How To Hold A Table Tennis/Ping Pong Paddle

Table tennis, or ping pong, is one of the most widely played sports in the world. And like any other sports and games, it has a rich history of its own – and so are ping pong paddles, which are very important equipments of the game. In fact, its beginnings and developments dated more than 100 years ago.

The way that you hold your table tennis/ping pong paddle can dramatically alter your performance based on what type of game you are seeking to play (whether professional or recreational), what strokes you will be predominantly using, and the like. There are three basic ways to hold or grip your table tennis or ping pong paddle: the shakehands, penhold, and seemiller grips. The shakehands grip is the most commonly used, both in family rec rooms and professional matches, as it allows for strong mobility in both forehand and backhand strokes. The penhold grip is a more antiquated grip for table tennis players, used more often by professional players seeking to surprise their opponent with a different grip. This grip affords the table tennis player a much stronger forehand predominant stroke, and disables the ease of a backhand because of grip position. Lastly, the seemiller grip was developed by 5 time US Table Tennis champion, Dan Seemiller. This grip is hardly ever used as it is considered disruptive to form, as it employs only one side of the paddle for both forehand and backhand strokes. It is a slight variation from the shakehands grip, allowing for strong control of both forehand and backhand strokes.