What grip size do most of the pros use?
- Thread starter BERDI4
- Start date
ferrari_827
Professional
This is really strange to me. I would say my hands are a bit smaller than an average male, but I use 4 5/8". 4 3/8" seems really small, and while I can serve very well, it makes groundstrokes really tough to hit.
tom-selleck
Professional
....
i've been all over the place with grips (and lead tape, but that's a different topic).
i have big hands as i am 6 foot 2....
i've gone back to smaller grip 4 1/2 as with larger grip, you can't get the snap/spin on serves or groundstrokes.... to hit the ball completely straight easily, then bigger grip is better...
also, i got tennis elbow from larger grip. here's my theory: with bigger grip, you can't use wrist for spin too much, so i think you use "elbow snap" or something like that.....
it is strange as i always liked bigger grips as it's pretty straight-forward to hit the ball straight, but i really think i need more SNAP and SPIN on my power shots.
just my two cents...... and from all the reading i've done, seems almost all pro's play smaller grips, except maybe pete sampras, which i find surprising (how's he getting massive spin on his serves???)
i've been all over the place with grips (and lead tape, but that's a different topic).
i have big hands as i am 6 foot 2....
i've gone back to smaller grip 4 1/2 as with larger grip, you can't get the snap/spin on serves or groundstrokes.... to hit the ball completely straight easily, then bigger grip is better...
also, i got tennis elbow from larger grip. here's my theory: with bigger grip, you can't use wrist for spin too much, so i think you use "elbow snap" or something like that.....
it is strange as i always liked bigger grips as it's pretty straight-forward to hit the ball straight, but i really think i need more SNAP and SPIN on my power shots.
just my two cents...... and from all the reading i've done, seems almost all pro's play smaller grips, except maybe pete sampras, which i find surprising (how's he getting massive spin on his serves???)
need2paint
Rookie
I'm a guy, about 5'10", but I have very small hands for my height. I know some short women who have bigger hands than I do. Even so, I'm going to switch from size 3 plus overgrip to size 4-no overgrip. FWIW, I hear that the western grip players prefer smaller grips.
tom-selleck
Professional
gmlasam said:
i keep reading 4 7/8, and pretty sure you can find that on internet pretty easily.... but i've always seen that sampras used an unbelievably large grip (can't understand it, especially given his huge spin on serve, obviously very heavy racquet).
typically i believe pro's use grip sizes smaller that what would be considered the correct size. michael stich at around 6'4 used a 4 1/4 size. traditionally smaller grips helps your serve and larger help your groundstrokes...smaller grips are harder to volley with. wrist snap in tennis is a fallacy (sp?). you dont snap your wrist on the serve, you pronate, and there really is no wrist snap on the groundies anymore..not before the hit anyway. for less than good ball strikers, they should stick to the right gripsize for their handsize...both too small and too large isnt so good.
tom-selleck
Professional
not sure of difference between snap and pronation.... but my thought is that there is heavy wrist action in big serves, and that "wrist action" is much easier with a smaller grip.
somewhat curious on this wrist stuff....... i know some people say that sampras had very little "wrist action".....
can someone explain SNAP vs. PRONATION???? i'm sure there have been big threads on this but i don't wade thru them for the definition.
i was thinking that pronation is just more of a lengthwise SNAP with some circular movement (like a judo chop with more circular movement) .... definitely not a downward snap in the direction of the wrist's greatest movement....
somewhat curious on this wrist stuff....... i know some people say that sampras had very little "wrist action".....
can someone explain SNAP vs. PRONATION???? i'm sure there have been big threads on this but i don't wade thru them for the definition.
i was thinking that pronation is just more of a lengthwise SNAP with some circular movement (like a judo chop with more circular movement) .... definitely not a downward snap in the direction of the wrist's greatest movement....
tomselleck
i was thinking that pronation is just more of a lengthwise SNAP with some circular movement (like a judo chop with more circular movement) .... definitely not a downward snap in the direction of the wrist's greatest movement....
That is absolutely correct Selleck! Do a judo chop with you thumb pointing up...before you finish the chop, turn your hand so you thumb points down. Do not break your wrist while you do this. Since I don't have high speed cameras, the wrist problably breaks a little or a lot depending on the person serving, type of serve, etc., or it might not break at all. But, you get the essence of pronation from that description.
i was thinking that pronation is just more of a lengthwise SNAP with some circular movement (like a judo chop with more circular movement) .... definitely not a downward snap in the direction of the wrist's greatest movement....
That is absolutely correct Selleck! Do a judo chop with you thumb pointing up...before you finish the chop, turn your hand so you thumb points down. Do not break your wrist while you do this. Since I don't have high speed cameras, the wrist problably breaks a little or a lot depending on the person serving, type of serve, etc., or it might not break at all. But, you get the essence of pronation from that description.
Grip size
My grip size is 4 3/8, if you go by the stanard way of measuring it. But, I prefer 4 1/4 because I have my grip in my fingers more than in my palm. I definitely feel like I can whip the racquet around faster by doing this. But, I can tell you that grip size does make a difference with racquet twisting. Smaller grip sizes tend to allow for more twisting. Bigger grip sizes are more stable in the hand. I do notice more twisting on miss hits with the 4 1/4 but I do get more action on the ball and can produce more topspin than with a 3/8 grip. I guess I do get more racquet speed but that could just be that I am mentally more comfortable with smaller grip. So whatever is more comfortable is always better.
My grip size is 4 3/8, if you go by the stanard way of measuring it. But, I prefer 4 1/4 because I have my grip in my fingers more than in my palm. I definitely feel like I can whip the racquet around faster by doing this. But, I can tell you that grip size does make a difference with racquet twisting. Smaller grip sizes tend to allow for more twisting. Bigger grip sizes are more stable in the hand. I do notice more twisting on miss hits with the 4 1/4 but I do get more action on the ball and can produce more topspin than with a 3/8 grip. I guess I do get more racquet speed but that could just be that I am mentally more comfortable with smaller grip. So whatever is more comfortable is always better.
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
BERDI4 said:
4 3/8, as per his interview at his site. And he seems to have large hands ...
Tried that (am using 4 5/8 usually), works very well you're getting lots of wrist mobility, except one thing: my tennis elbow gets excited.
BEWARE: grips too large (yes, Pete was 4 7/8 ), or too small, can generate tennis elbow.
