The Complete Guide To Finding The Best Tennis Forehand Grip For You

There are different grips for different playing styles — and nobody can tell you which one is best for you. That's your call. What we can do is walk you through each one so you can go out, try them, and find the grip that actually works for your game.

You'll hear all kinds of opinions. The pro at your club swears by a full western. The pro at the resort down south thinks western grips are terrible and tells you to go eastern. It's confusing, especially when you're starting out. So let's cut through it.

What Are Bevels On A Grip?

Before we get into the grips, you need to understand bevels. Stand your racquet on its edge. The flat part on top is bevel number one. Moving 45 degrees around the handle, that's bevel two. Bevel three is on the side. Bevel four is 45 degrees further down, and bevel five is at the bottom.

Why does this matter? Each grip is defined by which bevel your index finger knuckle sits on. That one point of contact changes everything about how the racquet face angles at contact — and how much spin you can generate.

One thing stays the same across every grip: your pinky finger anchors at the bottom of the handle, spread out on the taper near the butt cap.

Continental Grip (John McEnroe) — Bevel 2

Place your index finger knuckle on bevel two and slide your hand all the way down so your pinky is near the butt cap. That's the continental.

Think of it like holding a hammer when you're driving a nail. The racquet face will be fairly open at contact, which makes it very difficult to brush up through the ball in an upward motion. Creating topspin with a continental grip is almost impossible.

This grip was dominant when players used wooden rackets and kept their swing paths flat — more pushing and deflecting than swinging. It was the standard for that era. In today's game, with the topspin that's expected at every level, it's largely been left behind.

That said, it's a perfectly reasonable starting point. If you're brand new to tennis, the continental lets you try every shot without overcomplicating the grip. Once you've got the basic stroke fundamentals down, though, we'd rarely recommend staying here.

Where it still makes sense: if you're a recreational player who plays occasionally and is happy getting the ball back over the net with a flatter ball flight, the continental works fine.

Eastern Grip (Roger Federer) — Bevel 3

Move your index finger knuckle to bevel three and you're in eastern territory. This is the grip Roger Federer built his career on.

The angle of the strings at contact points slightly downward, which means as you swing low-to-high the racquet face naturally generates more topspin than the continental — but not the aggressive spin you get from western grips. What it does give you is pace. The ball moves through the court flatter and faster, almost like a rock skipping on water.

The tradeoff is consistency. A flatter ball gives you less margin — you're more likely to clip the net or go long. Heavier topspin lets you aim higher over the net and trust the ball to still drop in. With eastern, that margin is tighter.

Federer uses this grip because it fits how he plays: taking the ball early, on the rise, and moving forward to finish points at the net. The eastern-to-continental transition is quick, which makes it easier to shift into volleys. It's an attacking grip for attacking players.

Semi-Western Grip (Rafa Nadal) — Bevel 4

Place your index finger knuckle on bevel four — one step further down from eastern. The easiest way to find it: lay your racquet flat on the ground with the strings facing down, and pick it up like a frying pan. That's your semi-western.

This grip closes the racquet face more at contact, which means you have to swing lower to higher to compensate. The result is automatic topspin — the swing path and grip angle work together to produce heavy, bouncing balls that kick up high on your opponent.

Most touring pros use a semi-western, and it's the grip Cade uses. It's the sweet spot between spin and pace for the majority of players — enough topspin to give you margin and push opponents back, enough pace to be a genuine threat.

Western Grip (Jack Sock) — Bevel 5

All the way to bevel five — the bottom bevel. Hold your palm face-up with fingers pointing left (for right-handers) and set the racquet in there. That's a full western grip. Your hand is completely underneath the handle.

This grip produces maximum topspin. There is no way to hit a flat ball with a western grip — the racquet face is so closed that a sharp low-to-high swing is the only option. You'll notice Jack Sock's elbow pointing straight at the ground before contact. It looks extreme because it is.

To make it work, you need serious racquet head speed and physical strength. Jack Sock has both. For most players it's an awkward angle that creates more problems than it solves. But if you're a big, powerful player who can generate that kind of speed, the western will produce some of the heaviest topspin on the court.

Go Try Them All

The only way to find your grip is to actually hit with each one. Grab a friend, a ball machine, or hand-feed to yourself and hit about 50 balls with each grip — continental, eastern, semi-western, full western — in that order.

Pay attention to how the ball flight changes. Notice how the western grips cause the ball to drop sharply after contact. Notice how the eastern gives you more pace but tighter margins. Feel how your wrist and forearm move differently with each one.

No coach can pick your grip for you. The right grip is the one that feels natural, holds up under pressure, and produces the ball flight you want.

Most intermediate and improving players end up somewhere between eastern and semi-western. But try all four — you might surprise yourself. Which grip feels right for your game?