Smaller Grip Size - Biomechanics?

[pragquix]

First of all great site.

It is my understanding that many male pros are using grip sizes that are smaller than what has been traditionally thought to be "ideal" (i.e, index finger's width between ring fingertip and palm. Federer, for example, uses a L3 yet he's 6'2". Maybe he has small hand but it appears there is almost no distance between his fingertips and palm. Biomechanically speaking, what effect does this have on strokes? I had one pro tell me that it enables you to get more "wrist snap" on serves but since we know that there is no wrist snap on serves ...that's not it.
Does this smaller grip size contribute to the ability to produce the "modern" forehand?

[jhm36]

Great question. I've wondered about this as well. For me, an L5 is just barely big enough by common wisdom, and my hands aren't that big and I'm not even six feet tall. I can only imagine the taller, larger pros are using grips that would be considered too small for them by the standard. What's going on with that? Any hard facts on the benefits and costs of using smaller grips?

Jim

[BrianGordon]

grip size

First of all great site.

It is my understanding that many male pros are using grip sizes that are smaller than what has been traditionally thought to be "ideal" (i.e, index finger's width between ring fingertip and palm. Federer, for example, uses a L3 yet he's 6'2". Maybe he has small hand but it appears there is almost no distance between his fingertips and palm. Biomechanically speaking, what effect does this have on strokes? I had one pro tell me that it enables you to get more "wrist snap" on serves but since we know that there is no wrist snap on serves ...that's not it.
Does this smaller grip size contribute to the ability to produce the "modern" forehand?

From a biomechanical perspective there is no reason that grip size (within normal and functional reason) would hinder wrist snap - there IS definitely wrist snap on the serve and it accounts for about 35% of the racquet speed at contact - the question is whether it is generated as a conscious effort or it is a result of motion dependent factors - wrist joint motion is measurable on ground strokes - the question is whether it is desired or not - I believe not - either way, grip size should not be an issue.

[robertfirlus]

Federer's Grip Size versus Hand Size

Federer has a huge hand. Go to Google and pull up images where he holds up his hands. By normal grip sizing he should have a grip size of about 4 7/8 or even a 5. You may be right about Federer and his grip size....it's somewhat a basis for how he holds the racket and his stroke production. robertfirlus

P.S. Grip size also has to do with where the player holds the grip...forward of the butt, on the butt, or off the butt. Connors and Evert hold forward of the butt. But Federer holds off the butt. The up and down location is as important as the "around location." But nobody talks about this in locating a hand on a grip. Take a look at Segura...if you can find a picture. his little finger on this left hand (in the two-handed forehand) is actually off the butt.

[stroke]

I have seen this issue of how one holds the racquet(hand off the end of the butt of the racquet, right on the end, or choked up slightly) addressed in serving articles before. I noticed on John's piece on the Fed serve that Roger clearly has his hand off the end of the racquet grip when serving, the butt of the handle looks like it is in his palm area. Sampras did the same thing I think. Some coaches think kind of having your pinky finger off the grip slightly promotes a looser swing action, more raquet action. I think I agree if you can get comfortable with it. And one more thing, I really like how John addressed the grip issue on the Fed serve article. So many coaches like to just say "serve with the Continental grip, all the pros use it", but John clearly stated that a lot of pros do use somewhat of an extreme continental, leaning toward the eastern backhand, to serve. It is not an eastern BH grip, as some folks think, I don't think any pros serve with a true eastern BH grip. I think this Fed type of service grip is the way to go if you really want to consistently swing out on 2nd serves. John, by the way, is this the grip Roddick uses also, it looks like that to me?

[johnyandell]

Yeah I think Andy is the same or very close to the same.

[robertfirlus]

The Service Grip

How come John McEnroe starts his serve with the head of his racket pointing at and almost touching the ground. It's said he has a continental grip. Go ahead. Hold the standard continental and see if McEnroe's dropped wrist (head down) can be duplicated. It's not only tough, and awkward, it's nearly impossible. McEnroe has a peculiar hand habit that let's him not only serve funny but let's him look funny when he hits a tennis ball....bent wrist...hits almost straight up. McEnroe hangs onto a racket in a fashion that has mystified Allen Fox (who called him a genius) and Harry Hopman (who said he hits like a girl) Most coaches have agendas....including Lansdorp. The problem with most coaches is that they have forgotten that stroke production evolves to accommodate the grip. This is also true of McEnroe. The problem with high speed photography is that it may be fast but it's not intrusive enough. How is it that Francoise Durr, who by the way won the French Open one more time than McEnroe, hits her one handed back hand with a severly bent wrist while her forefinger points straight to the top of the racket. Try to make Francoise's backhand work sometime without being told how she does it. There are two elements to a grip....where it is and what the hand/fingers do when they get there.

Coaches can't make money teaching a grip....in fact, Burwash says he has given up on teaching grips. .....so the normal routine is to teach the thousands of stroke variations that evolves from different gripping peculiarities

robertfirlus