FH at waist & shoulder height but struggle to supinate my wrist comfortably for low deep balls. Similarly on the BH, I used the same SW grip and really struggle to flatten out shots with the grip comfortably. I do believe that if its not really comfortable then that's a sign that something needs changing.

rkelley, I would like to have 4 shots - the slice, flat, flat with a bit of topspin and heavy topspin. Are you saying abandon flat entirely?

 

[Jeepers]

I like to use Wilson Pro for my topspin forehand and Head Prestige Pro for my flat shots

 

[rkelley]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

What I'm finding is that with the SW grip I can hit flat FH at waist & shoulder height but struggle to supinate my wrist comfortably for low deep balls. Similarly on the BH, I used the same SW grip and really struggle to flatten out shots with the grip comfortably. I do believe that if its not really comfortable then that's a sign that something needs changing.

rkelley, I would like to have 4 shots - the slice, flat, flat with a bit of topspin and heavy topspin. Are you saying abandon flat entirely?

I'm saying that it's a continuum of the same set-up and the same basic swing path. When you want a flatter shot set-up with your racquet more in line with the ball and perhaps a bit futher back so you tend to drive through it more. If you want more topspin make sure you set-up below the ball and you can even shorten up your back swing to lessen the amount you swing through the ball.

Definitely if it hurts something is wrong.

 

[MurrayMyInspiration]

I really dont understand this thread and the people who have posted...
I cant understand how pros change grips for varying shots. IMO nobody at any level should be doing this.

I mean regular forehand has a grip and then continental for running down dropshots or squash shots but I just cant believe players change grips for different shots.

I am a high level player and I certainly dont do that. I have never seen Murray or Djokovic or Nadal or Tsonga or Ferrer or Berdych whoever change grips. Sure if they want more spin they might have different swingpaths, ie Nadal finish or going through the ball more fro a flat shot.

I dont care how good you are you cannot have the same consistency and control with different grips.

The idea of tennis is that you get in position with a grip and try to repeat the same swing over and over.

How can you use an eastern grip for flat balls, continental for lobs, semi western for inside out forehands and western for moonballs and have and sort of consistency.

If pros hit with a forehand grip closer to eastern or western or different to their usual grip then surely they gripped the handle wrongly and they did not purposefully mean to use that grip!

 

[rkelley]

MMI, I generally agree with you.

However people on this board who have worked with pros (and I really believe them) have said that pros subtly, not massively, change grips for different shots. We're talking about a fraction of a bevel. I sure can't see that small of a change when I watch players on TV so I can't say they're wrong.

Other than the squash-shot fh I personally don't consciously change my grip, but I'm not a pro. However, I don't suck at this game either.

 

[bad_call]

MMI, I generally agree with you.

However people on this board who have worked with pros (and I really believe them) have said that pros subtly, not massively, change grips for different shots. We're talking about a fraction of a bevel. I sure can't see that small of a change when I watch players on TV so I can't say they're wrong.

Other than the squash-shot fh I personally don't consciously change my grip, but I'm not a pro. However, I don't suck at this game either.

hope you'll be able to verify that during my next visit to SoCal...lol.