Whether you are new to the world of field tennis, or you have already been playing for a long time, it is important that you know how to choose the size or size of the grip, as well as choosing the best ideal racket for you. It will also helpful for beginner tennis racket grip size.
The grip or handle of the racket is the part where the player’s hand (s) and the racket meet, and hence the importance of knowing how to choose an appropriate size as they will guarantee a correct sensation and comfort for the player. , translated into better performance on the court. The racquet grips come in different widths to fit the size of the player’s hand. (The size of the hand of a youth player is not the same as an adult of more than 1.80cm tall).
Grip sizes:
Different measures are established, however we are going to focus on 5 sizes that are usually the most common for our Latin American context, ordered from smallest to largest:
- Grip 0 (4 ”)
- Grip 1 (4 1/8 ”)
- Grip 2 (4 1/4 “)
- Grip 3 (4 3/8 ”)
- Grip 4 (4 1/2 “)
European measurements are given in numbers from 0 to 4, and American measurements are in inches from 4 inches to 4 and a half inches.
Identify my correct grip size.
There are two ways to do this, whether you have the opportunity to have the rackets with the different size options with you, or if you are at home and you do not have the racket near you.
Index Finger Method
Place your dominant hand on the grip in such a way that the knob of your index finger is on face 3 of the grip, or the face that is parallel to the string, this position is also called the “Eastern Drive” grip.
Place your index finger of your other hand in the middle of the palm of your hand and the middle finger as in the photograph “Fig. two”. . If there is excess space left it is because the grip is too big for you, if on the contrary, your finger does not fit between the space it is because the grip is small.
Ruler or Meter Method
- Stretch your dominant hand and join your fingers.
- With a ruler or meter, locate your middle finger and align it in a straight line with the second horizontal mark on your palm. The grip size will be determined by the length of the measurement you just took. In “Fig. 3 ”is the table of measurements of the size of your grip in millimeters and inches.
Tips to choose your right grip size
- As far as possible we recommend using both methods previously explained, to ensure greater precision of the correct size of your grip.
- If you are undecided between two grip sizes, we recommend that you choose the smaller one since in any case you can place an overgrip that thickens the original grip of your racket a bit. On the contrary, a larger size cannot be adjusted to a smaller thickness so easily
- Keep in mind that if you use overgrip you must add 2 or 3 mm to your measurement, that is, you could be more comfortable with one size less, if you add the thickness of the overgrip you use.
- We recommend changing your grip and / or overgrip regularly to guarantee grip and comfort in order to avoid blisters in your hand due to wear and tear.
What if you chose the wrong grip size?
Did you know that if you choose the wrong grip size for your racket, you could be underperforming your game or even causing injuries to your arm.
Choose a very small grip:
Although you could get used to using a grip that is not the most suitable for you, you could be damaging your health since a very small size of your grip would force your hand and arm to exert more force to hold the racket, which translates into increased fatigue for the arm, forearm, wrist and hand which translates into great potential for tendonitis.
Choose a very large grip:
Choosing a grip that is too wide directly affects the natural movement of your wrist, so you would lose acceleration, have difficulties in your serve, or it would be more difficult to generate effects in your shots. In addition to this, the change of grip between hit and hit during the game would be difficult, and like a small grip it would force your arm to exert more force than normal to maneuver your racket, which favors the appearance of tennis elbow.
Remember in Larry Tennis we are here to advise you so that you can give the maximum performance on the tennis court.