Possible to reduze grip size of non hardfoam handles?

[davidtennis11]

Besides changing the grip etc how can I reduce the grip size of racket handles that are not made of hard foam?
I really like my rackets but the grip size is too big, even without a grip.
Is there a good way of removing or cutting off the handle and replacing it with a smaller handle? Would that affect the way the racket plays?

thanks

 

[Tamiya]

Besides changing the grip etc how can I reduce the grip size of racket handles that are not made of hard foam?
I really like my rackets but the grip size is too big, even without a grip.
Is there a good way of removing or cutting off the handle and replacing it with a smaller handle? Would that affect the way the racket plays?

thanks

if size is molded into graphite there's nothing worth doing,
best to go trade it for something more suited

can't just amputate and graft on smaller shaft without wrecking balance etc

 

[davidtennis11]

I think so too. I did more research on it and I didn't know that most rackets have pallets (but not all).

Thanks

 

[brownbearfalling]

It is best to invest in a racquet with the proper gripsize.

It IS possible to shave down a graphite handle but not by much. I have done it before and it's messy. I only did it because the racquet is no longer being made so it was necessary.

 

[Tamiya]

nah most racquets don't have easily removable palettes
like Head & few others, but even then it's not the easiest DIY job

 

[Baxter]

If it's a woody you can whittle it.

 

[BLX_Andy]

Risky job, might as well look for a nice-conditioned used racquet that's the same as yours, but a smaller grip size obviously.

 

[davidtennis11]

Actually my racket does have a pallet grip.
I contacted Wilson customer service and they told me that I can't go down a grip size and that they don't sell smaller pallet sizes.
They said the only option would be to remove the grip and either sand down or shave down the pallet part of the grip.
Are they saying that one can't replace the pallets of a racket with smaller pallets because it's not possible or because they don't sell them separately?

 

[sundaypunch]

Wilson is likely referring to the molded foam handle as a "pallet". It's just not a removable pallet like you find on Head racquets.

There is an old thread where someone did some surgery on a Pure Drive and put a replaceable pallet on it. They cut off the foam pallet so the racquet had a bare hairpin (the rectangular graphite part). A Head pallet fit on it perfectly.

This is probably not a good option for you.

 

[davidtennis11]

Thanks for all the input. This has been giving me headaches as I have spent a lot of money on these rackets. I found out that I can play better with smaller grip sizes so I really want to change the grip size.

So basically Wilson rackets do not come with removable pallets?
I can see a hard plastic grip on the grip mold. It seems its made
of two peaces because there is a tiny gap on each side of the grip
along the entire grip.

So I could shave off this hard plastic grip cover and put a replacement grip over the mold itself?
Or could I use those heat shrink sleeves to make a new grip?

 

[Tamiya]

There are no palettes supplied by Wilson to fit the shaft if you shave it all off.
3rd party or other brands probably won't fit neatly unless custom made.

Heat shrink sleeves are to go UP a size.

To reduce, if you can find some machinist with a end mill to
shave/plane the foam bevels down equally & exactly, you're laughing.

 

[davidtennis11]

Shaving it down from Grip size L2 to L1 should be easy though. I just would have to shave off all the hard plastic cover.

 

[davidtennis11]

I see now what you guys mean. I took a closer look at my old Head racket and the Wilson grips that I want to change. Makes sense now.

Shaving the hard plastic around the grip will make the grip smaller but I don't think it would change it from L2 to L1.

And shaving the mold/shaft itself would make the handle too weak as it looks really thin. Bummer because this racket has been discontinued (K series).

Ha I am tempted to just saw off the entire handle and replace it with a L1 handle from another Wilson racket. I would use cement glue or something.

 

[Tamiya]

if you only need to go down 1 size, remove grip & wrap an overgrip only

Had to do it last week, I removed a K-Grip and put on a thickish overgrip.
Stock grip on Wilson K is very rubbery and doesn't squish down as
much as re-grips with foam padding.

 

[davidtennis11]

thanks for the suggestion. i have always used an overgrip only.
how much could i shave off the molded grip before the whole handle becomes so weak that it could break during a match?

 

[davidtennis11]

i mean could i shave 0.2 mm?

 

[davidtennis11]

No edit button here?
Just seems odd that a bit of plastic is keeping the actual mold (carbon) from breaking.

 

[Tamiya]

what racquet?

Is yours like molded foam or rubber over the composite stem?
Yeah you can shave these.

If its solid carbon handle, can't shave anything.

 

[maxply]

Before you go crazy, try the Tourna pro thin grip , it will reduce the grip by 1 size , it is 1.25 mil thick and soft so it will compress. I did this on my Pro Kennex and am enjoing the best tennis in some time. TW does not carry it (they should) so try another tennis site or Tourna themselves have a website for 5 bucks it is worth a try.

 

[Chotobaka]

Before you go crazy, try the Tourna pro thin grip , it will reduce the grip by 1 size , it is 1.25 mil thick and soft so it will compress. I did this on my Pro Kennex and am enjoing the best tennis in some time. TW does not carry it (they should) so try another tennis site or Tourna themselves have a website for 5 bucks it is worth a try.

This is actually very effective in reducing size. I used it on a minty Fischer Magnetic Tour that is L4 (did not want to commit to using one of my few remaining NOS pallets) and it feels just like an L3. Not nearly as good feeling as Skin Feel, but seems to reduce size just a bit more. Skin Feel is another really good option.

 

[LeeD]

If you have skills with tools, a power planer is the best choice.
If you are a craftsman, a sureform, various grades of sandpaper is the second choice.

 

[davidtennis11]

My handle looks like the one in the middle. It's not solid carbon but it looks like some type of plastic mix but definitely not metal or carbon.

I will probably use sandpaper and give it a try but my concern is that it could weaken the carbon handle (part of the frame) itself and cause it to break during a match. At least that's what a racquet technician told me.

But I got an email today from Wilson customer service saying that he checked with someone and the only issue is that it would void warranty and that I should shave as little as possible.

It makes sense as the stability of the mold itself shouldn't have to depend on some other layer of material that looks like some hard plastic mix that comes off rather easily.

 

[Tamiya]

what model Wilson & what degree of size reduction are you needing to achieve?