Grip (tennis)

In tennis, a grip is a way of holding the racquet in order to hit shots during a match. The three most commonly used conventional grips are: the Continental (or "Chopper"), the Eastern and the Western. Most players change grips during a match depending on what shot they are hitting.

The octagonal handle

In order to understand the grips, it is important to know that the handle of a racquet always consists of 8 sides or, in other words, has an octagonal shape. A square shape would hurt the hand, while a round shape would not give enough friction to gain a firm grip. The eight sides of the handle are called bevels. We can number the bevels from 1 to 8 as follows: if the blade of the racquet is perpendicular to the ground, the bevel facing up is bevel #1. Rotating the racquet counter-clockwise (for a right handed player, clockwise for a left handed player), the next bevel facing up is bevel #2, if you are right-handed, and clockwise if you are left-handed, and so on to identify all 8 bevels.

Grip (job)

In the U.S. and Canada, grips are lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries. They constitute their own department on a film set and are directed by a key grip. Grips have two main functions. The first is to work closely with the camera department to provide camera support, especially if the camera is mounted to a dolly, crane, or in an unusual position, such as the top of a ladder. Some grips may specialize in operating camera dollies or camera cranes. The second main function of grips is to work closely with the electrical department to create lighting set-ups necessary for a shot under the direction of the director of photography.

In the UK, Australia and most parts of Europe, grips are not involved in lighting. In the "British System", adopted throughout Europe and the British Commonwealth (excluding Canada), a grip is solely responsible for camera mounting and support.

The term "grip" is from the early era of the circus. From there it was used in vaudeville and then in today's film sound stages and sets. Some have suggested the name comes from the 1930s–40s slang term for a tool bag or "grip" that these technicians use to carry their tools. Another theory is that in the days of hand-cranked cameras, it was necessary for a few burly men to hang on to the tripod legs to stop excessive movement of the camera. These men became known as the "good grips"—as they were constantly being instructed to "keep a good grip on the tripod".

Grip (gymnastics)

Grips are devices that are worn on the hands of artistic gymnasts when performing on various gymnastics apparatus. They are worn by female gymnasts on the uneven bars, and by male gymnasts on the high bar, and still rings; is rarely seen that a male gymnast uses grips for parallel bars. They are used to enhance the gymnast's grip on the apparatus, and also to reduce (but not eliminate) the friction that can cause painful blisters and rips, in which outer layers of skin separate and tear away from the hand.

Grips are optional and are not used by all gymnasts. Some athletes substitute sports tape or gauze for grips, while others use bare hands. Gymnasts typically apply powdered chalk (typically magnesium carbonate) to their grips, or to their hands if not using grips.

Construction

A grip consists of a wide strip of leather joined to a wrist strap. The leather strip, which covers and protects the palm of the hand, is approximately five centimeters wide and has finger holes at one end. On properly fitted grips, the finger holes will be positioned at the first knuckles of the inserted fingers.

Grip (cricket bowling)

One of the key factors in cricket bowling is the grip. Variation in grip has a major influence on the outcome of a delivery. Below is the grip for an inswing delivery. To produce the grip for an outswinging delivery, you simply have place your fingers on the other side of the seam. For a right hander you would slightly angle the seam so that it faced towards first slip.

For a pace bowler there are many variations of grip that can be adopted to produce different results. A cross-seam delivery for example is one that is used commonly in all formats of the game. when bowled a cross-seam delivery can either land on the smooth leather side of the ball and skid on possibly keeping low or zipping off the pitch. It could also land in the seam making the ball bounce up sharply and unexpectedly surprising the batsman. Overall this is a very useful grip to use, once mastered it has a place in any fast bowlers arsenal.

See Delivery (cricket) for a description of different types of delivery and their associated grip.

Tennis

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point, while the opposite player will.

Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users. The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis". It had close connections both to various field ("lawn") games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport of real tennis. During most of the 19th-century in fact, the term "tennis" referred to real tennis, not lawn tennis: for example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will "go down to Hampton Court and play tennis."

Tennis (band)

Tennis is an American indie pop band from Denver, Colorado, United States, made up of husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley.

History

The couple met each other while studying philosophy in college, and started the band after they got back from an eight-month sailing expedition down the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard. Their songs document their experiences on the water. They took their name from a joke about Riley playing tennis in college. Prior to forming Tennis, Moore's earliest singing experience was in church choirs during her youth.

Their first releases, both in July 2010, were the "Baltimore" EP on the Underwater Peoples label and the "South Carolina" single on Fire Talk. Tennis released their first studio album, Cape Dory on Fat Possum Records in January 2011. The album, featured on NPR, was based on the couple's experiences during their sailing trip.

During their first tour, James Barone joined the band on drums.

The second Tennis album, Young & Old, was released on Fat Possum Records on February 14, 2012, produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, preceded by the single "Origins", which was issued on Forest Family Records on December 6, 2011.

Tennis (album)

Tennis is the third studio album by Chris Rea, released in 1980.

Track listing

All songs by Chris Rea

Personnel