Where should THUMB be during shakehand grip?

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

 Baal wrote:

VGripper proposes that "thumb position correlates with paddle rotation in the grip. i.e FH, BH, or neutral biased grip."

I think this is sometimes true when you look at top players, but watching some videos closely, I think there are exceptions.  A good example of what he talking about is Kong Linghui, whose basic grip tends towards the BH side; his thumb rides up a bit, same with Zhang Jike, even when they hit forehands.  Actually, I think most people who play like that tend to have thumb higher. But there are guys who use a more forehand oriented grip on FH and they usually change their grip a lot when they hit backhands (e.g. pretty much every top German player, especially Boll) and the thumb position isn't always the same with this group.  For example, Timo Boll' thumb definitely does not ride up so far, but Kreanga is a really opposite extreme when he hits BH.  

Another thing is how far up or down the handle people generally grip, which can also vary a lot among really good players.  Some guys really tend to grip pretty far down the handle (Wang Liqin, Timo Boll, Cheng Yinghua), and some guys grip somewhat higher (Kreanga, ZJK).  If you grip low, your thumb will stay low.    

It's best not to think about grip too much when you are playing, it's got to be comfortable but automatic.      