nuances of the service grip

[ochi]

Which is the best basic service grip? Watching the Australian Open, I see variations. Why do some pros open their racquet face a little or a lot, while others do not?

Browsing past Tennisplayer articles, I do not find what I'm looking for -- a declaration of what an average 4.0 club player should use, all the time. No fooling around with various adjustments. Chris Lewit comes closest with his "Keys to the Kick." He says: "The grip is critical to learning an effective topspin serve. Most players who come to me do not demonstrate a strong enough grip to effectively hit heavy spin. I call this grip a Strong Continental. The problem is that most players try to hit the serve with a milder version of the continental, or even with a grip rotated toward an eastern forehand.

"The frustrating thing about defining the right grip is that coaches -- and especially coaches from different countries -- use different terminology and also tend to have different opinions about the position of the index knuckle.

"I remember first working on my kick with my tour coach, a former top 100 ATP player and national coach from Israel. He showed me the grip that I now teach. This grip is definitely more extreme than the typical 'continental' as defined by most coaches in the US.

Whatever you want to call it, I believe in this 'strong continental,' with the index knuckle very near bevel 1 (top bevel). This grip promotes heavy spin without slowing down the ball too much, as a more extreme backhand serve grip can do. I also believe players can hit the first serve with this grip, rather than making a dramatic grip change between first and second serves, which can hurt disguise."

I wonder how many USPTA instructors agree with this, and about John's take. I hope not to be referred to what the geniuses Pete Sampras and John McEnroe did. Pistol Pete got phenomenal pace and spin from a small-head racquet that his noted stringer made as low-power as he could (he said so in a short piece I read years ago). Mac's techniques are not taught by anyone, as far as I know.

[stroke]

John's piece on the Federer serve offers a very good insight into the strong continental grip you are seeking info on.

[ochi]

Thanks, Stroke. I re-read it, and this afternoon I turned the handle a bit to the strong Continental, and it was an improvement once I got used to it. I didn't get a lot more spin, but more consistency.

Earlier, I watched the Federer/Nadal match and noted that Rafa opens up his racquet face quite a bit, and gets plenty of kick and swerve. Why is that? Why is that grip so effective, for him, up the middle?

[stroke]

Ochi,

I think the key to the strong continental grip is getting your palm on the top bevel of the grip, rather than being angled toward bevel 2. As John mentions in his article on the Federer serve, this is more of an advanced grip. The index knuckle does slide toward bevel 1 1/2 or 2 as the palm is placed to the top of the racquet as at a slight angle(vs a true backhand/hammer style grip) . This is the grip Pat Doughtery(the serve doctor) teaches also. This grip just allows one to get more action on the ball with a slice or kick serve as it allows a freer movement through the ball as the as the forearm and hand rolls or pronates through the serve. I think this grip is really important as one tries to develop a kick serve. Nadal is using this grip and he does produce a lot of spin of his serve(it appears to me) even though his MPH's are not that impressive by pro standards.

[dcr540]

"Help me to understand the Strong Continental"

Thanks, Stroke. I re-read it, and this afternoon I turned the handle a bit to the strong Continental, and it was an improvement once I got used to it. I didn't get a lot more spin, but more consistency.

Earlier, I watched the Federer/Nadal match and noted that Rafa opens up his racquet face quite a bit, and gets plenty of kick and swerve. Why is that? Why is that grip so effective, for him, up the middle?

John's piece on the Federer serve offers a very good insight into the strong continental grip you are seeking info on.

HOW DO I FIND THE GRIP? IS IT AT 1.5 ON THE TOP EDGE OF THE HANDLE BETWEEN 1 & 2 KINDA LIKE THE WAY THE FOREHAND IS EXPLAIN IN THE CLASSIC LESSONS SECTION?

[llll]

from johns article on federer serve Like all pro players, Federer uses some version of a backhand grip. You could call it a continental, or a mild eastern backhand. If we look at the position of his hand on the racket bevels, most of the palm of his hand is on the top bevel, or bevel 1. His index knuckle appears to be in the center of bevel 2. This grip works well for high level players, pro players, college players, ranked juniors, even some advanced club players. But you can develop the same basic swing elements with a slightly less extreme grip as well. You could call that less extreme grip a mild continental. The heel pad slides somewhat more to the right and is positioned somewhat less on bevel one and somewhat more on bevel two. The index knuckle slides somewhat to the right as well, to the edge between bevel 1 and bevel 2. This is an easier grip for lower level junior players and many adults. It worked pretty well at the pro level for John McEnroe as well.

[uspta990770809]

easy way to find a workable service grip

take your racket in the grip that is most comfortable for you to bounce the ball down on the court with the edge of the racket as you hold the racket with the face in a vertical position. This may not be exactly where you need to be, but I find it puts students very close to the continental better than 90% of the time. Spread your hand with the trigger finger to get a little more feel of the racket and you are off to a very good start. Once you can serve with that grip, you can start to get a little stronger continental and a little more pronatio litn. But that little bouncing drill is a great way to start.
don