sIZE OF GRIP

[Jordan]

Does it matter how thick your grip is? does it affect your smashing drops ans so on.. post what thickness you prefer. I like towel grips but they dont have and tackyness to them.

[LazyBuddy]

Personally, I prefer thick grip. Since most of my rackets are G3, G4, I always put at least 1 more layer of overgrip before I play.

[Jordan]

kool i usually put 1 over grip on my rackets

[jwu]

Grip size should depends on how big your hand is and the type of grip is just a comfort issue. I have heard people argue that smaller grip is good for power and larger grip is for control. Not sure if this is entirely true.

[NVIDIA256]

have heard people argue that smaller grip is good for power and larger grip is for control.

Agreed!

[Jordan]

o cool i have an irrevelant question does any 1 know bryan moody?
ya any way's i slso agree wit that i sometimes onlyuse the original grip on my MP 88 and get good smashing power but with another grip on it seems less powerfull

[cooler]

what do u like to know about bryan moody?

[silentlight]

From personal experience, I also think that a smaller grip gives you more power while a bigger grip gives you more control. But what small grip and big grip means depend solely on the player's hand size. Somebody once told me that this has to be true because when you punch something, you have to clench your fist to hit hard. Although it sounds a little funny, it does make sense but I also happen to know that power comes from being relaxed and tightening only at the last second--that's Bruce Lee stuff. For further proof on this, check out all those threads that claim about holding the racquet loosely and tightening only at impact generating a lot of power whether the pinky or index finger variety, I, for one, have not tested this. Yet, I've seen good players hit super hard smashes and some of those people's racquets have really big grips (towel grips usually), I haven't seen their hands though.

[LazyBuddy]

Originally posted by silentlight
Yet, I've seen good players hit super hard smashes and some of those people's racquets have really big grips (towel grips usually), I haven't seen their hands though.



Then, what they use to hold the racket then??? :confused:





j/k, I think I got ur point.;)

[jwu]

Don't know how many people here remember Kwun's thread about the pinky grip, it is basically holding the racquet w/ your ring finger and pinky while the other fingers are loosely wrapped around the handle. This way, when you swing, the racquet itself moves within your hand and adds more power to your hit. By having a smaller grip, the movement of the racquet is enhanced and I guess that's why smaller grip equates to more power.

Another grip-related advice I got was to wrap the bottom of your handle extra thick, almost twice as thick as the rest of the handle. This will give you a little more feel + control of the racquet when you are holding so far down the handle w/ only 2-3 fingers tightly. Hope this helps.

[silentlight]

Actually, I never understood why or how holding a racquet using the pinky and ring finger with the other fingers loose can result in more power. I've read posts about people trying this and that it actually works but the way I see it maybe this result in more power is just due to the relaxed and tightening at the last instance thing? I haven't tried either method but I tend to believe the other variety more, the one where you hold the racquet tight with your index finger while keeping your pinky loose until impact because in addition to the relaxed and tightening at the last moment concept at least the racquet is swung in the right direction when you tighten your pinky.

Also, although I've stated that from my personal experience more power can be generated using a smaller grip, I have no explanation for it. I mean if you were to clench your fist and bend it as if you were swinging a racquet, the maximum angle of bending is less than if you were to keep your hand open. So wouldn't this mean that a bigger grip should actually allow your hand more bending angle resulting in more follow through--more power? Maybe what we all meant by smaller grip size is actually the optimal grip for us but that we feel it to be small...

[jwu]

not sure how valid this is but just thinking about silentlight's comments regarding grip size. with a smaller grip, you don't need to focus too much on holding the dang thing and having it fly out during your swing. while with a bigger grip, a little bit of that strength need to go into actually holding that racquet in your hand. also, smaller grip allows you to have a "looser" grip and that will result in power during the swing. just some thoughts.

[bigredlemon]

Originally posted by LazyBuddy
Then, what they use to hold the racket then??? :confused:





j/k, I think I got ur point.;) LOL... good one :D

[silentlight]

It was only when they weren't holding their racquets that I was able to see how big the grips were.

[bigredlemon]

Originally posted by silentlight
Actually, I never understood why or how holding a racquet using the pinky and ring finger with the other fingers loose can result in more power. I've read posts about people trying this and that it actually works but the way I

I guess its because your racquet can "kick" more with les help from the wrist? I find the pinky grip does give noticeably more power than my typical smash movement, but not as much as if i do this weird thing where while i'm swining my arm, I also bend/swing my wrist fully from the beginning of the swing rather than later on, so that the racquet is in the smash position (hitting the bird) while my arm is still pointing straight up. Not sure if this makes sense to anyone..

[silentlight]

I guess its because your racquet can "kick" more with les help from the wrist? I find the pinky grip does give noticeably more power than my typical smash movement, but not as much as if i do this weird thing where while i'm swining my arm, I also bend/swing my wrist fully from the beginning of the swing rather than later on, so that the racquet is in the smash position (hitting the bird) while my arm is still pointing straight up. Not sure if this makes sense to anyone..

Yes, it does make sense. Swinging your arm, stopping (assumed from you implicitly stating that your arm is no longer up but down and no longer swinging) and then swinging your wrist means that you're only using your wrist swing to hit the bird whereas if you swing your wrist while your arm is still swinging, your swing velocity becomes arm swing velocity + wrist swing velocity. Actually, now that I've reread your post, I think you're referring to something else altogether...

Man, there must be universal truth, there should be no conflict in theories, the truth is out there...

[kwun]

dudes, i emphasized in the post that the finger grip is supposed to be used in accord with the rest of the arm in one smooth motion. not arm move, arm stop, finger move, racket move. no no no.

everything moves at the same time in one smooth motion. that is the most important....

[zerochillnet]

Originally posted by jwu
Don't know how many people here remember Kwun's thread about the pinky grip, it is basically holding the racquet w/ your ring finger and pinky while the other fingers are loosely wrapped around the handle. This way, when you swing, the racquet itself moves within your hand and adds more power to your hit. By having a smaller grip, the movement of the racquet is enhanced and I guess that's why smaller grip equates to more power.

Another grip-related advice I got was to wrap the bottom of your handle extra thick, almost twice as thick as the rest of the handle. This will give you a little more feel + control of the racquet when you are holding so far down the handle w/ only 2-3 fingers tightly. Hope this helps.

last time i tried that the racquet flew out of my hands