March 12, 2024

Five Star Sport

Sports Tips & Best Gear Reviews

How To Regrip A Tennis Racket? 6 Simple Steps

8 min read
how to regrip tennis racket

A freshly gripped tennis racket is a very satisfying experience. As you feel the racket is snug and secure in your hands, the tack and softness of a new grip can boost your confidence while you play.

Sadly, as you play, the grip will become less soft and wear out faster. A racket that once felt cozy and supple in your hands can easily turn slick and worn out. You should be able to recognize when the grip requires repair or customization, whether you use the stock grip or apply overgrip tape.

Tennis racket grips can be regripped in one of two ways: by replacing the entire grip or by adding a racket overgrip on top of it. Please read this article thoroughly if you want to learn how to regrip a tennis racket.

Types Of Tennis Grips

Tennis grips can be divided into two categories in general. These are overgrips and replacement grips. A replacement grip is the standard grip that all new rackets have. These can be made of a variety of materials and provide the “feel” of the racket in your hand.

Contrarily, overgrips are frequently employed to lessen the replacement grip’s gradual wear and tear. These can be added to your racket to add a different level of customization. They are available in various colors, textures, and material types.

As a result, you can benefit from both worlds, as the overgrip complements the qualities and fundamental feel of a replacement grip. Try out various grip sizes and overgrip thicknesses to find the one that fits you the best because using an overgrip adds a little bit more thickness to your racket handle.

Replacement Grips

The majority of players will use an overgrip on top of replacement grips nowadays, so the major manufacturers make them with a fairly neutral feel, thickness, and construction.

how to regrip tennis racket

In spite of this, when choosing replacement grips, it’s important to consider slight variations in tackiness, thickness, and texture. Keep in mind that your racket’s replacement grip serves as your main line of defense against the hard racket handle.

There will therefore be more padding between your hand and the handle of the racket if you have a softer, thicker grip. These more cushioning grips are typically constructed of “synthetic” materials that feel more spongy in the hand.

Consider the replacement grip’s texture if you’re only using it as a replacement and not an overgrip because it may affect how your racket feels.

If you frequently perspire while playing, you might prefer a perforated replacement grip because it will absorb the perspiration and keep your hands dry while the racket is being used in the air.

If you do not perspire as much but still want a replacement grip to be more comfortable, you might want to think about one with a gel lining or more padding. Make sure you can still comfortably grip the racket because your grip will become a little thicker as a result.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for more feel—that is, if you want to feel as close to the racket and ball as possible and don’t mind feeling the vibrations from the racket—a replacement grip with less padding would be more appropriate for your requirements.

The majority of manufacturers provide leather or synthetic “pro” grip options.

Compared to a more padded replacement grip, these thinner grips let you feel each individual bevel in the racket’s handle much more clearly. If you want the best possible feel and don’t have any injuries like tennis elbow, this is the best option.

Although leather grips are generally heavier than synthetic grips and can be slippery in the hand, they offer the ball’s most authentic feel by a wide margin. In light of this, the vast majority of players who use leather replacement grips also use an overgrip on top.

Many professional tennis players will use a leather replacement grip on top of their preferred overgrip because it offers enough comfort to make the racket playable and the most connected feel.

Overgrips

The best overgrip for you will depend on whether you want to tack, feel, comfort, or sweat resistance. Overgrips also come in a variety of different types. An overgrip is designed to give your racket a more customized feel while preventing the replacement grip from wearing out too quickly.

Overgrips are a good addition to your arsenal because they are typically much less expensive to replace than replacement grips. Wilson’s pro comfort overgrips are much softer and give a more plush feel, in contrast to some overgrips like Tourna grips that tend to give a more dry and tacky feel to the racket.

how to regrip tennis racket

You can purchase perforated, tacky, thin, and extra comfortable overgrips, similar to replacement grips. When you play, your hand will come into contact with this, so it’s crucial to choose the right grip for you and ensure that it is fitted properly.

How Do I Re-grip A Tennis Racket Correctly?

Despite any significant differences between the two, the procedure for correctly re-gripping a tennis racket is the same for replacement grips and overgrips.

It’s probably time to regrip the handle if your current tennis grip has worn out, is dirty, or is becoming difficult to hold onto because it has lost some of its tackiness and anti-slip properties. If you want to make a tennis racket easier to hold and larger, you can regrip it.

While some people believe they need to have their racket regripped by a pro, it is actually fairly simple to do. The steps are listed below. These actions are effective whether you’re using an overgrip or a replacement grip.

Step 1. Remove The Existing Grip

Remove the outer layer that your hands come into contact with when holding your racket, whether it has a grip or overgrip on it. Unwrap it by sliding off the rubber collar at the handle’s end to take it off.

In addition to the tape, the collar is what holds the overgrip in place. Using scissors or another pointed object will help you unravel the overgrip if you are having trouble doing so.

There are some grips that only have a piece of tape at the top and no rubber collar. In either case, you should start by taking off the grip that is currently on your racket.

Step 2. Check The Handle

Make sure the bevels are clean whether you have only removed an overgrip or are back to the racket handle without any grip. If the handle has any glue or debris, the new grip might be able to feel them.

Step 3. Remove The Plastic From Your New Grip

You can now get ready for your new grip or overgrip after removing the old, worn-out grip. Locate the side of the grip that is covered in plastic, and take it off.

You can start regripping your racket once you have unfolded the new grip and taken off the plastic and adhesive backing.

Step 4. Start Wrapping From The Butt Of The Handle

The tapered, taped side of the new grip tape should be angled slightly upwards on one of the small bevels of the butt as you begin wrapping it down near the butt cap of the racket.

how to regrip tennis racket

The rest of the grip material is wrapped to the right if you are a right-handed player, starting with the tapered end.

If you play with your left hand and are a left-handed person, wrap to the left instead. Your dominant hand will simply feel more at ease wrapping in these directions.

Step 5. Wrap Up The Handle

Starting from the butt of the racket, wrap the new grip tape around it, angling the tapered, taped side slightly upwards on one of the small bevels.

Step 6. Secure The New Grip

Wrap the grip however you’d like, overlapping it as you go, depending on your personal preference. Use a pair of scissors or a sharp knife to trim any extra grip or overgrip. To fix the new grip/overgrip in place, wrap the finishing tape around the end.

To secure everything, reposition the rubber collar around the handle if you have one.

How To Change The Grip On A Tennis Racket?

It may be necessary to completely replace the factory grip that came with your racket if simply replacing your overgrip is insufficient. The stock grip is typically much thicker and more robust than a typical overgrip, made of synthetic materials or leather, and necessitates a little different application technique. For a step-by-step guide on changing your racket grip, see below:

  1. Remove your old grip. Beginning at the top of the handle, peel the grip off. The back of your default grip has adhesive to keep it attached to the handle. Carefully unwrap the grip, ensuring that all of the pieces are lifted from the handle. Use a safe household cleaner or specialized product to remove any remaining adhesive from the handle.
  2. Remove the staple. Your factory grip will be nailed to the butt once you get to the end of the handle. After completely releasing your hold, lift the staple from the handle using a pair of needle-nose pliers or a small screwdriver.
  3. Slide on the rubber band. It may be more difficult to slide on a rubber grip collar once the new grip is in place, so if you’re using one, slide it on after removing your old grip.
  4. Secure your racket. To keep the handle firmly up and in place, turn the racket upside down and tuck the head of the racket between your legs.
  5. Wrap in the right direction. Align the tapered end of the new grip with the same level that the old grip was on. You will pull the tape to the right and wrap if you are a right-handed person. If you are a left-hander, you will pull the tape to the left. You can restaple the tapered end of the grip to the butt of your racket if you have a staple gun on hand.
  6. Wrap the right amount. When you wrap the replacement grip around the handle, it should cover about one-sixteenth of an inch. Pull only firmly enough that the grip lays flat on the handle. Continue wrapping the handle with the grip until you reach the top.
  7. Snip the excess. On the tape at the top of your handle, draw a line. To cut along the line you drew, remove the tape and cut with scissors.
  8. Tape it up. The finishing tape should be wrapped around the grip until it overlaps. To firmly anchor the new grip, slide down the rubber collar if you have one.

Conclusions

You can improve the feel of your playing equipment by learning how to properly re-grip a tennis racket. If you follow those simple instructions, you won’t need to worry about learning how to regrip a tennis racket any longer.

If you are unsure of what grip type will feel best for you, whether it be overgrips or replacement grips, make sure to test out a few different grip types.

Read More:

Share with Your Friends!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.