Grip..Different for Kick/Flat Serve?

[RoddickOwnzYou]

I've been finding it very difficult to serve a flat serve with a continental/eastern backhand grip. If i move my hand over a bit..say to an eastern forehand, i can flat serve with no problem. My kick serve works well with a continental...is this normal or do most use one grip for all serves?

 

[tom-selleck]

i think if you can get a high % on your flat serve, use whatever grip you want.... some of us though seem to need the continental to keep the serve in play.

then switch to a continental/EB for other serves.

but you have to judge whether eastern forehand flat serve is working for you or if it just feels/hits nicely (which i know it does)

 

[RoddickOwnzYou]

Good info, thanks Tom.

 

[Jonnyf]

i use easter FH for flat serve

 

[TwistServe]

The reason you want to go with continental is because you can snap down on the ball and create that extra racquet head speed, or you can add a lil spin to give the flat serve a lil more consistency... You can't do that with an eastern grip; try to snap down on the ball, the racquet butt gets blocked on the wrist.. James Jenson's serve video demonstrates this FACT!.. If you're satisified with your serve, then continue to use the eastern grip.. Later when you want to add a faster flat, or want to add some spin in that flat serve, you'll see continental is the way to go..

Lastly just because it is consistent for you doesn't mean you shouldnt strive to do it the right way. There are advantages when you do it the right way.

 

[Ken]

I've tried both continental and Eastern FH grips on flat serves. I can get a little more wrist snap easily with continental, but I've always found it's a lot more consistent for me, and almost equal pace with the Eastern FH. I don't know if it'll hurt me in the long run, I'll ask around.

Using an Eastern BH grip also greatly increases my consistency, it was how my hand naturally gripped the racket the first time I served. I think my first serves all had topspin, although not very much kick.

From looking around on the forum, a lot of people and most pros all use a continental grip. So I've been trying to get it better, and use it for first serves. I usually use a consistent flat second serve with an Eastern FH grip, or sometimes topspin.

 

[Tahsin1982]

Well said twist.

I used to use the EF grip on the flat and the wrist snap is very
difficult compare to continental. With continent you can generate more
pace on teh flat serve as well compare to easter forehand.

Just my 2 cents worth. :mrgreen:

The reason you want to go with continental is because you can snap down on the ball and create that extra racquet head speed, or you can add a lil spin to give the flat serve a lil more consistency... You can't do that with an eastern grip; try to snap down on the ball, the racquet butt gets blocked on the wrist.. James Jenson's serve video demonstrates this FACT!.. If you're satisified with your serve, then continue to use the eastern grip.. Later when you want to add a faster flat, or want to add some spin in that flat serve, you'll see continental is the way to go..

Lastly just because it is consistent for you doesn't mean you shouldnt strive to do it the right way. There are advantages when you do it the right way.

 

[Dopke]

For flat serve, try having the toss not so high (if you were tossing it pretty high). Or even if you weren't, try tossing it a bit lower. I found that I could get more balls in when I tossed the ball lower than when it was higher for a flat serve. Lower- and out in front.

 

[truaznguy2000]

using a forehand grip to do your flat serve will in the long run hurt your body....especially your shoulder...as my coach have pointed out to me, he said that by using the forehand grip....western forehand....when you try to add more pace to it you pull and rip your shoulder blade muscles.....so i switched to the continental....the eastern backhand grip is used more for the kick and twist serve....and its the grip that generates the most spin. my pennies worth

 

[RoddickOwnzYou]

Thanks for all the tips guys. i'm gonna try and ween myself off the ef grip slowly and more towards the continental for mah flat serves..hopefully w/o sacrificing too much consitency. Time will tell

 

[Jonnyf]

i ve just started quite alot of matches for my club and i'm the captain who got us up from 3rd division to second and hopefully well get into first (as im young enough i can play next year in under 14's) and i don't think i can really tinker about right now

 

[andreh]

Any good tennis coach will tell you NEVER to use an Eastern forehand grip on ANY serve. Do some searches where this discussed.