I've been using eastern for 5 years...

[sansaephanh]

And didn't know it rofl.

Today, some friends got me to start hitting true western, because i had it wrong for so long that I even made them google it and prove me wrong.

Well I tried western for a bit and MAN does it open up angles... now I can see what Power Player was saying that my RDiS 200 fits a toppers game more... I use to have to hit a over exaggerated WWFH to get worse angles and with a simple switch of a grip and a teeny adjustment to swing path and I could construct points ten times better.

I'm thinking about making the switch... Though I might need a bigger grip. it was a bit too loose when i turned it from eastern to western. I'm going to miss the massive counter punches I could hit from eastern

Do you guys ever switch grips to hit the shot you want? I used to until someone got into my head and I started messing myself up all the time. I'm thinking i might be able to switch to eastern and hit that big flat ball when they give me time to set up. well at my level its more if i feel like I have time to make the shot.

What grip size have you guys found to work better for your western game? A small grip? a big grip?

 

[rufus_smith]

Darn, I thought you were going to post how awesome the Eastern forehand grip (my old-school grip and pretty much Fed's) is. Instead you are going over to the dark side of western and semi-western grips,oh well. Eastern gives you the most support for your hand so to get the same hand support with Western you may have to get a little bigger grip. Of course a larger grip may change your serve wrist action so it can get complicated. Sometimes you can get away with switching between two forehand grips on a slow clay court but it takes a extra concentration to do that and normal tennis is tough enough. Btw you can get good Western-like spin on the ball with an Eastern grip with some adjustments but no, its not as easy. Anyway others can give you better advice on that ...Western grip.

 

[anubis]

There's nothing wrong with considering making a change to your game to make yourself more competitive. I wouldn't make the change during a match or tournament, however. Practice it on your own first and get used to it.

Western and semi-western grips definitely give you access to more spin, but at a price: the angle of the racquet face with these grips is conducive to dumping the ball into the net if the ball is too low to the ground. You'll have to modify your swing path to begin lower and sweep upwards so that you can brush up on the ball, generate the topspin, and get the ball over the net.

If you're used to swinging at the ball or through the ball with eastern grip, then that same swing path with western/semi western will dump the ball into the net.

It's definitely a big change, but good luck with it!

 

[LeeD]

The majority of us have switched from eastern to strong SW, very close to W.
Relax to hit rally balls, using a loopy loose swing.
Tighten up and shorten up to hit flat winners.

 

[TennisCJC]

My advice is to go to a SW or something between an Eastern and SW. Full W is great for high balls, not very good for low balls and requires really big grip changes to get to backhand grip and volley grip.

I don't advise that you use W for rally FH and E for drive FH. Too much going on but that is my opinion. Soderling use a pretty extreme SW/W type grip and can hit a flat hard drive without changing grips.

Just my opinion but I would use something between E and SW as they work well for low, medium and high balls. Also, faster switch to BH grips and volley grips.

 

[Power Player]

Glad you are enjoying the 200! I'd second what people are saying and suggest the SW grip. It is easier to hit clean shots that are flatter when needed. It is a very flexible grip that will let you polish off winners with drive and then hit heavy spun rally shots with some net clearance.

 

[sansaephanh]

Darn, I thought you were going to post how awesome the Eastern forehand grip (my old-school grip and pretty much Fed's) is. Instead you are going over to the dark side of western and semi-western grips,oh well. Eastern gives you the most support for your hand so to get the same hand support with Western you may have to get a little bigger grip. Of course a larger grip may change your serve wrist action so it can get complicated. Sometimes you can get away with switching between two forehand grips on a slow clay court but it takes a extra concentration to do that and normal tennis is tough enough. Btw you can get good Western-like spin on the ball with an Eastern grip with some adjustments but no, its not as easy. Anyway others can give you better advice on that ...Western grip.

I love my eastern grip man, but thats mainly because the ease of pace and depth. I was actually trying really hard to hit shorter balls, but had a tad of trouble. When I tried SW it made it so easy. lol. I'm just not used to it though.

My advice is to go to a SW or something between an Eastern and SW. Full W is great for high balls, not very good for low balls and requires really big grip changes to get to backhand grip and volley grip.

I don't advise that you use W for rally FH and E for drive FH. Too much going on but that is my opinion. Soderling use a pretty extreme SW/W type grip and can hit a flat hard drive without changing grips.

Just my opinion but I would use something between E and SW as they work well for low, medium and high balls. Also, faster switch to BH grips and volley grips.

I'm probably going to try sw for a full session tonight. To see how well I groove with it. Or if I can at all.

Glad you are enjoying the 200! I'd second what people are saying and suggest the SW grip. It is easier to hit clean shots that are flatter when needed. It is a very flexible grip that will let you polish off winners with drive and then hit heavy spun rally shots with some net clearance.

It seems harder to hit flat, but thats probably only compared to my natural eastern grip. I did notice how heavy my shots became when I hit whichecer western i was hitting though...

It's a tough choice, but i'll just have to try it out and see.

 

[Hi I'm Ray]

I found transitioning into a Western FH and swinging hard quite easy. Having competed using the W grip, I will say I had a hard time with low shots. A guy I regularly hit with uses a Western FH and hits the ball really hard, however I have found that he has a much harder time being offensive from the B-line if the shot is below net height, esp if the shot is low + and little pace. It has given me a additional area to exploit, knowing he won't be hitting a strong reply I can be ready ahead of time to attack his shot.

Having used all three FH grips, W for many years, E for 2 years, and SW for the past 6 mo, I will say for me the SW is the most balanced. But it also took a long time to play well with (about 35hrs). Obviously different grips will work better/worse for diff players. Here's a thread on switching grips (E to SW), I'm at post #9 in detail: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=438556

 

[5263]

I'm thinking about making the switch... Though I might need a bigger grip. it was a bit too loose when i turned it from eastern to western. I'm going to miss the massive counter punches I could hit from eastern

Do you guys ever switch grips to hit the shot you want?

This is why most go semi western, as it gives you some of both.

Yes, I adjust more western for higher balls and more eastern for lower balls. This
takes lots of experience.

 

[mightyrick]

I always wonder if guys who switch from Eastern to SW ever really tried to hit an Eastern with a purely loose grip. I hit EXTREMELY flat and with a very straight arm, but I felt like I rediscovered a new grip when I just severely loosened my grip. The topspin generation was just incredible.

So to those who are hitting forehands with a more neutral Eastern grip... consider seriously loosening up the grip before you make a complete grip change. You might be surprised in the results.

Yes, switching to a SW will instantly give you more access to topspin due to the necessarily steeper swing path. But I truly think that a very loose grip with an Eastern can yield satisfactory results for most people.

 

[LeeD]

For me, eastern was a weakness. I have problems with maintaining good posture when forced to run or defend body shots. Strong SW allows the ball to go in under those two specific conditions, and I can still flatten out enough to hit strong when a forcing shot is called for. A default rally ball is a safe stroke to have, and that's my chosen grip.

 

[effortless]

Don't switch to full western, the negatives out weigh the positives especially for you since easter came naturally to you. Very few top pros use a full western grip. Even nadal's grip isn't that extreme. He gets his extreme spin from his racquet head speed and the way he swings at the ball, not his grip. Although, I don't see any harm in trying something closer to a semi wester or even a proper semi western.

 

[anubis]

Don't switch to full western, the negatives out weigh the positives especially for you since easter came naturally to you. Very few top pros use a full western grip. Even nadal's grip isn't that extreme. He gets his extreme spin from his racquet head speed and the way he swings at the ball, not his grip. Although, I don't see any harm in trying something closer to a semi wester or even a proper semi western.

I agree. I also think full W can cause damage to your wrist. It's not natural, and the force exerted on your wrist by turning your arm to open up the racquet face puts too much stress on the weakest part of your wrist. SW is safer and more effective from most areas of the court