Serena’s grip is off the charts! – Seb Proisy

In the latest episode of The French Insider, equipment expert Seb Proisy analysed the rackets used by the stars of the tour – and revealed that Serena Williams’ choice of grip is an unusual one.

“We know that a smaller grip will make it easier to play with a lot of spin,” Proisy told host Jenny Drummond. “If you argue that a lot of male players play with more spin, you might have a slightly bigger tendency for men to play with a smaller grip compared to their hand size. If you look at Serena’s grip, for example, she’s got a huge grip that’s completely off the charts. I think it’s a grip six or seven – and she doesn’t even have that big a hand!”

‘Exactly the same’

Proisy revealed that many racket designs aimed at men and women are different only in aesthetics, not the technology.

“Not that long ago Wilson came out for the first time with their ‘blade racket’ – golden for the guys, and pink for the girls,” he said. “Exactly the same racket.”