I see many players using stock racquets with stock replacement grips without any overgrips. I ask them why they are not using overgrips and the answer is often that they are not even aware of such thing.
So here we are – explaining basic things :
First, your grip is getting worn out over time. Moistere, sun, clay courts, dirt – it’s killing your grip. It’s getting more slippery, you then start to compensate and start to hold your grip tighter which has huge influence on your technique. Loose = better !
There are 2 basic „grips” : replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are the first „layer” on your handle. Replacement grips are usually thicker, softer (but there are many different versions of course). Overgrips are ment to be put on replacement grip and are essential for keeping your feel of the racquet the best it can be.
Overgrips are much cheaper than replacement grips. There is a rule that you should be playing with a fresh overgrip as often as possible. Some players replace it every training, some after few weeks, some when they loose tackiness. The better player you are the more you should care about your equipment being fresh and ready to play.
Overgrips can alter the feel of your racket a lot !
For a starter, it weights usually around 5 grams. That can shift the balance point by 2mm. There are players using two overgrips so this plays some part in final spec of the racquet (Djokovic is the most famous player using 2 overgrips)
There are two main styles of overgrips
– wet – that are very tacky and sticky right away
- dry – that are getting tackier during play when they have contact with wet hand. They are absorbing sweat and turn it to something sticky.
Then you can consider how thick the overgrip should be:
Usually the range is between 0.4mm - 0.7mm – thicker overgrips give a more „bulky” / stable feeling while thinner grips give you better touch.
What type of player you are?
Try Mayami Overgrips – we designed our overgrips to land somewhere in between both extremes of the spectrum so they are perfect for someone that is not sure about the preference. Not too thick, not too thin, not too wet, not too dry 😊 in one word – perfect balance and tennis is all about finding the balance