Putting aside skills, techniques, and footwork for the moment, one of the most initial and basic things a player has to learn is how to actually wield his weapon, i.e. For someone who knows the game probably knows there are two main types of grips namely: Replacement Grips Over Grips While both these grips have certain pros and cons this article will serve as […] Sale on Table Tennis Grips (Accessories) and other table tennis (ping-pong) equipment. This of course ensures that the player’s grip on the paddle remains constant throughout playing. In popular Western media, such as television series or movies, people who play ping pong are almost always shown to be holding it with their index fingers on the side of the paddle directly facing the body, and the thumb resting on top of the other fingers which are encircled around the blade handle. An Introduction to Grips In high level table tennis, there are two main grip types, the shakehands grip and the penhold grip. For the shallow shakehand grip, the thumb rests or relaxes on the blade. Another limitation of the reverse penhold backhand grip is that it is actually quite difficult to produce topspins on the backhand side that do not have a little sidespin to them. Spin plays a very important part in table tennis. There are three main versions of this type of grip, namely, the traditional Chinese grip, the Japanese or Korean grip, and the reverse penhold backhand grip. People sometimes assume that this is the only way to hold a paddle, but actually, there are many, many more types of grip available for any aspiring beginner to choose from. Shakehand grip looks easy and it is a very versatile style. Although the International Table Tennis Federation has no restrictions on how you should handle your racket, two styles of grips have emerged over the years as the most optimal for playing. The grip type and style is equally important. Here, I will resume and explain the advantage of each type of blade handles in table tennis. In this style, the three fingers are across the back of the racquet. You can choose one out of six different blade handles. To have this kind of grip, one should place the thumb and index finger on either side of the racquet and the rest of the fingers should be placed at the bottom part. It is named such because the blade rests on the V-shaped made by the player’s thumb and index finger, this grip gives an … So, to do this the player holds the racquet in a way that it should be in a grip. This article describes some of the most common table tennis styles seen in international competition. There are two types of grips: main grips and overgrips. Penhold grip players are considerably rarer than shakehand grip players, since this grip leaves the backhand with a gaping weakness, a lack of reach on their backhand side. This style of holding the racquet is called Chinese penholding. It is called a shakehand grip because the blade rests on the V-shape created by one’s thumb and index finger, and save for the other three fingers, this grip will make it look like one is about to shake hands with someone. The last variant of the penhold grip is the reverse penhold backhand grip, where the back of the penhold is used to hit balls that come over to the backhand side of the player. This type of grip is known to be more famous among western players. Its historical record dated many years back and has turned into a well-liked sports activity throughout the ages. The advantage of the deep shakehand grip would be that it prevents too much moving of the paddle in the player’s hand, which ensures a firm grasp. But, in 1990s the Chinese developed a reverse penhold technique in which, the player uses the other side of the racquet as well. Although there are other grips - notably the "penhold" grip used predominantly by the Chinese, Japanese and the Koreans - I'll be concentrating on the western grip that I use. This hold got its name, as it resembles holding a pen. Based on Palatinus (table tennis maker expert), there are 6 types of handles grips: Flared handle, Straight handle, Cpen handle, Anatomic handle, and Conical handle. The remaining fingers on the back can, either all or some, be touching the blade. Protecting Your Ping … The first grip we’ll discuss is the eastern grip. It would be ideal for a beginner to listen to the advice of his or her coach on what style of grip to use, but sometimes, it would be best to just find a grip one is comfortable with. Types of Table Tennis Grip: 1. The disadvantage, though, of either shallow or deep shakehand grips is that there will always be a point of indecision that opponents can choose to attack. Main grips are the standard grip that comes on the racket at the time of purchasing. This grip is important because it absorbs most of the vibrations formed when the racket makes contact with a tennis … Liu Shiwen, Zhu Yuling, and Ding Ning, the rank first, second, and third, respectively, of international table tennis women’s players from China, all use shakehand grips as well. Shakehand grip looks easy and it is a very versatile style. The grip is good with any forehand strokes, and as the wrist is also very free to move from either left to right or right to left, spinning and serving can be done with a stronger spin. The defensiveness of this grip also lessens the chances of the player having to attack balls from over the table, which is why wrist flexibility is not an issue for this grip. However, the movement of the blade from the handle to the top of the paddle is somewhat restricted by the extended fingers on the back of the blade, which restricts the adjustment of the angle of the paddle on the backhand side. There are several top players who use penhold grips who win World Championships, World Cups, and Olympic games on a regular basis. the ping pong paddle or table tennis racket. This grip is named after Danny Seemiller, as he was the one who used this technique. Free US Shipping over $50. Though in actuality, if one doesn’t look closely, the two look to be about the same. It can be observed to be a variation of the shakehand grip, but the tip of the forefinger is placed near the edge of the paddle, or around the edge of the paddle. Nowadays this is known as world’s most enjoyed racquet activity. This grip will also give one the freedom to move his wrist, and this, in turn, grants the player stronger power and spin when attacking or brushing the ball. Choosing Your First Ping-Pong Paddle. In general, there are 3 main grips in table tennis: shakehand grip (or European grip), penhold grip (Chinese grip), and Japanese/Korean Penhold grip (variation of penhold style). Different Types of Table Tennis Grips Table tennis is a racket sport, which means that a player’s main weapon at hand is his paddle. The most common of all table tennis grips is Shakehand, and as the name suggests, it resembles the posture of the hand when you shake hands with someone. Table tennis is a racket sport, which means that a player’s main weapon at hand is his paddle. Comments must be approved before appearing. The grip is used by players who are mainly attacking style players, who attack with strong forehand topspins and steady backhand returns. The index finger can slightly overlap with the thumb. Similar to the traditional Chinese penhold grip, it requires players to have a large reserve of stamina and fast footwork in order to make up for the poor reach on the backhand side. Fan Zhendong, the second in this rank and also from China, uses a similar grip. The game is played out using a table, then the… Similar to the traditional Chinese grip, this grip is favored by players who prefer to attack with their forehand. The index and middle fingers are then curled down to grip the blade, while the last two fingers wrap around the handle. Table tennis, or ping pong, can be widely played activity composing of 2 or 4 opposing participants. This grip also allows users to attack short balls with his backhand, since wrist movement is flexible. The Shakehand Grip has actually evolved out of Western players and gradually got popular among the European and Asian players too. A correct shake-hands table tennis grip should have… Your index finger on the backhand rubber. The index finger should lie roughly parallel with the edge of the rubber at the base of the flat paddle area where one hits the ball. The disadvantages of this grip are that balls shot towards the player’s elbow are difficult to return without fast footwork, since backhand and forehand strokes overlap and the area of overlapping prove to be even smaller than for the shakehand grip. The second most popular type of grip would be the penhold grip. Best Price Guarantee. The penhold grip is derived from the way one holds a pen to write. Virtually every European player and a majority of Asian players use this grip. This grip does not allow for wrist flexibility, which is good for precisely-controlled strokes that require less power. Similar to the traditional Chinese penhold grip, the index and thumb grasp the front of the blade handle as if holding a pen, but the remaining fingers are extended straight out on the blade instead of curled. The fingers holding the racket are similar to the traditional Chinese grip. The thumb is placed where comfortable. This type of grip is more popular with Western players. The advantages of this type of grip is that while it has the advantages of the traditional Chinese penhold grip, it removes the normal penhold weakness in the backhand, allowing users of this grip the capability to produce heavy topspin backhand strokes with good power and wide reach. This hold is also called the Western grip as many players of Europe and America use this style of holding a racquet. Account Shopping Cart Support. After all, table tennis is a very individualized sport. The Index Knuckle and Heel Pad rest on bevel 2. There is a 90-degree turn so that both thumb and index fingers are grasping either side of the paddle. Based on that, you can take a right decision and choose according to it from the market. There are three different styles of holding a bat and different player has either one or both styles of holding the racquet. As one can see, it is rarer for this type of grip to be present in international scenes. The Best Budget Ping-Pong Paddles. Even though many players have this way of holding the racquet, their style of play is entirely different. Each of these two types has several variations, which we will look at in detail. The advantage of the traditional Chinese penhold grip is that it allows free movement of the wrist, much more than shakehand grips do. The V grip in table tennis is so called because the blade is held between the index and middle fingers, which are spread apart similar to the ‘V for Victory’ sign to begin with. The most common grip; both paddle faces can be used and the player can hit forehand and backhand. Just like the tennis grip, your index finger has to be perpendicular to the handle and extended over the head of the racket. The same forehand side is always what the player uses to attack, counter, or defend against any shot. This style will confuse your opponent. Grip in table tennis is the way one player holds the racquet. However, this does not mean that it is not common on the international scene. Players using this grip commonly use inverted rubber on their backhand, to produce efficient topspin balls with significantly larger amounts of sidespin, which also comes from the natural movement of the arm and paddle. Grip Types in Table Tennis. Aside from the shakehand and penhold grips, there are also a few more unusual and infinitesimally rare grips that rarely make it onto international scenes due to their unproven effectiveness in matches. We will discuss the different types of spins that we get to see in Table Tennis. Thousands of satisfied customers. The eastern grip is obtained by centering the “V” that forms between your thumb and index finger on the top panel of the grip when the strings of the racket are parallel with the surface of the net.. The V-grip is when the blade is held between the index and middle finger, spread apart at first to form a letter V. When the blade is in place, the index and middle fingers curl down the blade, gripping it, and the ring and pinky fingers are wrapped around the handle of the paddle. If the reverse penhold backhand grip is combined with the Chinese penhold push and block strokes, a problem that might occur is that the player must quickly decide which type of stroke among the two to use, and then adjust the paddle accordingly under pressure. Its historical record dated many years back and has turned into a well-liked sports activity throughout the ages. Wong Chun Ting, currently the eleventh best international men’s player from Hong Kong, also favors this grip. They use fast topspin loops with their forehand, while blocking or fishing (a heavy topspin stroke used at a medium to far distance from the table and that which usually lobs the ball high over the net) with the backhand. Types of grips in Table Tennis | Move Your Table Tennis Bats Properly. Posted on May 23, 2017 by mypingpongpaddle. Another style of penhodling is the Japanese/ Korean style. 8 Pingpong Essentials to Be the Very Best (…Like No One Ever Was). This grip is relatively new, and it might be some time before one can see whether or not this type of grip will become popular. There are two variations of the shakehand grip, shallow and deep. (Sample Shakehand Player: Zhang Jike | Source ). Since one holds the paddle in this grip as an extension of the arm, the paddle is positioned in front of the player’s chest, either to the left or to the right depending on the player’s dominant hand, and the elbow is jutted out, leaving a space between underarm and torso. The correct table tennis grip ; The stance and ready position we use in table tennis; The basic movement patterns and table tennis footwork; I always teach these before moving onto strokes and I think it is important to learn table tennis in this order. Unlike the shakehand grip which has two types, the penhold has three different versions. As the name suggests, this type of grip resembles one shaking a hand. For the women’s, none of the top ten players use penhold type grips, but Li Jiao, rank 20 from Holland, Ni Xia Lan, rank 58 from Luxembourg, and Lay Jian Fang, rank 137 from Australia, are some of the rare few who prove that it’s possible to use this type of grip and excel at it. Some examples of this would be the V-grip and the Seemiller grip. It depends on your playing style, that you can decide to choose the best handle for you. Table tennis, or ping pong, can be widely played activity composing of 2 or 4 opposing participants. Place your body in such a position so that … This technique gives great loops on the forehand side. Other than this, there are no laws in table tennis that prescribe how players should grip their paddles, and hence, there are multiple variations on gripping styles. There is also a small variation like V-grip (American style), pistol grip (unorthodox style). The penhold grip is the second well-known hold utilized by table tennis players. So, it was started even in China and now, many top-level Chinese players also use this technique. penholder grip Grip that is suited to offensive play although it weakens the backhand: the table tennis player uses only one paddle face. So, it was started even in China and now, many top-level Chinese players also use this technique. Each of these two types has several variations, which we will look at in detail. shakehand and penhold grips in table tennis forehand and backhand strokes when returning topspin and backspin balls in advanced male players. The advantage of the shallow shakehand grip over the deep grip is that it allows for a quicker readjustment of the paddle’s angle, since the grip is loose. But before one learns about angles and swinging, one of the most foundational choices a player has to make, or one that is made for him by his coach or trainer, is how to hold the racket. This grip also allows wide-angled shots and more control. This method is used to distract the opponent, as contrasting rubbers can be placed on both the sides of the blade. Most players using this grip will put either put long pimpled rubber or anti rubber on the back, as the combination rubber and occasional twiddling can confuse opponents with their varied returns. Also, ever since table tennis introduced the two-color rule, which states that a player must have either black or red on either side of the blade, the strategy of twiddling the blade with combination rubbers is now less effective, since the opponents can keep track of the rubbers. They rely on rapid footwork to hit with their powerful forehand strokes as often as possible in order not to become wholly defensive players. The disadvantages of this grip is that it proves to be a difficult task to perform consistent backhand topspins, since this will require the player to contort his arm in quite an unnatural degree. This grip is mainly experimental, and whether or not it will prove to evolve into a majorly popular grip in the future remains to be seen. Backspin serve. Subscribe to the Green Paddle newsletter to learn more about special promos and sales reserved only for VIP customers! Players who use this grip tend to play farther away from the table than the players who use traditional Chinese grips. Players who use this grip often prefer to stick closer to the table, pushing or blocking with a backhand and attacking with forehand strokes, either through drive or topspin or looping. Some players use a combination of the traditional Chinese penhold grip and the reverse penhold backhand grip to maximize performance. Besides the common ping-pong grip types, there are also several less commonly used grips, such as the Seemiller grip, V grip, and pistol grip. Xu Xin, currently the third best international player from China, uses a penhold grip. And as with all unproven grips, it is hard to find a coach who is familiar with this grip enough to teach it. There can be varying gap lengths between the thumb and the index finger. Table tennis is no different – one of the most fundamental skills to pick up is how to grip your racket. Though this may seem to be a small matter, grip is quite important, and something as seemingly inconsequential as where the thumb rests actually matters. Use this for the serve, volley, overhead, and slice (all the pros do). The advantages of this grip would be free wrist movement, allowing strong snaps for forehand topspins, and good for blocking on either forehand or backhand sides. It incorporates the Japanese or Korean grip, Chinese one, and reverse backhand grip. Ping pong, or table tennis as it’s more commonly known throughout the world, is a fast-paced, exciting tabletop game that can provide hours of fun for two players. The eastern grip is great for hitting very flat shots with lots of pace, but minimal amounts of spin. The effect of spin can change the entire game. This style is often most common with players in Asia, most notably, players from Japan, Korea, and of course, China. The style of play among penhold players can vary greatly from player to player. In contrast, another style, sometimes referred to as the Japanese penhold, involves splaying those three fingers out across the back of the … The other three fingers loosely wrapped around the … Players who use this grip also prefer blocking and countering from either side. The penhold gripis so-named because one grips the racket similarly to the way one holds a writing instrument. In high-level table tennis, there are two main grip types, the shake hands grip, and the penholder grip. Grab the paddle’s handle between the space of your thumb and the index finger while curling the last three fingers over the handle. Usually, players who have a penholding style don’t use the other side of the racquet. Deep shakehand grips tend to be used by players who favor backspin as a form of attack. Another minor grip is known as the Seemiller grip, made popular by Dan Seemiller, an American player who won five U.S. Men’s Singles Championships, became number one qualifier for the U.S. World Team in 1972, and was once rank 19 on the international scale. Shallow shakehand grips are usually held by players who favor topspins, loops, or loop drives, which is when a player lobs the ball over the table by brushing the side or the top of the ball to make the top of the ball go in the same direction as the ball is moving, while the bottom of the ball moves in the opposite direction of the motion of the ball. In Table Tennis whenever the player hits the ball, he/she needs to see the position of the bat to hit the ball so that it can strike exactly the destination point. Reverse Penhold Backhand (RPB) Grip in Table Tennis. 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