The sport of tennis is all about technique and feel in order to maximize your on-court potential. Here at HOKALI, we want to see you maximize that potential! Keep reading to discover the things you MUST know before stepping on a tennis court.
There are many different ways to hold a tennis racquet, or ‘grip’ it, when you make contact with the ball. Your grip becomes very crucial in your ability to control your shot while adding speed and spin to the ball.
Over on our HOKALI YouTube Channel (which you should definitely subscribe to), we have posted a few different videos explaining different grip types and how you can go about implementing them.
To get the most out of these videos, grab your racquet and try and replicate the feel as you watch along. Once you feel as though you have the grip down, go out and try and hit some balls!
First thing you must know before stepping on a tennis court: The Frying Pan Grip
First up is what is known as the ‘frying pan’ grip. As the name suggests, when holding the racquet it will feel as if you are holding a frying pan over a stovetop.
To start, take your racquet and put it face down on the ground.
Reach down and pick the racquet up. Imagine the racquet was a frying pan, this is how you will want to hold it.
If you are a right-handed player, your thumb will be on the left side of the racquet as the base of the racquet rests between your thumb and index finger. You will want your fingers to mold around the racquet so that your index finger and thumb are touching.
At this point, you should have solid control over the racquet. Though, be sure to avoid a death grip on it. You want to hold the racquet tight enough so you have control, but not too tight to where you are over-squeezing it.
If your grip looks like this, you are ready to swing.
Remember, this is only a grip used for your forehand.
Though it may feel uncomfortable at first, the ‘frying pan’ grip will pay off in the long run as it combines control, speed, and spin on your forehand shot. Stick with it and over time you will develop a killer forehand!
The Hammer Grip
The second grip we will be going over is what is known as the ‘hammer’ grip. The hammer grip is used on both your serve and your backhand.
When holding your racquet, you want to, well, grip it like a hammer!
Your finger placement is key when it comes to the hammer grip. You want your index finger and middle finger to have a gap between them.
They should not be touching.
Make sure your hand feels loose and flexible in this position.
The hammer grip has many advantages and is used by both beginning and professional players around the world. It helps add to your ability to handle the racquet and the precision you hit your shots with.
World-famous tennis trainer Patrick Mouratoglou is a big proponent of the hammer grip and has said that it increases your game!
I hope these tips and tricks help you advance your tennis game!
If you are looking to expand on these training tips, be sure to check out the HOKALI website to book your tennis lessons! Coaches are always looking to help players of all ages and skill levels.
These coaches will be able to help you master some of the tips shown in the video while also teaching you more tennis tricks that will immensely help your game!
Wanna know more about tennis? Have a look at this blog post!
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