Overgrips/undersized racket

[Jim Clark]

Need advice on best way to convert a 4 1/4" racket to a 4 3/8" racket. Would an over grip do it? Should I take the original grip off the racket and use a new overgrip or apply overgrip over the original?? Help!!

[Momo]

The quickest and easiest way would be to wrap an overgrip over your regular grip, and then wrap another overgrip over that one. Make sure you pull and wrap them tightly so that they dont loosen up and unravel on you.

The other way would be to use a heat shrink sleeve which goes under your regular grip. More info on that process is on the TW site ici:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/i...reasegrip.html

[Jim Clark]

Hey MOMO,

Thanks a lot. Great advice/website.

[Cypo]

I hate overgrips because they make the handle too round. Pro shops here will build up the grip for you (keeping the shape), maybe you can call around and find one near you that will do it.

[sinoslav]

I've built up two 4-1/4" racquets to slightly closer to 4-3/8" with the heat-shrink sleeve that you can buy on the TW site. I use the half-size sleeve and then add an overgrip at the end. The sleeves are incredibly easy to use (a hairdryer will suffice for the "heat gun"). However do keep in mind that the sleeve WILL add some weight to the handle and thus change the balance.[/quote]

[Momo]

Cypo, I know what you mean. My Rok has a relatively soft wilson cushion aire grip and adding overgrips does round out the corners of the bevels; however, I don't have any such problems with my POG because the regular grip is leather and it's a nice solid foundation to wrap the overgrip around, so the bevels are still quite well defined.

[Bungalo Bill]

The best way to increase you rgrip size is what Momo said above or looking at add-on grip as well.

[awsskater]

Hey I am almost 15 and I am about 6'1" and pretty skinny 135lbs and using the grip size thing on this site it says that my 4 1/2 grip size is too small so I have 2 tourna grips on both of my pure controls now and I was wondering after reading that a bunch of people use smaller grips, should I just only bother to use one overgrip or what?

[Frank Silbermann]

I like a grip with a 5" circumference, but manufacturers stopped making that size about forty years ago. A year ago I bought a demo racquet of a discontinued model for $50, with a 4 3/8" grip size. Pro shops have no clue how to build up a racquet 5/8" and still maintain the bevels.

To build it up to 5", I went to the hardware store and bought a stick of hand moldable epoxy putty. I smoothed a layer all around the racquet handle and let it dry for a half hour. Then, with a sharp pocketknife I whittled six new bevels into the handle.

I had to resharpen the knife by the time I was done, but it was worth it.