I'm fine with good old electrical tape. Usually 1-2 layers will do when I wrape my racket (nTour and BK c2c) with Karakal PU grip. Also, if you don't get it the first time when applying the replacement grip, you can take it off and it won't pick up anything since the surface of the electrical tape is clean and non sticky.

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I don't use anything between the overwrap and the base-handle on mine. If you put the overwrap on in a certain way, it doesn't slip as it gets held firm by itself due to the way its wrapped.

I had 4 new rackets recently as samples and put two overwrap grip ontop of the plastic wrap that new rackets come with. It worked perfectly to build up grip depth.

As the overwraps are very thin, using one or multiple wraps can help you get the perfect grip size to suit your needs.

Adz

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if you put the overgrip underneath the replacement grip, wouldn't you spoil the overgrip when you take the replacement grip out because the grip comes with an adhesive behind? or do you use anything between the 2 layers like clingwrap or electrical tape?

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Just as an update, I've still got the same Karakal PU Super Grip on my racket. I've done somewhere in the region of 15 hours on court with the grip and all is going well thanks to the grip-resin powder. 10/10 for this stuff!

Adz

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sjlee,

You could always use overwrap grips UNDER your Karakal one to build up the thickness. Currently I've using 1 wilson overwrap grip underneath, with a Karakal PU SUper grip on top. I find that this thickness suits with both control and power from the racket. Sometimes a grip that's too thick loses you some control (by losing the "feel" of the racket), and a grip that's too small doesn't seem to generate as much power. Experiment to get the thickness that bet suits your game.

 

ADZ

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Hi folks,

I bought Kurakal PU grips and tried it on my Wilson nTour and it is FANTASTIC! It felt like a big puffy towel wrapped around the racket when I first put them on. But after 3-4 hours of playing, the grip settled down and stuck to the racket. Before trying this Kurakal grip, I thought BK TUF RE-GRIP was pretty good but BOY was it ever wrong. Compared to the BK grip, Kurakal is more tacky, provides more cusion and surprisingly takes up sweats pretty well. (although BK has these ridges that might be helpful for the beginners to force the proper grip) I got a white one to try on my nTour and it finally looks like Federer's tennis racket. I know it's corny but it makes me feel like that invincible man. haha. Just note that since it needs some playing time to settle down, you might need to make the racket thicker than you feel you need (i.e. by wrapping with those electric tapes underneath the grip). I've got the yellow and red one lined up for comparison. Let's see how long this grip last.

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Ha! I can imagine turning Pro if I lost about 35-40lbs and did some serious racket work........ maybe a head transplant to go with it and I'd be fine!

 

I think my dreams of turning Pro died when I was about 14. But I did get the chance to play on the same courts as the British National League matches last week! But I don't think that the 27-3 loss was anything to cheer about. I had an absolute nightmare against a much better player! Early retirement at 25 definately crossed my mind at 9-0 and 6-0 down.

ADZ

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congratulations adz

this post has now got to become compulsory reading f anyone with a sweat/grip problem.

if you can apply as much determination to your squash game as you have in solving this , i would recommend  turning pro and going on tour!

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sweet

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Well I've had a breakthrough on the grip front........

THREE full sessions (2 matches, 1 training) at over 5 hours on court, and the grip is still completely DRY! That's right, not a single bit of dampness in sight!

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm using a resin pad for now, until I get a bottle of the Ashaway grip resin powder. The routine goes as follows:

1. Lightly moisten hand before play
2. Apply grip resin (similar to the silica gel that comes in the box when you buy new shoes - it absorbs moisture)
3. Warm-Up
4. Apply resin after wiping hand on wall / shorts / towel / top / bottoms
5. Play game 1
6. Apply resin after wiping hand on wall / towel (as shorts and top are now too wet to use!)
7. Play game 2
8. Apply resin after wiping hand on wall / towel (as shorts and top are now too wet to use!)
9. Play game 3 (and hopefully win at this point! - If not repeat for 4th and 5th game as needed).

 

Following this routine, I've had a yellow karakal grip on my racket for over 5 hours of play and as I said earlier - IT'S DRY!

 

Believe me when I say that I probably sweat more than most people. I'd guess I lose around 2 to 3 litres in 2 hours (based on weighing before and after play). I can literally wring out about half a litre from my shirt, shorts, wristband and headband. But despite this, my grip has stayed dry. So it looks like I've found what I was looking for!

Good luck to the rest of you!

ADZ

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Karakal white grip is going strong 3 weeks so far, playing twice a week and also 2 weekend tournies and it still feels good - its turning a bit brown but not slippery.

Ive got a yellow one ready to go next for direct comparison.

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I am happy with the Wilson Pro Overgrips (White only!).

I have had to change shoes during a match because of sweating. I have also had to change courts because my sweat made the court so slippery it was dangerous. That was during the height of summer on courts that aren't air conditioned and 85-90 degrees on average.

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Well, It's been a long time since I posted on the site, but I'm back for now and still struggling with the grip!

Wilson X-tra Tack overgrips may be good, but unfortunately they're designed to absorb moisture until saturated (about 2 games at the moment!). If I change rackets and allow the grip to dry out before I use them next time, they ultimately last for about 3 dryouts before becoming non-absorbant and slimy.

 

My quest now begins again to find a suitable grip that will last more than two matches with my incredibly sweaty hands! Damn my evil genetics!

 

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas of how to stop the grip from slipping then PLEASE let me know!

 

Cheers

 

Adz

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I lol'd at the towelling grip slipper, BizzareCo.

 

Towelling grips hey - how retro. Apparently Head have plans for a wooden flexpoint now, too

 

 

 

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Hey Ritta and BizCo. While researching for my new grips, I ran into that towel grip you guys were talking about. I just thought it might be helpful for those of you looking for a supplier in N. America. Here's the link. http://www.courtsidesports.com/store/product/763/Black-Knight-Towel-Grip/ 

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Well, the towelling grip finally gave up the ghost (in a rather dramatic way). I swung (rather wildly I admit!) for a backhand volley, only to have the racket literally slip right out of my hand and bounce around the front corner of the courts. After apologising repeatedly to my opponent (whom I almost decapitated!), we shared a good laugh about it and I decided that maybe towelling wasn't the way to go!

 

Instead I've turned back to a Wilson Overwrap Grip (the extra tacky one). As I use 3 rackets these things seem to stay tacky enough for one to two games per racket, and when they dry out at the end of the night, they go back to being sticky again, ready for the next match! Hopefully these will be the end of my grip woes, but once again this will need to be seen!

 

I had an interesting conversation with our club's most senior team player (he's 45 and been playing for 20 years - 15 of which have been at county level!) He told me the story of a player he once knew that had to change his entire kit (shorts, shirt AND socks!) between games because he used to perspire so much in matches. Apparently I perspire ALMOST as much! But the kits I wear are designed not to hold water, and I can live with wet socks until shower time! I tried to work out how much water I lose in an hour and a half on court, it works out at around 5.6lbs (so just over 2 and a half litres I think!). Admittedly I do replace water in matches and this was only done as a trial, but it certainly makes you think about how wet your kit / grip can get over an hour!!

 Anyone know where I can get a good body transplant?

ADZ

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does anyone use anything on their hands to stop sweat or improve grips???

i have a choice of two that i got cheap to try them out, a rosin bag that makes the grip and your hand stickier, and some powder thing thats like chalk (like what climbers or gymnasts use but a bit more long lasting (wierd stuff, made by ashaway)

thay both seem to help but i haven't decided which is best, plus i need to reapply them every two game s or so.....

 

does anyone else use these, no one mentioned them yet...........

dave

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Don't need to dry the grip between games. It stays dry enough to last 1 to 2 games, and then I change to another racket!

I'll let you know how it goes - I've got my first competative match with a towelling grip in about 3 hours time!

 Not that I'm nervous or anything

ADZ

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Biz - about the towelling.
There are various types of towelling, and more a garment towelling than a towel towelling, is what I believe you need, if you get me? 
It is of the type they used to make towelling racket head protectors out of years ago.
By washing  the towelling first will take some of the crap out of it like dye and chemicals that tend to make the material stiff, and slippery. Washing will certainly soften it up too.
By rubbing or squeezing the towelling grip in a towel in-between games should help dry it out a bit.
You can buy a double-sided paper or cloth tape from an abrasives place, then you will be in business

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UPDATE ON TOWELLING GRIP.

 

I've been using the towelling grip on my racket for around 8 hours of court time. Here's a list of the pros and cons so far:

 

PROS

1. Durability appear to be much better than the PU grips that I was using.
2. After drying out, the grip returns to the same state as it was in to begin with
3. As the grip is less cushioned, it gives more feel to the shot allowing for better control
4. Being a less tacky grip caused me to change my hold on the racket. The (now) firmer grip also adds to the control

 

CONS

1. The grip is fluffy, not tacky, hense grip was a problem to begin with
2. When the grip become REALLY wet, it gets slippery and so you have to hold on tight!
3. Once you have dried it out, it becomes harder to hold the grip due to the "fluffiness"
4. You need to damp the grip before play to achieve best grip, but this contributes to the slippery aspect decribed above
5. Dye from the grip tends to stain your hands (also get fluffy bits everywhere!)

 

Despite all the negatives, I still prefer using these grips, and it has caused quite a stir from people in my club who can remember them when they were common place. An even bigger stir was when people found out that I used one as a junior! (I'm 24 and have been playing for almost 19 years - but I look around 30 y/o - It was a hard paper-round!).

 

I'll post again when I first come to change the grip (I'm aiming for around 20 hours of play - anything more will be a bonus).

ADZ

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Rippa wrote:

Biz&Co - Oh well our replies sort of got tangled.

• Yep it sounds as though you do perspire heaps.
• Try the towelling idea.
• If you have a bother doing that let me know and I used to manufacture towelling grip once.
• Definitely use a sweatband, maybe change your shirt in between the matches too as some of the perspiration is absorbed by the clothing.
• Also change the sweatband more often.

Just thinking too - there are some grips that sort of have a small sticky foam backing, and maybe that foam will take up some of the moisture.  Definitely I would be looking at the substance of the grip and of course leather type be tougher.  Some grips have wee holes which might help too.
Keep working at it and let me know.

ADZ Answers:

Rippa, thanks for the advice, and as it turns out, getting hold of a towelling grip in the UK is pretty easy. I've got 11m of the stuff for £14!! I still have to find out if it lasts longer than 4 hours of play though!

Comments on:

Perspiring heaps: I wouldn't say I perspire more than most all over, but it certainly seems like my hands end up dripping during a match.

Try the towelling idea: Working on it - Will let you know!

If you have a bother.......... - Thank you for the offer, but like I said, I've found a supplier in the UK (with 24hr delivery for me!)

Using a sweatband and changing the shirt - My shirt doesn't get that wet. I use breathable sports material which keeps the body cool. Traditional towelling wristbands don't hold enough moisture, and get saturated too quickly so they tend to act like wet sponges and cause drips to run down my wrist onto my hand. I've fixed that by using an absorbant tie around wrap (similar size to a bandana) which I fold appropriately and tie around my wrist. This gives added wrist support and absorbs more moisture. It helps keep my hands drier, but the grip still gets very wet by the end of around 1hr30mins of play (a double court).

Change the sweatband more often: I've tried this. Been through 4 wrist bands in a match (one per game and one after the warm-up). It didn't make any difference - I just ended up with 4 slightly damp wristbands. I think the biggest problem I have is the length of time that I play for:

1) Monday - Team match for around 50mins to 1 hour

2) Tues/Weds / Thurs/Fri - 2 x Normal matches around 45mins to 1hr15 (two nights out of four)

3) Sat - Heavy training for 1 hour followed by light/moderate coaching for 3 hours, usually followed by 1hr of doubles or matches)

4) Sun - Light coaching for 1hr30min followed by 2hr30 of moderate to heavy match play (club night - so on and off court in various sessions - 5mins off, 15-20mins on)

I find that I'm changing a grip on a Monday and sometime before the weekend, but by halfway through the Sunday I'm struggling to keep a grip on the racket as it has become "slimy". If I've dried out the grip in the mean time, it can last a little longer, but goes powdery and becomes slimy quicker when next used.

Currently (before I change to towelling), I am rotating 3 rackets around to try to lengthen the grips. I just broke my strings in one of them, so I'm down to 2 at the moment.

Yikes, that was a long post!

ADZ

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Biz&Co - Oh well our replies sort of got tangled.

• Yep it sounds as though you do perspire heaps.
• Try the towelling idea.
• If you have a bother doing that let me know and I used to manufacture towelling grip once.
• Definitely use a sweatband, maybe change your shirt in between the matches too as some of the perspiration is absorbed by the clothing.
• Also change the sweatband more often.

Just thinking too - there are some grips that sort of have a small sticky foam backing, and maybe that foam will take up some of the moisture.  Definitely I would be looking at the substance of the grip and of course leather type be tougher.  Some grips have wee holes which might help too.
Keep working at it and let me know.

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Firstly, apologies to Rippa for posting in his "Why build up the grip forum" on this subject!

Here's the current problem:

1) I use a wristband

2) I use an appropriate sized grip

3) I am going through a grip every 3 to 4 hours of play!

 

So far I have tried:

1) Drying out the grip after each match

2) Washing the grip after each match, then allowing it to dry

3) Wearing / Not wearing the wrist band

4) Changing rackets every game to avoid saturation of the grip

5) Using a hair-dryer to dry out the grip

6) Wrapping the grip in tissue-paper to absorb the moisture

 

Nothing seems to work - I must be a corrosive sweat producing machine! No matter what I do, the grip ends up either powdery or slick - nothing seems to keep it tacky enough!

Any suggestions?

Adz

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Here is an article "why build up the grip" which has a link on how to replace a grip which might be of interest too.

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hi medved

when gripping the racket , your thumb should just about reach your index and middle fingers if you have the correct size grip. If they are overlapping, your grip is too small. If it is more than a centimetre away from those fingers the grip is too big. Build up or adjust to suit.

One big reason why grips wear out is that the racket is continually slipping in the hand during a game - players are usually not even aware of it. That is why I thought your grip may be too small.

let us know how you go

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Hi medved - i could not restrain myself after reading your little bit about "flipping" your wrist and it being "agile" - that sort of "tickled" me but also concerned me too.
It sounds as though you are enjoying your game, and that is the most important thing for now.
The following comments may give some food for thought and help in the future.

• Any lever that is flipping around will generate more power, eg a cross court (where accuracy is really not the number one thing, but speed of execution is paramount).  I am OK with that.
• If you are trying to control the ball, eg hit close down the side wall to length, racket head and grip control is essential to get the accuracy.
• If you are lob serving, and have specific aiming points on the front wall, and target areas at the back of the court, body position, and racket head control and speed of the hit, is necessary.

So I guess what I am really saying is, if you want to play controlled or touch/fine shots, the accuracy will come from the control of the racket head which starts with the grip (including the clasping of the racket with the fingers tightly around the racket handle).

Let us know how you go.  Good luck with it.

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It seems that present one has flatten a bit :)

when i tried to play with thicker gripping, i couldn't flip my wrist
to deceive the opponent.
And racket is not agile any more.

BTW i am buying some grips next week

I've been playing squash for two year, and reached 2nd group out of 8 in Zagreb
Technique seems to be quite fine ;)

I'll put some insulated tape under new one, and try tennis one
that is thicker (marginally) than squash one

But to put another grip over present one would to much in my opinion

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Hi medved - it is natural any change in grip or grip size will feel a bit uncomfortable at first.
However, there must be sufficient room when you grip the racket to be able to keep squeezing your fingers together, otherwise the racket will spin in your hand when you hit the ball.
Small grips can eventually cause arm muscle injuries so I recommend you persevere.
The saying "hit and grip" is a good one, and then relax off between hits, if you understand me.
Putting a grip over the existing might also make a change to the feel of the racket, as it will add a tiny bit of extra weight slightly changing the balance.
So there are a couple of things I would like you to look at:
1.  How you hold the racket.
2.  Your grip
3.  Your basic swing
Here is the link which also covers the grip and swing Strokes and Movement.

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I've put grip over basic one.

when i check proper size i have smaller grip,
but if i put proper size, i cannot hold racket naturally.

When grip was new it was awesome to play.

BTW wristband is on the way

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I just wanted to echo last post from Ray. I do change the grip pretty often as well. Every 20 hours of game my Karakal PU super grip gets flat and slippery. I do not have any experience with Ashaway grips, though I'd recommend Black Knight, karakal or Pontfore. Soft and very sticky. Warning - Black Knight wears off really quick. For sure I would not recommend to play with default manufacturer grip put on the handle. And use wristband. That would solve your issues.

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yes medved, we have a few regulars - i hope that you become one of them!

I have found that some grips are great when they are dry but awful when wet - i sweat a lot. I use a local version of the ashaway grips (same manufacturer) in my opinion they are by far the best. I get about 20 hours play out of one.

I also suspect that your grip is too small. check out this grip link. it gives you some clues on the right size grip. build the handle up then place the grip on, or put one grip over the other.  you may need to put some insulation tape over the first grip beforehand. I use three grips!

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I will definitely buy wristband, i heard some others experience
that it reduced sweating.

I hold it in the middle of grip, to that shouldn't be a problem

I can see that some members here are really regular :)

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All what Rita says it's true, but I'd start with wearing the wristband. All the sweat from your arm will stop at wristband. If your palm is sweating too much, try some special glue-creams sold on the internet.

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Medved - Welcome to the forum. 
Sounds like you are doing a lot of sweating and your grip is taking a punishment.  Fortunately, I have never really perspired excessively, but I suggest wearing a sweatband to try to sop up some of the moisture which will help preserve the grip.

• Unfortunately, towelling grips have gone completely out of fashion (I think they lasted too well, and could be washed while on the handle to revive them) and were not commercially viable, when the synthetic type does not absorb and wears out from the abrasion of the fingers as well.
• True story - I knows guys who would cut up a babies nappy/towel and replace their grip to save the cost of grip replacements, and some would also wind a gauze wrap over the synthetic grip to increase its life and make it not so slippery to hold.
• I suggest having a look at tennis grips too and chose a material that is a bit thicker, and be sure to overlap it too so the joint does not frey with the friction of the fingers.

One other thing, maybe you are holding the grip really low down on the handle which puts more strain on the grip.  Try holding the racket grip a bit higher up, so none of your palm is hanging over the end of the racket.

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