Blog Archives
Mastering Tennis Grips: Key Techniques for Success
Tennis is a complex sport, but when broken down into small bite sizes, it becomes easier to learn and memorize.
Why is the Grip so important?
If you don’t use the proper forehand and backhand grip, you will not be successful. Without the proper grip, your forehand, backhand, serve and suffer the following;
- Lack of Control
- Lack of Power
- Lack of Spin
- Lack of depth on shot
What are the two grips I should use
The two grips we are going to use are called the Semi Western for the Forehand Grip and the Continental for the Back Hand Grip. These are the only two grips you need for a well rounded tennis game. This is how I teach my students, and this makes it very easy to remember. I say easy to remember, but often hard to find the two grips at the right time.
What does the semi western forehand grip look like?
A really simple way to find the semi western forehand grip is to lay the racquet flat on the ground. Simply pick the racquet up off the ground, and you now have a semi western forehand grip! This is a very popular grip, and one used by a high percentage of professional tennis players today. It feels a little awkward to use on the forehand, but only for a short time. When you get the feel of this grip related to the forehand, it forces the racquet face to be closed and keeps it marginally closed at the contact point of the ball. This closed face contact is what creates the natural topspin with the semi western grip.
What does the backhand grip look like?
The backhand grip is referred to either the Continental Grip or the Hammer Grip. An easy way to find this grip is to hold the racquet in your left hand, and place your right hand face on the face of the strings. Simply let your hands slide down the strings, down the racquet and onto the grip. You are now holding the racquet grip in the continental grip. To get a feel for the continental grip, hold the racquet like a hammer, and strike the racquet like you are driving a nail through a wall, you will get the feel of the grip and why it is called the hammer grip.
What grip do I use for the serve and volley?
The backhand grip is also used for your serve, and when you volley at the net. The backhand grip is also used as a slice backhand grip.
How to practice finding these grips while you are playing
The best way to find these grips while you are playing is to teach yourself to always hold the grip in the forehand grip. If you always hold the grip in the forehand position, you only need to practice flipping the racquet from the forehand to the backhand grip. I instruct my students to do this while relaxing and watching tv. Hold the racquet in the forehand position and flip the racquet to the backhand grip. Continue going back and forth, and randomly look down and make sure you are holding the racquet correctly.
Repeat these steps, until you can switch from forehand to backhand naturally without looking down.
The Grip is critical to obtaining proper forehand, backhand, serve, volley, and slice backhand.
Spend some time on the court when practicing. Ensuring you have the proper grip for either the forehand or backhand shot. We will spend a lot more time on this grip when we look at the forehand, backhand, serve, and volley shots.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or comments in regards to this article.
Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed this article.
Enhance Your Tennis Skills: Importance of the Ready Position
When looking at any tennis stroke, it is important to break the stroke down into smaller, bite size chunks of instruction. To do this I am using a process called Kaizen. I explain the Kaizen process as continuous improvement through standard work, or standard process. The idea is to make the instruction simple enough to follow, but also simple enough to remember. The instructions are to the point and focus on key steps to deliver the desired outcome.
Kaizen Work Sheet
The above is a Kaizen Standard Work Sheet I use with my students in person, and for online training. The students actually recognize when they have missed a Standard Work Step, and in many cases they can self correct themselves while playing. Combining the Kaizen Work Sheet method, with Video lessons, or in person one on one, is a powerful way to quickly develop good form and good habits.
The Goal
The Goal of the Standard Work is to be clearly set and the instruction is to be clearly identified.
The Best Practice Image
The Best practice image is to supply the student/player of the image they should attain when following the Standard Work Steps are followed precisely.
The Standard Work Steps
The Standard Work Steps are the details in step by step order to perform the Goal. Each step builds on the next, until the Goal is achieved. If any of these steps are missed, or done incorrectly, it may put the next Goal in the process in jeopardy.
Key Takeaway
The Key Takeaway depicts the importance of the standard work steps, as it relates to the next standard work movement or shot.
Why is the ready Position so important?
Without the ready position being performed correctly and consistently, all of your shots, whether it be a forehand, backhand, volley, will lack balance, fluidity, power, and control. The ready position is used when:
- Returning Serve
- After you have hit your shot and waiting for the return
- After you have served and waiting for the return
- When ever you retrieve a ball, return to center of court in the ready position
- If you are at the net, you are in the ready position.
Try this Standard Work. Repeat the steps over and over until the ready position becomes automatic. Without the proper, fundamental ready position, the rest of your game will suffer.
Be ready to explode into our next section in this forehand series. We will be looking at the split step and the unit turn in our next Standard Work.
Like and subscribe, or leave a comment.
Thanks for reading.