Shakehand Grip in Table Tennis: Technique and Advantages

The shakehand grip mirrors a handshake, balancing forehand and backhand strokes. Hand position, finger placement, and equipment compatibility for shakehand players.

The shakehand grip is the dominant table tennis racket grip in modern professional play, used by 80%+ of WTT singles players including Fan Zhendong, Tomokazu Harimoto, Hugo Calderano, and Truls Moregard. The grip holds the racket as if shaking hands: the V between thumb and index finger sits at the top of the handle, the fingers wrap around the handle, and the index finger extends along the back of the rubber. The shakehand grip balances forehand and backhand stroke power, supporting the two-winged attacking style that defines modern table tennis. The full grip overview covering shakehand and penhold variants is in the grips guide.

What Defines the Shakehand Grip?

Three position attributes define the shakehand grip:

V-position at the top of the handle. The triangular space between the thumb and index finger sits at the top of the handle, where the handle meets the blade head. The V positioning anchors the racket and prevents rotation during strokes.

Index finger along the back of the rubber. The index finger extends along the lower edge of the back rubber, providing stability during backhand strokes. Some players curl the index finger; most extend it for balance.

Thumb on the front rubber. The thumb rests on the lower edge of the front rubber, opposite the index finger. The thumb counterbalances the index finger and stabilizes the racket against backhand impact.

The remaining 3 fingers wrap around the handle, providing grip pressure but not active control during strokes.

Why the Shakehand Grip Dominates Modern Play

The shakehand grip dominates modern professional table tennis for 3 reasons:

Symmetric forehand and backhand power. The grip places the racket equidistant from the forehand and backhand stroke planes. Both wings can attack at full power without grip change. The two-winged attacking style requires this symmetry.

Backhand topspin generation. The shakehand grip allows the wrist to rotate freely on the backhand side, producing the wrist snap needed for backhand topspin. Penhold grip players need the modern RPB technique to match backhand topspin output.

Compatibility with custom blade designs. Most premium blades are designed for shakehand handles. The Butterfly Timo Boll ALC, Viscaria, Innerforce Layer ALC, and Stiga Clipper all ship in flared, straight, and anatomic shakehand configurations.

Shakehand Grip Versus Penhold Grip

The shakehand grip and the penhold grip define the two grip families in table tennis. Shakehand suits players with balanced two-winged attacking. Penhold suits players with a dominant forehand and either traditional Chinese-style hitting or modern RPB backhand technique.

Modern WTT data shows roughly 80% shakehand to 20% penhold among top-100 ranked singles players. The shakehand share has grown over the past 20 years as the two-winged attacking style replaced penhold-dominant play in Chinese national selection.

Shakehand Handle Shapes

Shakehand-grip players choose from 4 handle shapes:

  • Flared (FL). The handle widens toward the bottom. The most common shape. Anchors the grip and provides finger comfort during long sessions.
  • Straight (ST). Uniform width along the handle length. Suits players who rotate the racket between strokes (some advanced shakehand players use slight rotation between forehand and backhand contact).
  • Anatomic (AN). Contoured to fit the hand shape with curves at the thumb and finger positions. Less common but preferred by some players for ergonomic grip.
  • Conical (CO). A slight taper from blade head to handle bottom. Sits between flared and straight in feel.

The best table tennis paddles guide notes handle shape options for ranked paddles.

Equipment Compatibility for Shakehand Players

Shakehand-grip players use standard 157 x 150 mm blade head dimensions and any of the 4 handle shapes. The full custom blade catalog is built around shakehand specifications. Forehand and backhand sides can carry different rubbers asymmetrically, supporting the modern stroke-load asymmetry where forehands take harder rubbers for power and backhands take softer rubbers for control. The best paddles for beginners ranks complete shakehand setups for new players.

What is the shakehand grip in table tennis?

The shakehand grip holds the racket as if shaking hands: the V between thumb and index finger sits at the top of the handle, the fingers wrap around the handle, and the index finger extends along the back of the rubber. The grip mirrors a handshake position and balances forehand and backhand stroke power.

Is the shakehand grip better than the penhold grip?

Neither grip is objectively better. The shakehand grip dominates the modern professional tour: 80%+ of WTT singles players use shakehand. The grip suits two-winged attacking play with balanced forehand and backhand. Penhold suits players with dominant forehand attacks and the wrist flexibility for backhand RPB technique.

What rackets work with the shakehand grip?

Shakehand-grip players use blades with flared (FL), straight (ST), anatomic (AN), or conical (CO) handle shapes. Standard shakehand blade head dimensions are 157 x 150 mm. Flared handles are the most common, followed by straight handles for players who rotate the racket between strokes.

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Topspin11 Editorial Team
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