Why is a good tennis racket grip important?

If you’re looking for the ultimate guide to tennis racket grips, you’re in the right place! Gripping a tennis racket can be difficult at first, but our helpful guide is here to set you up for success. We’ll start with the basics, like why a good tennis racket grip essential.

There are many benefits of a good tennis racket grip. First, a high-quality tennis racket grip, like Velociti Acceleration overgrips and replacement grips, will help keep your hands from slipping on your racket. Proper hand placement is key to successful shot execution.

Many tennis players might not know that a good tennis racket grip can also help reduce or prevent injury. Tennis elbow is one of the most common injuries effecting tennis players. A fresh, tacky grip helps your racket stay in place in your hands – preventing over-gripping (gripping the racket too tightly), which is a leading cause of tennis elbow. Similarly, hand pain can arise from over-gripping due to grip slip. A light grip on your racquet can also improve your game by helping you generate more power and spin on your shots.

With all the germs floating around these days, it’s important to note that a fresh tennis racket grip can also help reduce the spread of germs. Not only do worn-out grips look gross, they can also harbor germs and bacteria. Re-grip your racquet frequently for potential health and aesthetic benefits.

Last but not least, a good tennis racket grip is an important part of keeping your tennis racket fully tuned-up. Just like you wouldn’t go 50,000 miles without replacing your car’s oil, you shouldn’t go more than a few months without replacing your grip. Generally speaking, you should replace your grip more often than your string your racquet. The specific frequency will depend, in part, on how often you play, what surface you’re playing on, and if you’re playing indoors or. Frequent play, clay tennis courts, and any outdoor tennis court surface will make your grip get dirtier faster, necessitating regripping more often.

How to grip a tennis racket?

If you haven’t already visited our FAQ page, we recommend starting there for step-by-step instructions on how to grip a tennis racket. Once you’ve read through this description, here are our top tips from the grip pros at Velociti Tennis:

1. Pull it tight. Maintain a reasonably high level of tension on the grip to ensure a wrinkle-free wrap. This also prevents your grip from unravelling during use.
   
   
2. Think about spacing. For a thicker grip, add more overlap to each layer. For a thinner grip, minimize the amount of overlap to just 15-20%.
   
   
3. Left or right-handed? Most grip wraps are typically done in the direction for right-handed players. If you’re a leftie, wrap the grip in the opposite direction around the racket handle (to the left). If your grip features a logo, the logo may look upside down when gripping it the opposite direction, but this should not affect the performance of the grip.
   
   Interestingly, some right-handed players prefer a left-handed grip wrap as it allows the right hand fingers to lay better in the channels of the grip. Try wrapping your grip both ways to see what feels best to you.
   
   
4. Finish the job right. Keep electrical tape and a small pair of scissors in your racket bag. Use the scissors to trim any excess grip material and taper the end of the grip if it does not come pre-tapered (most don’t). Electrical tape can be wrapped around the top of the grip for a long-lasting hold on your racket.

Are there different grips for tennis rackets?

There are two types of different grips for tennis rackets: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are meant to replace the base grip that comes with your new tennis racket. They add more cushion and can better absorb shock, making it more comfortable on your hand/arm. Overgrips are the thinner, and often tackier, grips that can be placed on top of your replacement grip. If you’re not sure if you’re looking at the replacement grip or overgrip on your racket, start unravelling it. If you see another grip below it, you’ve got an overgrip on your racket. If there’s nothing below it other than the hard racket handle, that’s your replacement grip.

Tennis racket replacement grips and overgrips have different features and benefits. Replacement grips are ideal for players who have a racket handle size that perfectly fits their hand size. Overgrips, on the other hand, can be used to increase the racket handle width by up to half a grip size.

Replacement grips are thicker than overgrips, so they offer more cushion and durability. They also come in a consistent thickness. If hand sweat is making your racket slip in your hands, we recommend using a replacement grip with perforations for sweat absorption, like our Velociti Replacement Grip. It has a cushioned feel for ultimate comfort, plus textured holes that absorb sweat. While replacement grips are more durable than overgrips, they do still need to be replaced regularly as they lose their cushion over time.

In comparison to replacement grips, overgrips are thinner and often much tackier. This is a great feature for players wanting a firm grip on their racket handle. Velociti Acceleration overgrips receive high ratings from tennis players for their ultra-tacky yet soft feel combined with great durability and sweat absorption. If your racket handle feels just slightly too small in your hands, try layering a few overgrips on top of your replacement grip. While overgrips are less durable than replacement grips, they are also less expensive and therefore much more cost effective to replace often. Most professional tennis players replace their overgrip before every match to get the best grip possible. One interesting fact is that white grips and overgrips tend to be the tackiest because they have the least amount of dye, whereas darker grips have more dye that can reduce tackiness.

If you’ve tried tacky grips like Velociti Acceleration and you’re still experiencing grip-slip, our Velociti Grip-Enhancing Towel is the ultimate solution. Just a light squeeze of the tacky towel on your hands or racket handle provides a long-lasting grip on your racket. The tacky formula naturally dissipates over time to provide you with a mess-free solution to slippery hands.

Why do I need to replace my tennis racket grip?

Less experienced tennis players often make the mistake of using their tennis racket grip for too long. The grip begins to wear thin, eventually exposing the soft, felty base layers that provide poor grip on your racket. When this happens, you’ll notice your hands will start to slip and you won’t be able to get a solid, properly-placed grip on your racket handle.

Tennis racket grips are designed to be replaced more often than you think. Even high-quality grips like Velociti replacement grips and Acceleration overgrips are manufactured with thin layers of material to provide a close feel of your racket. These thin layers wear out over time due to their composition and frequent use as well as the conditions on the tennis court. Tennis courts are inherently dirty. Even brand-new tennis balls pickup court dirt and transfer it to your hands, which then rub it onto your tennis racket grip. Dirt wears down your grip, damaging the coating and making it less tacky. Sunscreen and hand lotion can also make your grip lose its tackiness, eventually necessitating a new grip. As previously mentioned, old tennis racket grips can also harbor germs and bacteria, so keeping your grip fresh is also a hygiene issue.

Where can I buy tennis racket grips?

Velociti Tennis makes some of the highest quality tennis racket grips available on the market. Our products are comparable to – and often better than – other top-selling grips by brands like Gamma and ASICS. The advantage of choosing Velociti is that our grips have the added benefit of environmental sustainability. Our products feature less packaging and environmentally-friendly materials.

You can purchase Velociti tennis grips online at VelocitiTennis.com or in Game-Set-Match, Inc. stores throughout Colorado. To request Velociti products in your local tennis store, please contact us at: sales@velocititennis.com.