Home › Guides › Tennis grips, explained
Technique
Tennis grips, explained
Continental, eastern, semi-western and western: how to hold each, what shot each one is for, and why changing grip changes your whole game.
The grip is how you hold the handle, and it decides more about your technique than anything else. A shot that will not come together is often just the wrong grip.
How they are named
A racquet handle is an octagon: eight faces, called bevels. Grips are defined by where you place the base knuckle of your index finger on those bevels.
The four main ones
| Grip | What it is for | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Continental | Serve, volley, slice, drop shot | Almost no topspin, huge versatility |
| Eastern | Flat, direct forehand | Little topspin, penetrating ball |
| Semi-western | The modern forehand, most used today | Good topspin without losing depth |
| Western | Very heavy topspin forehand | Maximum spin, struggles with low balls |
Continental is the most important
It is the only grip that serves, volleys, slices and hits drop shots. If you master one, make it this one. Many club players serve with a forehand grip, which is why they get no spin on serve and cannot hit a decent flat one either.
Why semi-western dominates modern tennis
It leaves the racquet face slightly closed, which lets you brush from low to high and generate topspin without sacrificing power. It is the middle ground that suits almost everyone.
How to tell yours is holding you back
- You cannot lift the ball with spin: you are probably too eastern.
- Low balls feel impossible: you are probably too western.
- Your serve has no spin and goes long or into the net: you are almost certainly not using continental.