Photo Tour of the One-Handed Backhand Grips

The Full Eastern backhand grip (sometimes called Western, but see below) centers your palm on the top plane of your racquet handle. This grip offers the most solid support for the racquet, whether you're hitting topspin or slice, but it requires a point of contact well in front of your body, which causes some players to meet the ball too late. Such players often find the Eastern (sometimes called modified Eastern) grip a little easier.