Groundstroke Technique Myth #6: The Western Grip Forehand is always wrong and always should be changed.
Truth:
Players hold the racquet handle in different ways, similar to the different ways people shake hands.
Making a decision to change the grip of a player should be made on a case-by-case basis.
There will always be a small percentage of players who can make a western grip work.
At the top of the pro game there have been many examples throughout history proving this; Jack Sock is the most recent one.
With young kids who do not know much about tennis, it’s best to teach them a semi-western variant.
With older, elite players, coaches should be cautious in changing a grip if the stroke is a great weapon and doesn’t show telltale signs of western grip problems:
1. Difficulty on low balls
2. Difficulty generating pace and depth
3. Excessive miss-hitting, especially under pressure.
4. Struggle on fast surfaces
—Bottom Line—
If a coach forces 100 percent of his or her players to change from a western grip, there are bound to be a small percentage of players damaged by such a change, rather than helped.
Groundstroke Technique Myth #6
The Western Grip Forehand is always wrong and always should be changed.
Truth:
Players hold the racquet handle in different ways, similar to the different ways people shake hands.
Making a decision to change the grip of a player should be player centered—not a one-grip-fits-all approach.
There will always be a small percentage of players who can be successful with a western grip, and they like holding the racquet that way.
At the top of the pro game there have been many examples throughout history proving this. Jack Sock is the most recent one who comes to mind.
—Bottom Line—
If a coach, club, or curricula dictates that western grips are always evil, there will always be a small percentage of players damaged by this philosophy rather than helped.
Always look for the exceptions, the special individuals in the crowd, who will work wonders with a western.
They are rare, but they are real.
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