Should i switch to penhold grip?

[w..cch]

When i play Penhold, I have better touch as well as better backhand flicks and slightly better forehands compared to when i play shake hand. Should i stick to shake hand or move to penhold.

 

[Spartan-727]

When i play Penhold, I have better touch as well as better backhand flicks and slightly better forehands compared to when i play shake hand. Should i stick to shake hand or move to penhold.

Do what you think is more fun. You'll improve faster.

 

[zhzhzhz]

When i play Penhold, I have better touch

You get a better touch because when playing penhold, you feel the vibration directly rather than feeling it through the handle.

as well as better backhand flicks and slightly better forehands compared to when i play shake hand.

Backhand on penhold is a bit limited compared to shakehand. For example, banana flick, strawberry flick, and backhand loop feel stiffer and different.

Should i stick to shake hand or move to penhold.

Choosing a proper blade, sanding it and making it fit well, and finding the perfect grip you want to hold it in all take a lot of time for penhold. Well choosing a blade is the same as a shakehand, but you get less options.
It takes months to get the right grip when you play penhold. Your grip depends on hand size and whether you are a forehand or backhand oriented player. You also need to know that your racket angle faces lower than shakehand in forehand strokes.
The choice is up to you. Penhold does take a lot more time and a bit more money than shakehand but it is cool and enjoyable to play.

Here are some short pros and cons so you can decide for yourself:

PROS:
Looks cool ofc
Stronger forehand
Amazing chop blocks
Better feeling
Confusing if you mix up TPB and RPB
Deceptive shots
No elbow weakness

CONS:
Weaker backhand
Takes time to learn
Hard to find a good grip
Need to sand the blade
You get blisters on your index finger and thumb if you use TPB a lot
Hard to find blades

Let us know what you choose

( Btw Im a penhold player )

 

[w..cch]

You get a better touch because when playing penhold, you feel the vibration directly rather than feeling it through the handle.

Backhand on penhold is a bit limited compared to shakehand. For example, banana flick, strawberry flick, and backhand loop feel stiffer and different.

Choosing a proper blade, sanding it and making it fit well, and finding the perfect grip you want to hold it in all take a lot of time for penhold. Well choosing a blade is the same as a shakehand, but you get less options.
It takes months to get the right grip when you play penhold. Your grip depends on hand size and whether you are a forehand or backhand oriented player. You also need to know that your racket angle faces lower than shakehand in forehand strokes.
The choice is up to you. Penhold does take a lot more time and a bit more money than shakehand but it is cool and enjoyable to play.

Here are some short pros and cons so you can decide for yourself:

PROS:
Looks cool ofc
Stronger forehand
Amazing chop blocks
Better feeling
Confusing if you mix up TPB and RPB
Deceptive shots
No elbow weakness

CONS:
Weaker backhand
Takes time to learn
Hard to find a good grip
Need to sand the blade
You get blisters on your index finger and thumb if you use TPB a lot
Hard to find blades

Let us know what you choose

( Btw Im a penhold player )

When i first dabbled in table tennis i was using an antique butterfly jpen like a senkoh so i can pretty much be able to do TPB. Btw i have seen many players especially elderly having space between rubber and the handle for the thumb to rest on. Should i do the same if i do play penhold. I think i have alr found my grip. Its more like Xu Xin's grip with a more closed index finger position. Just a concern, because now when i played penhold with a shakehand blade, there is a discomfort with my index finger, is it just because im using a shakehand bat? One more thing is that my foot work gets better somehow
when i play penhold.

 

[zhzhzhz]

When i first dabbled in table tennis i was using an antique butterfly jpen like a senkoh so i can pretty much be able to do TPB.

Jpen and Cpen are different. Iv never played with a j pen blade, so I cant say anythig much. Maybe @PenHoldSandro can help on this

Btw i have seen many players especially elderly having space between rubber and the handle for the thumb to rest on. Should i do the same if i do play penhold.

Definitely, the gap makes the grip so much more comfortable. I have a pretty huge gap on my blade i think its as big as the gap Xu Xin has.

I think i have alr found my grip. Its more like Xu Xin's grip with a more closed index finger position.

That grip really difficult to play RPB with. It asks for more TPB. I had the same grip at one point, but I wanted more balance on my backhand and forehand. I thought I was done adjusting my grip but I keep finding problems and try my best to find what I like.

Just a concern, because now when i played penhold with a shakehand blade, there is a discomfort with my index finger, is it just because im using a shakehand bat?

No. It`s the rubber. When I was new to the sport, I used an Xiom shakehand blade as a penhold one. I played with no gap on the rubber and later got a new sheet of rubber. When I kept a gap on it, it felt better. The blade really doesn't make that big of a difference for newer players.

One more thing is that my foot work gets better somehow
when i play penhold.

Playing penhold without a strong backhand attack does make you cautious of your backhand weakness, and you subconsciously play more with your forehand. At least thats what happens to me

 

[w..cch]

Thaks for your help. I made up my mind to play penhold but i would probably start end of this year or next year cos i taking break from TT cos of national exams.

 

[zhzhzhz]

Thaks for your help. I made up my mind to play penhold but i would probably start end of this year or next year cos i taking break from TT cos of national exams.

Ahh. You should focus on your studies, and best of luck for the exams. Btw, I see that you are using H3 neo blue sponge and FZD sALC, are you sure they are fit for you? And also, are you sure you want to buy new equipment when you already have a pretty expensive setup?

 

[longle]

Hard to find a good grip

this is exactly right, you will go through an infinite cycles of doubting yourself whether this grip is the best of not after losing a match because you can't defense on BH/can't loop backspin on FH/etc

that is if you want to play seriously, participating in tournaments. if just for fun, choose whatever style you feel like

 

[PenHoldSandro]

Jpen and Cpen are different. Iv never played with a j pen blade, so I cant say anythig much. Maybe @PenHoldSandro can help on this

I have been summoned, awoken from my deep slumber (my phone broke so I'm using my laptop )

Jpen and Cpen TPB may look the same, but I much prefer Jpen. Jpen has the cork, which helps A LOT with stability and thumb placement (if you don't know, most TPB grips have the thumb facing another direction, usually going over the handle if you were Cpen).

Btw i have seen many players especially elderly having space between rubber and the handle for the thumb to rest on. Should i do the same if i do play penhold. I think i have alr found my grip. Its more like Xu Xin's grip with a more closed index finger position. Just a concern, because now when i played penhold with a shakehand blade, there is a discomfort with my index finger, is it just because im using a shakehand bat? One more thing is that my foot work gets better somehow
when i play penhold.

Good that you have found your grip! About the discomfort, yes that is most likely the reason where the rubber raises your index finger, causing twists that is annoying.

For the footwork getting better, it's most likely a mental thing since you know you can't rely on PH backhand as much. Same happens to me!

 

[zhzhzhz]

For the footwork getting better, it's most likely a mental thing since you know you can't rely on PH backhand as much. Same happens to me!

iv already said that

 

[BlotOnPaper]

Backhand on penhold is a bit limited compared to shakehand. For example, banana flick, strawberry flick, and backhand loop feel stiffer and different.

I really don't think that's the case. I transitioned from shakehand to penhold and grasped RPB mechanics quickly.

RPB is not weaker, it's less stable. And for me it's a big difference. I can make more powerfull backhand from mid distance with penhold than with shakehand. Penhold biomechanics involve 2 levers - forearm and hand. In shakehand your wrist mobility is limited, so mid distance backhand is more a 1 level system - from elbow to the tip of the racket. In RPB it's 2 levers system - from elbow to wrist and from wrist to the tip of the racket. And this give you more options to exert power if you have strong wrists. But it's naturally less stable because more variations can happen throughout the motion.

For me the ability to play stronger mid distance backhand is really important. With shakehand it's easier to play close to the table than with RPB, as RPB require more space and time, but mid from the table penhold really shines. At least with Wang Hao's grip, i don't play with any other penhold grips, i find them uncomfortable. And Hao's grip style is really comfy for my hand and also gives me both strong RPB and forehand.

So in my experience it's exactly the opposite. I tried playing with shakehand a week ago and backhand felt soo stiff i could not land anything on the table. Gripping the same racker with penhold felt much more natural to play even with FL handle.

 

[zhzhzhz]

I really don't think that's the case. I transitioned from shakehand to penhold and grasped RPB mechanics quickly.

RPB is not weaker, it's less stable.

Since you did not read my reply properly, I'm not reading yours properly. I never said it was weaker. It`s just a pain to learn RPB, and it all depends on whether you have a forehand-focused grip or a backhand-focused grip. You should learn TPB first, then learn RPB, but that makes RPB harder to use in matches. It takes a few milliseconds more to decide RPB or TPB compared to shakehand, where you just have one backhand. And banana flick is just painful for people with grip forused on FH.

From my experience, the way penhold plays depends on your grip. You might hold it the same way, but the amount of pressure applied, how much you stiffen your wrist in strokes, and how flexible your joints are. These factors all differ from person to person.

(I'm just too lazy to reply to all of it, but I did read all of it.)

 

[PenHoldSandro]

iv already said that

Oh damn we share brainwaves

Since you did not read my reply properly, I'm not reading yours properly. I never said it was weaker. It`s just a pain to learn RPB, and it all depends on whether you have a forehand-focused grip or a backhand-focused grip. You should learn TPB first, then learn RPB, but that makes RPB harder to use in matches. It takes a few milliseconds more to decide RPB or TPB compared to shakehand, where you just have one backhand. And banana flick is just painful for people with grip forused on FH.

From my experience, the way penhold plays depends on your grip. You might hold it the same way, but the amount of pressure applied, how much you stiffen your wrist in strokes, and how flexible your joints are. These factors all differ from person to person.

(I'm just too lazy to reply to all of it, but I did read all of it.)

exactly right, hurts physically and mentally!

It's hard to use RPB if you have an idea on TPB because you can use them together in a match. But for me, having a forehand or backhand oriented grip doesn't change how often you use it, just the maximum power of each wing.

Lastly, you are right about the grip part with the pressure and allat

 

[BlotOnPaper]

Since you did not read my reply properly, I'm not reading yours properly. I never said it was weaker.

CONS:
Weaker backhand

So... You said it. Word for word.

 

[BlotOnPaper]

You should learn TPB first, then learn RPB, but that makes RPB harder to use in matches. It takes a few milliseconds more to decide RPB or TPB compared to shakehand, where you just have one backhand.

Why you talk as everyone should learn TPB? You can learn RPB directly without taking extra steps. And you will not have any problemes with indecisiveness.

I block with my RPB and it works, not as great as shakehand, but block is more of a last resorte thing for me even with shakehand, it's just easier to make topspin if you have even a bit of time to make a stroke. Also a lot of times block with RPB has really weird trajectory, i scored a lot of points with it just because of confusion of opponents.

TPB has a lot of advantages, but in a modern high speed tennis i don't think you can use both TPB and RPB and be effective. Maybe if you have insane reaction time you can make it work. But for mere mortals it's too much hustle. At least in my opinion.

 

[longle]

I really don't think that's the case. I transitioned from shakehand to penhold and grasped RPB mechanics quickly.

RPB is not weaker, it's less stable. And for me it's a big difference. I can make more powerfull backhand from mid distance with penhold than with shakehand. Penhold biomechanics involve 2 levers - forearm and hand. In shakehand your wrist mobility is limited, so mid distance backhand is more a 1 level system - from elbow to the tip of the racket. In RPB it's 2 levers system - from elbow to wrist and from wrist to the tip of the racket. And this give you more options to exert power if you have strong wrists. But it's naturally less stable because more variations can happen throughout the motion.

For me the ability to play stronger mid distance backhand is really important. With shakehand it's easier to play close to the table than with RPB, as RPB require more space and time, but mid from the table penhold really shines. At least with Wang Hao's grip, i don't play with any other penhold grips, i find them uncomfortable. And Hao's grip style is really comfy for my hand and also gives me both strong RPB and forehand.

So in my experience it's exactly the opposite. I tried playing with shakehand a week ago and backhand felt soo stiff i could not land anything on the table. Gripping the same racker with penhold felt much more natural to play even with FL handle.

you are on point. I got many points with mid distance RPB, but often losing points with BH defend close to table. Have to adapt my playing style a bit.

Currently I am using a mix of Wang Hao and Dang Qiu's grip to have a neutral grip slightly towards BH. If I tend to grip towards BH too much my FH will be unstable

 

[zhzhzhz]

Why you talk as everyone should learn TPB? You can learn RPB directly without taking extra steps. And you will not have any problemes with indecisiveness.

Not everyone. But I think it is important for players who focus on forehand forehand-dominant style to have a backhand that can help them pace the game. It is easier to chop block on TPB

I block with my RPB and it works, not as great as shakehand, but block is more of a last resorte thing for me even with shakehand, it's just easier to make topspin if you have even a bit of time to make a stroke. Also a lot of times block with RPB has really weird trajectory, i scored a lot of points with it just because of confusion of opponents.

It`s not the same for everyone. It all depends on your grip and where you focus your priority.

TPB has a lot of advantages, but in a modern high speed tennis i don't think you can use both TPB and RPB and be effective. Maybe if you have insane reaction time you can make it work. But for mere mortals it's too much hustle. At least in my opinion.

I respect your opinion. After all, penhold is different for everyone, and everyone is allowed to have unique opinions and views. To be fair, I don`t think TPB works out for players who want to focus on attack. It`s more of a "Yeah, I can use this if needed," and for chop blocks.

So... You said it. Word for word.

Thank you for pointing out my flaws in my previous response

 

[w..cch]

Ahh. You should focus on your studies, and best of luck for the exams. Btw, I see that you are using H3 neo blue sponge and FZD sALC, are you sure they are fit for you? And also, are you sure you want to buy new equipment when you already have a pretty expensive setup?

Ahh. You should focus on your studies, and best of luck for the exams. Btw, I see that you are using H3 neo blue sponge and FZD sALC, are you sure they are fit for you? And also, are you sure you want to buy new equipment when you already have a pretty expensive setup?

I got it for a cheaper price, since i got my salc from jpn. I think it suits me ok other than the fact it is slightly head heavy. I havent tried many bats cos im relatively new but i like my blade feels to me more comfortable than others that i tried. It is prob because i trained with it for quite a while alr. Idm buying a new bat. Btw should i go with viscaria or should i try smth new and different maybe like felix's new bat or Xuxins?

 

[w..cch]

Not everyone. But I think it is important for players who focus on forehand forehand-dominant style to have a backhand that can help them pace the game. It is easier to chop block on TPB

It`s not the same for everyone. It all depends on your grip and where you focus your priority.

I respect your opinion. After all, penhold is different for everyone, and everyone is allowed to have unique opinions and views. To be fair, I don`t think TPB works out for players who want to focus on attack. It`s more of a "Yeah, I can use this if needed," and for chop blocks.


Thank you for pointing out my flaws in my previous response

btw right since ur from China, Is li ning shoes or H3 cheaper there?

 

[zhzhzhz]

btw right since ur from China, Is li ning shoes or H3 cheaper there?

I don`t live there. But yes, it is cheaper. Especially shoes.