Tennis Racket Grip Q: The Squash Grip

[tdk]

I have been playing some squash lately. Picked it up after a 30y brake actually. Back in my days of playing a lot of squash I was taught by the pros to grip my racket far up the grip, not at the very end. Back then we slapped at the ball with great racket head speed, not all that different than we do now in tennis. Last week when playing tennis I was playing very bad. Could not hit the ball in the middle of the string bead and my shouts had no topspin and soared long and wide. Nothing worked. So I grabbed the racket further away from the butt cap and instantly my strokes improved drastically. I did a search on the net but could not come up with any articles, photos or videos on the topic. However, a search in squash brought me this:

It is universally recommended that you hold the racket in the middle of the grip. This is because it enables you to get a balance between power and control. The lower you hold the racket, the easier it is to achieve power and the higher you hold the racket the easier it is to achieve control.

https://thesquashcompany.com/grip-squash-racket/?v=f0aa03aaca95

My question is now. Is this totally wrong by all standards? I actually don't need much power. Even holding the racket on a mid grip produces power to die for. The power comes from the lag and the racket head speed. Not from a lot of leveridge. Any thoughts?

 

[esgee48]

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/official-short-frame-users-unite.570895/

It is a matter of personal preference. My swing is medium/fast, but long. I use a XL frame to get some RHS. If you find that a shorter frame gives you control/power, then go for it. FWIW, I do play a guy that really chokes up on his frame. He hits a solid spinny ball with a fast swing. However, compared to me, he does not hit it with as much velocity and no one really is surprised by his ball. His balls are spinny, not heavy.

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

I was going to ask the opposite. Why do players not hold the racket by the buttcap when holding the racket by the buttcap is superior?

Federer and Nadal hold the racket by the buttcap and have the two best forehands we've ever seen. The extra racket head speed doesn't mainly come from the added leverage. The racket has a greater range of motion if you hold it loosely from that far down. It's the same idea with the racket drop in the tennis serve. The deeper the drop (like that of Sampras and Roddick from the greater range of motion and flexibility of their shoulders), the more racket head speed you get on the serve. Loss of control doesn't matter if you use heavy spin to compensate (or a higher twistweight like Sampras and Blake).

Chances are, the pros that don't hold the racket by the buttcap are just continuing what they did when they started (the extra leverage is harder to manage as a kid) and never adjusted to holding the racket as low as they could. That, or they don't like the feel of holding it by the buttcap (preferring a flatter feel in the palm). They still hold the racket as low as they possibly can. The difference in leverage going down is pretty large. And the difference in range of motion between holding it by the buttcap and not is noticeable as well. If you use a lot of wrist, it's a pretty large difference.

 

[weelie]

I "choke up" when I am constantly late. I feel it gives less power, and reach... but works when I am bit slow and racket is twisting in my hand. I also grip shorter at the net.

 

[Chas Tennis]

For single hand grips, when I look at many pictures or video frames of male pro players, it seems that the majority have the butt of the racket handle end at around the little finger.

I've posted a thread on this before - especially since nearly all instructional material says to place the bevel of the racket handle on the 'fat pad' of the hand. 'Fat pad' is inconsistent with what is being done - little finger area - by the majority of male pro players. Search: tennis grip pictures

Judge for yourself -
https://www.google.com/search?q=Clo...SMgbrQAhVCj1QKHUnzD0QQsAQIHA&biw=1043&bih=658

 

[xFullCourtTenniSx]

For single hand grips, when I look at many pictures or video frames of male pro players, it seems that the majority have the butt of the racket handle end at around the little finger.

I've posted a thread on this before - especially since nearly all instructional material says to place the bevel of the racket handle on the 'fat pad' of the hand. 'Fat pad' is inconsistent with what is being done - little finger area - by the majority of male pro players. Search: tennis grip pictures

Judge for yourself -
https://www.google.com/search?q=Clo...SMgbrQAhVCj1QKHUnzD0QQsAQIHA&biw=1043&bih=658

Federer actually holds more of the buttcap in his palm when he's hitting topspin. Slices and volleys is where I noticed he's a bit higher on the grip, at least on the backhand.

Nadal's grip seems to be all over the place on slices/volleys. Sometimes he's choked up to the point the entire buttcap flare is showing, other times he's holding it by the buttcap.

 

[tdk]

Thanks for all your input here. Yes, the pros all grab as far out the grip as it allows. Sometimes the butt cap way into the palm. However, I wonder why holding the grip further up seemed to boost my strokes. I'm playing the Dunlop Biometric M2 which is a rather heavy racket. Grabbing it up the grip kind of makes it more head light in balance.

Did I understand correctly, some of you suggest I shorten the racket by cutting off at the butt cap? That is for sure not the same as grabbing it further up the grip. Or?

 

[Chas Tennis]

My very rough estimate based on looking at a large number of grip pictures for ground strokes and serves:
1) Handle butt ends around little finger - 90%
2) Handle butt ends around fat pad - 10%

For instructional internet material in pictures and stated -
1) Handle butt placed on fat pad - 90%

But I have not done stats in looking at the pictures. Those stats would be interesting.

I don't believe that the common 'fat pad' recommendation can be supported as easily as a 'near to the little finger' recommendation.

 

[esgee48]

For every inch you choke up, you decrease SW by 15-20 SW units. This will make the racquet easier to handle for timing. However, the lower effective SW means you cannot drive thru the ball to have a lot of velocity. That's why you can handle your heavy racquet. IME (YMMV) a shorter take back is required if you use heavier frames. And I keep the pinky barely on the butt cap.