Grips and Practice (Part-1)
GRIP your racquet firmly, so that it will not turn when the ball comes in contact with it. There are various grips. Different players have different kinds of hands; what suits one may not suit another. Use a grip which gives confidence, but of course it must not be one that is going to be awkward to change for different kinds of shots. The less change one makes in his grip the better. Adopt a style of grip that will enable you to use the opposite side of the racquet for a forehand from that used for a backhand shot without having too much shift in the grip. Many players turn the face of the racquet completely around when taking backhand shots. By doing so they hit the ball on the same side of the racquet as on a forehand stroke. This method wastes time when time is peculiarly valuable.
In changing from forehand to backhand, hit the ball on opposite side of your racquet, turn your hand toward your body and it falls into position for the backhand stroke and the ball will be met on the opposite side of the racquet.
Some players run the thumb up the handle for backhand shots or volleys. This serves to guide the stroke. More power, however, is obtained in a backhand by leaving the thumb around the handle the same as in the forehand. This also applies in volleying.
On the volley, keep the head of the racquet a little higher than the wrist. Your grip changes very slightly for volleying.
In driving, let your wrist down, as you have less weight on your wrist in holding the racquet.
On a high bounding ball, to hit it with "top," you cannot drop your wrist.
While waiting for returns have your left hand support the upper part of your racquet on the handle. This relieves your playing arm and increases your quickness and effectiveness in volleying.
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