Pallets and Grip Size

[tennisnoob1949]

Hello -

With racquets that use pallets (e.g. older Head racquets, Tecnifibre Ltd etc.) --> how is it that different manufacturers use different grips and still end up with the correct handle circumference?

For example:
1. Tecnifibre TFight Limited 2013 model uses a Tecnifibre leather grip of thickness 1.5mm.
2. Tecnifibre Tfight 315 DC Ltd model uses the Tecnifibre Xtra Feel synthetic grip, presumably 1.9mm thick.
3. Older Head racquets used the Head Calfskin leather grip, which I think was 1.2mm thick.

All of these presumably use (the same) pallets. If I play grip size 3 in each of these, would the final handle circumference not be substantially different between each of these - more than 1 full grip size between #1 and #3, and between half and 1 full grip size between #1/#2 and #2/#3?

Thoughts?

 

[TNT34]

Interesting question, but I'm not sure why it would be limited to frames that use pallets. Isn't the more general question "do frames account for their 'stock' grip thickness when calculating grip size?" Using your examples, is the naked/ungripped handle size of a TFight that's sold with a 1.5mm grip different from the naked/ungripped handle size of a TFight that's sold with a 1.9mm thick grip? Or does a Wilson RF sold with a Wilson leather grip (1.5mm?) have a different naked/ungripped size than a Wilson PS sold with a synthetic Pro Performance grip (1.7mm?)? My guess is that all 3/8" racquets made by each mfg. have the same naked/ungripped target size, but that differences occur between racquets due to the grip actually used, and the qc of the mfg.

 

[tennisnoob1949]

Interesting question, but I'm not sure why it would be limited to frames that use pallets. Isn't the more general question "do frames account for their 'stock' grip thickness when calculating grip size?" Using your examples, is the naked/ungripped handle size of a TFight that's sold with a 1.5mm grip different from the naked/ungripped handle size of a TFight that's sold with a 1.9mm thick grip? Or does a Wilson RF sold with a Wilson leather grip (1.5mm?) have a different naked/ungripped size than a Wilson PS sold with a synthetic Pro Performance grip (1.7mm?)? My guess is that all 3/8" racquets made by each mfg. have the same naked/ungripped target size, but that differences occur between racquets due to the grip actually used, and the qc of the mfg.

Fair point. With molded handles, theoretically, each company can vary their bare handle sizes just slightly to account for grip thickness - but I doubt they do, to your point.

With pallets even that one variable is removed - since pallets are sold separately, so there is no way to know which hairpin they will go on.

 

[Zoolander]

There are many complaints that some manufacturers have grip sizes that feel bigger or smaller than they should. I think this is entirely to do with the grip they use; i think the molded handle/pallets stay the same.