Extreme eastern is the all-rounder grip not SW

[macbookpro_2015]

This is just my personal inclination but when I use a SW or anything further I end up ripping as much spin on every ball as I can and just hope it lands in because I find that it's hard to get a good feel of the ball with SW or anything more extreme. With an EE I have more control over pace, depth, direction, net clearance, the tactile feeling at contact, and even spin; and just every fact of ball trajectory altogether. I'm typing this in an Apple Store right now so I feel awkward about searching videos but Pieter Becker Tennis Coaching has a video about how EE is the ideal FH grip. I'm also very short at maybe 5'4" in shoes so if I can use this grip you most likely can do well with it.

 

[Bud]

Mild SW is much better

 

[ppma]

Nobody is built the same.

 

[StringSnapper]

i dont think it matters much - if you use eastern you need to have a steeper swing path, and SW a flatter swing path. thats all IMO, all roads lead to rome.

 

[macbookpro_2015]

Mild SW is much better

That's Nadal's actual grip lol

 

[macbookpro_2015]

i dont think it matters much - if you use eastern you need to have a steeper swing path, and SW a flatter swing path. thats all IMO, all roads lead to rome.

My swing path with an eastern is actually quite linear and I just roll my wrist and forearm over the ball. I'll have to see if I can do the same with a SW or even Continental.

 

[OTMPut]

Why restrict to one grip? As Federer said, you change your grip based on the ball coming at you and what you want to do with the ball.

 

[_FrankTheTank_]

Extreme eastern is what compared to mild SW and SW? Asking for a friend.

 

[dlam]

I personally like the pancake grip

 

[weelie]

Extreme eastern, as in the grip between SW and eastern, is certainly a viable choice. I used to play EE, but it has drifted to SW. It is a bit of splitting hairs kind of a thing, some call a grip mild SW and others a strong EE, who cares.

Learning as a kid, I emulated Agassi. Simple EE forehand that was very effective (his, don't know about mine).
Teaching my kid, when she was 6yo, the "high five bll drop" SW forehand was the best way to teach that I have found. She could instantly hit a great top spin forehand.

In the end, it is a function of the ball you receive. If you receive balls at shoulder height, eastern is probably awkward, so kids easily tend to more western than is good for later development. If you receive low flat balls, western is not good.
Also grip is not always the same. On red clay, balls bounce high, grip has a tendency to shift. Or, in trying to kill a high ball, one probably shifts to a more western grip rather than eastern. I think it is fallacy that FH, BH, volley, serve have a single grip, though it is a good simplification for teaching and learning. I vary grips in all of these, and no I don't think about it, it just happens.

 

[10sbeast888]

just an individual bone structure thing.. there is no universal answer.

 

[macbookpro_2015]

Extreme eastern is what compared to mild SW and SW? Asking for a friend.

EE - index knuckle is on the ridge between bevel 3 and 4

Mild SW - index knuckle appears to cover bevel 4 when bevel 3 is directly facing you

Full SW - index knuckle is more or less completely on bevel 4

 

[Rosstour]

Why restrict to one grip? As Federer said, you change your grip based on the ball coming at you and what you want to do with the ball.

This is the way

Returns and low balls, I use weak eastern
Normal height rally balls, SW
High rally balls, W