How To Hold A Tennis Racket And Feel The Grip

The usual instruction on how to hold a tennis racket correctly is typically based on how to place the V on the racket handle based on bevels or where to place the base knuckle of the index finger, but this does not yet help a tennis beginner feel why that's a correct grip. They may hold the racket correctly and still spray the balls all over the place.

In this video you'll learn the main reasons why players don't really feel the grip, what is the most natural grip for the forehand and the non-dominant hand of the two-handed backhand and what drills you can use to improve the feel for the grip.

The one-handed backhand grip is different as there is no exact analogy to the forehand grip so I'll make another video on the topic of the one-handed backhand grip.

The progressions shown in this video are very helpful when you're teaching tennis beginners on how to hold the racket correctly but also when you're correcting the grips especially on the two-handed backhand.

[pianoforteadorecchio]

Tennis is a sport for magicians. If you see champions play you think of seeing something, but in reality they are doing something different in such a fast way that you can't understand what they are really doing. Tomaz is revealing us the secrets of this wonderful sport as nobody else does. His explanations are crystal clear and ready to be applied to everyday practise by players of all levels. Thanks for your invaluable lessons, Tomaz. Keep up the good work!

[infomercialguy]

Best teacher ever. Wow! Love him. Wish you lived in Chicago

[mdougf]

The best coach on youtube (along with a very short list of others) and probably one of the best in the world. Thanks for what you do, Tomaz

[tesladiesel]

I watched 2 minutes 05 seconds of this and, right away I want to give you 10 stars for this - on the scale of 1-5…. 😜
So why did I get so excited, you might ask: Starting from the beginning of this video up to the 2min mark (I haven’t watched it entirely yet) you describe everything that is happening to my kid’s game: the “perfect” and aggressive technique, solid footwork on and on - yet, she still misses - intermittently during matches. About 7 mo ago she started complaining about the racquet twisting out of her hand, complaining about hitting frames a lot too. So I took slo-mo videos and was able to confirm the racquet twisting and ball “rolling down” on the string bed and catching the bottom of the frame. Could NOT figure out the reason. The grip size is correct, the racquet is 4PT HL, 67-stiffness rating etc.. all good. Naturally, being a tennis parent, I immediately blamed her footwork hahaha! Got insane with ball machine drills trying to “fix” something….not sure what tho. Two days ago while she was watching Djokovic’s slo-mo forehand swing, she goes like “why is he holding the racquet so far up the handle” …. THEN it just dawned on me (!) my kid’s grip sucks! She holds the handle like Rafa, 3 fingers only. Great when you are Rafa, not so good when your only 14yrs old. To add insult to injury, her grip is so loose, she’s got that gap all over the grip: at the pinky, and the trigger finger, all over the place. (Partially blaming some of the coaches out there promoting this btw)This explains why her grip moves from SW to Eastern grip during matches and why the racquet face opens up after about 4-6 hits. Anyhow….. the takeaway is this: get the fundamentals down first, before looking for issues elsewhere. 7-8 years into HP tennis and now, we are working on the proper grip…😳😳😳😤😤😤 About 6000 hits and 30-45 days on the court and my kid should be on the right track lol! Great content here, coach! I wish I saw this earlier…. Thank you!

[petaratanasov]

Great coach. I am a coach as well and I just want it to say that this guy is amazing. The way he explains is very understandable and makes you really feel the game. My favorite tennis channel. Great content!!!

[miguelbarahona]

I totally agree with you. My continental grip is not the usual described everywhere. My "continental" grip (for serve, backhand slice and volleys) is with my index knuckle just in the corner of bevels 2 and 3. My guide for the "feeling" in the continental, is that my index´s proximal phalanx is totally aligned to bevel 3, and the medial phalanx in totally aligned to bevel 4. This is the only grip that gives me total feeling and control for serves, backhand slices and volleys. I struggled many years with the usual continental, that has the index knuckle in bevel 2.

[alandonald]

As a teacher of Physical Education I see too often overly complicated instruction. This is quality teaching and therefore learning of the highest level. Thankyou.

[Stif]

Great lesson, loved every minute of it! Very informative, entertaining and funny too.

[beaglesrfun]

This is a dissertation on tennis grips! Love it.

[tarunj]

Awesome tutorial as always Sir, never had I thought about that we could feel the racquet face as well as this way, will surely practice this on court.
Thanks a ton!

[georgioslachanas]

So happy when I get a notification for a video!Really interested in your next detailed video for the one handed backhand!Thank you!

[preciousdevere]

I'm a novice and this is giving me confidence, thank you!!!!

[marionschulze]

Feel the grip, what for an important detail. There's so much videos how to play tennis. But nobody talk about that. Thanks for these interesting video. It is just changing my play.

[alfaromans]

The most appreciated coach that I've seen on YouTube

[wightspokes]

The clearest and most logical explaination of how to play tennis 🎾

[RandomAsia]

You are the best coach on youtube! I loved this video

[Quatronconsultancy]

Excellent explanation of how to hold the racket and understand the extension of our hand to hit the ball in correct angle

[daviddoan]

Thank you for teaching how to feel the racquet orientation as opposed to angles, bevels, etc. It really helped me switch to a semi western as I have had western for a long time and have had trouble trying to get used to the different contact point and angle.

[christiandavidemilano]

my best tennis teacher on yt. I can't wait to meet him live 👍

[ballsports]

Best tennis lesson on youtube!!
Thank you tomaz^^!
I always waiting your lesson.