Old racquets with a serve/forehand face and a backhand face
- Thread starter Bambooman
- Start date
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Is it just a label, so you can use it to decide choice of serve or end at the start?
No, it's for the actual shot. It's the model that also has instructions/reminders printed on it.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
A lot of better players always play with the same side of the racquet “up,” meaning serves and forehands are always stricken on one side, and backhands on the other.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
I’ve always wondered why as well. I noticed my strings starting to curve towards one side typically if I’ve been hitting a lot of forehands. I’m definitely a bit OCD when it comes to keeping strings straight, so I usually consciously flip racket sides between points, in addition to straightening any straying strings.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
It’s because the way the grip is wrapped and feels in my hand
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Guess my hands either aren’t very sensitive, or my grip wrapping skills are very uniform because I usually can’t tell the difference.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
With leather you always have one side bigger than the other
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
I often find after a while holding one grip, that rotating the racket 180 degrees for the same hand makes it feel weird and 'incorrect'. But after a few minutes persistence that goes away. Presumably, slight compression moulding to your hand.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Ah. I don’t use leather.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
It is a factor with synthetic grips as well, though perhaps to a lesser degree than leather.
Butt caps tend to work over somewhat, with a palm side and a fingertip side (palm side being a wee bit closer to the flat plane of the main bevel flat, and the fingertip side offering slightly more “knob” sticking out).
Some pros of the “leather grip era” also preferred racquets that had asymmetrical weight tuning, which further reinforced the “this side up” practice. John McEnroe did such; I believe Ivan Lendl did as well.
I have always (since my junior tournament days in the mid 1980’s) played with one side of my racquets down. All of my frsmes have absolutely zero wear on half of the bumper guards!
Butt caps tend to work over somewhat, with a palm side and a fingertip side (palm side being a wee bit closer to the flat plane of the main bevel flat, and the fingertip side offering slightly more “knob” sticking out).
Some pros of the “leather grip era” also preferred racquets that had asymmetrical weight tuning, which further reinforced the “this side up” practice. John McEnroe did such; I believe Ivan Lendl did as well.
I have always (since my junior tournament days in the mid 1980’s) played with one side of my racquets down. All of my frsmes have absolutely zero wear on half of the bumper guards!
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Me too!!!!!!!
Once you're on the run things might not be quite as set. Pluss some people spin their racquet so much they probably aren't sure.
That racquet model is widely available for viewing online.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Haha! I personally spin the racquet a lot in the midst of a point, but never had that issue… or when on the run.
Interesting thread. In the old wood days there actually some racquets that would have 'serve or receive', or something similar printed on either side of the frame by the grip for when they were spun before a match.
As for playing I consciencely flip my racquets around so as not to play with the same side up all the time. When I was a junior a coach told me that serving with the same side of racquet all the time would cause the strings to wear out faster. Back then I used gut strings and only got a week or so out of them as it was. I don't know if that is really true or not but it's something that has stuck with me. I hold my racquets pretty low on the grip and I generally use base grips, whether they come with the racquets or leather grips later until they lose their tack then use over grips. I wrap the over grips so they start on the opposite side of the base grip so the difference between the 2 is pretty negligible.
As for playing I consciencely flip my racquets around so as not to play with the same side up all the time. When I was a junior a coach told me that serving with the same side of racquet all the time would cause the strings to wear out faster. Back then I used gut strings and only got a week or so out of them as it was. I don't know if that is really true or not but it's something that has stuck with me. I hold my racquets pretty low on the grip and I generally use base grips, whether they come with the racquets or leather grips later until they lose their tack then use over grips. I wrap the over grips so they start on the opposite side of the base grip so the difference between the 2 is pretty negligible.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
i think when i am returning or serving, one side feels more right in my hand than the other, due to the grip. however during the points, I have no idea.
