The Continental Grip

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The Continental Grip is the grip most pros use to serve, volley, slice, and hit overheads, and this is the grip you want to use for those shots as well. It’s also the grip that pros used “back in the day” to hit their forehands, but since the game has changed so much, it is no longer considered an acceptable tennis forehand grip to use if you are a modern student of the game.

Technically, the Continental Grip is where the heel pad and index knuckle of your hitting hand are resting on the second bevel of the tennis racket. In the video above you can see a shot of me holding the racket with a continental grip, and you can see my heel pad and index knuckle resting on the second bevel of the tennis racket handle.

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  • Anonymous

    Is it important how one holds her arm using the continental grip for volleying?

  • http://twitter.com/i_tonin Israel Tonin

    In the video you said that the continental grip is not used anymore for forehands. What would be the different types of grips for forehands and backhands that most players uses right now?

  • heidi

    loving the lessons, hating the same xbox ad before every lesson.

  • liz

    Can you serve with the east continental grip?

  • amanda

    What happened to the videos?

  • Haidar

    Video too short

  • Joseph smith

    Its essential to note that although both the ‘chopper’ grip and the continental grip both lay the index knuckle on the 2nd bevel, the continental grips 4 finger knuckle aligment is significantly different. The 4 finger knuckles run parallel to the racket handle whereas the continental runs at an angle around 30-40 degrees with the index finger resembling a trigger position.

  • Tombsmall

    So, I appears that I use a continental forehand grip.  I use it for both ground strokes and serves.  why is that no longer used as a forehand grip?  

  • zac goochey

    that suckeedddd

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