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Photo Tour of the Forehand Grips for Tennis

By Jeff Cooper, About.com

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Hawaiian Forehand Grip

Hawaiian Forehand Grip
The "Hawaiian" grip is, to put it simply, weird. Even its name is a bit of a joke. The Hawaiian grip places your palm 135 degrees clockwise from the Eastern, or 45 degrees farther west than the Western. The Western grip got its name from having evolved in California. What's west of California (short of Asia)?

The Hawaiian grip is rarely used, but it had a moment in the spotlight when Alberto Berasategui used it to make the 1994 finals at Roland Garros, where he lost to Sergi Bruguera. One way to find the grip is to place your hand in a Continental position, then twist your wrist and forearm 180 degrees clockwise so that your knuckles are facing forward. Just trying this without hitting a ball can hurt a little, and actually getting the ball over the net requires a point of contact way out in front or quite high. To use this grip consistently, you must also whip upward severely, generating heavy topspin. As you might guess, the Hawaiian grip is unsuitable for hitting flat or slice.

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