I'm looking at the Dunlop cx 200 tour racquet. The Kevin Anderson racquet. The specs fall in my wheelhouse. In pictures I thought it looked great but I saw it in the flesh the other day and it looked unbelievable ! It has a beautiful leather grip and I'd like to use it without an overgrip. The problem is I'm a size 3 plus an overgrip which makes it size 3 1/2. Size 4 is too big. I don't know what I can put under the leather grip to not change the specs too much but to boost it a half size?
Increase grip size?
- Thread starter Pumpkin
- Start date
smithie
Professional
You can buy a half size shrink wrap/sleeve which will likely be the easiest option assuming you have access to a heat gun. Or you could buy an L4 version and switch the stock leather grip with a thinner version (i.e. TW 1.3 mm or similar - I would think the Kimony Techni might be too much of a decrease) and add weight to the handle to bring it back to the original spec.
I actually scoured the world for a half size heat shrink sleeve and nobody has one. Only full size.
McLovin
Legend
Another thing to try is to 'flip the script' on the 'leather + overgrip' and make it an 'overgrip + leather', meaning remove the leather, install your normal overgrip on the bare pallet, then put the leather over the overgrip.
Not sure how this will change the actual feel of the leather (e.g., it may have a tad more cushion), but it will be the same weight as if you normally install an overgrip.
Not sure how this will change the actual feel of the leather (e.g., it may have a tad more cushion), but it will be the same weight as if you normally install an overgrip.
ChanterRacquet
Professional
My L3 Dunlop CX 200 OS are actually L2.5 so even though I don’t like using overgrips, I have to to bring it up to a true L3. Instead of being 4 3/8 they’re both 4 5/16. I always wondered when I first got them why the grip felt so similar to my L2 + og Babolats!
So, L4 might just be your ticket.
So, L4 might just be your ticket.
Great idea
You might be right. I recently bought a volkl size 3 only to find it is 4 7/16 so I don't need an overgrip
Yes true. I thought a half size might not be too bad but nobody has them.
maybe try a thicker OG to make up for that extra 1/2 grip size.
or wrap an OG without overlapping under the leather grip, then your usual OG on top to get to that extra 1/2 grip.
i know it can be annoying when manufactures provides various grip sizes.... lol
you know KA doesn't really use the Dunlop CX 200 Tour, right?
just like the Stan the Man racquet discussions recently......EDIT - can't remember where you are, but S t r i n g e r' s world (in the UK) have half size (white) heat shrink still
USMC-615
Hall of Fame
This ^^^...and in different mil thicknesses as well.
Ah come off it man! KA uses the tour! You don't know what you are talking about.maybe try a thicker OG to make up for that extra 1/2 grip size.
or wrap an OG without overlapping under the leather grip, then your usual OG on top to get to that extra 1/2 grip.
i know it can be annoying when manufactures provides various grip sizes.... lol
you know KA doesn't really use the Dunlop CX 200 Tour, right?
EDIT - can't remember where you are, but S t r i n g e r' s world (in the UK) have half size (white) heat shrink still
Thanks for the tip on stringers world. I'll check it out.
hahaha, of course i don't, but if you actually said he "endorses", then it'd be all good in the land down under...
Westerwick
Rookie
I’ve had very good luck by using a combination of commercial shrink wrap tubing, a small rasp and a propane torch. It sometimes takes a try or two to get the right thickness, but if you just order a 40 mm tube from the big rain forest mail order place, you won’t be out too much. The stuff does add a little weight. If it comes out too big, remove it all and rasp down the bare handle. Doesn’t take much—a quarter mm on all sides is about half a size, so maybe just a stroke or two. If you aren’t comfortable doing that on your $200 racquet, sacrifice an old one to practice with. Be careful with the torch—doesn’t need to be too hot to shrink the tubing. Take your time. Good luck.
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awesome - hope they can ship over to you sooner rather than later.
(don't know exactly what KA uses, nor i care much... lol)
ryushen21
Legend
You want to use leather without an overgrip? You are a braver man than many.
Why. What's wrong with it?
Syfo-Dias
Professional
Tends to get slippery and cause blisters.
ryushen21
Legend
Most players these days would find a bare leather grip to be uncomfortable and likely to cause blistering. Especially if you are using a modern-style forehand.
Leather grips in the modern context are usually to provide the best bevel feel and feedback response rather than the actual grip surface. So a racquet with a leather base grip and a relatively thin overgrip would be your best setup to enjoy the bevel feel and response of the frame.
I found out the half size heat shrink sleeve is 9g. They didn't know how many points it would shift the balance. Would you have any idea please?maybe try a thicker OG to make up for that extra 1/2 grip size.
or wrap an OG without overlapping under the leather grip, then your usual OG on top to get to that extra 1/2 grip.
i know it can be annoying when manufactures provides various grip sizes.... lol
you know KA doesn't really use the Dunlop CX 200 Tour, right?
EDIT - can't remember where you are, but S t r i n g e r' s world (in the UK) have half size (white) heat shrink still
Really? Do they exist or its a joke?
BlueB
Legend
sorry, am not as good as @Irvin at calculating these type of things. i am sure he can come up with some quick calc for ya.
the half size heat shrink sleeve should have an untrimmed weight of 9g, so should be less once put on/heated/cut.
if you are limited to the weight increase, you can try adding half of the handle only to further reduce the weight...
Herb
Semi-Pro
WD shows to have them in stock
Who is WD?
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Torque = mass times radius. Therefore if you have a 330 g racket with a 32.0 cm balance point that racket has 10,560 gcm of torque. If the center of your 9 g sleeve cm is 9 cm from the butt it adds 81 gcm. 10,641/339 = 31.38938. 32 - 31.38938 equals a 0.61036 reduction in balance.
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Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
A TW competitor in UK who must remain anonymous.
Hahaha. Understand. If TW actually want to sell a half size heat shrink sleeve they would be in luck.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
At one time they did. My quests is they were no a big seller.
Do you have a physics degree? Irvin bro how many points would that be? Thanks Irvin. Irvin bro somebody mentioned and I apologise I can't remember who it was that if I use a leather grip I will get blisters and it will be slippery. I'm not worried about blisters my hands are already calloused from manual labour but I'm worried of slipperiness. Is this a real concern?
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
2.0T with own layup
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
LMAO
1 point is 1/8” or 0.3175 cm. 0.61036/0.3175 = 1.92239 so about 2 points
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
I always use an OG now but I’ve used leather grips in the past. I never had blisters or problems with slippery grips but my hands don’t sweat much.
Oh that's good. 2 points. I like HL racquets.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Most rackets are HL. Anything below 34.29 cm is HL. It is best to find the specific balance point you like and adjust your racket accordingly. Eliminate all trial and error guess work.
armandogomes
New User
I use Babolat Natural Grip. It feels pretty thin.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
The easiest way to increase grip is to use an OG. If you use a heat shrink it’s a lot more work and you should also replace the grip. i can’t see much benefit of a sleeve over an OG, but I can see advantages of an OG over a sleeve.
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
I use Gamma Supreme grips and play 1 handed. If you keep the OG overwrap tight (so you have the OG overlapping) you get over 1/8” no matter how tight you wrap it but it only goes half way up the grip.
Shroud
Talk Tennis Guru
there is tight in that you pull hard on the grip to stretch it and make it thinner...and there is tight in where and when you overlap. I have actually measured before and after and its a whole size bigger...and there is a post in the other equipment section where its mathmatically proven that an og adds a whole size and I verified it with measurements. Sure the og and the wrap matters but I did a vid with the bab og which is like the thinnest and me pulling hard while wrapping and it was a whole size...
Irvin
Talk Tennis Guru
Agreed. Gamma Supreme grips are tapered on both ends. If you wrap a Supreme grip so the trailing grip edge is flush with the leading edge of the OG under the last wrap that all the way up the grip you have a double OG with no raised portions. This makes a 4 4/8” a 4 11/16” but the OG isn’t long enough to go all the way up the handle. If you don’t stretch the OG out you end up with a thicker (larger around) grip but IMO it does not feel as good.
EDIT: Also I use a grip band at the top of my OGs to hold them instead of tape because I replace them so often.
Shroud
Talk Tennis Guru
Damn man a grip band. That is old school bro. If I did the math right, thats more than one whole grip size. FWIW here I am wrapping tight well past the top of the handle and get one whole size from 3/8 to 1/2
Yes but if you read my original qualm you see I saw a racquet in the shop that looks beautiful with the leather grip and I want to use it like that. Problem is I'm a 4 7/16 size.
BTW Why do Chinese tennis factories get noise complaints ?
A: Because they are always making a racket.
