Why do so few use 4 1/2" gripsize?

[prjacobs]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Think about this scenario....
Grab a baseball bat.
Allow your friend to grab the other end, whichever....
Now twist it out of your friend's hand.
Who wins?
EVERY SINGLE TIME, the guy who grabs the barrel rips the bat out of the hands of the guy holding the handle.

Now try to bunt holding the end of the bat .

[retrograde]

Originally Posted by Winners or Errors

Still, when I use a smaller grip, I find it even harder to relax my grip.

Same here. I can play with either 3/8 or 1/2 but use 1/2 because I can relax my grip more plus it doesn't bother my elbow as much. I also find 1/2 a lot easier to volley with.

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by Fuji

Hard to imagine that Nadal uses a 4 1/4 eh?

-Fuji

Yeah, pretty crazy.

If I tried that, my elbow tendon would shred in about 5 minutes.

[cluckcluck]

I started with a 41/2 but when I started getting better and was able to feel the ball more, I went down to a 3/8.
Since the switch, I feel like I can get better spin almost as if I'm able to get more torque from my ground strokes.
Does anybody else feel something like that?

[robbo1970]

I have always used a Grip 2. I have small hands. I've tried larger so that I have that finger space, but I never feel I have a decent hold on the racket.

i've never had arm/elbow issues, but all these threads telling me I'm wrong do make me paranoid.

Here's mine.

[LeeD]

It's fine if it works for you and your game, and your preference.
My 4 5/8 with overgrip gives me a pinky clearance, which I need because volleying ability is much more important than groundstroke power.

[robbo1970]

Cheers Lee. I just get paranoid after reading so many threads that I'm going wrong and will give myself injuries.

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Think about this scenario....
Grab a baseball bat.
Allow your friend to grab the other end, whichever....
Now twist it out of your friend's hand.
Who wins?
EVERY SINGLE TIME, the guy who grabs the barrel rips the bat out of the hands of the guy holding the handle.

Bad example.

And why do baseball players and golfers use small/thin grips? Wrist pronation.

4 1/4th grip with an over wrap is the best thing i ever did to my game. Serve pronation is much easier, stability has never suffered (though if you look at my racket after playing, all my shots hit the same spot, north of center).

[LeeD]

I beg to differ....
We pronate for serves and forehands, and do so with a twist of the forearm, NOT a bending of the wrist. "Layback" of the wrist is a result of a relaxed grip and forearms, NOT a conscious effort on any muscle.
Differerent sport and equipement.
Golf, ball don't move.
Baseball, don't matter so much which face of the bat is pointing where....yes, I know, a bat is stronger along the grain, but that is a wide sweetspot, compared to the face angle of a tennis racket.

[Alex78]

I get a simple advantage from using a smaller grip: No blisters on my thumb...

[retrograde]

One of the guys I play doubles against has an unusual grip ... he built up some tape under the grip in one spot only such that there's a *bulge* right under his palm.

His handle looks like a snake that swallowed something!

[Bobs tennis]

Very good subject.I just joined your board because I noticed so many interesting debates.I was using a 3/8 for quite a while and about 18 months ago dropped to 1/4.As time went on I got Tennis elbow which wasn't getting better.Had the opportunity to use a demo which was a 1/2 (very unusual) and after hitting three times my elbow really felt better.That was about four months ago.Never going small again.

[robbo1970]

Top Jimmy and Alex, does my grip size look ok to you, or similar when you grip yours?

[JackB1]

Ok I'm now even more confused than before I started this thread

I don't know if I should stick with what I've been using (4 1/2) or try going down to 3/8 as an experiment.

[LeeD]

Nobody ever really knows.
You use what you chose, make it work, practice more, and obsess about other things.
If you could play tennis nearly as well as BrianGottfried did in 1977, with his Kramer racket and 4 3/4 grip and "Heavy" weight, you'd be at least two levels above what you are today.

[cluckcluck]

I was just in NYC, I stopped by RPNY and bought one of their pallets to change the shape of a IG Rad Pro (original L3).
Swapped out original and put in a Wilson shape L2.5 going to hit tonight and see if I like it. Feels pretty sweet with a leather grip and 1 Gamma Supreme OG.

[phishbiscuits]

I alway use a 4 1/2 and am big (6' 3"; 245). I add a thin Tourna Grip, but that's it.

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by robbo1970

Cheers Lee. I just get paranoid after reading so many threads that I'm going wrong and will give myself injuries.

If you aren't hurting yourself, you aren't hurting yourself. Don't change if there isn't a problem.

Originally Posted by Bobs tennis

Very good subject.I just joined your board because I noticed so many interesting debates.I was using a 3/8 for quite a while and about 18 months ago dropped to 1/4.As time went on I got Tennis elbow which wasn't getting better.Had the opportunity to use a demo which was a 1/2 (very unusual) and after hitting three times my elbow really felt better.That was about four months ago.Never going small again.

I can't play with less than a 5/8 because I've got a tear in my elbow tendon and smaller grip sizes bother it.
Just like some people can play fine with poly strings and some people get sore arms, some people can play with smaller grips and some can't.

[goosala]

Over 25 years ago I was 13 and used a 4 5/8 all the way until a couple of years ago when I switched to a 4 1/2. I guess my hands have gotten meatier since I play more now so the circumference has gone down one size. I have always used a 4 5/8 even though my hands measure 4 1/2 from the upper palm crease line to the edge of my ring finger. The old school belief was to use the largest grip with the heaviest racket possible.

[Alex78]

Originally Posted by robbo1970

Top Jimmy and Alex, does my grip size look ok to you, or similar when you grip yours?

Hi Robbo,

to me, your grip looks very much ok - but of course, it's all about personal preferences. I'll try and take some pictures of my own grip(s) tonight.