Return of serve grip

[Mark-Touch]

Working with my newly acquired semi-western/western grip I have a question about
the service return.

For a second serve there is enough time for a full swing with either of the above grips.
However for a strong first serve there is much less time for a full swing and to prepare the grip.

If a block return is required, do players use a continental grip or semi-western/western grip?

If it is the semi-west/western how is a block achieved?

 

[Pete Player]

Never used a really strong grip, but probably what ever works, works.

 

[Jonesy]

Same topspin grip on the FH and BH (like Almagro). Stay farther back for 1 serves and step forward to return using the energy of the momentum of your body and a compact swing.

 

[HFK]

ROS strokes are not full strokes. You have an abbreviated take back and full follow through.

In case you're scrambling to just get the ball back you use continental grip and block it back.

 

[socallefty]

This is what the pros do facing much faster serves than at the rec level. The whole article is interesting.

The Pro Return

005 is shaping up to be a fascinating, blockbuster year on the world pro tour. In this preview Tennisplayer Tour Editor A.J.Chabria assessing the state of the game and the games of the players, from the top stars like Roger Federer and Serena Williams to the young players, many of them not...

www.tennisplayer.net

‘A final area we have looked at in our filming is return grips. In the ready position, which grip or grips do the players wait with? Although there are exceptions, such as Rafael Nadal, who holds his left hand on the racket throat when he returns, most two handed players hold the racquet with both hands on the racket. Their left or top hand will be in the normal grip they use on the backhand. But with the right hand, they'll hold their forehand grip. If the return comes to their backhand, they'll rotate the right hand toward the top of the frame to create their normal backhand grip structure.’

My additional note would be that some 1HBH players like me stand with a continental grip as we tend to slice or block a lot of BH returns. If it is a FH return, we just slide over to the FH grip with the help of the offhand - you keep your offhand also on the grip and it helps to twist the racquet to the proper grip on each wing.

 

[Mark-Touch]

My additional note would be that most 1HBH players including me stand with a continental grip as we tend to slice or block a lot of BH returns. If it is a FH return, you just slide over to the FH grip. Usually you keep your offhand also on the grip and it helps to twist the racquet to the proper grip on each wing.

I should have mentioned it is the FH grip that I'm mostly interested in.

You said you stand with a continental grip and slide over to a FH grip.
Do you have time to do this with a fast serve and how will a western grip help you if you just have time
to block the ball back? I'd like to know the mechanics of blocking a ball back with a western grip?

"One handed players have more variety in the grips they wait with. They might wait with either the forehand or the backhand grip in the ready position. However, players who chip a lot of returns, like Federer and Dent, will wait with an in between grip. Most players who wait with an in between grip will then switch to their normal forehand groundstroke grip if they are going to swing. Interestingly, Federer does something a little different. When he drives his forehand return on the first serve he uses a slightly less extreme grip than his normal groundstroke. There was another pretty good player who did the same thing: Pete Sampras."

Very interesting.

 

[socallefty]

You said you stand with a continental grip and slide over to a FH grip.
Do you have time to do this with a fast serve and how will a western grip help you if you just have time
to block the ball back? I'd like to know the mechanics of blocking a ball back with a western grip?

Sometimes you stand back if the serves are too fast, but having offhand help helps to change grips fast.

I can’t help you in terms of playing with a Western grip as I have a SW FH grip and I haven’t taught anyone a Western grip in my limited coaching experience with kids (just done it as a volunteer). Intuitively it seems like it would be hard to hit block returns with a Western grip. I think that when I block FH returns, I do so with a strong Eastern grip and not the SW I use for baseline shots. It is probably not uncommon to find players using a weaker grip for block returns - I do that on the BH also where I block with a conti grip instead of usual EBH grip. I tend to return early preferably hitting the ball on the rise to take time away from the server and so, block returns and slices happen a lot.

The Western grip seems to have declined in popularity in the last fifteen years in countries where most tennis is played on hard courts as you can hit a lot of topspin with poly strings without needing such an extreme grip. Before poly, players felt like they needed extreme grips to hit heavy spin.

 

[HFK]

Rec players that suddenly adopt to hit FH with Western grip simply decided to miss shots a different way.

 

[Mark-Touch]

Rec players that suddenly adopt to hit FH with Western grip simply decided to miss shots a different way.

Don't worry I'm still in experiment-mode.
Was getting comfortable with semi-western but decided to experiment with western a month or so ago.
Hence my post.

 

[Jonesy]

Don't worry I'm still in experiment-mode.
Was getting comfortable with semi-western but decided to experiment with western a month or so ago.
Hence my post.

What is your backhand grip? I don't see any issue returning with a western grip, just turn the wrist like Djokovic does with a compact swing path. Djoker grip is bevel 4.5 (extreme SW), but the wrist position feel of the extreme SW and Western is basically the same.

 

[socallefty]

Don't worry I'm still in experiment-mode.
Was getting comfortable with semi-western but decided to experiment with western a month or so ago.
Hence my post.

Do you play with poly? That can also help with spin.

 

[Mark-Touch]

What is your backhand grip? I don't see any issue returning with a western grip, just turn the wrist like Djokovic does with a compact swing path. Djoker grip is bevel 4.5 (extreme SW), but the wrist position feel of the extreme SW and Western is basically the same.

Thanks that video was really helpful.
I use multiple 'BH grips'.
I put that in quotes because these are the BH grips I use:

-continental (for block/slice)
-rotate a bevel for topspin 1HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HFH (Yes you read that right. I will often use a lefty 2HFH on my 'backhand' side.

 

[Mark-Touch]

Do you play with poly? That can also help with spin.

Yes I made the move to poly about the same time I switched to semi-western a few years ago.
Lux 125 4G Rough.

 

[socallefty]

Yes I made the move to poly about the same time I switched to semi-western a few years ago.

What is the reason for the Western grip switch? Do you play on high-bouncing clay a lot? Western comes with its own pros and cons.

 

[Jonesy]

Thanks that video was really helpful.
I use multiple 'BH grips'.
I put that in quotes because these are the BH grips I use:

-continental (for block/slice)
-rotate a bevel for topspin 1HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HFH (Yes you read that right. I will often use a lefty 2HFH on my 'backhand' side.

Nice, when it comes to grips i don't think there is a right or wrong, what matters is what you are more comfortable with. What feels "natural" is different for everyone.

 

[HFK]

Thanks that video was really helpful.
I use multiple 'BH grips'.
I put that in quotes because these are the BH grips I use:

-continental (for block/slice)
-rotate a bevel for topspin 1HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HBH
-same grip rotation but 2HFH (Yes you read that right. I will often use a lefty 2HFH on my 'backhand' side.

Oh...

 

[Mark-Touch]

What is the reason for the Western grip switch? Do you play on high-bouncing clay a lot? Western comes with its own pros and cons.

Not high bouncing balls.
I'm experimenting with western mostly to get even more topspin.
Because I was quite used to my semi-western, I'm finding it a little difficult to rotate into the western grip and feel comfortable.

 

[Friedman Whip]

Nice, when it comes to grips i don't think there is a right or wrong, what matters is what you are more comfortable with. What feels "natural" is different for everyone.

I think what you're saying is a bit too general. If you want to play at mid to higher levels there are some grips that would be universally accepted as wrong and some that then would be 'right'.

 

[Shroud]

Working with my newly acquired semi-western/western grip I have a question about
the service return.

For a second serve there is enough time for a full swing with either of the above grips.
However for a strong first serve there is much less time for a full swing and to prepare the grip.

If a block return is required, do players use a continental grip or semi-western/western grip?

If it is the semi-west/western how is a block achieved?

If its a really good serve and out of range, conti slice is the way to go. But the block is achievable with sw. Its kind of like a wave. Here is a vid where I hit some blocks

 

[ballmachineguy]

Oh no! Not serve grip! Waiting for Godzilla vs Serve Grip. That’ll be a battle!

 

[Mark-Touch]

Oh no! Not serve grip! Waiting for Godzilla vs Serve Grip. That’ll be a battle!

"If its a really good serve and out of range, conti slice is the way to go."
He wasn't talking about serve grip. He was talking about return grip to counter the serve.

 

[ballmachineguy]

"If its a really good serve and out of range, conti slice is the way to go."
He wasn't talking about serve grip. He was talking about return grip to counter the serve.

Sorry, just trying to be funny. Replied directly to just the thread title.