page title icon What Is a Penhold Ping Pong Grip?

There are two main ways in which a player can hold the ping pong paddle and these include shake hand grip and penhold grip. Both these ping pong grips are useful for the players and they can use any of them to play their game.

Both of them have pros and cons and players have to consider them before starting the practice. Both of these have many variations too.

None of the grips is perfect as all of them have pros and cons.

Here we will discuss penhold grip.

The Penhold Grip

Players who use ping pong penhold grip, they hold the paddle in the same way as they hold a ballpoint pen. In this type of grip, the blade of the racked faces upward and the position of the ping pong paddle holds is down.

In the Asian table tennis games, many players use this grip. The grip has also become popular in western countries too.

In order to hold a racket with penhold table tennis grip, the blade’s edge has to be placed between the V of the hand. V is the area between the thumb and the fingers. The thumb and the index finger have to be curled around each other and both of them should rest on the blade.

Penhold Grip Is of Three Types

1) The Chinese Penhold

In this type of table tennis penhold grip, the position of the blade is set downward. The thumb and index fingers are wrapped around the blade. The rest of the three fingers are positioned on the opposite sides.

Pros of Chinese Penhold Grip

  • The same paddle side is used in this grip to play forehand and backhand shots. The shots depend on the rotation of the wrist instead of flipping from one side to another.
  • The crossover point is a string in this grip is eliminated.
  • The wrist is most flexible and players can spin their shots.
  • Offensive and defensive shots can be played easily through this grip.

Cons of Chinese Penhold Grip

  • A backhand topspin shot is difficult to play.
  • Playing with this grip is very tiring as the elbow is raised which makes it difficult to rotate the wrist. This also leads to a decrease in stamina.

2) Japanese or Korean Penhold

In this type of ping pong penhold, the position of the thumb and the index finger is the same as the basic penhold while the rest of the three fingers are positioned at the back of the paddle.

The second finger in the remaining three fingers is placed on the blade. The reaming two fingers are positioned adjacent to the second one.

Pros of Japanese or Korean Penhold Grip

  • This grip lets the player play attacking shots with full force because of the strength provided to fingers.
  • Players can stay at a distance from the table and play the shots.

Cons of Japanese or Korean Penhold Grip

  • Returning the shot is difficult
  • Mastering this grip is very difficult.

3) Reverse Backhand Penhold Grip

This grip is the same as the Chinese penhold but in this case, back paddle surface is used instead of the front paddle surface. The fingers are positioned at the back paddle.

Pros of Backhand Penhold Grip

  • Players who like to play the game with little distance from the table can use this type of grip.
  • The backhand shot can be played easily.
  • Arm movement gets a lot of range.

Cons of Backhand Penhold Grip

  • It is difficult to get the ball over the net, as the player has to play by keeping the lowest distance from the table.
  • It is difficult to master the grip.

Is Penhold Better Than Shakehand?

Both of them have pros and cons and players have to choose which of them they should practice. There are two types of shakehand grips, which are easy to master.

The penhold grip is of three types and mastering all of them is very difficult. Arm movement in penhold grip is also difficult and it can be used by strong players who have a good amount of stamina.

How Do the Chinese Hold a Ping Pong Paddle?

Chinese hold the ping pong paddle in the same way as people hold a ball-point pen. The handle of the racket is held with the thumb and the index finger.

The rest of the fingers are wrapped around the back of the racket. There are many variations of Chinese penhold.

  • The thumb and the blade can be nearly parallel to each other
  • The index finger should be curved.
  • One, two, or three of the remaining fingers can touch the blade.

What Is a Penhold Ping Pong Paddle?

A penhold ping pong paddle is the one that can be held in such a way as people hold a pen. Players have to master one of the grips, which they can use to play the game.

Gripping a paddle has to be mastered so that the game can be played comfortably without getting fatigued. It is very difficult to master the grip but the one who masters it can play the game with great speed.

How to Choose the Best Penhold Paddle?

There are many options available for choosing the best penhold paddle. Here are some of the things that customers need to consider.

  • Performance: The penhold rackets are available with performance ratings whose scale is between one to a hundred. The performance test is based on speed, spin, and power. If the rating is higher, the paddle is considered as a good performer.
  • Weight: Players need to check the weight before purchasing it. They can consider heavy or lightweight paddles. Beginners are advised to purchase the lightweight paddle so that they can practice well. Later on, they can choose the heavyweight paddle as per their comfort.
  • Materials: Materials used to make the paddle should also be considered. Rubber or wood used in the paddle should be strong and durable.
  • Blade: The most important part of a racket is the blade, which is made up of wood and blended with synthetic fibers. This helps in checking the performance of the racket.

What Is Penhold Reverse Backhand?

There was a time when the players used only forehand shots for playing the game. Now a new style called penhold reverse backhand has been developed.

In this type of stroke, the backside of the racket is moved towards the opponent and the shot is played.

The wrist position will not be normal in this case. Players can use Chinese or Japanese penhold but they are also advised not to overuse the wrist.

Wrapping Up…

In this article, we have seen the different types of penhold ping pong grips. Players have to practice these grips and master them to play the game easily.

All of the grips have pros and cons so players have to select the best one, which they can use comfortably during the game.

Some of them are easy to master while others are difficult. Some of them can reduce stamina and some can be used to play attacking and defending shots easily. So players have to choose the most effective one to practice and win the game.

Gavin is the Chief Editor at 99sportz. In his free time, he enjoys playing Table Tennis & Pool. Here he pleasures in unearthing Table Tennis & Pool products and sharing unbiased reviews with readers by writing product reviews & carefully crafting buying guides with his acuity in two of the sports. Know more about Gavin Wade on 99Sportz About page.