Nice video Tomaz. I've thought about this topic many times. Against big servers I typically use continental, which allows me to block the forehand or slice the backhand without needing a grip change. When facing slower servers, I usually go with eastern backhand grip and transition to semi-western forehand when needed, which feels the most natural to me.
As a one hander, I´ve always used continental. This video is precious to me, specially for 5:46. I never looked out for the receiver´s grip when I´m serving. Can´t wait to try this.
Good summary of the ready position grip positions, Tomaz. There is another option, though, whereby you can return both with both the correct forehand and backhand grips (not the Continental grips) IF you use a Western forehand and an Eastern backhand grip. It turns out that if you are in either of the latter two grips you can switch to the other grip simply by keeping the same side of the racket's string bed facing the oncoming ball. This automatically results in a grip "change" without having to change the position of your hand on the handle. If you use a semi-Western grip, the same procedure will get you very close to the other grip--just 1 bevel away--which is less movement than being in a Continental and switching to a semi-Western. I've tried this technique but what trips me up is moving the racket so that the same side of the string bed faces the oncoming ball. This requires a clockwise or counterclockwise movement of the racket head which takes some practice to get comfortable with. It doesn't take any more time to execute but it has a very different "feel", one that I've never gotten comfortable with.
Yes, George, this option is extremely rare and I would prefer not to suggest it to a recreational tennis player. I have seen it only a couple of times on the pro tour as even the players with extreme western grip still prefer to switch / turn the racket to their backhand grip which I assume they got used to as juniors.
Always grateful to listen to ideas from the pros, in my last match I used the FH grip and it helped me to have a better return but I wasn't sure it was an ideal grip for return of serve, so thanks for give us insights to clarify ours concerns. Regards
I have a 2 handed backhand choose D: both - dominant hand in the forehand grip, off hand in the backhand grip. Release the offhand for a forehand, loosen the grip on the dominant hand and let the racket naturally spin as you move to hit the backhand then grip again.
Tomaz, Personally on second serve returns my left and right hands are both on the handle. Right dominant hand is in the forehand grip. And left hand is in the 2hbh grip. This allows me to do a drive return in both sides. If it goes to forehand I’m ready to hit the forehand. If it goes to the backhand my left hand is already in the 2hbh grip while my right dominant hand which is the bottom hand in the 2hbh; will rotate to find the continental grip as I prepare my backswing. First serves my right dominant hand is in continental grip for sliced returns. Left non-dominant hand is also on the handle so that it looks the same.
Thank you Tomaz for going outside in the snow. Very informative. I guess you'd call my ready position old school. I hold the racket in both hands on opposite sides of the grip with the head vertical. Ironically, the plus side is the down side. I have to adjust whether the ball is a forehand, or backhand. I've tried several others, but ended up here in large part due to the fact that it forces me to change grip every time. I don't have to think about keeping, or changing my grip depending on where the serve goes. As with many things in tennis, there is no right, or wrong. However, I will admit that I don't see why anyone would hold the racket when receiving like Nishikori. :-)
Thanks Tomaz, I use a tip you gave in one of your excellent videos. As soon as one can say to oneself Backhand! or Forehand! as the served ball approaches the net, this instigates a left or right turn of the upper body and racket in preparation for the return, which then moves the loose grip (semi- automatically -if you have two hands on the racket) from continental to forehand or backhand grip. (one has to assist the semi-automatically a little to get a proper grip but not too much or too tight).
Yes, automating early preparation helps a lot, here's a link to that video in case someone wants to see it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iXvWh-xMSd0.html
I had the same questions but chose to stick with A version from this video with my left hand on the neck of the racquet even if I have 2 hb. If the server is doing a really good job serving on my bh side i will have the forehand grip with my right hand and bh grip with my left hand having the hand moved from the racquet's neck to the handle of the racquet. In this way I can switch very fast reducing the risk of not finding the right grip.
I actually use all 3 depending on what the other player is doing. I used to always hold forehand, but it was too hard to switch to one hander grip. Now, I wait in continental grip simply because if I don't have enough time for a switch, it's easy to hit a chip return, if I have time, I can switch easily. I only wait in one hander backhand grip if a server really picks on my backhand like Tomaz said. So for fast servers, I go into continental, for servers that know how to hit to backhands, I hold the backhand grip. If all I get is slow serves to the forehand most of the time, I wait in forehand grip.
Tomas---I switched from eastern to semi-western (wrist issues). I find sw grip, you have to commit more and catch ball more in front...which makes serve return tricky since there's less margin for all that (timing etc). Any pointers? I thought about maybe return with eastern, but I think that's complicating things and probably should just stick with one grip for FH...
If you are not good at changing the grip, you can wait with continental grip so that you are forced to change and thus train the changing of grip. But for that you need to play lot's of matches and perhaps losing them in the beginning of the season. 😁
Hello, for a righty, 2 handed backhand player, with the ready position (for serves returns and general waiting position) in continental grip, with left hand on the grip (ready to hit a backhand) - isn't this the best grip to have and wait for the ball, as you are ready for every shot (2hbh, slice, serve block, volleys, drop shots) except forehand? You then only need to change the grip when hitting the forehand. I do not see many players using this though, and the coaches do not recommend it. Am I missing something?
Yes, theoretically you are right but the reality is the most players in the usual ready position when playing from the baseline hold the forehand grip by default and only change it to backhand when needed. So they are used to only one way of changing: from forehand to backhand. If you now ask them to also learn changing from continental to forehand (and that extremely quickly when returning), it turns out to be a mess. They are not used to it and even it practice sessions you cannot make as many repetitions doing a "change to a forehand" grip on the return as you do the number of repetitions changing "from a forehand to a backhand" grip just hitting from baseline. So that's where theory and reality clash and usually reality, meaning number of repetitions and how used the players is to those changes, wins. Maybe some players can learn both ways of changing grips (really quick and also precise) but majority will struggle with it.
You can start building the serve with these 7 steps: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CXgfNBnetzQ.html. After that work on the swing & throw drills: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cKeSQHjm4gM.html.
No, don't think so analytically, just swing at nice speed (not too fast!) and aim. Then just keep trying, learn through trial & error. Serve takes long time to learn, be patient and work on it regularly.
