does the grip size and grip shape affect your forehand this much? PLEASE HELP

[IwishIwasbetter]

I'm having trouble finding a grip size and shape that i like. I'm right between semi western and western, similar to where roddick holds it. I have been switching grip sizes a lot lately. I was fine with my 4 1/4 racket until the replacement became worn out and i had to replace it , i used the same grip but it felt bigger since it hadn't been used and compressed as much as the older one. I couldn't play right with it because it felt too big and my hand didn't feel secure on it.

I then switched to a thinner replacement grip, which then made it feel like there wasn't enough stability. It felt flimsy. I am using a tecnifibre racket.

One important thing is I remember a while back when my string had broken i demoed a head youtek radical ina 3/8 grip and it felt solid, i mean i was playing good with it and my hand felt secure.

Unfortunately, I can't demo that one anymore.

Today, I tried a bare handle iwth an overgrip and it felt even worse, which was expected, couldn't hit through the ball unless i was playing really loose, which then would make me more inconsistnet.

Part of me keeps thinking that if i go small enough, i will have full control and my hand will feel secure on the handle but i'm starting to realize that doesn't work.

as you can tell, i am confused and frustrated and having trouble finding teh right grip size and i am thinking the shape may not even be the best for me. or could this all be in my head?

do any of you feel this picky or do these slight differences affect you?

also, do babolat grips suit people with more western grips better,


BTW, this whole grip confusion affects my forehand way , way more than my backhand. my backhand remains solid despite what grip size or shape i am using.

Sorry for the confusing post, but i am confused so...

 

[dozu]

find a grip size that you can squeeze the tightest... as if you can really squeeze the tar out of it.

this means during play you can use the minimum grip pressure to maintain control of the handle.

in terms of grip shape... that's a personal thing... you just have to experiment.... just go to sporting goods store and squeeze all of them LOL.

 

[fps]

I've moved up from 4 1/4 to 4 3/8 and if anything I might go bigger, it makes a difference to the solidity I feel and the connection between me and the ball I'm hitting. This means it's almost certainly a better grip size for me. Head handles are quite rectangular, I prefer Yonex and Wilson handles. Don't know about Babolat sorry.

 

[LeeD]

At a skinny 5'11", measured grip size 5, I still use a 4 5/8 after 34 years of playing tennis. I borrow my bud's 4's, some bud's 3"s, and nothing about the smaller grips work better for me, a volleyer by nature, and NOT a baseline basher in any sense of the word.

 

[goran_ace]

Sorry to be so blunt, but it's not the grip. It's you. The kind of differences you are talking about (old grip vs new grip, overgrip vs no overgrip) are meaningless. It's not about finding the right equipment or fine tuning your equipment. Work on your game. You need repeatable, consistent strokes to begin with before any of that stuff matters.

 

[LeeD]

Good stuff there, GoranAce

 

[ProgressoR]

i have a L4 racket grip size, I liked the racket and got a 2nd as backup theyonly had L3, so I got it. I can honestly say I have not noticed a shred of difference in any stroke at all. I dont even know what grip size i am playing with unless i look at the label. Cant say it makes any difference at all in my experience.

 

[ci2ca]

I'm like you as well. I'm extremely picky about my grip sizes and how the racket feels in hand. But with string I can use anything as long as it's poly and lasts me more than 2-3 days.

 

[Cup8489]

I think you're thinking too much about your equipment. sure, a new replacement grip will feel different, but the difference CANNOT be so drastic as to cause such a lack of confidence in playing..

Maybe try pulling the grip tighter so it will stretch more, or possibly try to make the switch to leather, which compresses far less and thus gives a more uniform feel interms of size and compression whether it's brand new or old.

If it's really bothering you that much, you could also apply a heat-shrink to build it to the 4 3/8 size, which would help with stability.

Smaller grips do NOT offer more stability, just the opposite if your hand is too big for them. I used to use 4 3/8, and the moved to 4 1/4. I recently bought a frame with a 4 1/2 grip, and i will never go back.

 

[MarrratSafin]

Sorry to be so blunt, but it's not the grip. It's you. The kind of differences you are talking about (old grip vs new grip, overgrip vs no overgrip) are meaningless. It's not about finding the right equipment or fine tuning your equipment. Work on your game. You need repeatable, consistent strokes to begin with before any of that stuff matters.

Yes, good stuff. I can play with anything from 4 1/4 up to even 4 5/8 sometimes and it only makes a minimal difference to my strokes and also do alternate between a Head grip and other brands with no ill effects. Don't think too much about these stuff when playing, just focus on whacking the ball with the racquet and should be just fine!

 

[Ajtat411]

I think finding the right grip and equipment specific to your game and needs is important. You want to feel confident that your equipment is not letting you down or holding you back. With that being said, to play well, you need to practice well, be in shape and have enough sleep each night.

I can be a little quirky with my equipment like you. I started off with a smaller grip that I am using right now. I started using a 4 1/4 grip because it was all the rage and even the pro's were using it because it supposedly created more spin with groundstrokes. With a more relaxed grip now, I feel that I need a larger grip size so i'm not tightening up my muscles too much. The smaller grip size allows initially for a more relaxed grip, which is good, but during impact, my hands would need to squeezed really tight and I felt that the handle was twisting sometimes with my relaxed grip. Also, I was developing some elbow issues, I mean this could be contributed to hitting late and too much hand tension at ball contact, but I experimented with a slightly larger grip.

I added a Wilson Pro overgrip on top of the my original worn down grip and the racket feels more secure in my hand and doesn't feel too big. So a compromise between too big and too little.

So starting at 4 1/4 minus some use and added an overgrip and it feels good now.

Do what feels right for you and experiment with your racket, but nothing beats on-court practice and match play.