The Grip
The grip is important for all shots in the game. It produces the position the ball should be struck, the direction the ball will tend to go, the contact point to body position of the player. The force produced in pronation on the server. All of these charactertics are important to the success of the shot and players skills. The information I am imparting today is the firmness of the grip as we contact the ball. The coaches today don’t always agree about the level of pressure or firmness the player should hold the grip. One idea is the more firm the grip the more control and transfer of force to the ball. The other idea is that the grip is not firm, but loose to be fluid and smooth. I see the challenge in the tracking of the ball and where the ball is contacted on the racket face. The racquet has a center of percussion or sweet spot. This is the area where if the ball strikes the strings the recoil or effect is like butter. The ball comes off the face smooth, effortless and with maximum power. The question is how often does the average player striking the ball in the sweet spot? This deals with off center or off sweet spot shots that strike the racquet face. The studies I have read suggest that if the ball strikes the strings center or sweet spot the necessary grip pressure is minor or weak. The opposite is true for the off center strike, the rotational force produced by the not center strike requires a very strong grip. The strong grip will allow the angle of deflection to be less producing more directional correctness. The weaker the grip, the more deflection or incorrect position or placement of the ball. Now , let’s ask this question how often do you strike the ball in the sweet spot? The average player probably does not strike the sweet spot as often as they like. This suggests that the firm grip or pressure is better for control due to inconsistent location of contact on the racquet face. The question then becomes how tight do I hold the racquet? The best players are firm enough that there is minimal racquet rotation or twisting when the ball is hit off center. The players hold loose as the swing or stroke is in progress, but as they contact the grip firms up to prevent rotation or poor defection. So hold the racquet firm, but not death grip or suffer the challenge of tennis elbow. The players with poor strokes and inconsistent striking of the ball need firmness for control. The players who develop mechanical proficiency and strike the ball more in the sweet spot need a less firm grip. So ask this question how tight do you hold the racquet? And why?