How to Hold a Tennis Racquet: The Ultimate Guide to Tennis Grips

Why Your Tennis Grip Matters

The way you hold your tennis racquet determines how you'll connect with the ball. Typically, a more Western grip produces more topspin, while an Eastern grip generates more power but hits the ball more flatly. Professional players often change grips during a match depending on the shot they're hitting, demonstrating just how important grip selection is for optimal performance.

grip style	Bevel #	uses
Continental	#2	Powerful serves, slices, and overheads. Generates high backspin.
Eastern	#3	Beginner-friendly; delivers flat, penetrating shots but poor topspin.
Western	#5	Beginners, casual players, and anyone coming back from time off
Semi-Western	#4	Maximum forgiveness; popular with players managing arm or shoulder issues

Understanding Racquet Handle Bevels

Before diving into specific grip styles, it's important to understand how tennis racquet handles are designed. The handle of a racket is an octagon shape with eight sides, giving the handle a somewhat rounded feel. Each of these eight sides is called a bevel and is numbered 1-8 for reference. With the blade of the racquet perpendicular to the ground, the bevel facing up is bevel #1, and the numbering counts clockwise or counterclockwise depending on whether you're left or right-handed. Where your index knuckle and heel pad rest on the bevels describes the style of grip you're using.

Continental Grip

The Continental grip is a versatile grip, recommended for beginners and still useful for pros as well. It's the go-to grip for making powerful serves, as well as being great for hitting slices and overhead shots. The neutral hand position makes it easy to transition between different grips and two-handed backhands. As modern tennis heavily favors a topspin-heavy game, using the Continental as a forehand grip has fallen out of favor, though it is still worth using when building up your fundamental skills.

How to Form the Continental Grip

Form the Continental Grip by placing your heel pad and index knuckle on bevel #2. Simply hold the throat of the racquet with your non-dominant hand at waist height, perpendicular to the ground, then slide your dominant hand down to the grip without rotating the racquet.

Eastern Grip

This used to be the most common tennis forehand grip. Roger Federer was famous for using this style, and several other pro tennis players still use the Eastern forehand grip. The Eastern grip is perfect for attackers who want to drive the ball with fast and flat shots while still having the option to apply topspin when needed. Another advantage of learning the Eastern grip is that it's not too different from the Continental, making it a natural next step for beginners looking to improve their game.

How to Form the Eastern Grip

To form the Eastern grip, place the palm side of your index finger's bottom knuckle against the bevel #3. Then position the butt of the racquet's handle at the base of your palm and wrap your fingers around the handle.

Western Grip

The Western grip produces the most topspin of all conventional grips and is favored by many clay court specialists, including the legendary Rafa Nadal. Because the contact point is around shoulder height, the Western forehand is great for returning high balls, though receiving low balls can be awkward. Like with the Semi-Western, the Western grip demands practice to smoothly transition between it and the Continental grip.

How to Form the Western Grip

Place the bottom knuckle of the palm side of your forefinger at bevel #5 for the Western grip. From there, place the base of your palm at the butt of your racket's handle before wrapping your fingers around it.

Semi-Western Grip

The Semi-Western grip is the most common forehand grip in professional tennis. This grip is great for applying topspin while still allowing players to hit the ball flat when power is needed. Baseliner hitters are especially fond of the semi-western. When switching grips mid-match, it can take a bit longer to go from Semi-Western to Continental when you want to hit certain shots, but with practice you can make the motion smooth and quick. It takes skill to truly master the semi-western grip, as most wrist injuries sustained on the pro tour come from players who primarily hit with this style.

How to Form the Semi-Western Grip

To form the Semi-Western, place your heel pad and index knuckle on bevel #4. A simple method is to put the racket face flat on the ground and pick it up.

Backhand Grips

When the ball crosses over to your non-dominant side, rather than swapping the racquet to your other hand, it's much more efficient to return the ball using a backhand. This can be done either one- or two-handed, with a one-handed backhand being easier to learn while the vast majority of pros prefer to use a two-handed grip.

Eastern Backhand Grip

When starting off, the Eastern backhand is perfect for beginners as it's a simple one-handed style that's easy to transition to and from the Continental. To form this grip, place your heel pad and index knuckle on bevel #1.

Two-Handed Backstroke

To form the basic two-handed backstroke, start with holding the racquet in a Continental grip in your dominant hand and shifting it toward the bottom of the handle. Use your supporting hand to grip the remaining handle space in either the Eastern or Semi-Western position (bevel 3 or 4).

Finding Your Grip Size

Finding your grip size helps you play comfortably, which matters since discomfort is often the first symptom that can lead to more serious injury if ignored. Play with a grip size too large, and you'll be unable to control the racquet; play with a grip size too small, and you risk straining your arm and wrist muscles. To summarize our racquet grip sizing guide, there are 2 quick and easy methods to measure your racquet grip size.

Ruler Method

To do the ruler method, you need either a ruler or measuring tape. Find the bottom of your palm's lateral crease (the middle horizontal line), then measure the distance between that and the tip of your ring finger. Round this measurement to the nearest 1/8 inch, typical results are between 4 and 4 5/8 inches. That measurement is your grip size in inches, with racquet grip sizes going in increments of 1/8 inches.

Index Finger Test

The index finger test is a quick method to test if a racquet's grip is suited for your hand. Hold the racquet in an Eastern or Continental grip, then place the index finger of your other hand in the gap between your ring finger and palm. Your finger should fill that gap with no extra space: extra space means the grip size is too large, and if the index finger touches your palm, the grip size is too small. Since you'd probably either be in a specialty store (such as Tennis Express) or in a coaching environment to do the index finger test on multiple racquets, you may as well use the opportunity to ask a staff member or your coach to give a more thorough, accurate grip size recommendation.

Choosing the Right Grip for Your Game

Now that you've gotten the hang of holding your racquet, you can find the right grip that suits your playing style. As you develop your game, you may find a different style of grip is more useful, or maybe even develop enough expertise to change grips on the fly to better adapt to an incoming shot angle.

Consider Your Playing Style

Beginner players typically find the Continental and Eastern grips the most intuitive to use, and they are the most comfortable styles to play with. Aggressive baseliners need more topspin to clear the net, so they prefer the Semi-Western or Western grips, while all-court players can rely on the Eastern grip's versatility to aid with field coverage.

Court Surface Matters

Different courts demand different skill sets to overcome their unique conditions, and a change in grip can grant major improvements for a slight adjustment. Western and Semi-Western grips can, for example, generate more topspin to take advantage of a clay court's properties. Eastern grips, in contrast, create high-speed shots amplified by the low-bounce, "fast" grass courts. Versatile grip styles like the Semi-Western grant all-around performance perfect for taking on hard courts.

Court Surface	Grip Style	Properties
Clay Court	Western, Semi-Western	High topspin takes advantage of clay court properties
Grass Court	Eastern	Flat, penetrating shots suit the low-bounce, high-speed terrain
Hard Court	Semi-Western	Versatile grip that allows for greater adaptability

Common Grip Mistakes to Avoid

Just as there are proper ways to hold a tennis racquet, there are improper techniques you need to avoid too. Gripping the racquet too tightly is a common mistake, one that increases fatigue at the very least and can lead to wrist injury in the worst case. At higher levels of play, neglecting to shift grip styles to adapt to oncoming shots can limit your skill ceiling. High balls, for example, will be harder to return if you're unable to use the Western grip.

Practice Tips for Mastering Tennis Grips

Mastering even one grip style goes a long way to improving your game. A proper grip enables greater deliberation on how you deliver shots, improving consistency and overall technique. The road to mastery is a long one, but breaking things down into steps can make the journey much easier.

Start with one grip

Master your primary grip before adding others. Whether you're still a beginner getting comfortable with the Continental, or are a more experienced player settling on the Semi-Western, your play should feel like second nature by the time you're running sets on the courts.

Practice Grip Changes

As stated earlier, more advanced players will find it necessary to change grips to adapt to incoming shot angles. Work on smooth transitions between grips until you can both swiftly and accurately shift gears in time to return the ball.

Experiment on Court

No matter how much drilling and theory you put into your grips, live practice is the best way to put those skills to the test. Play practice games with friends or coaches to get a real feel for how to overcome the various challenges you'll face in a match.

Conclusion

Learning how to hold a tennis racquet properly is a journey that evolves with your game. Start with a grip that feels comfortable and natural, then gradually experiment with others as your skills develop. Remember that there's no single "best" grip - the right choice depends on your playing style, physical attributes, and court surface preferences.

The key is to remain flexible and open to adjustment. Many professional players use slightly modified grips that fall between the traditional categories. Focus on developing good technique with your chosen grip, practice regularly, and don't be afraid to make changes as your game improves.

Most importantly, work with a qualified instructor who can assess your individual needs and help you develop the most effective grip for your tennis game. With proper guidance and practice, you'll find the grip that helps you play your best tennis.