Quick answer: there are four main tennis grips — Continental (serves, volleys, slice), Eastern (flat, all-round groundstrokes), Semi-Western (modern topspin groundstrokes) and Western (heavy topspin, mostly advanced players). Most players use a different grip for different shots rather than one grip for everything.
How grips are measured
Grips are described using the position of the base knuckle and heel pad of the hand on the racket handle's bevels (the eight flat panels around the grip). Rather than memorising bevel numbers, it's easier to learn each grip by feel and by the shot it's best suited to.
Continental grip
Often called the "chopper" grip because it feels like holding a hammer or axe. This is the standard grip for serves, volleys, overheads and slice shots. It's a neutral, versatile grip that most players use even if their groundstroke grip is different.
Eastern grip
A slight rotation from Continental, with the base knuckle on the top bevel. This produces a flatter, more direct ball flight and suits players who prefer to drive through the ball rather than generate heavy topspin. It's a classic, beginner-friendly groundstroke grip.
Semi-Western grip
Rotated further round than Eastern, this is the most common grip among modern competitive and recreational players. It generates strong topspin while still allowing a reasonably flat, penetrating shot, making it a good all-round modern groundstroke grip.
Western grip
An even more extreme rotation, with the palm almost underneath the handle. This produces heavy topspin and is common among advanced and professional baseline players, particularly on forehands, but it's less versatile for low balls or slice shots and takes longer to master.
Which grip should you use?
- New to tennis: start with Continental for serves/volleys and Eastern for groundstrokes — simple, versatile, and easy to build on.
- Developing your game: Semi-Western is the natural next step for groundstrokes as you look to add more topspin.
- Advanced and want maximum spin: Western can work on the forehand side, but expect a learning curve and some trade-off in versatility.
Our recommendation
Don't force a single "correct" grip — most good players use Continental for serves and volleys, then a groundstroke grip (Eastern, Semi-Western or Western) chosen to match their preferred ball flight and swing style. If in doubt, Semi-Western is the most versatile modern all-round choice.
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