Every sport has basics that are necessary to learn to pursue interests in that particular sport. To learn table tennis, you have to learn its basics. So, you can know what are its rules and how much flexibility it can offer. In table tennis, three things are most important, paddle, ball, and table. If we don’t know how to hold a table tennis racket? How can we cover its basics? It’s necessary.
What is grip in table tennis?
It is the technique to hold a table tennis racket or paddle. The grip is one of the most important things in table tennis because it determines how you’ll play. Grip determines the power, command, and spin of the ball. It also covers how good a player’s forehand and backhand play is? In the following, we’ll discuss professional ways to hold a ping pong paddle.
Professional ways to hold a ping pong paddle
ITTF doesn’t have a rule about a particular way of holding a paddle. So, it’s your provision to choose your style of grip.
There are four professionally used techniques.
Mostly used
- Shakehand grip
- Pen hold grip
Less used
- Seemiller’s grip (windshield wiper grip)
- V grip (Chinese style grip)
1# Shakehand grip
Shakehand grip is popular in western countries. It looks like shaking hand with the paddle that’s why it’s named shakehand grip. The technique is described in the following.
- First of all, place your index finger on the base of the racket. The index finger will give control over the racket angle and the racket will not turn in your hand.
- Place the thumb on the base of the other side of the racket.
- Hold the grip as loose as you can pull out the paddle from the grip. A firm grip will not allow, to generate speed and spin due to less wrist movement.
Shakehand grip has two types based on the position of the thumb.
The shallow shakehand grip:
The rest is the same as described above but the thumb is curled or entwined on the bottom of the blade. It is pretty easy to master for beginners.
Pros:
- It allows more flexibility of the wrist.
- The shallow shakehand grip allows both backhand and forehand types of shots.
Cons:
- It limits switching from forehand to backhand and vice versa.
- It also limits the power of shots.
The deep shakehand grip:
The rest is the same but the thumb is slightly flat on the bottom of the table. It is good for beginning your career in this field.
Pros:
- It generates more power and accuracy when attacking than a shallow shakehand grip.
- It is a comfortable feeling grip.
Cons:
- It allows less flexibility of the wrist.
- It also limits switching from forehand to backhand and vice versa.
Common advantages of shakehand grip
- Shots can be played with both sides, the forehand and the backhand, equally well.
Common disadvantages of shakehand grip
- A crossover point is created while changing from the forehand side to the backhand side of the racket and vice versa, which hinders fast transition.
2# Penhold grip
It is called penhold grip because the index finger and thumb hold the paddle, like holding a pen forming a V shape.
- Place handle facing upwards.
- Surround your index finger and thumb around the handle like holding a pen.
- Place fingers flat or entwined across the blade. Entwined fingers will enable the use of the wrist while flat fingers will give more command over handling the paddle.
There are three types of penhold grip.
Chinese penhold grip:
The rest is the same as described above but three fingers are entwined along the rubber blade.
Pros:
- It allows more wrist flexibility which generates more spin.
- It uses the same side of the bat for playing both forehand and backhand shots which eradicates the crossover point problem.
Cons:
- It requires more energy to play. So, you should have more stamina.
The Japanese or Korean penhold grip:
The rest is the same but three fingers are stretched along the blade while the middle finger is placed on rubber and the other two pushed against the middle finger.
Pros:
- This grip provides more strength in forehand stroke due to its flexibility.
Cons:
- Mastering this grip is a difficult task.
Reverse penhold:
The player uses the Chinese penhold grip but uses the back racket surface instead of the front racket surface. Wang Hao was the player who mastered it.
Pros:
- It provides more strength to the backhand strokes.
Cons:
- Mastering this grip is also very difficult.
Common advantages of penhold grip:
- While serving and using the forehand, a lot more spin and speed can be generated.
- There is no crossover point unlike shakehand grip because the same side of the racket is used for both, forehand and backhand shots.
Common disadvantages of penhold grip:
- While holding this grip, it’s much harder to hit or attack the ball with the backhand side but can be overcome by the footwork.
3# Seemiller’s grip
Seemiller’s grip was developed by former American champion Dan Seemiller during the 1970s. It is also known as windshield wiper grip.
- It adds 90 degrees turn in shakehand grip. The thumb moves upward, the index finger also moves upwards and both hold the side of the blade.
Advantages of Seemiller grip
- It gives more wrist movement on the forehand shot.
- Seemiller’s grip generates extra forehand topspin.
- It is also good to block using both sides of the blade.
Disadvantages of Seemiller grip
- It doesn’t provide a traditional backhand shot because the grip allows only to play with the same side.
4# V grip
V grip was developed in China and is also called ping pong Chinese style.
- It requires a customized blade to grip successfully.
- Forms a V sign by the index finger and the middle finger.
- Other fingers are held over or under the handle.
It generates more power, spin, and hold.
Conclusion:
There is no specified grip which is best because every technique has its pros and cons. You can judge by reading the above-given details and by trying these techniques yourself. Choose which fits you but mostly recommended for beginners is deep shakehand grip. But keep in mind that table tennis is a game of speed in which you have to make decisions in milliseconds. So, whichever way you choose to hold a table tennis racket, stick with it and make it instinctive.
