Over the years, I have heard this question again and again:
“Mr. Su, with so many young players choosing shakehand today, does Chinese Penhold still have a future?”
My answer has never changed.
Absolutely.
Not only does it have a future, but I believe it still offers advantages that no other grip can completely replace.
Chinese Penhold Has a Very Natural Feel
One reason I have always loved the Chinese Penhold grip is that the blade naturally follows the orientation of the hand.
When a player picks up a traditional penhold racket, the forehand often feels instinctive.
The racket responds quickly.
The hand feels connected to the blade.
This is one of the reasons why penhold players have traditionally been known for their explosive forehand attacks, quick reactions, and excellent touch over the table.
That natural feeling is still a tremendous advantage today.
But Modern Table Tennis Has Changed
The game today is very different from the game I grew up playing.
Modern penhold players are expected to do much more than attack with the forehand.
They also need to:
- Loop confidently with RPB.
- Switch rapidly between forehand and backhand.
- Counterattack during fast rallies.
- Maintain the same grip under pressure.
This is where many players begin to struggle.
Sanwei Su Style Tiger Claw
- ITTF Approved: Fully compliant with ITTF regulations, the Sanwei Su Style Racket is certified for use in any level of table tennis competition, ensuring you stay competitive and compliant with official standards.
- Ultimate Pen-Holding Solution: Specifically engineered for pen-hold players, the Su Style Racket offers unmatched comfort and control, addressing the unique needs of pen-hold enthusiasts.
- Ergonomic Swing Design: Utilizing ergonomic principles, the traditional CS handle is transformed to align the racket face parallel to the palm. This design reduces strain and enhances the natural swing motion, providing better control and precision.
- More structures are available for selection.
- The handle design has been updated to make it more comfortable
- Free Shipping Worldwide!
The Biggest Challenge Is the Grip Transition
With a traditional Chinese Penhold blade, many players need to make a subtle rotational adjustment of the racket in their hand when preparing for RPB.
Professional players perform this movement almost without thinking.
Club players often do not.
Every extra adjustment takes time.
More importantly, every adjustment creates another opportunity for inconsistency.
When your grip changes, your racket angle changes.
When the racket angle changes, your shot quality changes.
Why I Developed the Su Style Tiger Claw
For more than 30 years, I have been asking myself a simple question:
Can we keep everything players love about Chinese Penhold while making RPB feel more natural?
That idea eventually became the Su Style Tiger Claw.
The design was created specifically with modern RPB play in mind.
Instead of requiring players to rotate the racket into position before every backhand, the handle naturally encourages a grip that is already close to an RPB-ready position.
Many players tell me that the first time they pick it up, they already feel ready to play a reverse backhand.
That was exactly the experience I wanted to create.
Keeping the Strengths, Solving the Weaknesses
My goal was never to replace traditional Chinese Penhold.
It was to improve it.
I wanted to preserve everything that makes penhold special:
- Fast forehand attacks.
- Excellent touch.
- Natural handling.
- Close-table control.
While also making modern RPB easier to learn, more comfortable, and more repeatable.
Innovation should build upon tradition—not erase it.
My Thoughts After Three Decades
After spending more than 30 years designing penhold equipment, I have become even more confident about one thing:
Chinese Penhold is far from outdated.
Its future does not depend on copying shakehand.
Its future lies in continuing to evolve.
The Su Style Tiger Claw is my answer to that evolution—a blade designed to respect the tradition of Chinese Penhold while meeting the demands of the modern game.
Because the best equipment is not the one that changes your style.
It is the one that allows your style to reach its full potential.
—
Su Zhimin
Founder of SANWEI Sports
