Continental Tennis Grip: Bevel 2, Uses and Drills

The continental grip is a common starting grip for serves, volleys, overheads and slice shots. It may feel unfamiliar if you naturally hold the racket like a frying pan, but you can learn it by using the handle bevels rather than guessing from feel.

Set the grip, confirm it with two hand landmarks, then practise controlling the racket face at low speed.

Find the continental grip on the handle

Look at the butt cap—the flat end of the racket handle. Its outline has eight angled surfaces, called bevels.

Hold the racket in front of you with the strings vertical and the top edge of the frame pointing upward. Looking from the butt-cap end, call the top surface bevel 1 and number the bevels clockwise:

• Right-handed player: place the base knuckle of your index finger on bevel 2.
• Left-handed player: place that knuckle on bevel 8, the matching bevel on the other side of the handle.

Place the heel pad—the firm lower part of your palm—on the same bevel as your index knuckle. Wrap your fingers around the handle without squeezing hard.

The common shortcut is the hammer grip: pick up the racket as though its edge were a hammer face. The LTA describes a similar handshake or “chopper” grip and recommends it for serves, volleys and smashes (LTA).

Check that your hand has not slipped

Use these observable checks before hitting:

1. Hammer check: with your forearm in a comfortable position, the racket edge should line up like the striking edge of a hammer. If the full string bed naturally faces forward, you have probably moved toward a forehand grip.
2. Landmark check: your index knuckle and heel pad should remain on bevel 2 for a right-hander or bevel 8 for a left-hander.
3. Finger check: leave a small, trigger-like gap between your index and middle fingers instead of bunching every finger together.
4. Pressure check: hold firmly enough to keep the racket stable, but not so tightly that your forearm becomes rigid.

Do not judge the grip only by comfort. A forehand grip may initially feel more natural simply because you have used it more often.

What the continental grip is for

Use it as a starting point for these shots:

• Serve: it allows the racket to approach on edge before the forearm and racket turn toward contact. The USTA’s red-ball development pathway first accepts a serve grip between continental and Eastern forehand, then progresses players toward continental as their motion develops (USTA).
• Volley: one grip can cover both forehand and backhand volleys, limiting grip changes when there is little time at the net.
• Overhead: the preparation and grip are closely related to the serve.
• Slice and defensive shots: the grip can help you arrange an open racket face without moving to an extreme hand position.

These are starting points, not rules that every player must follow for every variation. The continental is also not the usual choice for a modern topspin forehand. For that stroke, compare the Eastern grip and Semi-Western grip. Grip choice is shot-specific; learning continental does not mean holding it throughout every rally.

Three drills that build the grip in order

1. Edge-to-strings turns

Setup: Stand in a clear space without a ball. Set the continental grip and hold the racket at waist height.

Action: Slowly turn the racket from edge-on to strings-forward and back again. Make 10 controlled repetitions without changing your hand position.

Checkpoint: Your forearm turns the racket while your index knuckle and heel pad stay on their assigned bevel. Your hand should not crawl around the handle.

2. Racket-face bounce drill

Setup: Hold the racket in front of your body with one face roughly parallel to the ground. Place a ball on the strings.

Action: Bounce the ball gently upward 10 times. Then turn the racket over and try 10 bounces on the opposite face.

Checkpoint: You control the racket face while the hand landmarks remain on the correct bevel. If the ball flies sideways, lower the bounce before changing anything else.

3. Half-serve from near the service line

Setup: For this drill—not a match serve—stand sideways near your service line. Start with the racket raised instead of using a full service motion, and keep the continental grip.

Action: Toss the ball within comfortable reach, let the racket rise on edge and swing at about half speed. Send the ball diagonally into the opposite service box. Hit 10 balls, resetting your hand before each one.

Checkpoint: Finish balanced and keep your hand from shifting into a forehand grip. Use 7 successful attempts out of 10 as a practical signal to move back a few steps or add more of the motion—not both at once. For a fuller progression, use these serve drills.

A practical readiness check

You are ready to apply the grip to slow stroke practice when you can:

• find the correct bevel without looking;
• show the hammer position without adjusting your hand; and
• complete 10 gentle bounces without the handle rotating in your palm.

Then keep the same grip while practising slow serves or alternating forehand and backhand volleys. If contact becomes inconsistent, check the hand landmarks first. Correcting the grip is usually simpler than changing the swing to compensate for an unintended racket face.