Continental grip feels awkward.?
I decided to switch to continental grip after reading that it's considered the most appropriate for most serves. I put my base knuckle and my heel pad on the second bevel but when I serve all the balls seem to be drifting left because I can't twist my wrist enough to make it face the way I want it to go.
What am I doing wrong? What should I be doing?
More Questions From This User See All
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Grips always feel awkward when people first try them out. Just keep practicing it and it'll feel natural after a while.
Well more like your throwing a ball out at a 45 degree angle. I use a frying pan grip when I want to put a lot of kick on a first serve and my standard second serve. I use a continental grip for my first serve bomber (flattened) and for my slice serves. Toss also is different for my kick serve (frying pan grip). It goes out more behind me. And the rest the toss just goes up and in towards the court. Important thing is to have 2 options at least and stick to it. Don't keep changing things up when you have something that feels good. Pros all have different ways they serve. So watch out when tennis instructors try to tell you one way is the right way. Hope that helps. Good luck. Sorry I didn't mean frying pan. I meant that it's an upside down frying pan grip, where your palm is up, not down. You know some people call it the cobra grip or something stupid. And yes I've been playing for 10+ years and play NTRP. Sorry for the confusion.
Just hang in there. It is the right grip for a serve, but just keep practicing. Eventually something will click and you will be amazed. That same awkwardness happened to me long ago.
Your forehand can even make your palm face the right perpendicularly to the ground...
The continental make the racket face do exactly what you palm does...
Go on youtube and search for serve video posted by this user:
FYB2007
(www.fuzzyyellowballs.com if you don't find)
Or search for "serve pronation" or for some pros slow-motion.
You will see right away what your arm doesn't do right. You are suppose to attack the ball on edge and then give it a high five. In real terms, you swing your racket edge on the ball and then pronate your forearm so your palm faces the desired ball direction on impact(and so will your racket face).