How to measure tennis racquet grip size is something that all tennis enthusiasts should know. It is ergonomically essential if you want a strong back hand. Having the perfect tennis racket grip size will help vastly with how you play on the court.
The Tennis grip size is basically the measurement of the perimeter of the handles octagonal cross-section. In other words , The thickness of the handle comprise the tennis grip size. Typical grip sizes range from 4” / 101.6 mm (for juniors) to 4 3/4” /123 mm (for adults) in the US.
In Europe, grip size is rated a number from 0 to 5 although it might not seem like much of a difference at first, using the incorrect tennis grip size can actually affect your whole game, frequently with no adverse consequences. Using the incorrect grip size can lead to poor performance, irritation, and even injuries to the hand,elbow and wrist.
That’s why we’ll show you how to find your right tennis racquet grip size today!
How to Measure Tennis Racquet Grip Size
Before making a decision on your tennis grip size you should take into consideration some factors such as handling shape, type of grip and wether you will be using an overgrip. Typically, an overgrip will add either half or one entire size (1/6 to 1/8 inch) to the racquet.
That’s evidently something you’ll want to keep in mind when searching for a racquet, and if you do decide to use an overgrip, you’ll want to find a racquet that is half to one size lower depending on what kind of overgrip you’ll use.
There are two essential ways to measure your tennis racquet grip size: either through the index finger test or the ruler test, although you will need to have a tennis racquet presently for the index finger test.
Index Finger Test
With a tennis racquet, hold it with your prevalent hand using an Eastern grip. If you don’t know the meaning of an Eastern grip it’s where the index knuckle and heel pad rests on the 3rd bevel as the string face.
Once the Eastern grip has been accomplished, use the index finger of your other hand to slide it in-between your marriage finger and palm. The best tennis racquet grip size for you will definitely be the one where your index finger fits. Snugly within this space. Not enough room or too much room means you have a grip that is either too small or too big.
Once you discover a snug fit , try the finger test a few more times just to be accurate. This is known as the Scientific approach, which requires more than one test to confirm accurate results. Once you have found a racquet with a great fit, take a minute to inhale a deep breath. Smell that? The scent of victory.
The second way of measuring tennis racquet grip size is with the ruler and your superior hand while simultaneously having your fingers fully extended and close together. Take your ruler and align it until it’s duplicate with your third finger (wedding finger) with one end of the ruler in line with the bottom of the palm’s second or middle crease.
Your tennis racquet grip size is then compulsive by the length between the tip of your ring finger on the bottom lateral palm crease. The length should fall somewhere between 4 inches and 4-5/8 inches, and you can use this to find tennis racquets with the same precise measurement. While looking at tennis racquets, don’t forget the index finger test just to be secure and to make sure!
So, now that you know how to measure your grip size, let us see why grip size is important.
The importance of grip size:
Grip size may not be the most important thing for you while choosing a new tennis racquet, however, you will be surprised to know that an appropriate grip size tennis racquet plays a huge part in your game.
Many players think that a tennis racquet is “one-size-fits-all,” but Proper tennis racquet grip size is critical to avoid injuries, be able to exercise better control over your racquet, and utilize your skills and body in the most successful way possible.
An incorrect grip size will lead to consequences that are both inconvenient and even dangerous.
A grip that is too big often can result in slips or twists of the racquet, difficulties changing grips between shots, strained forearm, wrist and hand muscles, and limited wrist movement during different strokes. A grip that is a size too small could force your fingers to squeeze too hard in order to keep a firm grip, leading to wrist and elbow issues.
What do you do if your grip falls between 2 sizes?
It is pretty common that a player is not able to find the perfect grip size. Generally, for an adult, if you are in-between sizes, go with the smaller one and use an overgrip to adjust thickness. Increasing grip size is easy to do by placing an overgrip which will increase the size by 1/16 of an inch. For children, go with the slightly larger grip size, as children will likely grow into a grip size
Conclusion
I hope our guide will help you learn why grip size is so important as well as how you can measure your own grip size and make the right choice.
