Sampras Grips

[serveboy]

Serve: continental?
Forehand: between eastern and semi-western
Topspin backhand: between continental and eastern?
Slice backhand: continental

I'm really interested in his topsin backhand grip. Sampras has got a great backhand return. I think he holds the racquet in a continental backhand position even before he knows where the serve is going to give himself time. If it goes to his backhand, he can in the blink of an eye change from slice to topsin. His topsin backhand strokes suggest he uses between continental and eastern grip since he's able to hit the backhand a bit later than somebody with an eatern backhand grip would (with an eastern grip the racquet face is squared when the hand is pertruded in front of the body).

What do you guys think?

 

[finchy]

for serve, he uses something more towards an eastern backhand grip. he uses this for more spin.

i think he uses an eastern backhand grip though. i have been watching tapes of him like crazy over the past 2 weeks and ive seen him play alot.

 

[kreative]

i think pete's grips are:

serve: continental
volley: continental
forehand: eastern
backhand flat/topspin: eastern
backhand slice: continental

 

[JohnThomas1]

I'm sure he uses the full Eastern on the BH

 

[serveboy]

These pictures suggests otherwise

Between continental and eastern?[/img]