A New Teaching System: Forehand: Grips

[johnyandell]

Would love to hear what you thought of "A New Teaching System: Forehand: Grips"!

[chux10sed]

Hi John,
Enjoyed your FH grip video. I recall when i started playing around 1969, I eventually came across a book called Ed Faulkner’s Tennis: How to Play it, How to Teach it. In it, he defined the Eastern Forehand grip as having the heel pad on Panel #2, and the index knuckle on Panel #3. Sometimes I tell players about the “old" Eastern FH grip” versus the “new" Eastern FH grip!

Best wishes,
Chuck

[bottle]

Absolutely. And people shouldn't have to work so hard to figure stuff like this out. I know I had to struggle with ED FAULKNER'S TENNIS in one hand while watching TP video of Federer. Maybe you just saved some poor soul this particular torment from hell by speaking out.

Another interesting departure from Faulkner is the racket at 45 degrees waiting position he advocates...when you consider McEnroe, Ashe, Tsonga and others who wait with their racket parallel to the court. This has huge implications for the ground strokes of McEnroe as well as his volleys since he uses one waiting position for both, racket cheated over to backhand.

Faulkner, from the book, favors racket cheated over but with tip higher. I felt that the Macci video where he first explains dog pat went for this higher tip choice. Higher tip or racket parallel to court-- I can see advantages to both.

Certainly the mightily literate Arthur Ashe felt no animosity toward Faulkner on this point or any other since he wrote an enthusiastic forward to that green book.

[scottmurphy]

John does a beautiful job of describing the business of the grips. He's my great friend and it's a privilege to be involved in a number of his articles but that aside I, for one, really appreciate how clearly and concisely he presents the information.
Grips are so very important! As a kid, I used an eastern grip for the FH and something closer to a Continental for the BH. I hit everything flat or with slice because that's what you did then. When I got back into tennis, topspin was all the rage...someone showed me the semi-western grip and suddenly the game became much more exciting for me. My knuckle and heel pad are both on bevel 4. Over time my topspin backhand grip has changed so that now the knuckle is on the ridge between 1 and 8 and the heel pad is on 8. I use a Continental grip for the slice backhand and a composite grip for volleys.
A lot of players are very resistant to making even slight grip changes. Unless they're struggling with the one that's comfortable or desiring to hit with more topspin and unable, I leave their grips alone. It's a very "to each their own" situation. I sometimes marvel at what players are capable of with the grips they use. I work with a junior who hits serious topspin on the FH with a Continental grip and I could no sooner do that than fly!
If you are desirous of hitting the ball a certain way and it's been determined that your grip may be holding you back start incrementally or go for all the way but give it time and be disciplined and awesome things can happen!

[johnyandell]

More on Scott's grip in the upcoming article!

PV: yes the basic on edge finish for a 3/3. that can be suplemented with wiper action. Look in Scott's classic lesson series on living model Karsten Popp and his forehand--he's gonna be in my series to.