Federer's forehand grip

[jhard225]

John,
Take a look at the photo on the ATP website homepage showing Federer in a win over Benjamin Becker in Rome today, May 11. His grip looks as if he's moved it more to a semi-western than the examples you've explored in the analysis of his forehand.

[johnyandell]

It's possible. But what you are seeing in that photo is actually a major misshit which is why the face is tilted down, not anything to do with the grip. You'd need other angles that show the knuckle and heel pad to know for sure.

In fact at Indian Wells the last 2 years his grip has appeared to become more conservative, virtually a 3/3 like Sampras...

[stumphges]

I have to add that, even aside from mishits, its not very useful looking at photos of grips during the follow-through. The racquet-head speeds at the pro level mean the handle is shifting and rotating some after, and even before, contact. You can look at 20 different videos of Federer forehands and if you focus on his grip during the follow-through you'll think he hits semiwestern, but if you look at his grip just before starting the forward swing you'll see that they're all eastern. I think the grip before the forward swing is more representative of the grip at contact, which is what counts I guess.