Brands and grip sizes

[NadalWilson999]

Hi,

I have a wilson racket and yonex ezone both L3, but the yonex grip size feels larger- which I don't like.

Am I just imagining this, or do the brands have different grip sizes? Could this just be due to the different original grips used on the racket?

Thx

 

[Grafil Injection]

Even though if both rackets are brand new and have factory grips that should have the same circumference, the degree of regularity in the octagon can change the perceived size of a grip. I also recently noticed my Ezone seemed a bit larger feeling because of the shape. Moreover, if the factory grip on the Yonex has been replaced by a retail replacement grip, they are typically thicker (or at least wrapped less tightly). I have found that replacement grips are typically about the same thickness as 3 overgrips, whereas the factory grips are about 2-2.5 overgrips thick. Finally, the human hand and especially the fingers can sense less than 1mm change in thickness, so tiny differences can definitely be enough to be noticed.

 

[A_Instead]

Yes Yonex grips feel bigger than most. there are threads on this...
Head seems to have "true" feeling grip size's IMO..

 

[Irvin]

Have you measured the grip size?

 

[NadalWilson999]

It's not the easist to measure accurately, but I do measure about 2 mm larger circumference for the yonex.

 

[Fluffy_Skye]

It’s not just about the circumference. The shape also affects how big the grip feels. And yes Yonex has a larger grip than Wilson.

 

[10nisne1]

I don't think it's OP's imagination. There's been posts on this topic in the past.

Someone else mentioned Yonex pallets tend to run slightly larger than pallets on Wilson rackets. However, Yonex offsets the slightly larger pallets with thinner grips.

I found this to be the case as well and the reason why I used Babolat Skinfeels before the overgrip was discontinued.

Just as an FYI. I also found the grip size on the Babolat Pure Strike Gen 2 to run slightly larger. Coincidentally, at the time, the racket came with Babolat Skinfeel from the factory.

 

[Steve Huff]

If you buy replacement grips, Yonex grips are 1.6mm thick. Wilson and Babolat are 1.8-1.85. So, the manufacturers have different handle sizes (handle without the grip). If you replaced a Yonex grip (on a Yonex racket) with a Wilson grip, it would probably feel almost a size larger.

 

[tata]

A few things at play - grip shape, actually circumference, and replacement grip thickness/compression of grips.

 

[Curtennis]

My post to the Diary Racquetholic thread a few weeks ago:

It peeves me when people claim that a Babolat grip runs big or a Yonex one does. It’s such a simple thing to measure. They absolutely do NOT run big. Just measure them.
In the photo below the white grip is a Babolat at a L3 and the black grip is my Yonex with an L4. I’d say those are on the money and their both nearly brand new racquets with maybe an hour or two on them tops so don’t say the grips compressed drastically.

D205-F806-597-F-403-A-9021-E1920-CFDBF44 hosted at ImgBB

Image D205-F806-597-F-403-A-9021-E1920-CFDBF44 in Cmoretennis's images album

ibb.co

50139-F93-193-F-4-E7-F-A6-C7-2-BF168000-EA4 hosted at ImgBB

Image 50139-F93-193-F-4-E7-F-A6-C7-2-BF168000-EA4 in Cmoretennis's images album

ibb.co

 

[johnmccabe]

Hi,

I have a wilson racket and yonex ezone both L3, but the yonex grip size feels larger- which I don't like.

Am I just imagining this, or do the brands have different grip sizes? Could this just be due to the different original grips used on the racket?

Thx

Swap out the Yonex replacement grip. Use Wilson feather thin. It's the easiest solution.

 

[tele]

I am guessing relative lengths of bevels combined with relative finger length, palm length, and hand width probably impact how big a grip feels to different ppl.

Bare pallet sizes do vary, as covered on other threads and in a tt podcast. But, as mentioned above, brands have compensated with base grips of varying thickness.

Tourna also appears to make a really thin (1.25mm) replacement grip. Not sure if that is thinner than a feather thin.

 

[Irvin]

Hi,

I have a wilson racket and yonex ezone both L3, but the yonex grip size feels larger- which I don't like.

Am I just imagining this, or do the brands have different grip sizes? Could this just be due to the different original grips used on the racket?

Thx

Dimensions of Bare Racquet Handles

@Kalin measured some bare handles in another thread and I thought it would be useful to put those all in one place. Do you enjoy playing with a wide variety of racquets but have a preferred grip size? Are you thinking about changing brands but have heard the grip is more square or rectangular...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[ttlapointe]

Just to make sure. If I like the size of the L3 grip on yonex frames (VC95, VCP97), should I go with L4 on a potential used Blade 98 V8 that I would like to try? Thanks!

 

[codonnell]

I am guessing relative lengths of bevels combined with relative finger length, palm length, and hand width probably impact how big a grip feels to different ppl.

Bare pallet sizes do vary, as covered on other threads and in a tt podcast. But, as mentioned above, brands have compensated with base grips of varying thickness.

Tourna also appears to make a really thin (1.25mm) replacement grip. Not sure if that is thinner than a feather thin.

Honestly the tourna thin grip is a game changer for anyone with one wrong grip size. Definitely need to add a little bit of weight in the handle to rebalance but If you’re off by a grip size using a tourna thin plus a kimmony ultra thin overgrip, you would have pretty much one grip smaller. Used this combination for a little while but recently switched back to yonex super grab since I was able to stretch the thin enough to make an overgrip more comfortable.

 

[codonnell]

Just to make sure. If I like the size of the L3 grip on yonex frames (VC95, VCP97), should I go with L4 on a potential used Blade 98 V8 that I would like to try? Thanks!

It never hurts to demo if you’re really on the fence. Grip size always has a big difference on the comfort of a frame. I don’t know if they do it anymore but when you demo you sometimes get a 20$ off that would cover the demo cost.

 

[eric42]

Yonex handle mold is for sure larger than Wilson handle mold. Yonex uses a thinner base grip than Wilson but even so Yonex still feels larger. The difference is even more noticeable if you like to replace the stock synthetic base grips w/ leather in which case Yonex L3 grip feels nearly like an L4 Wilson.

 

[tele]

Just to make sure. If I like the size of the L3 grip on yonex frames (VC95, VCP97), should I go with L4 on a potential used Blade 98 V8 that I would like to try? Thanks!

I think a Wilson 4 may end up feeling bigger than a yonex 3 (I buy sizes 2 or 3, so I am not sure about 4.) prob not a bad idea to visit a local sporting goods store and hold a wilson 3 and 4 if that is possible. I have a dr 98 and had a pro staff 97, both 3 with stock grips, and did not feel much of a difference size wise. ymmv.