The eastern forehand grip is a great grip that strikes a good balance between versatility, power, generating topspin and ease of use. In this guide we will go over how best to use this grip.
Brief History
As the game of tennis progressed, players realized that having a slightly closed off racket allowed for generating more topspin, than what was possible with the continental grip. This gave players a higher margin of error when clearing the net and thus began hitting with more power. While it used to be extremely popular in the 1920s, it is still used effectively by some of the world's best tennis players, which tend to use a modified version of it - Roger Federer being one if it's most proficient users.
How to Position your Hand
In order to achieve an eastern grip for your forehand, if you're right handed place the base knuckle of your index finger on bevel 3 (b3). If you're left handed place it on bevel 7 (b7).
Recommended Strokes
1. Forehand
Using the eastern grip on your forehand allows you to generate power and a good amount of topspin. It's ideal contact point is close to waist level and in front of the body. It tends to grip the ball in outer corner this allows for hitting some aggressive cross court shots.
2. Running Forehand
Since it has a lower contact point it can be an offensive shot when hitting the running forehand. While most effective as a cross court shot, the down the line running forehand can also be hit by delaying the contact point.
Using the eastern grip on your forehand allows you to generate power and a good amount of topspin. It's ideal contact point is close to waist level and in front of the body. It tends to grip the ball in outer corner this allows for hitting some aggressive cross court shots.
2. Running Forehand
Since it has a lower contact point it can be an offensive shot when hitting the running forehand. While most effective as a cross court shot, the down the line running forehand can also be hit by delaying the contact point.
Advantages
1. Ease of Use
This is usually the first grip that is taught when teaching how to hit a forehand. It's a more natural grip since it aligns the head of the racket with the palm of the hand. This makes it intuitive for driving through the ball and developing feel while hitting.
2. Cross Court Shots
This grip tends to hit the ball on it's outer edge. This makes it an effective weapon at hitting aggressive cross court shots.
3. Power
The eastern can generate tremendous amounts of power while still producing decent topspin. It feels like driving through the ball.
4. Easy Transition to Other Grips
Since the base knuckle of your index finger is in bevel 3 of your grip, it's in a good position to easily transition to most grips quickly. For example, in order to transition to a continental grip it requires only moving one position counter-clockwise if you're right handed or one bevel position clockwise if you are left handed. The hardest transition occurs when switching to an extreme western forehand grip.
5. Easy Handling of Low Balls
Since the ideal contact point sits close to waist level, you can use the eastern forehand grip to hit low balls pretty effectively.
This is usually the first grip that is taught when teaching how to hit a forehand. It's a more natural grip since it aligns the head of the racket with the palm of the hand. This makes it intuitive for driving through the ball and developing feel while hitting.
2. Cross Court Shots
This grip tends to hit the ball on it's outer edge. This makes it an effective weapon at hitting aggressive cross court shots.
3. Power
The eastern can generate tremendous amounts of power while still producing decent topspin. It feels like driving through the ball.
4. Easy Transition to Other Grips
Since the base knuckle of your index finger is in bevel 3 of your grip, it's in a good position to easily transition to most grips quickly. For example, in order to transition to a continental grip it requires only moving one position counter-clockwise if you're right handed or one bevel position clockwise if you are left handed. The hardest transition occurs when switching to an extreme western forehand grip.
5. Easy Handling of Low Balls
Since the ideal contact point sits close to waist level, you can use the eastern forehand grip to hit low balls pretty effectively.
Disadvantages
1. Tough to Generate Heavy Topspin
This grip only slightly begins closing the racket's head. This makes it difficult to use for generating heavy topspin which is a key component of today's modern tennis game.
2. Difficult generating power on high balls
While you can hit high balls with an eastern grip, it is not ideal. A lot of the top players compensate for this by jumping in the air a couple of inches. While this looks flashy, in reality they are losing power because they are not hitting from a grounded and balanced position. If the shot is too high a slice might be needed which could leave you in a defensive position.
3. Down the line shots
While definitely possible to hit down the line shots with this grip, it involves a bit more skill and precise timing than hitting its counterpart the cross court shot.
4. Low Margin of Error
Since it produces less topspin than more western grips, the ball needs to clear the net a bit lower or otherwise risk going out. A lower height when clearing the net lowers the margin of error when hitting the ball.
This grip only slightly begins closing the racket's head. This makes it difficult to use for generating heavy topspin which is a key component of today's modern tennis game.
2. Difficult generating power on high balls
While you can hit high balls with an eastern grip, it is not ideal. A lot of the top players compensate for this by jumping in the air a couple of inches. While this looks flashy, in reality they are losing power because they are not hitting from a grounded and balanced position. If the shot is too high a slice might be needed which could leave you in a defensive position.
3. Down the line shots
While definitely possible to hit down the line shots with this grip, it involves a bit more skill and precise timing than hitting its counterpart the cross court shot.
4. Low Margin of Error
Since it produces less topspin than more western grips, the ball needs to clear the net a bit lower or otherwise risk going out. A lower height when clearing the net lowers the margin of error when hitting the ball.
Professional Tennis Players who Use this Grip
While a traditional eastern forehand grip is infrequent in today's game. There are a couple of players who either still use it or use a modified version of it. Here are some of our favorite professional tennis players using a eastern forehand grip. Juan Martin del Potro has one if the game's most powerful forehand shots. Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov use a modified version of the eastern forehand grip.