The tennis drill book-2e

4 The Tennis Drill Book
Since the 1970s and ’80s, grips and gripping techniques have changed dramatically.
In those years, most players used the Eastern and Continental grips
for every stroke, giving the ball lots of power but not much spin or variety.
The current era of tennis commands a much more dramatic use of grips in
order to stay on top of the changing pace and spin of the ball. Using semi-
Western to full Western forehand and backhand grips is essential for competing
against the pace, spin, and power that players use today. Changing
the position of the hand or hands on the grip causes the angle of the racket
face to change, thereby causing the ball to spin in a direction that creates
topspin (forward), backspin (backward), or slice or sidespin (horizontal).
To become more consistent and hit with controlled power, players put more
topspin on the ball. To create a more penetrating and effective volley, players
put backspin on the ball.
Players often overlook one aspect of gripping; that is, why the grips do
what they do. Whether a player chooses an Eastern or full Western grip,
the part of the hand that has greater grip control determines the depth of
the shot. The palm has two ways to grip the racket: with the forefinger and
thumb or with the little, ring, and middle fingers. Using the forefinger and
the thumb together is called using the pinchers. The bottom three fingers
are called the squeezers. To achieve greater depth with the forehand and
backhand, players tighten the squeezers on the forward swing. For a sharp
crosscourt shot, they use the pinchers. On the forehand, the squeezers are
the ones controlling and tightening (which turns the grip into the Eastern
forehand). On the backhand, the pinchers are the control fingers (index and
thumb), and help add subtle underspin. For the serve, the grip is held loosely
on the backswing. As the racket lifts to the point of contact, the pinchers
tighten, rotating the forearm and snapping up to the ball for control, feel,
and placement. For the volley, the Continental grip is preferred. However,
using the squeezers (the last three fingers on the racket hand) and the pinchers
changes the face of the racket.
When players investigate the various types of grips and learn how to find
and use them properly, with practice they can eventually use them to build
a more consistent, powerful game with reliable groundstrokes. Learning to
manipulate the grips of today's tennis requires excellent timing, balance,
footwork, practice, and loads of patience. When you first teach young tennis
players (players under the age of 10) how to grip the racket, you’ll notice
that sometimes the most natural way is to use the semi-Western grip on the
forehand and two-handed grip on the backhand. Let them go for it. Using
QuickStart tennis balls, a mini tennis net, and smaller court dimensions,
your young players will be able to hit with topspin within months instead
of years. They will already have a greater advantage in the progression of
their tennis game from day one.
The drills in this chapter will help players to make the small changes
necessary to take their game to the next level. Above all, players must know
that the best grip is the most comfortable one. The player or instructor must
decide which grip works best for the stroke or spin the player is trying to hit.