The Effect of Grip Size on the Hitting Force During a Soft Tennis Forehand Stroke

BACKGROUND Grip size of a tennis racquet has been reported to influence performance, but clear evidence of a correlation has yet to be established. HYPOTHESIS Hitting force during a soft tennis forehand stroke correlates with grip size. STUDY DESIGN Controlled clinical study. METHODS A total of 40 healthy volunteers (20 men and 20 women) with a mean age of 21.9 years were enrolled. Of the 40 participants, 20 were experienced soft tennis players (10 men and 10 women) and 20 were nonexperienced soft tennis players (10 men and 10 women). Based on racquets with 5 different grip sizes, the hitting force during a soft tennis forehand stroke was measured with a handheld dynamometer. Correlations between 4 factors (sex, experience, grip and pinch strengths, and middle finger length) and hitting force were evaluated with each grip size. Measurements for each factor were repeated, and a 2-way analysis of variance was performed on the obtained data. RESULTS The hitting force was greater for male players than for female players and greater for experienced players than for nonexperienced players (P < .01). Men with large grip and pinch strengths demonstrated an increased hitting force with an increase in grip size. Men who had a long middle finger also demonstrated increased hitting force when grip size increased (P < .05). CONCLUSION The hypothesis proved accurate for experienced men who had a large grip strength, a large pinch strength, and a long middle finger. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Large-grip-sized racquets may result in better forehand stroke performance when used by experienced male soft tennis players with a large grip strength, a large pinch strength, and a long middle finger.