Continental Grip Questions

[Solek]

I've been working on my serve with my coach lately and a few ambiguities have arisen with my continental grip. I usually find my continental by putting the base of my index knuckle on the 2nd bevel. My coach said to move the grip a little bit toward the eastern grip. This makes sense since because when I pronated with my former continental grip the racquet face would not be square with the ball. However, using this slight turn toward the eastern grip makes my volleys feel a bit unstable... I'm a little confused as to how to find the continental and how to make sure It is correct... should the racquet face be completely square to the ball/parallel to the net when I pronate? If this slight shift toward the eastern grip (knuckle still on the 2nd bevel) is the correct continental then what was the grip I was using before???

 

[LeeD]

OK...
EVERY good player uses a DIFFERENT serving grip and continental grip from other good players.
Some good players use a different grip to serve and to volley with....
It's all personal preferences.
Lots of good players serve with the same continental, but different than yours....and mine.
Plenty of good players CHANGE their grips depending on their serve they employ.
BorisBecker employed a serve using conti twisted well towards EFH.
StefanEdberg served with conti turned almost fully to EBH.
They both can serve OK.

 

[Solek]

Hmmm... confusing... So I will use the Edberg Conti for Volleys and the Becker Conti for serves?

 

[LeeD]

You use what works for your game and you.
You don't blindly copy anyone else.
Do you seek the same girlfriend as PierceBrosnan?
Do you pick the same car as MasterP?
Do you seek the same employment as SteveJobs?
No, you find, search, try, experiement, and follow your OWN path.

 

[Solek]

yes, but the Continental Grip is used by all for the serve and volley. I just never knew there were variations on the continental grip so i was afraid I'd been doing it wrong...:shock:

 

[LeeD]

VARIATIONS of the continental grip are used by all for serves and volleys, some backhands, some forehands.

 

[Solek]

maybe i'm stupid... but turning the Conti Slightly toward the EFH instantly improves my serve. I was always reluctant to do it since i thought it was wrong and didnt believe my coach. This is gonna make things alot easier. I was just afraid it was incorrect...

 

[LeeD]

Question becomes, which serve did it improve?
Becker hit with conti towards EFH, and had an OK serve.
For lots of players, conti towards EBH improves slice and topspin swingspeeds, a good thing.
Always try to swing about 20% faster for second serves than for first flat serves.

 

[Solek]

Yes, for volleys and slices I have to continue to use the conti slightly toward the EBH. For flat serves I will use the the conti slightly toward the EFH (it's where my grip ends up anyway... i thought i was doing something incorrectly). I've been resisting this on my serves for awhile now... just needed some sort of affirmation to go with it. I will have to experiment with the slice and topspin serves... something tells me that it will be better with it tilted slightly toward the EBH...

 

[LeeD]

For me, all serves pure conti.
But all volleys, conti towards EBH a little. So does Rafter, Edberg, Sampras, Cash, Fed, and some other decent volleyers.

 

[Solek]

Wait a Second! What's pure Conti??!

 

[LeeD]

Conti without a forehand or a backhand flavor.
V of the hand up on edge of the grip.

 

[mike53]

Wait a Second! What's pure Conti??!

Grip the racquet like you are trying to use it to hammer a nail. For me, it's the easiest grip to find when I'm losing my mind

 

[Solek]

ok... that makes sense... but that's definitely not the conti i would use for slice / volleys. this where i get confused... but i needed some confirmation that there did exist variations on the grip and I haven't been screwing up...

 

[ProgressoR]

Yeh I think small variations on conti are ok. I am finding conti ok for flat serves. Slightly towards ebh for slice serves. For volleys again slight towards ebh on both fh and bh works for me. I think its all good as long as you know each grip variation and can use it easily for each situation.

 

[Larrysümmers]

i turn it more western for first serves and more to the eastern for kick serves but when i volley it is right in the middle

it is whatever works for you

 

[mike53]

ok... that makes sense... but that's definitely not the conti i would use for slice / volleys. this where i get confused... but i needed some confirmation that there did exist variations on the grip and I haven't been screwing up...

Lots of people use lots of variations. I always hold this exact grip in the ready position. From there I might tweak it or change to another grip depending on the shot. The majority of my serves are hit with this grip.

 

[larry10s]

I've been working on my serve with my coach lately and a few ambiguities have arisen with my continental grip. I usually find my continental by putting the base of my index knuckle on the 2nd bevel. My coach said to move the grip a little bit toward the eastern grip. This makes sense since because when I pronated with my former continental grip the racquet face would not be square with the ball. However, using this slight turn toward the eastern grip makes my volleys feel a bit unstable... I'm a little confused as to how to find the continental and how to make sure It is correct... should the racquet face be completely square to the ball/parallel to the net when I pronate? If this slight shift toward the eastern grip (knuckle still on the 2nd bevel) is the correct continental then what was the grip I was using before???

i have not read this thread continental grip is index knuckle on bevel 2 AND heel pad on 1

 

[larry10s]

its impossible to discuss grips without index knuckle AND heel pad placement.jmho

 

[Solek]

It's not quite that simple as far as I can tell...

 

[larry10s]

It's not quite that simple as far as I can tell...

it really is . 2 points of reference accurately describe how the racquet is alligned in your hand. people might split hais that a "soft continental" is shifted slightly like 2 1/2 1 1/2 (index knuckle /heel pad) but at least you have reference points for discussion so apples are apples and not oranges.

 

[LeeD]

Why get all exact and technical?
OP now knows there are VARIANTS in conti grips, so he can use whichever variant he wants.
We're NOT telling him which continental grip to use.
Only to use some variant of a conti for serves and volleys.