Switched to Full Western on forehand

[Fxanimator1]

Well the new grip had several shanks. I won 7-5. and it was 4-4 when we ran out of light. Its closer than the video makes it look.

Ok I can try to get under things more and see what happens though if you mean knee bend it probably wont happen

You can get more "under the ball" by simply tipping your shoulders slightly as you're going into contact, (In your case, your right should would be slightly lower than your left one). Having said that, you don't always get the luxury of
being able to do that, so footwork is always an ally.

 

[fundrazer]

I love this guys forehand, he can really rip it.

It's rather unremarkable imo.

 

[Power Player]

Well the new grip had several shanks. I won 7-5. and it was 4-4 when we ran out of light. Its closer than the video makes it look.

Ok I can try to get under things more and see what happens though if you mean knee bend it probably wont happen

I don't think you need to focus on the knee bend really. You just need to get more under the ball with the racquet. Just think about that and see how it goes. The biggest change is you will need to pull up and across from that lower postion. That will require higher tip speed.

 

[Dragy]

I don't think you need to focus on the knee bend really. You just need to get more under the ball with the racquet. Just think about that and see how it goes. The biggest change is you will need to pull up and across from that lower postion. That will require higher tip speed.

Yeah @Shroud
1. Drop your hand lower - closer to the hip.
2. Drop racquet head - let it kind of dangle at some point, but be mindful to raise it into and through the ball to get over the handle into extension.

 

[Shroud]

Yeah @Shroud
1. Drop your hand lower - closer to the hip.
2. Drop racquet head - let it kind of dangle at some point, but be mindful to raise it into and through the ball to get over the handle into extension.

I don't think you need to focus on the knee bend really. You just need to get more under the ball with the racquet. Just think about that and see how it goes. The biggest change is you will need to pull up and across from that lower postion. That will require higher tip speed.

Thanks fellas. Was all excited to try this. My buddy was complaining about how all we do is play sets and that we should do some practicing. So I was looking forward to working on this. In the warm up it seemed OK.

So he says "you want to play a set or do something else?" I say I will do whatever he says....lol he chose to play sets.

Anyhow I had a epiphany! What am I doing changing things in the first place? I don't have the mentality or fitness to hit loopy topspin balls! Like that gains me nothing. So I was getting destroyed and switched back to the SW. things were amiss with that and I found myself hitting with the W grip again.

My biggest tennis problem is constantly changing. Different serve different fh, etc. So I am abandoning this W grip stuff and going back to the old SW grip.

 

[Power Player]

Thanks fellas. Was all excited to try this. My buddy was complaining about how all we do is play sets and that we should do some practicing. So I was looking forward to working on this. In the warm up it seemed OK.

So he says "you want to play a set or do something else?" I say I will do whatever he says....lol he chose to play sets.

Anyhow I had a epiphany! What am I doing changing things in the first place? I don't have the mentality or fitness to hit loopy topspin balls! Like that gains me nothing. So I was getting destroyed and switched back to the SW. things were amiss with that and I found myself hitting with the W grip again.

My biggest tennis problem is constantly changing. Different serve different fh, etc. So I am abandoning this W grip stuff and going back to the old SW grip.

Yeah I notice some people in here constantly change up their technique. I don’t really see the point unless it’s supervised by a good coach. You can definitely figure stuff out on your own but without constant supervised reps it breaks down in a match. Having someone tell me what to do if I’m slipping up or not saying anything and just working me hard if I’m moving and hitting well is a lot faster way to groove in shots that are stable under match pressure.

It can be tempting to read some hot tip and want to make changes, but I think that stuff makes more sense to try with coaching then on your own. That way someone who knows your game is watching and can give you real feedback.

W grip really doesnt work that well for many players unless they are really good at movement and really getting under the ball. It’s a grinders style grip. I find myself going to extreme SW if I’m in a match and hitting shots long due to my string tension dropping. Besides that, I think makes a lot more sense for most players. Hell, you can generate big spin with an Eastern.

 

[Shroud]

Yeah I notice some people in here constantly change up their technique. I don’t really see the point unless it’s supervised by a good coach. You can definitely figure stuff out on your own but without constant supervised reps it breaks down in a match. Having someone tell me what to do if I’m slipping up or not saying anything and just working me hard if I’m moving and hitting well is a lot faster way to groove in shots that are stable under match pressure.

It can be tempting to read some hot tip and want to make changes, but I think that stuff makes more sense to try with coaching then on your own. That way someone who knows your game is watching and can give you real feedback.

W grip really doesnt work that well for many players unless they are really good at movement and really getting under the ball. It’s a grinders style grip. I find myself going to extreme SW if I’m in a match and hitting shots long due to my string tension dropping. Besides that, I think makes a lot more sense for most players. Hell, you can generate big spin with an Eastern.

If you would set your string meter correctly you could see the dropping tension...

Its funny about the coaching. I had one coach who I helped get several jobs until I stopped helping because he would ALWAYS lose them from some stupidity. He was lamenting about how most all the players he had to coach ( highschool) had western grips and said how he would NEVER teach that. Then a week or so later he texts "what is in these racquets these days? I got hit off the court by a 15 year old girl". bet she had a western grip!

Most vids on grip have the coach explaining them and at the Western they show it and explain it and then pretty much say "but I don't recommend it".

Shroud is a grind free zone...

Probably better to work on my chicken wing....

 

[Deleted member 766578]

.

 

[mcs1970]

I made an important post-pandemic change. I switched from a SW Federer grip on FH to a Full Western Nadal grip.

So much better. I now believe that hitting topspin and dealing with incoming topspin both REQUIRE the FW grip for stability. It is just impossible to get the timing and racket face angle correct otherwise.

Video?

 

[Power Player]

Doesn't have to be a grinder style grip if you use it correctly, you can really rip through balls if you generate the RHS, but if you can't then yeah stay away from it

True, I personally can rip pretty well with the Western since I used extreme SW most of my life. My grip is dangerously close to it. It still takes good fitness because the reality is that it takes more energy to hit balls through the court. I migrated more towards normal semi western, but recently found myself migrating back a little. I tend to adjust one way or the other a little per match.

 

[stringertom]

A word of caution: it's really hard to hit off of a second bounce with a Western grip.

Warning: Southern California will suffer its worst earthquake ever if OP moves enough to hit off first bounces.

 

[heninfan99]

I made an important post-pandemic change. I switched from a SW Federer grip on FH to a Full Western Nadal grip.

So much better. I now believe that hitting topspin and dealing with incoming topspin both REQUIRE the FW grip for stability. It is just impossible to get the timing and racket face angle correct otherwise.

 

[travlerajm]

Wow. I feel like the girl is constantly hitting with the wrong side of the racquet

Would that cause injury if an older person were to try it? Asking for a friend.

 

[tlm]

Would that cause injury if an older person were to try it? Asking for a friend.

I use it regularly with no problems.

 

[Pitti]

Would that cause injury if an older person were to try it? Asking for a friend.

I suppose it's a matter of technique, but I definitely prefer to use a more natural grip for the forehand. The very few times I've tried to use an extreme western forehand I've found it extremely uncomfortable. And I'm not 30 yet.

 

[zaph]

I suppose it's a matter of technique, but I definitely prefer to use a more natural grip for the forehand. The very few times I've tried to use an extreme western forehand I've found it extremely uncomfortable. And I'm not 30 yet.

It all depends on what you're use to. I have always played with a very extreme Western grip. I have had more than one person come up to me, when they see the grip and ask how I actually managed to hit a forehand.

The truth is, I have no idea, I learnt to play that way when I was a kid and it is just autopilot. Somehow the racket face just ends up in the right position and I don't have to think about it. I suspect if I tried a less extreme grip, I would probably injure myself and would almost certainly screwup the forehand

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

It all depends on what you're use to. I have always played with a very extreme Western grip. I have had more than one person come up to me, when they see the grip and ask how I actually managed to hit a forehand.

The truth is, I have no idea, I learnt to play that way when I was a kid and it is just autopilot. Somehow the racket face just ends up in the right position and I don't have to think about it. I suspect if I tried a less extreme grip, I would probably injure myself and would almost certainly screwup the forehand

How tall are you? Play against many who hit a lot low, skidding shots? What type of court surfaces do you frequent?

Some players adopt an extreme / full Western Fh grip when they are young (and very short). But often, if they end up as tall players in their high school years, they may find that Fh grip is less effective at keeping them competitive if they haven't switched to a more conservative SW grip, such as a SW.

If you play primarily on clay or other high-bouncing courts, you may very well find it easy to get away with extreme grips.

 

[Pitti]

It all depends on what you're use to. I have always played with a very extreme Western grip. I have had more than one person come up to me, when they see the grip and ask how I actually managed to hit a forehand.

The truth is, I have no idea, I learnt to play that way when I was a kid and it is just autopilot. Somehow the racket face just ends up in the right position and I don't have to think about it. I suspect if I tried a less extreme grip, I would probably injure myself and would almost certainly screwup the forehand

Yes, I suspect we're at opposite sides of the spectrum. I play with an eastern FH grip. Since I'm not tall, it can lean to semiwestern with higher balls. But as you said, it doesn't require thinking. I would screw up my forehand if I suddenly tried an extreme western grip during a match... at least as much as you would with an eastern one.

 

[Cashman]

That sounds as though it's a bad thing, because in fact, it didn't need to be said at all.

I have just noticed that Americans don’t really have access to fast-court tennis, that’s all.

Even in European countries with mostly clay, there is usually some access to carpet courts.

 

[tlm]

I have just noticed that Americans don’t really have access to fast-court tennis, that’s all.

Even in European countries with mostly clay, there is usually some access to carpet courts.

No we don’t have many fast courts or carpet courts in the US. But I’ve played on a few and I’m glad we don’t have those type of courts. Some players may like them but they are not for me.

 

[Cashman]

No we don’t have many fast courts or carpet courts in the US. But I’ve played on a few and I’m glad we don’t have those type of courts. Some players may like them but they are not for me.

I am a strong proponent of surface variety being fundamental to developing a well-rounded game. I play most of my tennis on grass and carpet courts, but I also make sure I drive across town every couple of weeks to play at my local Italian clay facility. It is good for my game and makes me a more complete player.

There is nothing wrong with hardcourt (apart from being terrible for the body) but it is a fairly bland surface and if you play on it exclusively you develop fairly bland tennis. The extremes of very fast and very slow courts force players to hone skills that may otherwise be out of their comfort zone.

 

[pencilcheck]

I am a strong proponent of surface variety being fundamental to developing a well-rounded game. I play most of my tennis on grass and carpet courts, but I also make sure I drive across town every couple of weeks to play at my local Italian clay facility. It is good for my game and makes me a more complete player.

There is nothing wrong with hardcourt (apart from being terrible for the body) but it is a fairly bland surface and if you play on it exclusively you develop fairly bland tennis. The extremes of very fast and very slow courts force players to hone skills that may otherwise be out of their comfort zone.

I think hardcourt has its own advantage, you can play slow and fast, high spin or low spin, it is bland but also a hybrid depending on the ball and playstyle. However grass and clay restrict you to a very extreme set of playstyle, that makes you less adaptive in my opinion.

 

[tlm]

I am a strong proponent of surface variety being fundamental to developing a well-rounded game. I play most of my tennis on grass and carpet courts, but I also make sure I drive across town every couple of weeks to play at my local Italian clay facility. It is good for my game and makes me a more complete player.

There is nothing wrong with hardcourt (apart from being terrible for the body) but it is a fairly bland surface and if you play on it exclusively you develop fairly bland tennis. The extremes of very fast and very slow courts force players to hone skills that may otherwise be out of their comfort zone.

I‘m sure that’s true but beings I only really have hardcourts available and occasional clay court I don’t have to worry about playing on fast courts.

 

[Cashman]

I think hardcourt has its own advantage, you can play slow and fast, high spin or low spin, it is bland but also a hybrid depending on the ball and playstyle. However grass and clay restrict you to a very extreme set of playstyle, that makes you less adaptive in my opinion.

I think this is a bit of a myth, to be honest. It's certainly true that hardcourt allows the success of a greater variety of playstyles, but I don't think in and of itself it makes players more adaptive.

In my experience, anyone who plays exclusively on a single surface is prone to settling into whatever works best for them in those conditions.