The right Grip change between FH/BH [eng_sub]

[Dr Evil]

Excellent shakehand grip video (in German with English subtitles). The beginning describes his search for the right grip or grips for smooth fh/bh transitions. Eventually he realized that most pros use a neutral/forehand grip as their ready position grip, as it's easier to switch quickly to backhand grip with thumb or index finger pressure. Key sections are around minutes 6-8 and 9-13.

 

[NextLevel]

TTR Hunter usually has insightful videos, I will watch and return with my own lower level opinions later lol.

 

[TareqPhoto]

What do you mean by "a neutral/forehand grip"? Sorry for my English understanding

 

[NextLevel]

Excellent shakehand grip video (in German with English subtitles). The beginning describes his search for the right grip or grips for smooth fh/bh transitions. Eventually he realized that most pros use a neutral/forehand grip as their ready position grip, as it's easier to switch quickly to backhand grip with thumb or index finger pressure. Key sections are around minutes 6-8 and 9-13.

Ah okay, this video is older - I think I remember watching it back then. I had concluded similar things to him, but the main thing I realized was that most pros do their grip switch as part of their backswing and once you practice it, you can do all kinds of grip switches instinctively as long as they are transitions you practice as part of your training. I think his specific switch might be useful for some people but there are others. I for one have never been really good at consistently placing my thumb on the rubber for my backhand - I grip my racket a bit higher up and hold it like a pistol/gun similar to the Swedish/Karakasevic grip but sometimes with the finger on the blade and sometimes without. I start my transitions from there but I make sure I can play most of my strokes out of that grip. If I have more time, I might transition to a grip I find more optimal, but because I can play most of my strokes out of that grip, it makes the transitions minimal and quick.

 

[Dr Evil]

What do you mean by "a neutral/forehand grip"? Sorry for my English understanding

I mean a grip that makes it easy to close the angle and hit topspin on forehand. So bottom edge of the blade is close to thumb knuckle rather than index finger knuckle. It's still fairly easy for most people to hit backhand topspin with this grip, so it's often called the "neutral" grip. With the bottom edge of the blade close to the index finger knuckle, it's easier to hit backhand topspin, but considerably more awkward for most people to hit topspin forehand, so this grip is sometimes called a backhand grip.

 

[Dr Evil]

...the main thing I realized was that most pros do their grip switch as part of their backswing and once you practice it, you can do all kinds of grip switches instinctively as long as they are transitions you practice as part of your training.

Same here. I don't switch grips exactly the way he does, but have found it much easier to use forehand as the default grip rather than a backhand or halfway grip, and for the reasons he describes. And as you say most pros do their grip switch as part of the backswing where it feels natural and smooth when going from fh to bh.

 

[Lazer]

Excellent shakehand grip video (in German with English subtitles). The beginning describes his search for the right grip or grips for smooth fh/bh transitions. Eventually he realized that most pros use a neutral/forehand grip as their ready position grip, as it's easier to switch quickly to backhand grip with thumb or index finger pressure. Key sections are around minutes 6-8 and 9-13.

Interesting, something to think about. I am shifting grip between FH and BH, but I always leave it in the last position. Of course as a result many times I am forced to hit FH with my backhand grip and vice versa, often it will go long. This is a real simple solution if it works. I will try it and see how easy it is to find a neutral grip.

Thanks, cheers
L-zr

 

[HLee]

What do you mean by "a neutral/forehand grip"? Sorry for my English understanding

My interpretation of “neutral” grip means using the same grip most of the time for both backhand & forehand but switching to backhand grip or forehand grip as situation warrants & if you can pull it off and return to neutral grip for next return.

There are lots of penholders here in Malaysia but I don’t know how penholders can switch but I think they do switch

But as a shakehander I have been fascinated with the American grip. I read in Chester Barnes' book that Danny Seemiller (USA) & Nobuhiko Hasegawa (Japan) had the fastest loop in the world in their prime. Of course both supposedly had weird grips & coaches always get annoyed to the max when a beginner refuses to drop their Hasegawa grip . Personally I did find using Danny Seemiller grip for forehand indeed gives me more powerful forehand loops but Hasegawa grip seemed too weird for me. I saw videos of Danny Seemiller and it looked like he switched to regular shakehand when he backed up and chopped. I also read that Hasegawa was one of the best lobbers but I don't see how unless he switched grips & I also heard he was initially a penhold player before swicthing to shakehand to win the World Singles Title in 1967

For backhand I heard Eric Boggan (USA) had a backhand dominant American grip with both fingers on each side edges of the blade (Correct me if I am wrong) . Personally I preferred having both the thumb & index finger on the backside (on the middle on the rubber) instead of the edges like Eric Boggan. I found that this gives me the ability to punch block harder & side block with lot more side spin (like Kim Taek Soo (S. Korea) does with his kPen).

But I never learned this fully as I found the switching back and forth hard. May be I will give it a try again.

Hybrid grips obviously are much better than just one grip if you can pull it off. I have seen many shakehanders who serve penhold.

Lots of times I see coaches training their students first with forehand & then backhand but no training switching backhand & forehand. I noticed many players switch their grips and when a ball comes to the wrong side they are screwed even in practice, let alone in an actual match, because they have not trained switch drills at all. LOL

 

[TareqPhoto]

I mean a grip that makes it easy to close the angle and hit topspin on forehand. So bottom edge of the blade is close to thumb knuckle rather than index finger knuckle. It's still fairly easy for most people to hit backhand topspin with this grip, so it's often called the "neutral" grip. With the bottom edge of the blade close to the index finger knuckle, it's easier to hit backhand topspin, but considerably more awkward for most people to hit topspin forehand, so this grip is sometimes called a backhand grip.

Ah ok, thank you for clarification.

 

[TareqPhoto]

My interpretation of “neutral” grip means using the same grip most of the time for both backhand & forehand but switching to backhand grip or forehand grip as situation warrants & if you can pull it off and return to neutral grip for next return.

There are lots of penholders here in Malaysia but I don’t know how penholders can switch but I think they do switch

But as a shakehander I have been fascinated with the American grip. I read in Chester Barnes' book that Danny Seemiller (USA) & Nobuhiko Hasegawa (Japan) had the fastest loop in the world in their prime. Of course both supposedly had weird grips & coaches always get annoyed to the max when a beginner refuses to drop their Hasegawa grip . Personally I did find using Danny Seemiller grip for forehand indeed gives me more powerful forehand loops but Hasegawa grip seemed too weird for me. I saw videos of Danny Seemiller and it looked like he switched to regular shakehand when he backed up and chopped. I also read that Hasegawa was one of the best lobbers but I don't see how unless he switched grips & I also heard he was initially a penhold player before swicthing to shakehand to win the World Singles Title in 1967

For backhand I heard Eric Boggan (USA) had a backhand dominant American grip with both fingers on each side edges of the blade (Correct me if I am wrong) . Personally I preferred having both the thumb & index finger on the backside (on the middle on the rubber) instead of the edges like Eric Boggan. I found that this gives me the ability to punch block harder & side block with lot more side spin (like Kim Taek Soo (S. Korea) does with his kPen).

But I never learned this fully as I found the switching back and forth hard. May be I will give it a try again.

Hybrid grips obviously are much better than just one grip if you can pull it off. I have seen many shakehanders who serve penhold.

Lots of times I see coaches training their students first with forehand & then backhand but no training switching backhand & forehand. I noticed many players switch their grips and when a ball comes to the wrong side they are screwed even in practice, let alone in an actual match, because they have not trained switch drills at all. LOL

Cool, that is interesting, thank you very much