Three Ways to Grip Your Pickleball Paddle: Continental, Western, Eastern
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- Watch this video to learn the three ways to hold a pickleball paddle. Glen Peterson, pickleball pro, carefully explains each grip and describes the advantages and disadvantages of each grip. You may want to try a new grip after watching this video.
Learn what grip is best for people with strong backhands. Learn what grip works best for a two-handed backhand.
Learn how to get incredible control of your paddle face with a special grip developed by pickleball players who come from a table tennis background.
Learn what grip trick most all top pickleball players use when holding a pickleball paddle. This is grip technique is especially important when hitting third shots or volleys. You will want to know about this!
Want to learn more about how to improve your game overall? Learn more about Pickleball Training camps and find a location near you by visiting www.pickleballcentral.com/Pic... - Sport
Never heard such a complete description of the "grip"...Well done
really glad to see you cover having an index finger on the paddle - having played ping pong this makes it an easy transition to pickleball. It really does help tell my brain what angle the paddle is in my palm.
it seems like it also helps with stability if I don't hit the ball in the middle of the paddle. I never even considered the thought of knowing the alaignment with the finger. I started doing this before I put a grip on the paddle, too. Just makes sense to me particularly with some tt experience.
I played pickleball at the YMCA for the first time today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will continue to watch your tips in order to improve my game. Thank you for sharing this great information.
All your videos are incredibly helpful. Your words are in my head as I work out on my quarantine garage backboard. Thank you!
Clear and concise instructor. Thank you for sharing your wisdom n experience. Learned so vmuch.
That was extremely helpful. Most detailed explanation of grips that I've heard.
Very helpful with drawing the bevel positions on whiteboard to describe the three grips and advantages/disadvantages of each.
Wow! Super helpful with the use of the numbers and marking your hand to assure clean position. Will be marking my hand for next pickleball practice!
Awesome demonstration and this was demonstrated at LevelUp camp! Thanks
As a PPR professional I teach the 3 most common grips in pickleball: 1) the Continental, 2) Eastern with a Finger, and 3) the V. The Continental is the most commonly used grip and the grip used by most pros. You can easily hit all the strokes necessary with the Continental grip.
The Eastern with a Finger is fairly easy for most players to use. The finger helps stabilize the wrist. Often beginners will start with this grip and progress toward a Continental grip as they become more skilled.
The V is similar to a table tennis grip. The grip is created by choking up on the paddle toward the top of the grip and placing one or two fingers on the face of the paddle; often with the thumb on the opposite side of the paddle face.
Pickleball is not tennis, it has some similarities, but it is important to understand that it is a different game and will have different grips.
Thank you for your comment. Good input!
Great grip primer....big thx! Very helpful for this beginner.
You are an amazing teacher!
Excellent video. I lost the "pinky" finger on my paddle hand years ago in an accident. I use the one finger on the paddle technique to help with control but the result is a loss of power due to the missing digit. This helped me verify that the one finger on the paddle can be used successfully.
Thank you. I find I'm changing my grip on the paddle at all times, almost something I do without even thinking about it. Different grip for backhand roll, forehand roll, and firefight at the net. Sometimes at the net I notice I put the paddle in my finger tips so I get more extension and not having to let the ball bounce, keeping my opponents back.
When I started playing tennis, I used to have an eastern forehand and continental backhand, but they later merged into a single continental grip for all strokes. Thus when I started pickleball, I also used continental for all strokes.
Thank you very much!!! I’m going to watch as many of your videos as possible. You are a great teacher!! 🙏
That is so kind of you to say!
Thanks. Great video. Being an old tennis player I was wondering how to grip the racket. I guess I'll do what I did in tennis.
As a new player, I found these tips on grip to be incredibly helpful. I appreciate your approach of "there is no best way", instead reviewing the options and discussing the pros and cons of each grip approach. Thank you for taking the time to create these tutorials.
Thank you....I've just started playing and wondered about the paddle grip. Very informative!
I instinctively played with the eastern grip which I use in tennis. When I learned to get to the kitchen, my thought process was, “Okay, play ping pong, not tennis.” And I didn’t realize that I would shift my hand up to the ping pong grip.” It works for me, but I will admit, a dura to the thumb is no laughing matter! Keep your eye on the ball!
Great instructional video. I’m a visual learner. This is so helpful. Thank you.
Such good clear helpful information. Ty!
Love the very graphic approach. As a former engineer it's what I like best. Thanks for the detail.
Very clear and well-presented ... thanks!
I've only played for around 3 months, but I have thoroughly researched that I can use the western grip more in singles and only certain situations in doubles. Mainly use it for forehand groundstrokes and the timing is a little hard because you wanna start your swing higher.
Wow...this is great. I learned so much about my grip. Thanks you. I will pass this on
Love the video with one exception! You don’t show the (x) that you place on your hand, you just match up the (x) on the paddle with the (x) on your hand. You need show the (x) on the hand for each stroke and how they match up with (x) on paddle. I found myself trying to see where you placed the (x) on your hand for Western and Eastern grips!
He does show the line on his finger, but it's a brief shot and hopelessly foreshortened by the camera angle, to such an extent that you can't really discern the depth of one finger joint vs another, even with freeze frame.
Thank you for posting this helpful video
Good job, Glenn.
I found my game change significantly the day I held the paddle loose. I elevated my game from one day to the next and I was pleasantly surprised
Thank you! Very helpful!
Love the points of each grip
Excellent description.
I like this because it's specific and detailed. His marking of the base of his forefinger is a bit different, because most casual PB instruction references the V between the forefinger and the thumb.
But then I dug into this more carefully, and I discover that _serious_ discussions use the knuckle protuberance in the top corner of the palm (top of the 5th metatarsal) as the bevel position reference point. The protuberance is more obvious when you flex your forefinger into high extension. On my hand, it's about 1 cm below the skin notch between forefinger and middle finger, and dead center on the long axis of the forefinger.
I was using the "finger-gun" V between thumb and forefinger to identify the continental grip. But this week I got a new paddle (finally a good one) and I decided to overwrap it immediately because I have large hands. Then I realized that my old method doesn't achieve consistent results between my two paddles, now with quite different grip geometries.
Additionally, the finger-gun V moves around when you change from extending an index finger to a round-fingered handshake. It also doesn't accurately follow your hand as you rotate the paddle into non-continental grips, which also shifts some minor axes.
Especially in the eastern grip, you can shift the butt of the paddle from side to side, between the base of the pinky finger, and the base of the thumb: butt at the base of the pinky orients the paddle lateral to the forearm; butt at the base of the thumb orients the paddle longitudinal to the forearm. Both of these are technically eastern grips, because the forefinger knuckle maintains the same contact point with the bevel. But the finger-gun V shifts by an entire bevel with this adjustment. It's simply a bad reference point.
Using the finger-fun V-for me there's a prominent skin fold to serve as a consistent reference point when I'm using an undersized grip-what I _thought_ of for the last sixteen months as continental was actually on the bevel ridge, just slightly to the eastern side. I've been slightly favouring my forehand in my "neutral" grip, and slightly disadvantaging my backhand. As if my forehand needed help ...
This explains why I've been popping net-height line drives to my backhand side. In the eastern grip, it requires focused attention to position a waist-level paddle into a perfectly flat face angle (you have to work against your own tendons).
Sitting in my chair with a paddle, it seems that the true continental grip (which I've apparently never used) makes it more difficult to handle balls just outside my dominant shoulder, causing the paddle fact to bias toward a face angle that will knock the ball across my body-not much, but certainly not straight. Probably the fix for that is a little extra footwork.
The inconsistency for me between finger-gun continental (not the real thing) and foreknuckle continental (actually the real thing) was exacerbated because I have large hands and I was playing an unmodified grip, a size or two below my hand size.
Glenn is very thorough in this video.
Thank you, Glen!
This helps me a lot thank you
Thanks for the video!
On ground strokes I go from Western grip for forehand to “shake hand” grip for backhands.It feels natural and there is more time to switch. At the no-volley zone I stay in “shake hand” grip and try to cover two thirds with backhand and then pray when forehand is needed for fast volley shot. Only been playing for 3 months and come from a table tennis tournament background.
Jim - we love when people from various sports share what is working for them! Thanks for commenting!
Thank you very much,
Than you Glen 😃🙏
The thumb and index finger makes sense to me but I haven’t had a chance to try it. I’m a beginner player with some racquet ball experience. Does the thumb and finger or fingers control work better with the eastern grip? I’m struggling with inconsistent vertical placement and I’m wanting to employ a stable grip that doesn’t require a grip change while switching from forehand to backhand.
If you move your thumb to rest on the top of your middle finger instead of on top of your index finger, then allow your index to ride slightly higher, you’ll dramatically increase your control and flexibility in switching between forehands and backhands. This is a must for ping pong and tennis as well, and works even if you don’t rest the index/thumb on the paddle surface.
Bryan - thank you for sharing - many players are using so many different variations it's wonderful when we see players like you sharing your successes!
Oh my, another Glen(n) Peterson! No chance I'll be mistaken for him on the court, though. :)
What about penhold grip?
Good video
thank you...
But not all handles in every paddle are the same. The one i have is like a handle of table tennis that is semi-flat. Good thing i can switch around in 3 various grips in split second as ball come approaching.
So the Full Western Grip is position #6?
if you are left handed - the base of the index finger should like up with corner bevel #8 then for the hammer/continental grip? please confirm. Thanks!
Yes
I come from a tennis background, but pingpong as well. I’m mew to pickle and my natural grip is to have my finger on the paddle. Would this be holding me back? I’m above average in my opinion, but am early on enough to make the change if necessary. No idea if pros do this or not, but certainly gives me a little less reach that’s for sure. Would assume i lack a little power as well.
Hi BenjMayne - your "finger up" grip style won't hold you back much at all. There are a number of pros who utilize this style, in fact. Look for videos featuring Callan Dawson, for example, and you'll see an ultra-control-oriented player who has been quite successful. Depending on your size, athleticism, and body mechanics you may lose just a bit of power, but with your previous racquet sports background we really wouldn't expect this to be the case. Bottom line, if it's comfortable, use it, and build the rest of your game around it. Best wishes!
@@PickleballCentral thank you! Yeah, on the court i’m typically the heaviest hitter even with this grip i assume due to my tennis background. Power’s not an issue for me at all - i just ordered the Engage Encore EX 6.0 paddle but would you by chance recommend a specific paddle to compliment this grip or does it not really matter? I would assume just shy away from any long body/longer grip (6”) paddles?
Oddly enough, both my father and I don't use any of these three grips. My father used to play racquetball, so he grips the paddle with his pinky under the pommel--and I used to play table tennis, so I play with my pointer finger in-line with the edge of the paddle. I'm sure there's pros and cons to both, but we play the best when we use them.
can you still get a true eastern grip with a index finger on the paddle face?
Please discuss how low or high your hand should be on the paddle. My local pro says as low as possible but ??????
Jeff, thanks for watching the video. Where on the handle you grip is a byproduct of a couple factors. Some players hold the paddle way at the end with the 'butt cap' of the paddle against the heel of the hand. This makes the paddle longer in your swing plane, and helps generate more power, but is also moves the sweet spot of the paddle's face farther from your hand. Other players like to 'choke up' and hold grip the paddle higher up on the handle closer to the face of the paddle to have the sweet spot closer to their hand. This gives them more control and ball feel. Players who use a table tennis style grip with a finger up on the face of the paddle often use this approach. There are tradeoffs and advantages to both approaches, so try it in both positions and see what works best for you. Good luck!
@@PickleballCentral THANK YOU!!!
Hmmm, as a tennis coach for 35 years, I disagree with some of your grip descriptions. The Eastern forehand is NOT suitable for a back hand. The Continental grip is the one that is most suitable for both forehand and backhand. That grip was taught in tennis for decades. Your demo grip for the Continental looked more like an Eastern backhand grip. One must look at more than the first knuckle when assessing grips. The position of the outside portion of the hand is also critical.
You suck
I think he means the mark in the index finger should go onto the fourth bevel, not bevel number two. For the Continental grip. Right ???
Here is how I remember it using the bevels of the handle like a clock time zone: 1 o'clock, Continental (Europe Time Zone), 2 or 3 o'clock, Semi or Full Eastern (US Eastern Time Zone) and 4 or 5 o'clock, Semi or Full Western (US Western Time Zone)
Continental European Time always comes before US Eastern Time, and US Eastern Time always comes before US Western Time.
If you hold an eastern forehand grip you better be good at running around your backhand. Whenever I see newer players struggling with their backhands they are almost always holding an eastern forehand tennis grip.
Wish the camera angle was better when you mark your hand, for a better view of the exact location of the mark.
New player here and I found it natural to put my index finger on the paddle face. I don't see any high level players using this grip so my question is should I change to eastern.....
😂 Good stuff.
You are absolutely right!, the Eastern is the most popular among better players, so why does every teacher tell beginners to use the continental?
In our experience, (at least with the instructors involved at Pickleball Central) it depends a lot of the background of the teacher. Only 35% of new players come from Tennis, so a lot of instructors try to avoid grip discussions until the player advances to the point where they are working on ball control. Someone with a baseball or softball background won't understand the context of Eastern, Western, Continental, etc.
Very impressive 👏 Bruce Lee 🏓
Other videos say the continental is preferred grip, not the eastern.
Finger on the paddle squad, let's go!
There's a common misconception that the grip positions used in tennis for generating topspin can be directly applied to pickleball. This isn't effective because the mechanics of pickleball strokes-both forehand and backhand-bear a closer resemblance to those used in table tennis, not traditional tennis. For those familiar with both sports, the tennis terminologies like "continental," "Eastern," and "semi-Eastern" grips don't translate well to pickleball. This is due to the different spin conditions encountered in pickleball, which are more akin to those in table tennis. The angle of topspin in pickleball varies based on the spin characteristics of the incoming ball, similar to table tennis, rather than tennis which uses a stringed racquet. There's a helpful example of this in a CZcams video that discusses these differences in depth. Please remember that pickleball is more closely related to table tennis than it is to tennis.
czcams.com/video/M4q_pRQI6Sk/video.html
I just don’t get the difference between the hammer and shaking hands grip.
Finger on the paddle... eesh... I've always thought that was a no-no... I like to keep my fingers lol
This is why Pickleball is so great - there are so many approaches to technique and strategy, each can help you be successful, and have fun!
There is a big difference between the western and semi-western grips in tennis. Most players on the tennis tour use semi-western for the forehand. Nadal uses a grip between semi-western and western. Djokovic grips is more semi-western than western. Federer's forehand grip is between Eastern and Semi. Sampras was one of the all-time greats who used eastern. Not too many easterns today - Del Potro is the most notable who still uses Eastern on the forehand. From what I can see is that the Eastern grip in pickleball is similar to the semi in tennis, as it allows the greatest usage of overall shot selection. In tennis, they say that the semi is the best overall shot in that it handles low better than western, and handles high better than eastern or continental. Continental is the preferred grip for serving and volleying in tennis. McEnroe was the last player to use continental. He literally never had to change grips. But the continental grip is outdated for baseline play.
mrbobevans Thank goodness, he’s NOT talking about tennis! So, I’m not sure why you’re determined to do so. We’re here to learn about PB, NOT tennis!
Can you penhold a pickleball paddle?
no power
Thanks, but consider magicians. When demonstrating how to, they show how it looks to them. I imagine a magician demonstrating paddle grips in a single, from-his-eye view showing the grips in succession. Here's the continental, (twist), the eastern , (twist), the semi-western.... While references to a chart or paddle end provides precision, an early over-the-shoulder view would provide the contrast and continuity of an overview to the topic. Overview first. Details follow.
I mean if you search for tennis grips back in the 90s u’d find the same videos…