The
Perfect Grip
There
are many grips that people can use like the Eastern, Western, Semi Western,
etc. The grip that is most commonly used is the continental grip. With this
grip it can be used for many different techniques in tennis. In the book “The
Top 100 Things That You Can Do to Greatly Improve Your Tennis Game”, by Ace
McCloud it talks about the continental grip as well as other techniques. The
book says, “[The continental grip] is also perhaps the most multipurpose of all
grips as it can be used for a whole range of shots. As well as ground stroke,
the Continental grips allows you to play serves, volleys, overheads and slices,
as well as reacting quickly to defensive shots.” So in other words this is a
very useful grip that can improve your game, since it has so many useful
techniques you can use with it.
For the continental grip I like to think of the handle as a
clock, but I will go more into detail of that later on. When you hold the racquet
to where the strings are faced horizontally, you will then have the handle
faced up at you and you will see 8 sides on the handle. These are referred to
as bevels according to Ace McCloud’s book. I apply the idea of a clock based on
these bevels. The first bevel is the one facing up at you, however I refer to
that as 12 O ‘Clock. There aren’t 12 bevels like a clock, but I believe it is
still easier to think of it this way. Anyways, for the grip you need to have
your index finger knuckle on the 3rd bevel on the right (2 O
‘Clock). Then you need you thumb knuckle rest on the 1st bevel (12 O
‘Clock). You will notice at first that it may be an uncomfortable position for
you, but once you begin to play on a regular basis you will get used to the
grip and won’t notice the uncomfortableness and that you automatically form the
grip while you play.
After I used this grip, I noticed
that it gave me a powerful hit with a strong base and I didn’t have to change
the grip I had on my racquet that much compared to other grips. With the
continental grip I also noticed how it is very useful for volley’s, which is
another technique in tennis, but I won’t go into detail about it in this blog.
However, if you have knowledge about or experiences with a volley you would
understand how the continental grip is great to use as a blocking motion or act
as a “wall”, since the grip is very sturdy and strong. Basically, the continental
grip serves multiple purposes in tennis and helps you have a strong and sturdy
racquet. Also I prefer this grip over all of the other grips used in tennis for
a beginner.
Question: If you have tried any
other grips besides the continental grip, which one do you prefer and why do
you believe that grip is better than the other grips used?
