Starting grip in ready position

[gsheiner]

IS there any pattern to what grips two handers guys use when they return to the ready position in a rally situation?

From looking at Djokovic and Nalbandian, I think they go to a continental grip leaning to the backhand. This allows them to go to the two handed backhand grip without much movement in the right wrist. They seem just to have to angle the racket face down and slide the left hand down the racket.

I know that John has written about the neutral grip that guys use to return serve. Do they also use a neutral grip ( continental) in the rally ready position?

Does anybody have students who stay in the semiwestern forehand grip and then have difficulty getting into an appropriate backhand grip when faced with fast balls?

[uspta146749877]

Ready position

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/teaching_systems/michael_friedman/five_fundamentals/five_fundamentals.html

of some interest

[gsheiner]

Very relevant. Thanks.

It shows Agassi with a continental grip in his right hand. IS this the most common pattern on the tour?

[uspta146749877]

Ferraro and others

Gsheiner,

please see

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/jcferrero/jcferrero_forehand/jcf_fh_center/jcf_fh_center.html?JCFerreroFHCenterOpenStanceSide1.mov

Ferraro is more Eastern forehand,I believe.
Please see THE BEGINNING of THE VIDEO.

Another example:
Safin

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/high_speed/High_Speed.html?MaratSafinForehand.mov

does NOT look very continental.

Kiefer

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/nicolas_kiefer/nk_forehand/nk_fh_center/nk_fh_center.html?NKFHCenterOpenStanceFront2.mov

Players born on a red clay tend to believe that they have a lot of time to switch to a backhand grip
so very often they start with more eastern forehand.
Whether it is efficient,I do NOT know.

I believe that playing a quick indoor surface almost everybody has a continental in a ready position.

Sometimes a grip depends on WHAT A PREVIOUS SHOT was plus an element of antcipation.

It happens with juniors too.I am NOT sure whether a coach should change or NOT
when a player at a baseline.
regards,
julian

[gsheiner]

Great answer --thanks.