Do you flip your racquet?

lwto

Hall of Fame
You have a semi western fore hand..

Do you just flip your racquet to the other side for your back hand, or, do you physically change your grip?

Assumed, you have a 1 handed backhand.

If you flip your racquet, you hit your bh and FH with the same face, if you change your grip, you hit on both sides of your racquet.
 

kiteboard

Banned
You have a semi western fore hand..

Do you just flip your racquet to the other side for your back hand, or, do you physically change your grip?

Assumed, you have a 1 handed backhand.

If you flip your racquet, you hit your bh and FH with the same face, if you change your grip, you hit on both sides of your racquet.
Same grip for both, don't flip.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
What do you do on volleys? Both the SW FH and its counterpart BH (Extreme Eastern?) are pretty poor grips for volleying (and serving). I figure if you can change grips for those strokes it can't be too hard to switch between FH and BH.

My RH switches from SW to conti pretty quickly these days. I can't ever recall not doing it or having it be unnatural.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
What do you do on volleys? Both the SW FH and its counterpart BH (Extreme Eastern?) are pretty poor grips for volleying (and serving). I figure if you can change grips for those strokes it can't be too hard to switch between FH and BH.

My RH switches from SW to conti pretty quickly these days. I can't ever recall not doing it or having it be unnatural.

I have one grip for my volley, forehand grip, I have many grips for my serve.
I've gone from from Cont fore hand grip to more of a semi western grip and when I go to BH grip, it's a long way around to switch. I realized that it's just a tweek to flip the racquet over for a BH or (eastern grip?).



I"ve always done it that way, use my off hand, (left) to help turn the racauet. but both my grips are just about the same now, with only a small adjustment needed.
 

HuusHould

Hall of Fame
You have a semi western fore hand..

Do you just flip your racquet to the other side for your back hand, or, do you physically change your grip?

Assumed, you have a 1 handed backhand.

If you flip your racquet, you hit your bh and FH with the same face, if you change your grip, you hit on both sides of your racquet.

I used to use a semi western forehand grip for both my forehand and drive backhand, I would change the grip and as you mention use opposing sides of the racquet. I have since changed to an eastern backhand grip. I might relapse for a topspin lob or angled heavy topspin passing shot though.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
You have a semi western fore hand..

Do you just flip your racquet to the other side for your back hand, or, do you physically change your grip?

Assumed, you have a 1 handed backhand.

If you flip your racquet, you hit your bh and FH with the same face, if you change your grip, you hit on both sides of your racquet.

Whether you use a 1hb or 2hb, the traditional method is to use the non-dominant hand to turn the racquet back and forth from forehand to backhand grips.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
Folks, sorry to be slow here - I don't follow what is meant by 'flip' ... :-/ Anyone enlighten me?

thanks
Tim
Well, the problem may lie in the way I explain it.

I've always switched grips from forehand to back hand. You will notice when this is done, you use both sides of the racquet to hit.
When I flip it, I"m referring to using the same grip, without changing grips from FH to BH and, well BH to FH.

so say, you hold your racquet out in front up right with your SW FH grip, and you just fan your racquet from left to right like a windshield wiper.
basically that's the principal I"m speaking of when I say, to flip it,
I"m just flipping it from FH to BH without changing grip, perhaps just a minor tweak in it.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
Ah right I think I follow - so it would only work for 2HBH is that correct?

no.. really for a one handed BH.
You don't need your off hand to turn the racquet, you just flip it from right to left or left to right.

Think of holding a wiper out in front, and making a wiper motion with your wrist only.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
You have a semi western fore hand..

Do you just flip your racquet to the other side for your back hand, or, do you physically change your grip?

Assumed, you have a 1 handed backhand.

If you flip your racquet, you hit your bh and FH with the same face, if you change your grip, you hit on both sides of your racquet.
Never switch grips hitting on the same face
 

Daniel_K

Semi-Pro
you should hit the backhand and the forehand on different faces, regardless of the grip. if you flip the racquet and don't change grip you cant hold the racquet with the non dominant hand.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
you should hit the backhand and the forehand on different faces, regardless of the grip. if you flip the racquet and don't change grip you cant hold the racquet with the non dominant hand.
Well that's the beauty of it, you don't need your off hand to find your back hand grip, you already have it.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
you should hit the backhand and the forehand on different faces, regardless of the grip. if you flip the racquet and don't change grip you cant hold the racquet with the non dominant hand.
Completely false. I do it all the time. With a 1hander you need the off hand....
 

Daniel_K

Semi-Pro
That's the thing... using your non dominated hand to readjust each stroke is better. It's like a reset. On off center hits if the frame twists and you dont hold it like standard you can't readjust the grip as quickly. You won't be able to adjust for slice, reach etc as quickly as the grip adjustment is more extreme.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
no.. really for a one handed BH.
You don't need your off hand to turn the racquet, you just flip it from right to left or left to right.

Think of holding a wiper out in front, and making a wiper motion with your wrist only.

In my view, that would result in using a sub-optimal grip on forehand, backhand or both.
 

Daniel_K

Semi-Pro
I don't know if that came across well in my explanation

So for normal switch your dominant hand does not hold the grip very firmly on take back. You use your non dominant hand to hold the racquet in a neutral position. It is easy to go for topspin or slice off of this position.

If you hold a semi western grip it's not neutral grip, it's fairly aggressive, and making a quick change to slice or bunt grip won't happen as quickly as you already "committed" to a top spin grip. It also creates uneven front and back string wear.

Now. There is no reason why you can't use the grip if you really want too. But it is an example of a ceiling in your potential imo
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
That's the thing... using your non dominated hand to readjust each stroke is better. It's like a reset. On off center hits if the frame twists and you dont hold it like standard you can't readjust the grip as quickly. You won't be able to adjust for slice, reach etc as quickly as the grip adjustment is more extreme.
Interesting. Maybe its the high seing weight but i never seem to have the frame twist.

You can have a ready position where the racquet and off hand are in contact and still adjust.

Also switching to slice is easy. Its no more extreme than switching to other grips from a traditional starting grip. Also for me not changing grips gives a big improvement in that its one less thing to worry about
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
Well I have always used my off hand to get into my back hand grip(which is why you always start with the forehand grip since, it's rather difficult to use your off hand to get into your forehand grip), but, since, I have gone to a semi western forehand, which is basically a Eastern back hand grip, why change racquet position completely around when you already have your back hand grip? I still use my off hand to help get the racquet back, but I don't really need it anymore to find my back hand grip.
 

Daniel_K

Semi-Pro
If you always hit bh ts it might be slightly quicker. But it removes the neutral grip at the beginning. I would liken it to never split stepping before strokes. If you know exactly what is coming it might be slightly quicker. But it removes the "reset" before each stroke and in practice is slower, even though you are removing a step.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
I see no way to get the ball over the net, or even to the net, with that backhand grip, unless perhaps you are swinging from the elbow and patti-caking the ball.

I actually have a very good back hand and I look forward to shots to my back hand as I have great control and power. If you will it's equivalent to a semi western forehand grip to the back hand... start low and brush up.. good shot.

Don't look at the video for a BH critique, definitely not my back hand, that was just to demonstrate flipping from forehand to back hand.
 
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lwto

Hall of Fame
If you always hit bh ts it might be slightly quicker. But it removes the neutral grip at the beginning. I would liken it to never split stepping before strokes. If you know exactly what is coming it might be slightly quicker. But it removes the "reset" before each stroke and in practice is slower, even though you are removing a step.

I"ve never had a neutral grip, it's always a forehand grip and when I go to back hand I always used my off hand to rotate my racquet into back hand position.
Everything is the same..
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
I actually have a very good back hand and I look forward to shots to my back hand as I have great control and power. If you will it's equivalent to a semi western forehand grip to the back hand... start low and brush up.. good shot.

Don't look at the video for a BH critique, definitely not my back hand, that was just to demonstrate flipping from forehand to back hand.

If you're happy with it, stick with it.
 

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
I hold the racquet with a forehand grip and rotate it with my left hand to either a Continental or Eastern to hit backhands.
 

14OuncesStrung

Professional
I flip and I don't even see why you'd want to contort your wrist that much to hit a backhand with a semi western forehand grip.
At best it'll be a super spinny rally shot. You won't be able to get the pace, variety and joint dexterity using an eastern/conti backhand grip.
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
I flip and I don't even see why you'd want to contort your wrist that much to hit a backhand with a semi western forehand grip.
At best it'll be a super spinny rally shot. You won't be able to get the pace, variety and joint dexterity using an eastern/conti backhand grip.

LOL
I was just saying, it's equivalent to a SW forehand grip
Say you hold your racquet parallel to the ground(head) you take the racquet back on your forehand side, its pretty much SW
if you go to the back hand side, not sure what the grip is called semi eastern? But, it is the equivalent to the SW grip on the forehand side, so no
not contorting at all... look at the video.
 

oble

Hall of Fame
I"m trying to, but I'm so used to switching grips, I get lost some times, and just revert back.. you know,, mama's home cooking.
Then just keep switching grips with the non-dominant hand between fh and bh, there's nothing wrong with that. There's usually plenty of time to switch grips anyway even when you're hitting groundstrokes against someone volleying at the net, so there's no real need to "flip". Like you said, you're so used to switching grips it happens subconsciously so that's probably faster than trying to consciously stop an old habit that isn't even a bad habit.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
I flip and I don't even see why you'd want to contort your wrist that much to hit a backhand with a semi western forehand grip.
At best it'll be a super spinny rally shot. You won't be able to get the pace, variety and joint dexterity using an eastern/conti backhand grip.
I use a sw and flip not changing grips. I dont contort my wrist and while i can hit with a more eastern grip i love the sw. You can get plenty of pace with that grip and i cant see what variety or joint dexterity disadvantages there are. Maybe i am double jointed or something

Here is a vid where i am hitting bhs with a better player and except that he has better footwork and is just better i dont think based on the shots you could say which one is using the SW grip

 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
Every topspin backhand you'll see here is a "reverse" (i.e. hit with the same face as the forehand an no grip change)...

Hi Ash. Nice vid. I like how the announcer mentions how efficient that type of bh is. Presumuming they hit like that cause the off hand is busy??

Pretty amazing the pace they get. What are the keys to their power???
 

SinjinCooper

Hall of Fame
Am I correct in guessing that if you're that committed to keeping a single grip for every stroke, that you also don't spin the racquet around and around in your palm between shots like a lunatic? Because that's one of the great joys of tennis, and forgoing it seems to verge on communism.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
Am I correct in guessing that if you're that committed to keeping a single grip for every stroke, that you also don't spin the racquet around and around in your palm between shots like a lunatic? Because that's one of the great joys of tennis, and forgoing it seems to verge on communism.
Yes. All the better players do the twirl...
 

lwto

Hall of Fame
Then just keep switching grips with the non-dominant hand between fh and bh, there's nothing wrong with that. There's usually plenty of time to switch grips anyway even when you're hitting groundstrokes against someone volleying at the net, so there's no real need to "flip". Like you said, you're so used to switching grips it happens subconsciously so that's probably faster than trying to consciously stop an old habit that isn't even a bad habit.
Proper tennis players hit the ball with opposite sides of the racket. Weirdos use the same side of the racket.
Never mind
 
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