Finally! A video that actually takes time to describe grips instead of just showing a drawing for 2 seconds. Thank you for this video, it really helped a lot.
I was rockin a Western around those days as well.. my Coach got all up on my ass tryin to get me to switch to an Eastern because I was getting great spin but wasn't getting Depth into the court that I needed(honestly something that would have improved in time) he also battled with me to try to get me to give up my 1 handed backhand and move to a 2 handed... He partially won the battle on my forehand because I ended up in a Semi Western but I refused to give up my 1 handed backhand..
As a beginner I can not reccommend a more valuable video to other beginners than this, plus the video about breathing properly. They helped me tremendously. I started hitting less and less out while my friends wonder why their shots keep flying off the court. Attention to your grip changes so much
FINALLY! I have been watching tens of videos to realise if the racket angle (to the ground) should change when we use different grips. The answer is no. This is the only guy who explains the grips very well. Thank you!
I actually use the western grip for many years,And then switch to a semiwestern, it was actually pretty hard for me to switch though, nobody taught me this grip, I basically found it myself, and I had no idea that there were different grips, when I started to learn I was very confused at first.
Nik you are simply amazing. The amount of info you put out there with clarity and high quality audio and video. Spending so much time in delivering top quality instruction , information and sharing your wisdom is highly appreciated . As a fellow PTR Pro and teaching since 90s you are just awesome. Love each and every post of your video and stuff you are doing. Regards to you family and students as well. They play an important part in what you do too. Cheers . God bless you each and every day. (btw those 5+ dislikers should go for a check up)
Nick, you're such an amazing coach, I wish I lived in the same area so I could hire you :) When it comes to recreational level, most coaches I've dealt with either try to train you like a pro, or oversimplify things that you stop improving after a while
Western(Bevel5)--forehand for juniors Semi-western(Bevel4)--forehand Continental（Bevel2)--serve Eastern（Bevel1)--one hand back,drop shots, slices, volleys Eastern（Dominate Bevel1）&non-dominate Bevel5-6--two hand back Best grips video!! you're brilliant!
I was very comfortable with Eastern/SW for forehand and Continental for serves/volleys, but no matter how much I tried my backhands struggled. I realized through this video I'd been hitting my backhand with my dominant hand in the Eastern forehand grip, which was causing me to have to rotate my hands down making it difficult to gain power. I switched it to the continental and oh my god. I immediately, and I do mean immediately, started smacking the crap out of the ball with control and power I haven't had on a backhand in 15+ years of playing. Thank you so much!!
Amazing content, as always! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Tennis classes down here in Brazil are very expensive and I've been learning only by watching your videos. I'm already able to beat some players in here :) Thanks!
Just from watching this last night a couple of times, my game was so much more improved tonight. I even had a lot of other players comment on this too. It really helps knowing what grips to use for each shot that I'm hitting, especially when a few weeks ago I didn't even know that this mattered. Thank you for the detailed video on this coach 👍🏻
Great video my friend. This is so informative, you have a GOD given talent for teaching. It’s an amazing talent you have my friend. I have been posting my tennis journey and learning a lot from you. Thank you my friend.
Thanks for putting in so much effort for the tutorial. I am a beginner in tennis and your tutorials are what motivating me to play better. Thanks again!
I’m so glad I subscribed to your channel this video is absolutely great so much good stuff to learn I’m now going to serve with the continental grip instead of forehand grip immediately, so grateful…thanks
so the grip resembles the earth right: The broad side is Europe (the European continent), and on the sides are the West and the East! I guess this is the mental picture I will keep in my head so I can work on the muscle memory, the tactile memory without looking (obviously).
Great video! Only one I found that shows how the racquet path and ball path change with the different grips. I've always played with an Eastern forehand, but going to experiment with SW to see how it goes. Also love that you actually give recommendations rather than "you can use this one, or this one is fine too, or this other one". One suggestion: would be useful to put a big dot on your knuckle so it's easier to see how it's lining up with the bevels for the different grips.
An absolute master class lesson on Tennis grips and their pros and cons! The only situation that was not covered, however, is what grips to use on service returns, specifically what grips to use while waiting on serve returns. I realize that there is a great deal of ambiguity in regards to service return grips and what grip to use will depend greatly on the situation and improvisation as well. I still would love to hear your thoughts on this, however.
Excellent illustration! Must watch for all beginners and may be even for the intermediate level players. I just clarified my doubt that for the single handed ‘eastern backhand’ grip index knuckle should be on bevel number 1. Thanks a lot :)
Nick, tnx si much for the serve.. I've tried continental just before the match and immediately felt good. I expected results on the kick and flat, but slice surprised me even more, as the ball didn't fly away to left any more :). In addition to that, eastern backhand used to confuse me on the smash, so now its more clearer, simpler and effective!
Great video, best so far explaining and showing also. Great additional information on tips and also distinction between beginners and already experienced players. So you´ll know better what can or can´t be done still.
@nik - Thanks heaps! Great video, as always. I use them to train my 8-yo left-handed boy. One question, though. For the forehand, the eastern grip is when the knuckle is on bevel #3. However, with the double-handed backhand, you mention holding the eastern grip at bevel #1? Could you please explain this inconsistency? Thank you!
Playing for 5 years, I learned nothing really new about the grips from this, but the very first seconds were a revelation. Realized that I've been holding my racket wrong all this time, with the racket butt clearly protruding out of my hand. My coaches never noticed this or mentioned it even once. I often have the racket move in my hand uncontrollably at contact and I think this may be the reason why.
Excellent clear instrucions. As a returning player I have found your videos really helpful. Thankou. As an Australian I seem to be stuck between the Eastern and Semi Western for forehands with a muscle memory Continental for all the others.
My mom got me into tennis when I was young. I played in HS without much coaching. Eventually I wondered why my grip was molding to my hand and I couldnt use the racquet on the other side of the grip. I never knew of grips until now! (I'm 45). I am trying to get back into playing and will plan to use a Semi-Western FH grip (feels most comfortable). I also didn't realize that the FH and serve (CG/2) had a different grip as well as the BH. Wow. So I can use CG for both FH & BH volleys? Thanks so much for the video.
Hey, Nick. I had a semi-western with my index knuckle right in the middle of bevel 4. But it put too much stress on my right and forearm. I moved it to the division of bevels 3 and 4. And the pain is getting better. Are the true semi-western and western more demanding on the body in your opinion? I also feel like I spend less energy on each forehand now.
Really great Video, really informative. Looking forward to trying to change my grip as im a beginner and played as a kid so think just through bad intuition picked the racket up thinking flat is how you hit forehand :D so will try to move round to the Semi Western grip and hope it improves my forehand.
Great video once again. But i got to watch it again. I'm confused why there is a eastern forehand and easter backhand while hitting a forehand. Easter backhand is bevel 1?
Great fundamental vid, Nik! Could you briefly comment the continental grip? As you say the wrist should stay "straight", neutral. However on the volley I cock the wrist both on FH and BH. It makes the wrist much stronger and it's still I believe the continental grip (is it, by the way?). THE QUESTION - WOULD IT BETTER TO KEEP THE WRIST CLASSICALLY STRAIGHT ON THE SERVE? Or to cock it slightly as on the volley?
Great video, very informative on when to use each grip! Hope this can improve my consistency..I've pretty much just been gripping it and ripping it. It works well sometimes, so hoping more knowledge of each grip will help.
Very nicely done. What are your thoughts on the size of the racquet grip? Some say bigger is better, while it seems like today's players are using smaller size grips. I remember Michael Stich, at 6', used a 4.25. And what a fluid motion and power serve he had. Many manufacturers don't offer the 4 5/8 anymore. I was taught years ago that when you grip the racquet, you should have a space the size of an index finger while gripping the racquet with your dominant hand. Thus, I fell into a 4.5 grip; which, maybe by habit, felt most comfortable to me. I'm sure you could provide some valuable advice about this. Thank you.
Thank you Thomas, I use the same measuring method. I don’t have any data on grip sizes on tour and whether they got smaller except some anecdotal evidence like RAFA
This tutorial was from great help for me. Finally, a fantastic video that explains in detail all the grips and how nad when to use them. Thank you Nick
Hi, Nikola. My daughter is naturally a lefty and often uses both hands in this right-handed world. She is truly ambidextrous, with her competitive gymnastics and swimming experience reinforcing the need to be strong and balanced on both sides. I recently started teaching her tennis fundamentals, with additional help from your excellent videos, and encouraged her to use a left hand forehand and a right hand forehand. She’s done quite well, although we need to adjust the grip a bit to the semi-western grip for both sides. She recently joined a competitive junior tennis team, and the coach thinks two forehands will just confuse her and slow her down as she progresses in competitive levels. I think it’s because most have never seen two forehands work well-ambidexterity is rare, and there is a bias against it, based on unfamiliarity (cf. black swan phenomenon-black swans are the norm down under in Australia and NZ). So, the coach is steering her toward a two-handed backhand on the right side, which funny enough is her more practiced and stronger side now (with a right hand forehand). Would you recommend that she be an exception to the rule and pursue two forehands? Thank you!
There have been some players with two forehands but it’s rare I talk about it towards the end of this video 👉 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DqWTfaPZQ8w.html
Thanks for this great video, it is super informative! Any tips on best way to adjust the grip mid-play, for example, quick switch from forehand to backhand and vice versa?
Great video! I've used the western grip on my forehand since I was little. Although it can look/feel unnatural to novice players, it's actually quite intuitive for many youngsters. The reason for this is because the western forehand grip is good for balls with a high bounce which happens more frequently with less player height. The trade-off is low balls. Since the racket is more or less parallel to the ground, the player must contort their arm and generate low to high swing in a shorter amount of space (often with a kind of hop) compared to when the ball bounces higher.
Thanks to god and this amazing man who explained us with this grip guide. l am a left handed tennis player, so it was really difficult for me to understand this things, but now, with all of these explanations, l understood them at all. Hvala ti od srca Nikola :D
Would have loved this video when I first started learning. I figured out all my grips through trial and error. 😅 I was using Continental as my forehand and Western on my 1H backhand. I still use the Western though, but my fingers are spaced pretty much just like you do on a forehand grip. I haven't noticed any trouble clearing the net, but I do have that problem on the forehand, which I usually take with an Eastern grip.
best grip explanation video ever, but still did not understand the continental grip and why it's better for serve and volley i need to to watch the video again
Thank you so much for all this valuable information. I have a quick question. Why is there no semi-western grip for the 1 handed backhand? It seems to me like it would be the mirror image of the semi western forehand and allow the player to hold the same grip for both shots
Thanks for this nice introduction. What would you recommend regarding the grip size? What advantages/disadvantages brings a thicker grip to a thinner grip (e.g L4 vs L3)? What is your experience with the grip sizes? Many thanks in advance and stay fit!
Great comprehensive video. Question: you mention the placement of the MCP (Art. metacarpophalangeales) of D2 (digitus 2, index finger) is determined by the shot. What about the hypothenar? Some authors claim it should be on the same bevel as the MCP for the forehand and the continental grip? MCP. Hypothenar Continental. 2. 2 Estern forehand 3. 3 SW forehand. 4. 4 With an eastern one handed backhand it is more all MCPs on bevel 1. From your experience is that a valid claim? Do you focus on it? Does it happen passively as a result of spreading your index finger?
How come you want your fingers closer together for the 1hbh? I feel that I get much better net clearance when I separate the index finger so I must be doing wrong maybe? Thanks for the awesome content!
I actually never learned about separating the index finger from the rest of the fingers on the forehand before, but it's made a big difference for me. What about doing this for the two handed backhand (on the offhand)?
