Question about reducing grip size

[Newby]

So I'm essentially trying to reduce my grip size from 4 3/8 to 4 1/4. I've gone through several old threads on this topic and decided my best bet would be to swap out my stock replacement grip with a Kimony Techni 0.8mm leather grip. The Kimony site claims this reduces the grip by one grip size. Tourna Pro Thin (1.25mm thick) also makes the same claim...that their thin replacement grip reduces the grip by one size.

But something doesn't seem to add up when I do the math. To reduce a grip by one size (i.e L3 to L2), you would need to go down 1/8th inches or ~3.2mm in size. Considering most standard replacement grips are around 1.5mm to 2mm in thickness, how does going down to the 0.8mm thickness of the Kimony leather grip reduce the grip size by one full size? That's only a 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm reduction in grip size. Again, you need a 3.2mm reduction to drop one grip size so seems like the Kimony would at most reduce it by around 1/3 of a grip size.

Can someone help me out here? Is my math just terribly wrong or am I missing any other factors?

 

[Newby]

FYI the actual situation I'm dealing with is that I just bought a Yonex Ezone 98 in 3/8th grip and was unaware that Yonex grip sizes run a little big. I've used 3/8th grip size from different brands all my life and this Yonex Ezone grip feels like it's much closer to 4 1/2. I'm sure when the Kimony Techni leather grip comes and I install it, the grip will go down to a much more playable size for me.

However, I'm just trying to understand the math behind the whole "Kimony reduces one grip size" thing. The replacement grip currently on the racket is the Yonex Synthetic which is 1.6mm. Swapping it out for Kimony's 0.8mm (0.8mm thickness reduction) does not translate to anywhere near a one grip size reduction to me.

 

[fritzhimself]

For the perimeter you measure all 8 planes - for your calculation you measure only 4.
The kimono actually reduces the handle size by one number.

 

[tele]

FYI the actual situation I'm dealing with is that I just bought a Yonex Ezone 98 in 3/8th grip and was unaware that Yonex grip sizes run a little big. I've used 3/8th grip size from different brands all my life and this Yonex Ezone grip feels like it's much closer to 4 1/2. I'm sure when the Kimony Techni leather grip comes and I install it, the grip will go down to a much more playable size for me.

However, I'm just trying to understand the math behind the whole "Kimony reduces one grip size" thing. The replacement grip currently on the racket is the Yonex Synthetic which is 1.6mm. Swapping it out for Kimony's 0.8mm (0.8mm thickness reduction) does not translate to anywhere near a one grip size reduction to me.

.5 mm all around.should be roughly equivalent to one.grip size, and i think there are threads.　where people have confirmed with measuring tape. relative ratios of the bevels can also effect how a grip feelsand this also changes with grip size, so a reduced yonex may not feel the same as an actual yonex 2. I always thought the yonex grips were 1.4mm, but maybe that is the old ones, or maybe i am just mistaken. The yonex bare handles are bigger, i think, but i dont feel much difference between a yonex 3 and wilson 3 with their stock grips. prince definitely feels a little smaller to me, though.

 

[Happi]

Wilson feather thin grip could be an option too.

You could also just sand down the grip.

 

[anarosevoli]

So I'm essentially trying to reduce my grip size from 4 3/8 to 4 1/4. I've gone through several old threads on this topic and decided my best bet would be to swap out my stock replacement grip with a Kimony Techni 0.8mm leather grip. The Kimony site claims this reduces the grip by one grip size. Tourna Pro Thin (1.25mm thick) also makes the same claim...that their thin replacement grip reduces the grip by one size.

But something doesn't seem to add up when I do the math. To reduce a grip by one size (i.e L3 to L2), you would need to go down 1/8th inches or ~3.2mm in size. Considering most standard replacement grips are around 1.5mm to 2mm in thickness, how does going down to the 0.8mm thickness of the Kimony leather grip reduce the grip size by one full size? That's only a 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm reduction in grip size. Again, you need a 3.2mm reduction to drop one grip size so seems like the Kimony would at most reduce it by around 1/3 of a grip size.

Can someone help me out here? Is my math just terribly wrong or am I missing any other factors?

You need ~3.2 mm less in circumference, not in grip tape thickness... 3.2/2 π ≈ 0.5 mm. The Pro Thin will do the job.

 

[jimmy8]

Thickness and circumference of octagonal circle are 2 different things. 0.5 mm thickness change roughly equals one grip size because of the circumference difference will equal about 3.2 mm.

 

[Newby]

Gotcha! Thanks for the clarification, guys. Now that I understand it, I feel pretty dumb for mistakenly equating thickness with circumference.

 

[snoflewis]

really depends on the base grip. when i had the kimony techni grips in my PS97, it dropped the handle size 1.5 sizes

 

[tata]

If it is brand new, give it a few more weeks of play. The grip will eventually compress down a bit.

 

[Newby]

really depends on the base grip. when i had the kimony techni grips in my PS97, it dropped the handle size 1.5 sizes

Yeah now that I get the math, I'm wondering if the same thing will happen to my Yonex since I'm reducing overall thickness by 0.8mm with the Kimony instead of the 0.5mm for a one size reduction. Probably should have gone with one of the larger thin base grips.

Oh well, I guess I'll see how it feels and plays when the Kimony arrives.

 

[Newby]

If it is brand new, give it a few more weeks of play. The grip will eventually compress down a bit.

I was considering that too but after hitting with it yesterday, I felt like it would take a really long time to get it down to size that would suit me. I never even thought that I'd be this sensitive to grip size but it was the first thing that I noticed when it first arrived and I held it in my hand. Had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't L4.

Once I played with it, it was just unbearable for me/was distracting me the entire session. I'm a little annoyed by the whole situation and don't want to go through the hassle of selling these just to rebuy them in a 1/4th grip size (hence ordering a thinner base grip). I used to play with a Yonex Ultimum Ti-80 back in the day with a 3/8th grip size and it was never ever an issue (even when the racket was brand new). 3/8th felt like 3/8th. Same with new rackets from other brands including Babolat. But the 3/8th on this Ezone really feels like a 1/2 to me.

 

[BumElbow]

Try this: Tourna Pro Thin Replacement Grip Black | Tennis Warehouse (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[KC!]

I just put on a Wilson Feather Thin on one of my racquets, it definitely helped reduce a little from standard grip.

 

[billsedd]

This grip (hydrosorb pro) definitely shrinks a little after usage. pretty noticeable. or try one of the thin grips suggested above.

 

[FV_Br]

I have the same problem with my 2022 Vcore Pros L3, they are L4 or bigger compared to Head. Have anyone used the Featherthin with sucess in Yonex recent frames and got a decent size reduction?

 

[Konik_1982]

I have the same problem with my 2022 Vcore Pros L3, they are L4 or bigger compared to Head. Have anyone used the Featherthin with sucess in Yonex recent frames and got a decent size reduction?

As many here mentioned, I also used Tourna Pro Thin as a base grip + Babolat VS original overgrip (0,4mm). Used this combination on all racquets that I had with G4 (my go to is G3). Works for Yonex as well of course on a Pro Staff RF97 I did it too and after one match the grip seemed even smaller than G3. You will definitely feel the difference if you do it like this.

 

[tele]

I have the same problem with my 2022 Vcore Pros L3, they are L4 or bigger compared to Head. Have anyone used the Featherthin with sucess in Yonex recent frames and got a decent size reduction?

i have found yonexes to be more responsive to increasing grip size bc the pallet size/grip thickness ratio is relatively large. does it feel too big even without an overgrip? if not, you will probably have some luck with a thinner base grip and a thinner overgrip, such as the ones kimony makes

 

[Bronze Ace]

Thinnest grips I have personally used are the Wilson FeatherThin, followed by the slightly thicker Prince Resi-Thin.

 

[esm]

I have the same problem with my 2022 Vcore Pros L3, they are L4 or bigger compared to Head. Have anyone used the Featherthin with sucess in Yonex recent frames and got a decent size reduction?

I have changed the L4 97D (current version) with a Wilson FeatherThin - I had to stretch the FeatherThin as the factory YY base grip is already thinner than other manufacturers. I have managed to get as close to L3 grip size. Added an OG, the overall grip size was very similar to other L3 + one OG I use for other racquets.

 

[TennisHound]

Will “generally” reduce one size.

Lots of math going on

 

[NicoMK]

This grip (hydrosorb pro) definitely shrinks a little after usage. pretty noticeable. or try one of the thin grips suggested above.

I can confirm that the Hydrosorb Pro becomes really thin after a few hours of play, so it could do the job.

But the Kimony leather grip remains for me the best option for reducing the grip size.

 

[MisterP]

+1 for Wilson Featherthin. You can stretch it to make it even thinner. But it will tear if you overdo it.