Which grip is theoretically better?

[iTT]

Thinking about both advantages and disadvantages and forgetting about your current grip, is there a grip that actually should be more favoured?

Please vote on the poll and leave a comment to justify your decision.

 

[jyechen]

Hmm, let's see.... if you had perfect foot work, the explosiveness of the forehand, advantage in serve and short game, etc all point to JAPANESE PENHOLD! Okay fine maybe chinese penhold. But this requires youth and amazing fitness.

So let's say you just want to have fun, be good, and play for a long long time without becoming a lame blocker.... then I vote shakehand... or again chinese penhold, but Wang Hao style... as in with an actual backhand.

I guess the winner for being mentioned in both groups is Chinese Penhold! Ha ha ha ha.



Personally, I used to play j-pen. I was daunted by the footwork, and afraid of the strain my wrist. (Ironically now I have wrist pain from shakehand backhands). Anyways, I switched to shakehand because the c-pen grip just caused my hand to cramp up really bad. I'm sure I would've gotten over it, but I guess I didn't really want to. Everyone around me is a shakehander, so if I want to get advice to get better, i didn't really have a choice. But if I would choose a grip to start from scratch and I had my whole life ahead of me to train, I would want to be a chinese penholder... I think. > .>

I guess the grass is always greener....... on the other side.

 

[poltery]

im a shakehander but I prefer Cpen becuz in a Cpen grip u can freely move ur wrist

 

[YosuaYosan]

shakehand shallow grip is the best imo

 

[lesliefrancs]

Theoretically? Penhold.
Superior control
RPB for backhand AND trad. backhand
Superior serves
Superior short - short play

 

[iTT]

I actually think Shakehand is better. When compared to Penhold the opportunities to attack from both backhand and forehand are maximised in a way where both can be used just as effectively. Yes the RPB can be equivalent but you can't just rely on that shot for the backhand. Don't give me Wang Hao as an example either as that's just one person able to execute that shot in all circumstances.

 

[ngpalace]

Of course, the Chinese pen hold is superior. Look at the top 6, there are three penholders and this is reinforced by the fact that there are less penholders in the world that shake handers.

Don't be foolish to think that only Wang Hao has mastered this technique because Ma Lin, Xu Xin, Wang Junjian and numerous players in the Chinese league who are edged out from the national team due to the Chinese's strength in depth.

Get practising with your rpb my friend and don't forget the superior penhold footwork - you rpb enthusiast!

Long live c-pen!

 

[Nuigit]

I find the penhold very confusing, for me it's impossible to play a decent forehand topspin without mangling your wrist.

 

[markog99]

the better grip is the grip that you favour!!

 

[scylla24]

I actually think Shakehand is better. When compared to Penhold the opportunities to attack from both backhand and forehand are maximised in a way where both can be used just as effectively. Yes the RPB can be equivalent but you can't just rely on that shot for the backhand. Don't give me Wang Hao as an example either as that's just one person able to execute that shot in all circumstances.

nah, I am not arguing that penhold is better than shakehand, but the shakehand definitely doesn't have the advantage that you are arguing. Of course you don't see many people using the rpb that Wang Hao uses, it is still relatively a new technique, wait like another 3-4 years, and you will see a lot of Chinese players within China using it. Both grips have their advantages, but penhold definitely gives you the better opportunities to attack, because no one controls the shortgame better than a penhold player.

 

[scylla24]

Hmm this is such a hard question, not sure there is really a real answer.... I am mainly a shakehand player myself, but I will play some penhold every once in a while for fun, and I still can beat almost the same people with it as I do with shakehand. And I probably honestly have the best rpb of anyone I have ever met.... which isn't saying that much.... because I haven't really met very many.... My blocking and mid range rpb sucks, but I have become pretty consistent and good with counter hitting and flipping with the rpb. And then just naturally, the forehand for the penhold seems better in my opinion. I don't quite understand why a lot of people have talked about wrist problems being caused by penhold.... You have such room and freedom to move with your wrist for penhold, and its so natural compared with the shakehand, that I would think it would lead to far less injury.

Ultimately I would say that penhold, in the larger picture is probably better, now that the rpb allows a penhold player to basically have just about as good of a backhand as a shakehand player, the penhold's utter mastery of the short game is just too hard to beat at a high level. You are simply too good, if you are able to control the short game with first a penhold superior serve, then the short game allows you to attack more often then not. And not those attacks are so spinny and high quality that you are able to win the point more often than not.

That having been said, I think it takes a lot of time, training to get to the level of skill required to take advantage of the serve and shortgame that penholders have. For those players who play for fun, and just to get good, without making it a profession, the shakehand has a much easier learning curve, and in the same amount of time playing, you probably will be a lot better of a player as a shakehand than a pendholder.

 

[YosuaYosan]

Actually there is nothing like A grip is better than B grip OVERALLY. It cant be judged that way.
"A grip is better than B grip" way of comparing can only be applied if a parameter exist such as short game, looping from a distance etc.

Its all about what is your natural affinity. Penhold is not everyone, the same applies to shakehand.
e.g. You will laugh hard if you see Joo trying to backhand chop using penhold grip since it is hard and unnatural to him.

I am a shakehand player myself, and one of my technique is twiddling which is harder to do if Im using penhold grip.
So I choose the grip most compatible to my playing style and natural tendencies

 

[Matt Hetherington]

I say shakehand grip. The main point that does it for me is that the crossover point at the body of a pengrip player is a key weak point. On the plus side pengrip allows far more wrist flexibility and the use of a normal OR reverse side on the backhand which could be useful if using different rubbers. I notice thought that closing the angle on the backhand normal side is quite difficult to achieve which could be seen as a disadvantage. Really there aren't that many differences, I guess if pengrip were superior there would be a much larger number of pengrip players. How often do you see a pengrip european player?

 

[shaolinTT]

Both grips are great and we have world champions from both.
I have voted for PH because PH is "losing" in this poll. : )

 

[Nuigit]

my technique is twiddling

*gasp* a twiddler!

I assume you're a defender then?

 

[YosuaYosan]

*gasp* a twiddler!

I assume you're a defender then?

You assumed right, my friend

 

[Mushrooms]

Hm, this is a great question haha, very tough to answer

 

[TT Guru]

Pistol Grip.

Don't knock it before you try it guys!!

 

[YosuaYosan]

Pistol Grip.

Don't knock it before you try it guys!!

yeah, been seeing it for a while..
Looks cool, though..

 

[jyechen]

Pistol Grip.

Don't knock it before you try it guys!!

Wlhat is the hole for..., I'm confused. And how would you put on a sheet of rubber and keep it legal with all the stuff that legally has to be tagged on the bottom edge. Otherwise, looks fun.
I also saw one that's like a glove where you put your hand in between two pieces of wood. Haha.