The Big 3 Forehand Grips, Illustrated
For more information regarding forehand grips, their effects, as well as other modified hybrid grips check out our Forehand Grip Guide.
Roger Federer
Modified Eastern Grip
Index Knuckle on Bevel 3 (Eastern), bordering Bevel 4 (Semi-Western).
Heel Pad on Bevel 4 (Semi-Western), bordering Bevel 3 (Eastern).
Roger Federer’s grip perfectly reflects how his game is a hybrid of modern and traditional tennis. If there was an in between grip of Eastern and Semi-Western this would be it.
Baseline Forehand, AO 2020: You can see how the index knuckle is on the very edge of bevel 3, right before the semi-western grip. This is the typical forehand grip that Roger will employ for most situations. Image Credit: Rob Keating
Baseline Forehand, Italian Open 2015: Here, we have a better view of the Heel Pad which is on Bevel 4. Also notice how much palm is exposed- Roger doesn’t hold the bottom of the grip perfectly aligned at the base of his hand. Just a small detail that may give him a little bit of extra reach and leverage. Image Credit: Tatiana
Return of Serve, AO 2020: Roger doesn’t always have enough time to go to his standard forehand grip. In this case while returning a out-wide serve, he is pressed for time and is still on continental. Image Credit: Rob Keating
For Further References
tennis.com | FYB | OTI | NYT (paywall)
Rafael Nadal
Semi-Western
Index Knuckle on Bevel 4
Heel Pad on Bevel 4
Contrary to popular opinion, Rafa’s grip is a Semi-Western and not a full Western Grip. Rafa’s reputation of generating so much spin likely gives the impression that he is playing a full western grip. For the following illustrations, remember we are labeling the bevels for lefties.
Baseline Forehand, Madrid 2015: Each bevel edge is color coded and reoriented into the standard alignment. The index knuckle is on Bevel 4, Semi-Western grip.
Return of Serve, Roland Garros 2013: This is very likely a return from very deep in the back court (based on his footwork & stance) . This suggests that Rafa likes the extra time to get his normal forehand grip ready.
Buggy-Whip Forehand, Wimbledon 2019: This angle gives us a good perspective of the palm right after Rafa’s signature shot. There are two bevels shown, one with the current orientation and another showing the standard orientation when griping the racket. Remember when we follow through our swings, the butt cap rotates and twists. I have re-oriented it to make it easier to visualize.
Baseline Forehand, Wimbledon 2019: Another perspective to see the heel pad. Once again it is very clearly on the semi-western bevel.
Novak Djokovic
Modified Semi-Western
Index Knuckle on Bevel 4 (SW) , bordering Bevel 5 (W)
Heel Pad on Bevel 5 (W) , bordering Bevel 4 (SW)
Just how Roger’s grip is between Eastern and Semi-Western, Novak’s grip is between Semi & Full Western. Some players refer to this grip as the 3/4 Western Grip. In my opinion, this is not an ideal name because it doesn’t intuitively explain what the grip is. However, if I would venture guess, it would refer to the fact that this grip is “almost” an western grip. Regardless, there were enough mentions of the 3/4 western grip to warrant it’s inclusion in this guide.
Baseline Forehand, Roland Garros 2017: Here we can see how the index knuckle and Heel pad are on different bevels, 4 and 5, respectively. Image Credit: François GOGLINS
Baseline Forehand, Indian Wells 2014: A better perspective of the heel pad after a follow-through. The Heel pad is very clearly on 5th bevel. Image Credit: Johnny
For Further Reference:
Nick Bollettieri | Wikipedia | NYT (paywall)