A very young cowboy attended a tennis teachers conference in Miami in 1983. Peter Burwash was one of the featured speakers and was viewed as a bit controversial at the time. In speaking about the forehand, he urged coaches to beware…that the standard eastern forehand grip would soon be very rare in pro tennis. Many in the audience said to themselves, ‘right.’
Well, he was right. Burwash was ahead of the curve. Now…except for Thomas Berdych and a couple of others, you rarely see an eastern grip on TV.
When you see the picture with this morsel, it’s clear the grip is well away from the old standard grips. The question is why. As Vic Braden might have said, ‘topspin, baby.!’ The fact that Rafa Nadal’s forehand revolves at 3,200 rpm gives him an incredible weapon married with tremendous margin of error.
Going back to the picture, this grip and forehand may not be for all club players.
But, if you want to give it a try just contact your local USPTA pro who can lessen the frustration period involved in the experiment.
** Peter Burwash is from Canada and played on the pro tour. The first point he witnessed in Europe lasted 27 minutes with over 500 shots played. He now heads a worldwide teaching organization that staffs resorts and clubs. (Peter Burwash International)
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