Table tennis, also known as pingpong, is a sport that is well known for both its recreational and professional play. As with many sports, building fundamental skills in table tennis allows you to increase your proficiency in more complicated techniques later. Perhaps the most fundamental skill that a player should learn is how to hold the table tennis paddle. There are two popular grips used by professional table tennis players.
Shake Hands Grip
Step 1
Hold the hitting surface of the paddle with your less-dominant hand. Hold the paddle so the handle is parallel to the ground and pointing to the side of your dominant hand. The flattest direction of the paddle should be parallel to your body.
Step 2
Make your dominant hand flat with your palm down and your thumb pointing out at a 90-degree angle from the other fingers. Rest the “V” of your hand between your thumb and forefinger on the point where the handle of the paddle meets the striking surface.
Step 3
Lay your forefinger and thumb on each side of the paddle’s striking surface. They should grip the paddle firmly, but not to the point that there is tension in your wrist.
Step 4
Wrap your remaining three fingers around the table tennis paddle’s handle to complete the grip.
Penhold Grip
Step 1
Hold the hitting surface of the paddle with your less-dominant hand. The flat surface of the paddle should be parallel to the ground and the handle should be pointing toward you.
Step 2
Hold your dominant hand in front of you in a loose fist with the palm pointing toward the floor. Fully extend your forefinger and thumb so they form and L-shape. The other fingers should remain loosely closed.
Step 3
Use the hand holding the paddle to lay the joint where the handle meets the striking surface in the crux of the "L" formed by your thumb and forefinger. Wrap your thumb and forefinger around the handle so they meet on the striking surface as if you are holding a pen.
Step 4
Rest your remaining three fingers on the striking surface of the paddle’s underside. Chinese players typically leave their fingers balled together, while Japanese players spread their three remaining fingers on the backside of the paddle to form a supportive tripod, according to tabletenniscoach.com. Experiment with both variations to see what you prefer.
Tips and Warnings
- The shake hands grip gives a player more power, but less flexibility at the wrist joint. The penhold grip offers greater wrist flexibility, which leads to better serves and forehands.
Things You'll Need
- Table tennis racket
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