Need help with penhold grip

so guys, i use penhold grip and I have a problem. This is my current grip:
WhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01.jpg WhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (1).jpgWhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (5).jpg

Is ok for me, i use when i started play penhold, is the most confortable. But, have a problem: this grip make me have a mentality to use much and forehands on all table. I dont use much backhand (rpb for all bh techniques) and make me problems on matches.


I have other grip i like equal the other one:

WhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (2).jpg WhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (3).jpgWhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (4).jpg

this grip make me use so much more backhand, make me have much more confidance on rpb because the more contact area and more "circular" feel of racket. I lost a little bit of strenght of my fh but gain 80% more strenght on my bh...

( i dont use three flat fingers or curled like Xu Xin and Xue Fei because my minimum finger is curved, i dont know the motive lol:

WhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (6).jpgWhatsApp Image 2021-01-18 at 20.04.01 (7).jpg


the point i will be talk is: why grip I use, the first make me more confortable but make some problems with bh, the second make me use more bh and more confortable mentality on matches, i use more bh.

i change my mentality with the first grip and start use more bh or use the second grip? i dont need "change" my mentality with second.
 
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Need to cut and paste my reply to make it more readable. Answering on phone and didnt see where I left off and typed my ending in the middle. Lol at me

........



Hello Sir:

If i understand correctly:

1st grip - most comfortable mentally plus FH dominant, almost no RPB

2nd grip - much more RPB but FH not as strong as 1st grip

Other members, both PH and non-PH, can probably give you better advice than me.

For whatever this is worth, I'm an advanced beginner or a beginning intermediate player. With that said, I do NOT play tournaments, probably won't ever play tournaments. I do not mind losing if I know I played to the best of my ability. I am on the journey to Self-Perfection, looking to improve myself and don't care so much about winning or losing. I changed my game from TPB to RPB. Lost many games in about 2 years making/learning the transition. I feel I am a better player now than before as I'm well-rounded and having a few extra tools to handle situations. HOWEVER, I lost many, many times before I finally have a decent game both FH and BH side. I got "comfortable with being uncomfortable". I "invested in loss". Took about 2 years for my hard work and many losses to finally show some winning results.

Good luck in your Training Sir! Look forward to hearing about your progress on whichever grip you choose!

It sounds like your 2nd grip gives you a 2-wing game. Play with it more to get mentally comfortable.

OR

get comfortable with learning to RPB with your first grip.

I went through 3 grips or so before settling on 1 grip as I was learning RPB.


With that said:

1. do you hate losing? if so, sounds like your first grip will give you challenges on balls to your BH.

2. do you have good footwork and energy? If so the spirit of PH is FH dominance and almost always using your FH.

3.
 
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Need to cut and paste my reply to make it more readable. Answering on phone and didnt see where I left off and typed my ending in the middle. Lol at me

........



Hello Sir:

If i understand correctly:

1st grip - most comfortable mentally plus FH dominant, almost no RPB

2nd grip - much more RPB but FH not as strong as 1st grip

Other members, both PH and non-PH, can probably give you better advice than me.

For whatever this is worth, I'm an advanced beginner or a beginning intermediate player. With that said, I do NOT play tournaments, probably won't ever play tournaments. I do not mind losing if I know I played to the best of my ability. I am on the journey to Self-Perfection, looking to improve myself and don't care so much about winning or losing. I changed my game from TPB to RPB. Lost many games in about 2 years making/learning the transition. I feel I am a better player now than before as I'm well-rounded and having a few extra tools to handle situations. HOWEVER, I lost many, many times before I finally have a decent game both FH and BH side. I got "comfortable with being uncomfortable". I "invested in loss". Took about 2 years for my hard work and many losses to finally show some winning results.

Good luck in your Training Sir! Look forward to hearing about your progress on whichever grip you choose!

It sounds like your 2nd grip gives you a 2-wing game. Play with it more to get mentally comfortable.

OR

get comfortable with learning to RPB with your first grip.

I went through 3 grips or so before settling on 1 grip as I was learning RPB.


With that said:

1. do you hate losing? if so, sounds like your first grip will give you challenges on balls to your BH.

2. do you have good footwork and energy? If so the spirit of PH is FH dominance and almost always using your FH.

3.

1. I hate lose when I dont do my best, when i dont do my total or minimum 70% of my capacity i hate much the lose.
2. I have an good footwork but on process, i dont have much energy on aerobic and cardio exercises because im a little fat lol : )

I use rpb on the first grip but on im desprepared moments i use tpb blocks and obvlious the balls goes to net. I dont feel confident with rpb on the first grip.
 
I think has a video on YouTube titled : "4 basic penhold grip " from MLFM table tennis.

so, i use the wh grip adaptation on first grip, i cant do the xx grip because my minimum finger is curled and hurt when i use the xx grip, i dont like the curl and ma lin grip.
 
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Are you RPB only? If not, then there is no such thing as perfect for both forehand and backhand, just find something that gets by without uncomfortable finger pressure.

1. The first one looks OK-ish, maybe you are extending too much, but find a comfort zone and work with it. Ok to have a little more curl. Also, the tendency to hook your index finger probably comes from JPen habit, no need to bite into the handle, in fact I always found a wider front side grip easier back when I did use RPB.

2. Claw grip? Seen a few of those when I played at a retirement recreation centre in China a few years back. Not good, not much you can do in front of the body.

3. Zhuang Zedong is a pro... but his grip is unconventional even during his days. Good for more wrist in tradition backhand, but you almost have to lift the elbow for forehands. Cazuo Matsumoto is similar. Neither have "powerful" forehands that (IMO) all penholders should have.
 
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Instead of focusing on the fingers, shadow practice without a racket and find how to best use your muscles for various shots at various heights. Then find a way to grip without having to contort your arms/wrist, always leave enough room to use wrist for topspin, smash, and flicks...

Generally: stand a little higher (but still bent) for backhands, squat low for forehands. If RPB only, maybe work on squatting low for backhand too. Any problem can be solved if you can get lower. As long as you are not sitting on the floor, you can always get lower.
 
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Guys, I discovered is more a mental problem than a grip problem. I worked a lot on my backhand, about 2 months focused seriously on my rpb. now I continue using 2 fingers, but now touching all my fingerprint on the forehand and the backhand I just touch the tips, but not curling much like Wang Hao. And i dont preocupate with grip, my RPB is much better, i dont use much more pivot technique, because im focused to develop a agressive bh. I use the pivot only to finish the point in medium-high balls or to do the 3rd ball attack in long and fast serves. I'm confident to topspin all backspin balls that comes in my backhand, in moment is not a fast or strenght ball, but come to other side with great amount of topspin and sometimes i add sidespin.
Smash with RPB is a little bit difficult but i can do.
Block and flat hitting with RPB i use fingers with fingerprints touching because is more easily to open or close or open angle. Especially on flat hit, the angle need be a little bit open, fingerprints touching is more helpful to do this.
Attack i use only the tips.
Thank you so much for the help guys, I solved the problem.
 
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Xu xin , Xue Fei , Wang Hao , Zhao Zihao and etc. Almost every modern chinese penholder with rpb (including me) use 2-3 straight fingers on the back and tight index on the front and only curl back fingers on heavy side spin serve this gives balance on the rpb curled fingers are for people with no rpb that have to switch fast only one side of the racket. And this is the correct way to go if you want to play with rpb curled fingers on the back give you 0 stability of the racket plus you cant adjust correctly the angle when you have to. There is no other finger adjusting that you have to do only racket angle from this point on. And btw if you think your fingers are in the way if you plan on hitting the ball bellow the center of the racket its better not to hit the ball at all. Same goes for forehand even if your fingers are not in the way.
 
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