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Discovering the right forehand grip is crucial for your game. In this video, we’ll break down each grip type in depth... And which one you should go with based on your playing style and goals.
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Weak to Winning Forehands ➡ racquetflex.com/forehand
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🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
• Nick Kyrgios Forehand ...
• Juan Martin Del Potro&...
• Del Potro Forehand Slo...
• The Real Deal! Carlos ...
• Roger Federer Forehand...
• Richard Gasquet... FOR...
• Sampras Forehand-Backh...
• Novak Djokovic & Grigo...
• Roger Federer vs Adre ...
• ATP Cup Final 2020 Nad...
• Juan Martin del Potro'...
• Roger Federer Slow Mot...
⏱ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 So Many Forehand Variations
2:03 Forehand Grip Breakdown
3:26 The Eastern Grip
7:33 The Semi-Western Grip
10:34 Western Grip
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What's up athletes! Thanks for watching. Just wanted to clarify some players mentioned in the video. To clarify, Nadal is not using a full western grip. He's likely using a grip somewhere in between the semi-western and full western (especially earlier in his career). And now, may be using a full semi-western. These nuances are difficult to tell even with high-speed video because they're so nuanced, can change depending on the shot, and sometimes over a players' career. Upon closer inspection, it does look like Gasquet is using more of a full Eastern. However, it appears milder due to his flexed wrist and pronated forearm position during his backswing. On that note, it's not recommended to use anything milder than the standard Eastern grip if you're trying to hit a modern style forehand. Showing different players provides a starting point for the general grip types. But there are always slight differences from player to player. And ultimately, what's important is that each player experiments and finds their own preference. Hope this helps, and great luck out there!
I would like a video explaining the various variations of the two-handed backhand and their characteristics, it would be incredible
can't wait to see this series of videos. Great job as always guys.
I've been following tennis channels and videos for over 10 years and this by far the best explainer out there! The key takeaway for viewers should be that there is no one semi-western grip but multiple variations...
Nail on the head! Eastern is 'less athletically demanding'. So why do so many coaches START students with the semiwestern? Beats me.
THANKS A LOT FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!
It’s a good day when racquet flex posts videos. Welcome back
Wow. So much info I’m going to have to watch this 2-3 times!
I understand what you're saying intuitively because I've been doing these things for ages, but seeing them explained so well is incredible. Really good writing!
yeah i’ve been figuring this stuff out through heuristics for the past few years of playing a bit higher level and watching videos. but none have broken this down so clearly and technically as these guys. liked and subbed, RaquetFlex!
Excellent video breakdown. End of the day it is all about the semi-western forehand !
Great info and presentation. 👍
More western you go then the closer the elbow gets to the body it seems, yes? Closer contact point to the eyes. Great video, guys.
This is one of the best tennis videos on this platform, pls pls pls do this for the backhand also, I cannot wait
Amazing content, guys.. ty!
We need more video on the one handed backhand please 🙏 I want to learn this technique
Great video! I am the kind who changes raquet grip like socks, but I think next summer I'll settle on eastern or a close variation.
I've read so many times on the internet that many coaches start their students with a semi western grip and I always thought it was really weird. I'm a tennis coach aswell and in my country every kid starts with an eastern grip no matter who their coach is. Children can't get enough power with a semi western grip until he/she reaches a certain age. They either willingly change it to a semi western (when the time is right for it) or it naturally changes when they play with older opponents that hit with lots of power and spin which causes them to continuously receive high balls and the grip starts to slip to a more extreme position in order to hit comfortably. What grip do you think a beginner, especially a kid should start with and what does the majority of American coaches encourage their students to use?
I would love a video breaking down how the racquet/swing is putting spin on the ball at the actual contact point. How closed is the racquet face. Where is 12 o clock on the racquet facing. I’m really interested in learning more about the actual physics of it.
More please 😊
Great video
Started with eastern used to experiment with western . switched to a semi western . can hit with a hawaiian grip but only do it when practising or having a friendly . Cici Bellis retired at 22 with a wrist injury from this grip 😩. Semi western works well for me .
Very nice summary. Nadal changed his grip to mild Semi as well as changing his strings to thinner guages.
Hi Coach, Thanks for this video bc I have been looking for content on this and had not found it! Technically I am using the semi western forehand grip, but I am feeling I am not getting a solid enough contact with the ball...I feel i am coming over the ball too much at contact..do you recommend I adjust the grip?
What a great way to start the year!! I always wondered!
Thanks Carlo!! Best of luck out there 👍
I started tennis in late 1970s with wooden racquet era. Grip taught was eastern grip. I think most players at that time like McEnroe, Lendl, Sampras were doing similar grip. The only exception I read about was Rod Laver with western grip at his time. Is it partly a function of advance racquet technology that made the more aggressive style possible? What was Bjorn Borg's grip, seeing that he was a top spin player?
Coach from Greece here, thank you for everything, go on to the next video!
Kyrgios actually uses on-the edge between semi western and full western grip. An interesting case is Fritz who currently uses a bit deeeper grip than western.
Where'd you get that uniqlo tennis shirt? Looks great
In 10 years, some new world tennis champion is asked in an interview, “how did you develop those beautiful strokes“ he answers “well, there’s these guys on KZhead…
Can you please cover Yannick Sinner forehand and backhand thank you
Nice.
to be sure to understand well, would you say that the hand is more open with the index more spread on full semi-western than on mild semi-western ?
2:08 just to clarify clockwise and counter-clockwise are wrong here? or are they from your perspective holding the racket?
How significant is the difference beteeen extreme Eastern and mild semi western? I’ve been playing for 2 years consistently, taking lessons once a week and and playing another day. I am around a 3.5 level at this point. I’ve naturally developed an extreme eastern grip, and people say I get a lot of spin for someone my level. I am extremely confident on low balls, but I do struggle a little bit on the higher bouncing balls. Is it worth adjusting to a mild semi western grip? My goal is to essentially consistently improve for as long as I play, I’m only in my 20s so I am completely fine playing the long game. Thanks,
I tried switching to a semi western grip when I was younger and I was committed to it but my forehands were never as consistent.. ended up switching back to that eastern, just felt more comfortable to me, immediately the instructor at the club told me my forehands looked better.
I had similar experience about switching grip as well,when I started playing tennis as a teenager I used an eastern grip just like Federer. But I failed to realize that the grip size of my second racket was a little off after changing it,and I didn’t care that much at the time,however it ended up affecting my grip tremendously. Since I was unable to have a comfortable grip using normal eastern grip ,I guess I just switched it to extreme western naturally overtime,without me even noticing. It affected my game hugely since my partner used a normal eastern grip with a flatter trajectory,and using an extreme western grip was killing me against the low ball. After a while that I learned more about the grip difference of tennis,I fixed my grip size with double grip cloth, and forced myself to transfer my grip to a semi western.And now I’m sticking with it. I would say the feel between extreme western and semi western is like night and days,it’s crazy for me to think about playing with both. I spent a lot of time to fix my grip problem as well,it’s extremely weird to transfer back to a normal grip when you have been using an extreme one for so long.
Could you explain the terminology in more detail? Such as, what does a "milder" grip mean?
I've always pretty much lived on a Continental grip and even used to find the Western not very fun, but I largely agree with the analysis. I just started out and formed all my habits in a very different era of tennis (yes, wood rackets and all). I had a continental grip on the forehand, but I would slip to the East on my backhand (one-handed backhand, of course). Unsurprisingly, my backhand was the far more versatile stroke. Aside from the fact that I'm old enough to be the father of anyone on tour today, the game has changed so much that I barely even have anything in me that is relevant or competitive. About the only skill I have that is remotely impressive anymore is my knack for picking up half-volleys. I also often played serve-and-volley, which is practically a dead paradigm in today's tennis.
Where can I get that Shirt? It looks really nice 😅
I can't help but associate the Western with Kent Carlsson, who used even an extreme version of that and looked like he was throwing uppercuts when he swung. I've been an Eastern adherent my whole life and as I've aged, I've found that it fits my game even better now (50+) than when I was a teenager, mostly due to requiring less athleticism to hit. However, what I have been trying lately is rotating to a semi-western when I know a high ball is coming, and that's greatly improved my put-away percentage because I can strike sharper angles, even if I'm only using it on the slow loopy balls that I can better set up for.
What is Holger rune grip ? Ils like alcaraz ? 3 and 4 or just 4
Hello my friend. for the " Flat " shot it's easier to use Continental grip.
U can't hit too hard with continental as it will hurt ur wrist
Which grip you would say, Agassi uses?
The wrist deviation stuff -- just flex toward your pinky through contact, yay!! -- was very confusing, guys. Otherwise excellent video as always.
The eastern grip counters the westerns body full use as athletic , when you run foward .
Which racquet are you playing with?
What means modified eastern grip?¿ That's what the quiz tell me to use it
Is full Western grip the same as a continental grip, just hitting forehand using the other side of the racket?
No, continental grip keeps most of the heel pad and index finger base on bevel 2 while the western grip uses bevel 5. Same side of the racquet. Western requires you to get under the ball and really whip thru the ball in a brushing motion while continental allows you to hit thru it.
It is the personal preference of the player that counts not that of the coach.. i am a tenniscoach, i start them in eastern with beginner's.
You can use both but at a higher level the eastern ends up being better for people who want to hit more winners from the baseline and short balls above the net. The western is good for smaller and younger players who need to loop the ball over the net more. The western can be considered more consistent perhaps, but the eastern requires less torque on the body. I used to be western grip all up until I turned 30 and now at 33 I'm playing the best tennis of my life with the eastern grip. At the end of the day it is whatever you feel comfortable with.
I use Fedistic modified/extreme eastern grip so I'm no expert but your description of the semi-western grip and its contact point etc. was confusing and unclear. You mean your wrist moves from radial deviation to ulnar deviation during the contact?! Sounds crazy and impossible!?
You forgot extreme full western which is on 6-5
i use the Eastern when i feel like pushing or hitting on the rise but a semi western when i wanna just thwack it lol. i used the semi w as a teenager, quit for about 10 years, came back super out of shape and not having the gas tank or the patience to stand 3 feet back and run at every shot. switched to the eastern so i could hit on the rise on 80% of my shots, which was great because i could cover the baseline in 3 steps rather than 5 or 6. Been about 2 years since I came back and I'm slowly building back up my old form and fitness and being able to competently hit both versions has been such a treat (I'm roughly a 4.0 player). I genuinely love using both depending on the situation. My favorite part of the eastern is that it unlocks the disguise forehand dropper/slice shot. Not the greatest conventional competitive shot, but the insane sidespin slice that you can put on it can get you some easy points at club level just from people not being good enough at on the rise backhands. I do get caught between two minds sometimes playing with people who hit harder than I'm used to though. Having to pick one or the other in split second situations is not an advantage.
i have important question : Do pro tennis player use many grip ? they choose the grip compared to the ball they receive
No they don't, they change swing path
Yes, they do, at least the best. All situational dependent
They change grip from forehand to backhand, but they usually stick to a single grip for all forehands
This is really, really interesting. But it also feels funny to me. While I have taken many, many golf lessons and understand the theory of the golf swing very well, I still don't swing the club well or naturally. On the other hand, I have never taken a single tennis lesson and have no theoritical knowledge of tennis technique, and yet I feel that I hit the tennis ball much more comfortably and naturally than the golf ball. Maybe it's just because I started playing tennis earlier than golf.
Great explanation of the modern forehand grip variations! My only suggestion has nothing to do with the explanations, per se, but the players you use for examples. All men and no women. How about Iga's or Coco's extreme Western grips? Serena's semi-western? My daughter is more interested in watching women's tennis, and frankly I am as well. Bring more viewers into your world by including women!
I would say the best example of the true western grip is nishioka that racquet face is as flat as a pancake and he still hits a really deep and powerful shot
A few other great examples of western grip players are Taylor Fritz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff. One thing in common with all of their forehands that allows them to generate so much power with western grip is their open stance and the legs driving forward on every shot. I personally use western grip too, but my shots are always short because I don't have the strength/ability from the lower body to drive the rotation and drive the ball forward.
@@andyhung424able iga and coco are good examples fritz is not even close to western lmfao
@@ash3r01 check out this video by Taylor Fritz himself saying he uses western grip at 0:37: kzhead.info/sun/Zt6sac5rinSQi3k/bejne.html
@@ash3r01 here is another analysis video on his forehand. kzhead.info/sun/rMebdNKbnqKJYJE/bejne.html
what string do u use plsssssss?
the red one
Love your videos, keep them coming! #winnerwinnerchickendinner
Thanks for watching till the end, haha!
Federer gets more topspin because he has a very low racquet drop, similar to Nadal. Nadal has to swing incredibly hard with that racquet drop given that he has a semi-western grip.
Always been an Eastern gripper. It feels more natural for my swing path.
#winner winner chicken dinner!!
the best grip is the grip u like best
love y'alls videos but the audio mixing is wild 💀
Americans have a great serve and good forehand but why so weak backhand compare to us in Europe? Just asking
I noticed that too. Maybe they learn to finish the point with the forehand and the backhand is used to counterpunch to then set up the forehand winner ?
@@CB-mr1ci maybe I don't know just asking.
@@CB-mr1ci and you can be so right maybe thank you :)
@@CB-mr1ci Probably, and because they have a better serve they might be basing their game more around Serve +1 which means they run around their backhand more often.
It’s the fast hard courts which predominate in the USA, which makes going for outright winners with big serve and big forehand a highly profitable strategy. Less need to grind, unlike on the mostly clay courts in Europe where big shots are nullified by the slower surface.
#winnerwinnerchickendinner
You got it!
#winnerwinnerchickendinner :)
# winner winner chicken dinner 😅
Rafa's grip is semi- Eastern, I reckon. I analysed his latest training video.
Like Fed, Nadal’s grip has weakened a bit over the years. He started off pretty clearly semi-western but is now an extreme eastern (aka semi-eastern). Fed started off extreme eastern and is now mid eastern.
the music is a little to loud
Kyrgios and Nadal are not extreme grip users.
Nadal has changed his grip in his career a few times
Nadal is actually semi western. should probably change your thumbnail
Tsitsipas uses eastern
Your videos are great but I think Federer uses a classical eastern forehand grip: kzhead.info/sun/ZKiRoqWRaHywlHk/bejne.htmlsi=MTLY9NHsWMaHmUtT kzhead.info/sun/lLyco8akimWAn2w/bejne.htmlsi=Sn2yRxGy78zGB5dJ
I feel like I’m your friend
You gotta do your research first. Gasquet uses semiwestern grip . Not the continental grip .
Claiming Nadal has a western grip and same as is wild. Or that he has the same grip as Novak smh. Especially when you show a vid of Nadal using radial deviation when creating spin (as he always does) and not ulnar deviation. His buggy whip is tons of radial deviation and wouldn’t really be possible with a western grip or a grip like Novak’s. Love this channel but this was was a big miss. Tsitsipas seems very eastern too very similar to Sampras, his idol.
the clips you show for western are not really western look at nishioka and khachanov
Fantastic video great topic and examples. I recommend your channel daily on the court. Keep up the great work. #winnerwinnerchickendinner
For those wanting to hit like a pro, just hit.
2:57 So your viewers are supposed to know what you mean by "a grip close to Jack Socks"???
Jack Sock is known for having a western grip. Generates alot of spin but sometimes struggles with low balls.
Screw it. I'm going Hawaiian grip
Anyone who uses Nadal as an example of how to use a western grip on a low ball shouldn't be doing instructional videos. Nadal uses and has always used a standard semi-western grip--just like 80+ percent of professional players.
According to them he uses an extreme semi-western grip which is very close to a normal semi-western grip, so it is going to be hard to find any defintive evidence either way. These guys have a lot of high quality videos with more knowledge than almost every online coach there is, so I wouldn't write them off because you disagree on one minor detail.
He does use a semi-western: kzhead.info/sun/dduhoZhwpKuagac/bejne.htmlsi=MgpklJOA-Xpgr1QL
#nadalfanboyrant "how dare you get any Nadal facts wrong"😅. Great video guys👍🏾
I think you missed it--probably have to watch it twice. Nedal was an extreme grip example.
These guys are some of the most knowledgeable on KZhead. Maybe they got a Nadal fact wrong. Maybe Nadal changes his grip sometimes. I don’t know everything about the guy. But I do know this channel specializes in science and biomechanics.
Just use semi western. No one uses eastern. Even Fed uses a in between the two.
Nadal definitely uses a SW forehand grip. You can't hit straight arm with a full western.
bent vs straight forehand style please
#winnerwinnerchickendinner
Nadal has changed his grip in his career a few times
#winnerwinnerchickendinner