Grip Pressure

[nickw]

Great little tip John, good job simplifying an important detail. This is something I'll use with my students. Federer was once asked how tight he gripped the racket using the 1-10 scale. He answered '2 at contact, 1 throughout the rest of the swing'. I also like the idea the pressure will naturally increase for contact.

[johncraig]

What I had read years ago was that on the serve you grip mostly with your thumb and top two fingers, and that on ground strokes with your lower fingers, keeping the index finger and thumb loose. Only on contact do you grip tightly. Plaegenhoef showed that on the serve a tight grip at impact is very important. You can swing a bit slower, but serve faster with a tight grip at impact, then with a bit of a faster swing but a bit looser a grip at impact.

Yes, do agree there are more details in the grip pressure for specific shots. Here is a guideline I have established and use: On a scale from 1 -10, where 1 is very soft and 10 is very tight. On the serve, I have students hold the index finger and thumb at level 3, and the remaining fingers at level 1. The result is the heal of the racket sits into the heal-pad of my palm at a level 3. For the forehand, the bottom three (middle, ring and pinky) fingers at a level 3, and the index finger and thumb at level 1. (Very similar to Don Brosseau's article in Classic Lessons.) Similar on the one-handed backhand. I learned this same technique from a great coach years ago. I do not teach an increase tension on contact. It could happen instinctively.

[gzhpcu]

https://7-s.imgbox.com/MDoZQ6oo.jpg

[gzhpcu]

What I had read years ago was that on the serve you grip mostly with your thumb and top two fingers, and that on ground strokes with your lower fingers, keeping the index finger and thumb loose. Only on contact do you grip tightly. Plaegenhoef showed that on the serve a tight grip at impact is very important. You can swing a bit slower, but serve faster with a tight grip at impact, then with a bit of a faster swing but a bit looser a grip at impact.

[klacr]

Another good nugget of wisdom from John Craig. Its all about the details and grip pressure is one of them. Solid all around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a01QQZyl-_I

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss John Craig's latest on "Grip Pressure"