Jim McLennan: Subtle Differences in Grip Structures

[lukman41985]

http://www.tennisone.com/magazine/quicktips/jim.handplacement/handplacement.php

Good discussion about "long" grips vs. "short" grips. I think John mentioned this issue before on the forum. I like the idea of lining the fingers with the mains.

On the serve, I use a short grip. On the forehand, I also used the short grip, but I noticed I needed a lot of arm rotation to make it work, even though I use a hybrid grip. For the last couple of months, I've been using a long grip. I liked how I didn't need a lot of arm rotation to make my forehand fire.

Hope you guys enjoy this and can maybe add something to your games with it.

[ruymendes1]

Feedback

Hi Lukman,
Could you tell me if your forehand got better whith the long grip, or it just became easier to hit?
I didn't have tried this yet. And about the serve, what happens when you used the long grip?
Ruy

[lukman41985]

Ruy,
Thanks for your questions. My forehand felt easier because I needed less arm rotation to make it work. The grip also felt more comfortable. I like the point Jim made about alignment with the forearm. This has to lead to more consistency and aid in mental imagery. With regard to long vs. short grips on serve, the long grip works pretty much as well as the short, but with the short, I seem to get more spin. Try it out and tell us what you think. Have a good day!

-Lukman