The Difference Between Tennis and Badminton Grips

Both badminton and tennis have the same basic grip technique, known in badminton as the "orthodox forehand grip" and in tennis as the "continental." The thumb and index finger form a V-shape around the handle, fingers slightly spread apart, and the handle is held firm but relaxed so the wrist can move easily. However, badminton has fewer grip techniques than tennis, which has many grip variations to suit styles of play.

  1. Eastern Grip

    • Shake hands with the racquet to hold it with the eastern grip. Or form a continental grip, and turn the hand clockwise, or counterclockwise for lefties, so the knuckle of the index finger slides over a bevel. This grip is the easiest for learning the forehand because the racket face is flat and it is easy to switch to other grips.

    Semi-Western Grip

    • Moving the knuckle another bevel clockwise (or counterclockwise for lefties), is a semi-western grip, allowing more topspin on the ball. The grip does close the face, making it difficult to return low balls. Professionals who play power tennis on the baseline prefer this grip.

    Western Grip

    • Shifting the knuckle one more bevel clockwise or counterclockwise is the western grip. The knuckle should be at the very bottom of the grip, with the palm under the racquet. This grip allows for tremendous topspin, but is difficult handling low balls and transitioning to the net where the player must switch to a continental or eastern grip. Tennis star Rafael Nadal uses a Western grip predominantly.

    Tennis Two-handed Backhand

    • Although there is some debate on the hand positioning of a two-handed backhand, one way is to use the dominant hand in a continental grip, and the off hand in a semi-western grip above the dominant hand. This grip is good for returning low shots and for adding power on returns.