Private Lessons: Understanding The Continental Grip

The rise of the western forehand makes the ability to transition between grips critical for players at all levels.

In the early days of tennis, changing grips was virtually unheard of. The young players were taught the grip
(continental) and told to play. Fortunately, they were taught the way to play as well – hit very few groundstrokes and get to
the net as quickly as possible.

Another fortunate factor for the players of the past was that most major tournaments were held on grass
courts and other very fast surfaces which accentuated the use of the grip and that particular way of playing tennis.

With the rise of hard court tennis in the western U.S. and the growing popularity of the two-handed backhand,
the speed of the game started to increase, which made it more difficult to play using the Continental grip. Hard court
tennis made for more regular and dependable bounces, which allowed players to swing more aggressively at the ball.

The added aggressiveness put more value on the use of spins, particularly topspin. This transition in the
game soon spelled the end of an era for tennis.

The Continental Grip: Today, many players lack a well-rounded game…