How to Overgrip a Tennis Racket and Everything Else About Grips
There are several aspects which combine to complete a tennis racket, one of which is the grip. You may choose to go with the grip that comes on the tennis racket at the time of purchase or you may wish to add your own. Even if you decide to use the grip that is already on the racket, this will wear away overtime. You should never allow your grip to wear away completely before deciding to act. As soon as it begins to show signs of wear you must decide whether you are going to purchase a replacement grip or an overgrip.
However, while a replacement grip tends to only be used when the previous grip has started to wear away, an over grip can be added to a tennis racket at any time. This is because overgrips are often applied to increase the grip size or to provide a specific type of grip desired by the player. You will find that a huge selection of both amateur and professional tennis players use overgrips on their tennis racket.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the benefits of using a tennis racket overgrip and how to put on a tennis racket grip tape.
BENEFITS OF A TENNIS RACKET OVERGRIPS
The two major benefits of using a tennis racket overgrip, also called grip tape or overwrap, are increased sweat absorption and adhesion (or tack). The original grips that come on a tennis racket at the time of purchase are not good at absorbing moisture. If you feel your hands sweat a lot during a game of tennis this can become a problem if your grip does not have the necessary absorption qualities. This can be solved by adding an overgrip as they have been designed to absorb moisture.
Our favorite dry overgrips are the Dunlop U-Sweat and ADV Tennis FeltTac (we actually think our grips stay dry really well 🙂) as they have both been designed using ultra absorbent material. These grips will certainly keep your grip dry throughout the match, regardless of the duration. If you sweat a lot when playing tennis or play regularly in humid conditions, give either a shot.
If you have ever felt the need to improve the strength or adhesion of the grip on your tennis racket, a tacky grip, such as the Solinco Wonder Overgrip or ADV Tennis MaxTac(again, we think ours is a great option 🙂) is perfect. Tacky overgrips such as the two highlighted here will provide all the extra grip you need and they are extremely comfortable to use.
Honestly, no one yet has cracked the nut of finding an overgrip with both extreme tackiness and sweat absorption. We're working on it!
Here are 3 quick overgrip tips & tricks:
If your grip size is too small, one trick is to add an overgrip (or two) to increase the grip size without having to get a new racket.
Often times (not all the time), a casual player will benefit from an overgrip that provides tackiness whereas a competitive player will more like prefer sweat moisture absorption.
An overgrip is a great way to customize your racket to meet your own style. They often come in a wide variety of colors.
HOW TO PUT ON A TENNIS RACKET GRIP TAPE
It is vitally important you overgrip a tennis racket in the proper manner. Failure to do so will mean you lose the benefits of having the overgrip on your tennis racket. You can follow these steps below to put on a tennis racket overgrip perfectly.
1) If you already have an overgrip on the tennis racket this is the time to completely remove it from the handle. Having done so, it is important to check the quality of the grip underneath to ensure it is still in good condition. If you are unsure use a tape measure and compare the measurements against the stated size.
2) It is best to do this sitting down. So, make sure you are sitting comfortably as this will give you the stability required to complete a good job.
3) Having taken the overgrip out of the packaging, you will notice there is a thin plastic covering one side. Remove this covering to reveal a sticky surface.
4) You will notice one end of the overgrip is narrower than the rest of the grip. This end of the grip may come with a sticker and this needs to be removed. Picking up your tennis racket with the handle facing upwards, you will notice at the bottom of the handle there is a bevel. With the longest side of the bevel facing you, stick the narrowest part of the overgrip to the bevel of the tennis racket. You should do this at an angle of roughly 30 degrees away from the bottom of the handle.
5) Keeping the tennis racket in the same position, wrap the overgrip once fully around the handle.
6) Continue doing this, working your way along the handle towards the head of the tennis racket. Each overlap of the overgrip should be 1.25 millimetres. It is important to try and maintain a consistent overlap because if it becomes too thick you will run out of length before reaching the end of the handle.
7) You must try to maintain the same tension in the overgrip throughout the process. You can achieve this by rotating the tennis racket in one hand and guiding the grip in the other hand.
8) Having completed the process, you may have some overgrip left and this can be cut away using a scissors. Do this while ensuring the end of the overgrip matches up perfectly with the end of the handle.
9) There will be a piece of tape included with the overgrip and you can now use this to secure the end of the overgrip with the handle of the racket. If you have a rubber ring on you racket, you can use this to cover up the tape.
🎾 Written by Daniel Jones, staff writer
