Do you switch your grip between fh and bh?

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jan 2024
7
0
7
have a question that has been bothering me for a long time.
Do you switch your grip between fh and bh.
Or do you stay with the grip?
It is interesting to see that some athletes in the world also use the bh grip in fh.
 
says "I'd hate to have to die 'fore I get my head together...
says "I'd hate to have to die 'fore I get my head together...
Active Member
Sep 2024
608
161
1,059
Read 3 reviews
have a question that has been bothering me for a long time.
Do you switch your grip between fh and bh.
Or do you stay with the grip?
It is interesting to see that some athletes in the world also use the bh grip in fh.
Well, I play Penhold, so I don't change it much, usually changes naturally.

However, when I play shakehand it does. For forehand the index is a bit more upward and for backhand the thumb is more upward.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Dec 2018
680
897
2,434
Read 1 reviews
Almost all accomplished players switch grips. Grip changes can be big, but typically they're more subtle such as moving your thumb up or down and changing the pressure distribution of your fingers. Some players are unaware they switch grips (and may insist they don't) because their grip changes evolved naturally as their technique advanced. I think this is the best and easiest way to do it, i.e., starting with one neutral grip for both forehand and backhand and letting it evolve in the context of actually playing and doing drills. But it's not the way I did it. Instead, I started with separate grips for forehand and backhand, struggled for a long time trying to learn fast seamless grip changes, constantly adjusting my different grips and grip changes, and generally gave myself more frustration from this part of the game than anything else. Eventually I decided that any changes I made going forward had to reduce the size of the grip change, and finally settled on a minimal change that actually worked in practice. So, yes, you can do it this way, too. But I don't recommend it.
 
This user has no status.
have a question that has been bothering me for a long time.
Do you switch your grip between fh and bh.
Or do you stay with the grip?
It is interesting to see that some athletes in the world also use the bh grip in fh.
I do, but less and less. There is simply just not time enough, so I am slowly transitioning to a compromise…

Cheers
L-zr
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Moderator
Dec 2010
16,622
18,395
56,759
Read 11 reviews
My grip changes with the position of my wrist. I don't change it. But it changes. It cannot be the same grip if my wrist is in completely different positions. :)

Different shots, even different FH shots, require different wrist/hand positions, which force your grip to shift.
 
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Mar 2021
4,066
4,545
9,921
But of course. In my quest to K.I.S.S., I fantasized of having a one grip to rule them all. However, it was like trying to seek the Holy Grail, it only lead me to vexation and frustration. I now switch, and you have a happier Gozo.
 
says Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦
says Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦
Active Member
Feb 2022
720
853
2,186
Read 1 reviews
36
I usually make a slight switch in grip between backhand and forehand and it feels kinda natural to me, but there is a coaches that are strongly against it. I did some sessions when I tried the same grip - it didnt work well. I had compression brake of the wrist (old boxing injury) so if I didn’t switch the grip my backhand feels stiff - maybe without it I would play with the same grip all the strokes? who knows?

But to me the most important thing in your hose grip small details - is only your comfort and stability of the executed stroke - if you hitting the table with the quality - you are doing it right
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Top 1% Commenter
Well-Known Member
Jan 2016
4,808
5,948
24,232
My fingers don’t move from the racket when I switch FH to BH but I adjust my wrist angle. I close my wrist when I play BH and open it when I play FH.

My waiting position is different. If I prefer to open next ball with BH or if I want to block with BH then I have closed bat angle and racket is rather high. Else angle more neutral or wrist open to go for FH.

If I have too much of a BH stance if a ball comes suddenly to the FH and my reaction is slow I have an incorrect bat angle and I can miss the ball or hit the side edge of the racket … so i think it qualifies as a different grip although hand and fingers don’t move
 
Top