A player's grip is not always the most important factor with regards to technique - but it is probably best to see what grip is being used before moving on to look at the rest of the stroke. This is because a player's grip will always have an effect on the shape of the swing and its contact point.
Let's take a look at the most common grips used in tennis.
The diagram below shows the butt of the racket. Each grip is determined by where the base knuckle of the index finger rests on the racket handle. The initials on the butt of the 
racket represent the name of each grip:
EB = eastern backhand
CT = continental
EF = eastern forehand
SW = semi-western forehand
W = western forehand
