Archive for Percy896's Tennis Forum This is a new tennis forum to discuss professional tennis, vote and create polls, and ask advice about equipment, fitness, or anything regarding tennis! Now with a new Fantasy Tennis League!
 


       Percy896's Tennis Forum Forum Index -> Pro Players Discussion
Benchwarmer1

EASTERN GRIP

how many pros use an eastern? and who are they?
x.doublea

Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski (and some other serve and volleyers) use eastern grips because it's easier to make a transition to the net with it. Of the great players, most of the players prior to the 1980s used it, but players like Borg and Lendl made the semi-western very popular. One very notable great player used the eastern grip: Pete Sampras. Other users of the eastern grip are Lindsay Davenport and Stefan Edberg (although he used more of a continental grip). In the current ATP top 10, one player uses the eastern grip: Stepanek (I can't believe he's in the Top 10. Shocked )
PSALT

few players use the eastern now, most pro's favor the semi western or western. like Doublea said though it used to be very popular along with the continental. Sampras and Davenport are probably the biggest names to use it in the past 10 years. I think Dent used it too.
dav6789

I forget which is eastern and western, could someone explain.

I know the western is a good claycourt grip, but the eastern must be good if Sampras, Davenport and Rusedski use it, 3 of the biggest forehands in the game.
PSALT

dav6789 wrote:
I forget which is eastern and western, could someone explain.

I know the western is a good claycourt grip, but the eastern must be good if Sampras, Davenport and Rusedski use it, 3 of the biggest forehands in the game.


I know how to find grips but not good at explaining them. The most basic way to find the eastern is to put your hand on the face of the racquet and slide it down to the grip, the eastern grip is like you are "shaking hands" with the racquet. You can't get huge amounts of topspin with the eastern grip so your timing must be perfect or you will commit an error. Eastern is great for very fast surfaces as the ball will drive through the court since it is so flat. When you use the western grip your hand is backwards s oto speak, the back of the hand is facing out. Because of this you need to be strong to use it and you use a radical upwards motion to hit the ball. Nadal uses the western, you apply big amounts of topspin.

BTW, speaking of grips, has anyone else heard of the "Hawaian" (SP?) grip? I heard about it the other day but don't know what it is.
dav6789

PSALT wrote:
dav6789 wrote:
I forget which is eastern and western, could someone explain.

I know the western is a good claycourt grip, but the eastern must be good if Sampras, Davenport and Rusedski use it, 3 of the biggest forehands in the game.


I know how to find grips but not good at explaining them. The most basic way to find the eastern is to put your hand on the face of the racquet and slide it down to the grip, the eastern grip is like you are "shaking hands" with the racquet. You can't get huge amounts of topspin with the eastern grip so your timing must be perfect or you will commit an error. Eastern is great for very fast surfaces as the ball will drive through the court since it is so flat. When you use the western grip your hand is backwards s oto speak, the back of the hand is facing out. Because of this you need to be strong to use it and you use a radical upwards motion to hit the ball. Nadal uses the western, you apply big amounts of topspin.

BTW, speaking of grips, has anyone else heard of the "Hawaian" (SP?) grip? I heard about it the other day but don't know what it is.


I have never heard of that grip lol.

Thanks for explaining it, I remember now. I used to use the western grip for a bit but it was very annoying. I use the eastern grip now and feels alot more natural.
Benchwarmer1

is it hard to use spin using the Eastern?
PSALT

Benchwarmer1 wrote:
is it hard to use spin using the Eastern?


an eastern grip will never get as much spin as a western. all grips have pro's and con's, I myself use a semi-western, which is in the middle.
dav6789

Benchwarmer1 wrote:
is it hard to use spin using the Eastern?


I generally prefer to hit the ball flat, but I do hit topspin also, especially if my rhythm has gone a bit. You can still hit it with an eastern grip, you just have to brush up a bit more.
J-man

PSALT wrote:
dav6789 wrote:
I forget which is eastern and western, could someone explain.

I know the western is a good claycourt grip, but the eastern must be good if Sampras, Davenport and Rusedski use it, 3 of the biggest forehands in the game.


I know how to find grips but not good at explaining them. The most basic way to find the eastern is to put your hand on the face of the racquet and slide it down to the grip, the eastern grip is like you are "shaking hands" with the racquet. You can't get huge amounts of topspin with the eastern grip so your timing must be perfect or you will commit an error. Eastern is great for very fast surfaces as the ball will drive through the court since it is so flat. When you use the western grip your hand is backwards s oto speak, the back of the hand is facing out. Because of this you need to be strong to use it and you use a radical upwards motion to hit the ball. Nadal uses the western, you apply big amounts of topspin.

BTW, speaking of grips, has anyone else heard of the "Hawaian" (SP?) grip? I heard about it the other day but don't know what it is.
It's when you are extream western grip. My friend at Tennis camp used and hit with lots of Topspin.
http://tennis.about.com/od/forehandbackhand/ss/fhgripclosewt_5.htm
x.doublea

I think the Hawaiian Grip is a continental grip to an extreme. I think one player who used it got to the final of Roland Garros.
J-man

Alberto Berasategui

       Percy896's Tennis Forum Forum Index -> Pro Players Discussion
Page 1 of 1
Create your own free forum | Buy a domain to use with your forum
This is a growing tennis discussion forum to discuss all aspects of professional tennis, ATP and WTA players, tournaments, results, equipment, or anything personal about tennis you wish to discuss. With polls to answer and create, topics and threads to reply and respond to, and even a new Fantasy Tennis League, you will never run out of things to do and talk about! So come join Percy's Tennis Forum and enjoy! If you want to search for this site on Google, you can try keywords such as: tennis forum, tennis forums, tennis polls, percy896, percy's tennis, fantasy tennis, fantasy tennis league, tennis discussion, tennis talk, discuss tennis, tennis discussion board, tennis message boards, tennis, myfreeforum, or others you wish to try.

Visit Top10Links to see if we're ranked!