Q&A for How to Grip a Tennis Racket

There are 4 different grips you can try. Continental Grip: The Continental is probably the most versatile grip in tennis. It's principally used for the serve as it enables players to hit 3 different types of serves without changing grip. It's also used for the volley, slice, drop shot, overhead smash, and defensive lob. Eastern Grip: This isn't as popular as the other grips, but it's comfortable, and many teaching pros recommend this grip to players who are just learning tennis for the first time. It's quite similar to the Continental grip, so it's easy to transition from one to the other. Semi-Western Grip: The Semi-Western grip is a common choice for players who want to balance both spin and power. Western Grip: This is what Rafael Nadal uses to master his forehand. It gives a lot of topspin, but it makes it difficult to hit lower balls, so most teaching pros don't recommend it for learning players.

A player begins a game with a serve using a continental grip. I'm a right handed player, so I use the continental grip in my right hand, and my left hand justs rests on top of that.

Read lots of articles on playing tennis. Start here: how to start playing tennis . Then practice playing with people familiar with the game.

Work with a pro and practice every day. It takes years to really master the game.

Yes, the earlier you start the better. Some kids start before the age of 10, but with extra lessons he can easily catch up if he has the talent.

When you serve, you have to make sure your racket reaches the highest point your arm can vertically stretch it out to be. Your ball should be about there when you toss it; make sure to not let it drop too much when you hit it!

You can use an over grip on top of the main grip, which is what many tennis players do.

It depends on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. Your non-dominant hand should go on the bottom (so if you're right-handed, that would be your left hand).