Continental Grip in Tennis [Overview & How to Hold]

[@mmm12812]

Exactly the video I was looking for. It solved all my doubts about the grip. Thank you

[@jhigsdeus1981]

Thank you! I am new in Tennis so this is a good guide for me. Thanks again!

[@th13teen23]

Thanks! the way you explained it is very clear unlike some other videos I looked up about this grip. helped allot :D

[@RobinStephens-z8f]

I was taught to use the continental grip decades ago and it worked well for me. After not playing for quite a while I decided to take a couple of lessons and the coach said I was holding the racquet wrong and no one uses that grip anymore. Thank goodness I had only paid for one introductory lesson because this guy was pretty rude and arrogant. Although I am open to trying other grips, it is nice to know that the continental grip is perfectly acceptable (and not wrong).

[@iamjohnjoumaa]

The Peter McKinnon of tennis! Great job!

[@TennisCompanion]

Haha... aspiring. Thanks, John! I hope all is well.

[@DeeeFoo]

The continental grip is truly versatile. The only time I'm not holding continental is for my topspin forehand.

[@TennisCompanion]

Love it! Thanks for sharing your experience using it.

[@masyrafnukman3932]

I wish you continued success in the field of tennis and youtube thank you

[@cschaka1]

Thank you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@HanzSygnal]

I just started going to la jolla stringing workshop in san diego, theyre great , do you have suggestions for best local stringing shop? Also, any suggestions for stringing my brand new vcore pro 97?< I value comfort and precision, but know nothing about strings, thanks in advance

[@TennisCompanion]

Hi there! Great to hear you're exploring stringing and looking to learn more about the topic. San Diego has a ton of excellent strings - one of the best resources for tracking them down is the USRSA: www.racquettech.com/stringing/stringer_search.php Of course, there are plenty who aren't certified by the USRSA, but it's a great place to begin your search. As far as strings for your new VCORE Pro 97, a great place to start would be to check out my video on the different types of strings, which provides an overview of what to expect in different categories: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZfPdKaKgpusbtk You can take a few different paths to achieve comfort and precision. A few I'd recommend exploring a bit further include: - *'Soft' Polys:* Relative to other polyester tennis strings, these offer added comfort, i.e., Solinco Hyper-G Soft. However, they're still low powered control-oriented strings that deliver excellent topspin. - *Control or Durable Multifilaments:* Relative to other multifilament tennis strings, these offer added control and durability, i.e., Wilson NXT Control. However, they're still comfortable with moderate power. - *Hybrid Stringing:* Combing two different strings, i.e., a multifilament in the mains and a poly in the crosses or vice versa, for a blend of performance characteristics. Here are a few additional stringing resources of mine that you might find useful in your exploration: String tension: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn_Ek6Z3otF_hdk String gauge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haDPmId5jrZ7Z9U Restringing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIqqoH6JnKiFf8U Multifilament: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYmxZHlme5mspqc Polyester: tenniscompanion.org/polyester-tennis-strings/ Gut: tenniscompanion.org/natural-gut-tennis-strings/ Hybrid stringing: tenniscompanion.org/hybrid-tennis-strings/ Hopefully, you find my notes helpful, and they help point you in the right direction. Of course, if you have any follow-up questions, let me know. Best of luck!

[@jonathan4632]

Great video. Do you hold the racquet slightly higher up the handle when you're using it? In particular with slice and volleys. Or am I seeing things? Just asking because I'm having some trouble with finding the continental recently (shanking slices all the time), was wondering if I shouldn't grip it so low near the butt cap.

[@TennisCompanion]

Hi Jonathan! Great observation. Yes, I do change the position of my hand slightly for different strokes using the continental grip. On my volleys, I tend to hold the grip slightly higher for a bit of extra control. On my serve, it's the opposite end of the spectrum, where I hold it the lowest for maximum racquet head speed. Then on slice groundstrokes, it falls somewhere in between. If you're struggling with finding the grip, I think that raising your hand ever so slightly on the handle can help give you a greater sense of feel for the bevels, which can translate to locating it more easily on the fly. Something that can also help and may players find counterintuitive is maintaining a relaxed hand for more fluid grip changes.

[@jonathan4632]

@@TennisCompanion That's so cool, thanks for the detailed reply. Can't wait to try this out.

[@masyrafnukman3932]

Thank you very much

[@tomkelly8442]

You mentioned players having trouble with the continental grip on their serve. Can you give more detail?

[@TennisCompanion]

Hi Tom, absolutely! The main reason new players tend to struggle with the continental grip on their serve has to do with the racquet's natural angle when swinging forward to hit the ball. More specifically, if a player uses this grip and doesn't consciously adjust the angle of the racquet face as they swing forward, they'll be leading with the edge of the racquet instead of the strings. To accommodate, players need to learn to rotate their hand, wrist, and forearm outward as the racquet swings forward and approaches the ball so that the strings make contact instead of the racquet's edge. You'll hear many people refer to this rotation as that occurs as pronation. Initially, learning this movement can feel awkward or cumbersome, especially if a player hasn't learned how to properly position their body to allow free movement through the service motion. The serve is one of my favorite topics, so I expect to get around to discussing it more in-depth in future videos.

[@tomkelly8442]

@@TennisCompanion Thank you...will work on it. Tom

[@TennisCompanion]

Happy to help, Tom! Have a great weekend.

[@lozinja]

What a great and clear explanation!

[@86love4u]

@TennisCompanion - Hi Jon, Thanks for this video. I was wondering what is the best grip for one handed backhand? Thanks!

[@TennisCompanion]

Hi Deepak - you're welcome! I recommend ideal starting points for forehands and backhands in my guide on the topic. You can check it out here: tenniscompanion.org/tennis-grips/ It includes photos to help you get it right. I hope that helps!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Brilliant video... really well presented! I love the court setting, where is it?

[@TennisCompanion]

Thanks, Ashley! I'm in San Diego, CA - it's a great spot. You have a pretty sweet setup too. Those grass courts 😍

[@ProjectCarthage2004]

I have no problem with my serve, slice etc when using a continental grip. But after only 2 days of using it I got a wrist injury due to my forehand. Do you know why this is? I hold the racquet like it's shown in the video but my forehand sorta wiggles and my hand hurts a ton when I hit the ball.

[@TennisCompanion]

Hi Jason, I'm sorry to hear about your wrist. Unfortunately, I'm not qualified to provide medical advice, so I'd encourage you to seek that out from a trained professional who can help. However, with that said, in my experience, I've found that players who start using the continental grip heavily can experience some challenges early on purely due to overuse and their wrist not being used to it. I've had issues with my wrist in the past after an extended break, so I usually try my best to start slow, get plenty of rest, and work my way into it to avoid prolong injury. Best of luck, injuries are frustrating, to say the least.

[@ProjectCarthage2004]

@@TennisCompanion alright thanks for the advice. I will try to use a lighter racquet for now until I get used to the grip. I also have this one question. When playing, is it ok to change grips for the different hits? Or should I just have 1 grip throughout the whole match?

[@TennisCompanion]

Happy to share my experience, Jason. There are a handful of grips that come into play in tennis. Most players will use the continental grip and then change grips for their forehand and backhand. I put together a guide on the most common grips with visuals, so you might find this useful to check out: tenniscompanion.org/tennis-grips/

[@claudepiche9931]

Great biceps!

[@TennisCompanion]

LOL. Thanks, Claude!

[@frankmcchrystal4029]

I never really understood your footwork on the serve. You don't see any major league pitchers using that lower body action. Isn't the serve basically a throwing motion?

[@gibcoprobe66]

Great video but you should have addressed the placement of the heel pad. Some place the heel pad on bevel no2 as well. True continental grip is 1-1 not 2-1.

[@opticalpower]

Amazing keep going my friend , you doing great ✨👑🌱🎥 🎾 kader : Artist & Video Creator from Optical Power youtube channel 🎥

[@TennisCompanion]

Thank you, Kader! I appreciate the encouragement 😄

[@opticalpower]

TennisCompanion Of course You very welcome my new friend !! 🎥💫 keep going !! ✨ If You have a moment pls stop by to my youtube channel “Optical Power” let me know what do you think 💭 I would love to have your advice Thanks ! Kader.

[@MrReviewer-dp2xh]

i wish people would not add music to their videos it stope me understanding whats being said

[@muuhoang7592]

Have to go thru the history and a dissertation to explain the continental grip! What a waste of time....