"What's the right way to hold the racquet?"

This is one of the most-asked questions beginners have when starting to learn tennis.  It's one of those questions that is deceptively simple.

The best way for a beginner to hold the racquet is to follow the old standby: "Shake hands with the racquet."  That means exactly what it sounds like--with the racquet's handle pointed toward you like a hand, and the head of the racquet oriented vertically (the face of the racquet perpendicular to the ground), reach out and "shake hands" with the handle.  This is a good way to start out.

There are several other traditional grips.  Depending on your style of play, you might want to experiment with the different grips and see what works best.  The four best-known grips are:

• the eastern
• the continental
• the western
• the semi-western

Most professional players today use a semi-western grip or, to a lesser extent, the western grip.  That's because those grips allow players with strong strokes to hit the ball hard, while still generating a large amount of topspin.  The modern tennis game is designed around that style of play. There have been notable exceptions (all-time great Pete Sampras used an eastern grip, for instance), however, and you may find that a different grip may suit you better.

To learn more about these grips, search the web.  There are many, many websites that detail these grips in photos and videos, as well as text.  No matter which grip you choose to use, it's important just to use one.  The player who doesn't have a comfortable grip on the racquet will never be able to hit the ball properly!