Getting a Handle on Tennis Grips

Simple guides to different ways to hold a racket have evolved, and there are many ways to modify a racket handle so that it is comfortable and efficient for your style of play and individual needs.

Rackets built in the early 1920s had handles that seem as large as the business end of baseball bats. Their bare wood texture was often grooved to improve a player’s sweaty hold on the racket, while stroking at a ball. By the 1950s, handles averaged 4-¼ to 4-3/4 inches in circumference, and were covered in leather or leather substitutes. 

Popular grips used by players today are the Eastern, Western and Semi-Western forehands, and grip sizes have remained the same. If you Google “Tennis Grips,” you will discover diagrams showing numbered bevels on a tennis racket (every racket handle has eight bevels). You are then shown where to place the knuckle of your index finger to achieve one of these desired grips. An alternative method is to simply think of placing your palm under or behind the handle. An old school teacher may ask you to place your palm on the strings, then slide your hand down the racket and shake hands with the handle.

A closer look at grip diagrams will show different shapes to racket handles, as some are more box-like than others, while some are more rectangular. This shape is as important as the size when you hold the racket and hit the ball. Years ago, I hit a better backhand with a Dunlop Maxply Fort (boxy handle), and a better forehand with a Wilson Stan Smith model (rectangular handle). If you change racket brands, you will have to modify how you hold your racket.

We have been looking at out-of-the-box handle options. Let’s shift to describing ways to modify your tennis grips.

Overgrips can make them sticky, slippery, softer, larger or smaller, and change the texture. One company even has a replacement grip that has the look and pebbly feel of the surface of a basketball.

Players with dry hands may prefer an overgrip that is tacky. For those who sweat heavily, there are grips that become tacky only when wet. As we age, we begin to sweat less, so you may have to change your grip preferences. Overgrips are an easy and inexpensive way to modify grips.

Does your racket handle seem small?
This is often the easiest grip modification to make. Many players find that wrapping two overgrips around the handle works for them. But if you like to feel the bevels on your handle, avoid using this technique. Instead, install a replacement grip described as cushioned. These grips are usually the thickest, and will produce a larger feel to your racket handle. There are also sleeves on the market that you slide over the handle and heat with a hair dryer. My preference is to wrap layers of masking tape around the handle to achieve the desired thickness, and then install a standard replacement grip.

Trying to reduce the size of a grip can be a challenge
Again, the first step is to pick a replacement grip described as thin. Then, pull it taut when spiraling it around the handle to give a smaller feel. Unless you made a really poor choice of grip size when you purchased the racket, this usually works. And adjust to playing without overgrips. Racket handles that are too large are a major cause of arm problems and poor stroke mechanics, so it is important to make this modification. A handle that is too large will lead to a player hitting the ball with a pre-loaded muscle. This means that every ball is hit with the muscle already tensed. The stroke is then affected because with the large grip, the wrist, elbow and shoulder feel locked, and the fluidity of the stroke is restricted.

We often purchase rackets in pairs hoping for a perfect match
This doesn’t always happen. I have learned to fiddle with different widths of masking tape and am good at matching racket handles so they feel pretty nearly equal. But if I am just a little sloppy when putting on an overgrip, the rackets can again feel mismatched.

One story I have heard told over the years is about how Aussie great Lew Hoad modified his Dunlop rackets. He removed the butt cap, then tapered the bottom of the handle so it felt smaller than it did in the middle. Keep this story in mind if people think you are overly fussy about your equipment.

Racquet modifications
I am most proud of a racket repair I made in the 1970s. I had just sold an expensive TAD racket to a woman who tearfully returned to the store in less than 20 minutes. She showed me how she had damaged the handle in her car door while she was juggling packages in the parking lot. I was shooting a photo essay that summer with surfboard builders in the Rockaways, so I was familiar with the materials they used while shaping and repairing their boards. I borrowed some of their epoxy and tape to repair the hole and sanded it to a smooth finish when the glue had dried. She never returned, so I am hoping the repair held long enough for the racket to show up on eBay.

When all else fails, find a pro who specializes in modifying rackets for the top professional players. With this professional’s tools and knowledge, they will find a way to help you get a better grip on your game.