How to Hold a Tennis Racquet With a Continental Grip

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name's Lincoln Ward, I'm a USPTA Certified Teaching Pro here in Austin, Texas with Lone Star Tennis Company. Today we're going to talk about how to hold your racket with a continental grip. The first thing you need to know about your racket is every racket out there has an octagon shaped handle. This octagon shape is set on purpose because it creates eight different sides. Eight different flat edges that run up the length of your tennis racket to the neck of the racket. These flat edges are what we call bevels. The bevels help you determine what grip you're going to hold and how you hold it. In a continental grip you want to hold bevel number 2. For a right handed player, you want to start off on top, and label that bevel number one. You go clockwise to bevel number 2, 3, 4, and so on. Left handers, you're just the opposite. One, two, three, four. You guys go counter clockwise. A continental grip is when you place bevel number 2, between bevel number 2 and bevel number 3, on the base of your pointer knuckle, katty-corner to the heel of your palm. So, if you find that little area, count bevel one, bevel two, and just line it up right on your hand, you have your continental grip. A continental grip is really good for both forehand ground strokes, and volleys, as well as serves. I'm Lincoln Ward and that's how you hold a continental grip on your tennis racket. Thank you very much."