The classic and Western tennis forehand styles differ in almost every major respect: grip, stance, swing path, method of generating swing speed, and point of contact.
A classic forehand uses an Eastern grip, with the base knuckle of the index finger centered on the vertical plane of the racquet handle that is parallel to the string plane. The full Western grip rotates that knuckle ninety degrees clockwise (for a right-hander), so that the palm is underneath the handle rather than behind it. (The Semi-Western grip is halfway between the two.)
The difference between the Eastern and full Western grips reflects the contrast in the accompanying stances and swing paths. In a classic forehand, the player faces the sideline and uses a predominantly forward swing with a vertical component that can be easily adjusted to create flat, topspin, or slice strokes. It's a fairly simple stroke, and the simplest, most intuitive grip is to have the palm centered behind the racquet handle. With a Western grip, the racquet face wants to point toward the ground. The plane of the racquet comes to vertical as a result of clockwise wrist and forearm rotation, usually caused by the force of a sharply upward swing that is the culmination of leg and torso rotation from a stance mostly facing the net. In other words, getting a Western grip to work involves a much more complicated set of biomechanical steps.
Comparison Chart
| Classic | Western | |
| Grip | Eastern | Western |
| Stance | facing sideline | largely facing net |
| Swing Path | mostly linear and forward, with variable upward or downward components | sharply upward, generated by rotational forces |
| Generation of Swing Speed | forward weight transfer and forward and upward leg push, plus relatively small rotation | sharp torso and leg rotation with upward leg push |
| Point of Contact | even with front hip | well in front of front hip |
