Video:Grip Choices for Volleys
with Jeff CooperTennis players use two sensible systems and a few weaker alternatives for volley grips. Watch this About.com video to learn all about the options.See Transcript
Transcript:Grip Choices for Volleys
Hi, I'm Jeff Cooper for About.com, here to help you choose the volley grip system that will work best for you.
Two Choices for Grips for Tennis Volleys
You have two choices on volley grips. You can either use an Eastern forehand grip, where the base knuckle of your index finger is on the side panel of your handle for your forehand volleys, and then switch to an Eastern backhand grip, where this knuckle's on the top plane of your handle for your backhand volleys, or to avoid switching, you can use a Continental grip, where this knuckle's right in between the two.
Other Grip Choices for Tennis Volleys
The Eastern grips are the easiest choice physically--they give the racquet the strongest support--but the Continental saves you from having to switch grips. Most of the time, you have time to switch grips, but in very quick doubles exchanges, when all four players are at the net, sometimes you won't have time to switch grips. If you can get used to the Continental, it's the best choice in the long run.
More Grip Choices for Tennis Volleys
What a lot of players end up doing, though, is they find the Continental too uncomfortable on forehand volleys, so they sneak their hand closer to an Eastern forehand grip, and they end up hitting both volleys with that, including the backhand volley, and a backhand volley with this grip is really weak. So, a lot of them avoid going to the net, because they find that grip too weak, or they start doing a two-handed volley, and that causes all kinds of problems. You can't block your body with two hands, it's hard to get down low, you can't reach as high, and you can't reach as far out.
Overview of Tennis Grip Choices for Volleys
So, your best choice overall, if you can get used to it, is Continental. Your second-best choice is to switch between the Eastern grips. What you don't want to do is a two-hander or come up to the net with your Western groundstroke grips, because they only work well on swing volleys.
For more on volleys and everything else in tennis, visit About.com.