New York Times talks evolution of racquet grips

Get a grip, they said. So the New York Times did precisely that.

Not to be overlooked in the content mix timed to the US Open was a multimedia story published by the Grady Lady, titled "The Evolution of Tennis in Four Grips."

As written by Joe Ward and Geoff Macdonald, racquet-handle grips ranging from continental to Western have evolved since the early days of the Open era, which began in 1968, to keep with the times of technology, training, and more. Aspects of forehand delivery ranging from the bevels on handles to racquet-head speed to spin are discussed.

In the article, the historical and current likes of Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Pete Sampras, Jack Sock, Karen Khachanov, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and others make fist-of-fury appearances. (Perhaps notably, not addressed are the unique, if not quirky, two-handed forehand grips that Hall of Famers and professionals including Monica Seles, Marion Bartoli, Jan-Michael Gambill, Fabrice Santoro, and a few others have deployed.)

Give the piece a read, as the lessons imparted from its authors and the featured players can be readily applied to an amateur's club-level competition or the classic "weekend hacking" that plays out between pals.

As Ward and Macdonald write, in closing: "It’s unclear whether this is the end of the line for tennis’s grip migration, but so far, you could say the forehand grip has come half circle."