Always strive … Popular in early tennis 1.2. The forehand must have vicious, scary racket speed, and generally this must be developed quite systematically, unless the player is a freak with incredible fast-twitch fibers in the arm. Nick uses a hybrid tennis forehand grip, between a semi-western and full western forehand grip. This is really, if we got you out on the court, this is what we’d want you to learn over the course of maybe a half an hour, hour of instruction with us. The Eastern grip is the most modern tennis forehand grip. 7 The Path of the Swing. The four parts of a forehand swing are ready, turn, swing, and hit. Andy Roddick's Forehand Grip. There are four types of tennis forehands grips: 1. It can get a bit confusing trying to find the different grips. The contact point for the semi-Western is between waist and shoulder height and slightly further out in front of the body than the Eastern forehand. Due to the contact point, the semi-Western forehand will naturally swing low to high through the ball creating greater topspin when compared to the Eastern grip. Hitting the ball with topspin is the greatest service you can do to your game. If you hit with an eastern forehand grip, you’ll want to change to a semi-western grip when hitting high forehands. The eastern forehand grip has your index finger knuckle on the third bevel of the racket. For the semi-western grip, you’ll be moving your index knuckle to the fourth bevel. Western 1.1. Go After the Ball. The second is to shift the hand to the back of the paddle as if swatting a fly. Many tennis greats like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic prefer to hold the racket in the semi-Western way. Nick Kyrgios Forehand Grip. It … The Ready Position & State. 2 Use a Semi Western Forehand Grip. Neglecting to develop this aspect of the swing will result in a forehand that can't do any real damage at the high level. Drop the racquet on the ground. FOREHAND SWING PATH. I … In fact, the technical swing pattern of the Djokovic Forehand is quite simple and straight forward. The semi-Western is one of the more popular contemporary grips. Close your hand around the grip so that this same bevel of the grip goes diagonally across your palm to point toward the heel of your palm below your pinkie. The Eastern Forehand Grip is: a classic, versatile grip good for squarely-placed swings or slices. basic, but still used by pros. The Western grip. Due to the extreme swing path, which is often high to medium or high to low swing, this grip allows the player to still generate topspin. Key takeaways. 6 Hitting a Topspin Forehand. Now that we’ve set the grip right, we need to get in a ready position. Basically this grip offers you a combination of power and topspin. If you hit with an eastern forehand grip, you’ll want to change to a semi-western grip when hitting high forehands. Hit the ball forwards from low to high by brushing the top of the ball. But the grip and path of the swing also mean the contact point needs to be in front of the players. The grip plays a vital role in his swing, as you’ll learn in this lesson. The vast majority of tennis players use it. So now you’ve got the grip. Andy Roddick uses a grip that's roughly 5/6 Western, closer to full … If your court creates a high bounce to your ball, then a Western or Semi-Western Grip is ideal. Like you say, it takes a lot more effort to really hit it well, and I've felt that while even a terrible player can hit a dynamite forehand with an Eastern grip from time to time, the semi-Western grip teaches better tennis habits: use your body weight to propel the shot, let the racquet head weight do the work instead of your arm, and so on. The semi-western grip falls neatly between the eastern and western and has become the most common forehand tennis grip in modern tennis because it allows for excellent topspin and quick grip changes. 2. The mechanics were generally the same as the eastern forehand, except that after the backswing, the player dropped the racket head lower than the path of the incoming ball. Semi-Western Grip. His forehand is classic in the sense that he has a conservative grip structure, somewhere between a modern eastern and a mild semi-western. Many tennis fans think this must be the case due to the extreme amount of topspin he can generate, however he does in fact use the semi-western grip, just like Djokovic Wawrinka and Murray. For this reason the Semi-Western grip is very well suited for today’s dynamic game. (If this seems surprising, more on his exact grip below.) The semi-western forehand grip places your palm on the lower right slant bevel, the plane 45 degrees clockwise (for a righty) from the plane of the strings. You will also need to This grip makes it possible for him to hit on the rise, and also to step into the ball and hit effortlessly with a neutral stance and a vertical finish. As you get in to the ready position to return the serve hold the racquet with it facing straight towards the ground. Prepare the backswing with the racket in an upright position. For the Continental Grip on Serving or Volleying, If the Student Has a Problem with That Part of The Hand Sliding, Locating the Grip Trainer to Hold the Heel of The Hand in Place Can Work Wonders! To Play a forehand stroke a small grip Change from bevel 5 to bevel 4 (semi western grip) is needed. This style of the forehand is hit with mainly the western forehand grip or an extreme semi-western. As a family, these are topspin heavy grips with a higher contact point. 5 Use Your Legs to Give Your Forehand a Boost. The swing volley forehand is a favorite shot by … While there is no perfect grip, the semi-western grip has become one of the most popular forehand grips in tennis. ), Stance (Neutral, Open, Semi-Open), and Topspin can all determine what type of forehand stroke you have.However, one component that is critical to all types of forehands is the “ Lock and Roll ” movement, or the twisting and releasing of one’s body. Thank you 4 Preparing to Hit a Forehand. The most talked about stroke in tennis. Semi-Western 2.1. The main idea for this procedure is to save time for the preparation of the backhand stroke. For my way of thinking, you just rotate that base knuckle and heel pad one more bevel clockwise onto bevel #4. Hitting with Topspin. The semi-western grip started getting popularity because it allowed players to generate heavier topspin and gave them more space for clearing the net. Just for sake of explanation, this is called a semi-western forehand grip. The most popular forehand grip is the semi-western grip. To hold a paddle with a western grip, grab the handle of the paddle like a fly swatter like you were going to swat a bug in front of you. For the semi-western grip, you’ll be moving your index knuckle to the fourth bevel. 8 Forehand Extension and Follow Through. In the 90s and into the new millennium, players like Andre Agassi and Martina Hingis put the semi-western … The Western grip used to be popular in the early twentieth century, as did the Continental grip. The main learning points from this tennis lesson for beginners are: Use the semi-western grip to be able to apply topspin effect to the ball. IMPROVED FOREHAND GRIP: Help Adjust the Forehand Grip from Full-Western to Semi-Western. There are three main elements of the Kyrgios forehand that we’ll look closely at. the hand is now more behind instead of slightly above the grip. Open Stance Forehand Tennis Grip. 3 Body Position to Hit a Forehand. I know that western/semi-western gripped forehands like Nadal’s, lend themselves naturally to Nadal’s style of forehand. The Semi-Western Grip is popular for most tennis players. The eastern forehand grip has your index finger knuckle on the third bevel of the racket. 1 Clear the Net Mentality. The forehand starts with proper initial positioning. Western or Semi-Western Grip. Well, I ended up losing the only The role of his right elbow in the swing and preparation phase. The semi-Western Forehand grip is a great option for tennis players of all styles. But is that due mainly to the combination of his swing path, straight-on technique, athleticism, and racket head acceleration, or mainly his extreme semi-western forehand grip. Be aggressive and go after the ball, don’t wait for it to come to you. The main learning points from this tennis lesson for beginners are: Use the semi-western grip to be able to play with both the topspin and the flat effect. Try PlayYourCourt for free here: https://bit.ly/2HjZ0GjWant more power and spin on your forehand? Hold the racket at the bottom of the grip to have control and accelerate at the same time. The semi-western forehand grip is part of the family of today's western grips. Check out our tennis lesson to learn the correct forehand grip and swing. . It’s a preferred grip because of its ability to create topspin, which is a forward rotation of the ball across the court. The Semi-Western Grip: About 7-8 years ago, I spent a New Hampshire summer teaching myself how to use this grip, which provides more topspin to the forehand. His forehand is mainly characterized by the following: 1) Semi open stance that allows him to enjoy the benefits of both the open neutral stance, paired with great hips, shoulders and trunk rotation, Want to meet new players & play more tennis? Due to the contact point, the semi-Western forehand will naturally swing low to high through the ball creating greater topspin when compared to the Eastern grip. When it comes to forehand tennis grips there are 3 main grips to choose from. the racquet head is now lower,and lags behind the hand during the swing (instead of cocked slightly higher than the wrist) – a telltale sign of the modern forehand – and plays more like a semi-western grip. Semi-Western Forehand Grip The Semi Western Forehand grip is located one rotation after the Eastern grip, which means that the base of your index finger should be on bevel #4. The semi-western grip is one of three primary tennis grips used to hold a tennis racquet when hitting a forehand. While there is no perfect grip, the semi-western grip has become one of the most popular forehand grips in tennis. In this article we’ll explore the semi-western grip as well as the pros and cons associated with it. Start In the Ready Position. This will give your racket a downward tilt, so you will have to meet the ball slightly farther forward than you would with an Eastern grip. Pick it up and hold it like a frying pan. The semi-western grip is one of three primary tennis grips used to hold a tennis racquet when hitting a forehand. The eastern forehand grip is undertaught these days, and many coaches use and teach primarily semi-western with this misconception that the semi-western grip provides more spin and power. With a full western grip you’ll find your forearm is perpendicular to the plane of the paddle face. Swing Volley. The following method helps you find a very comfortable Semi-Western forehand grip, which is a grip I recommend. You can also use an Eastern forehand grip, which is very reliable but might give you some problems on very high balls. This grip is probably the most popular forehand grip among professional players, as it is an all-surface grip. After finishing the forehand stroken a grip change from bevel 4 to bevel 5 (1) is needed. On tour, most of the pro players use a semi-western grip. This is the grip that beginners instinctively follow who don’t have any paddle-sports background. Most of the time semi western grip comes very handy in forehand shot. Serena Williams’s Semi-Western forehand. Grip (Eastern, Modified Eastern, Semi-Western, etc. Not to bore you with personal stories, but once my coach tried to make a slight change to my grip, and I completely got it confused going into a tournament the next weekend. … This allows the players to really generate massive amounts of topspin in an aggressive manner. This allows you to … Great for heavy baseline games with big strokes to accumulate topspin. a) Semi-Western Forehand Grip. The eastern grip which is generally considered the easiest grip for learning the forehand, the semi-western grip, and the western grip. The grip here is based on the fourth bevel. Semi-western and western grip forehands existed in the classic era, but were rare. A semi-western grip is not quite perpendicular. Place your palm on the lower right slant bevel, the plane that is 45 degrees clockwise from the plane of your strings. You should be in the … Check out our tennis lesson on adding spin in forehand. The Classic Old School Forehand . Here are 3 simple steps for you to make things easier-. Semi-Western Grip: The Semi-Western grip is a common choice for players who want to balance both spin and power. This is a great grip for forehand strokes because the palm of … Western Grip: This is what Rafael Nadal uses to master his forehand.