Simon asked 3 years ago
Hi
I’ve played casually for a number of years (in mid 30s), and just getting back into playing and would like to play a bit more competitively. For some reason I defaulted to playing penhold and has taken me so far but I feel like I’m struggling to develop a good attack so I’m wondering if there is a general view that shakehand is more conducive to developing a better attack?
Are you aware of any examples people switching and having it lead to marked improvements?
cheers
Tom Lodziak Staff answered 3 years ago
In general, penholders can have very strong forehand attacks, but find it harder to attack consistently with their backhand. Many penholders will try to cover most of the table with their forehand. So there’s no reason why you can’t develop a very strong attacking stroke with your forehand using a penhold grip.
But of course, you can also attack very strongly with both forehand and backhand with a shake hands grip too. Most players prefer the shake hand grip as it’s a little more comfortable and much easier to play backhand strokes.
There is no right or wrong. You should experiment with both grips and see which works best for you.