Does your grip look like its gone eight rounds with a teething puppy, or has it been polished by the sweat of 1000 games? Hang around any tennis club in the country, and you’d think there was a grip supply crisis, or a competition to save the environment – one grip at a time. Next time you notice your racquet slipping, your shots failing you and your hand tightening up, don’t panic – the solution to your maladies may only be a few dollars away.
Why should you care?
To hit properly, especially when serving and hitting with topspin, you need the wrist to flex considerably. The only way to do that is to grip the racquet gently – increase the force of your grip and your wrist will tense up, preventing proper motion. You’ll look like you just fell off the turnip wagon, and your shots will never reach their full potential. Search for slow-motion videos of pros hitting the ball and watch the wrist throughout the shot. John McEnroe used to talk about ‘Soft Hands’, and credited his gentle grip for his exceptional control.
Another problem that comes with the grip of death is wrist sprain and tennis elbow. Tense muscles that are forced to move have a nasty tendency for injury, and a tight grip also transmits way too much vibration from ball impact back up the arm. Think of a lose grip as a kind of shock absorber – especially important if you’re playing with a stiff racquet and tight poly strings.
Finally, a bad grip will increase the tendency for the racquet to rotate in your hand whenever you hit an off-center shot. This can cause the ball to fly off at all sorts of embarrassing angles.
So there you have it: the case for changing your grip regularly. Why not buy a pack of grips and keep a few in your bag – a hot sweaty day is no time to wrestle with a worn-out specimen. And remember that an overgrip adds about 1/16 of an inch – that’s about half a size – so you can experiment with grip size at the same time if that tickles your fancy.
Want to know more about what grip to buy? Click here. Remember that its all about finding the right product for your personal game and the conditions you play in.