Tennis Grip Tape

Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
Ok, for real, where can you find that tape that is like the tape that comes with grip?

Stock racquets come with a basegrip installed with a thin, matte tape which has a nice stretch to it and is light/flexible.

Everyone is so quick to suggest electrical tape which is really nothing like that. The adhesive is gooey, the tape is thick and often glossy, the tape is also stiffer and thicker.

So what really is the tape I'm looking for? I'm convinced it isn't your everyday electrical tape. I even bought tape on tennis Warehouse and it's nothing like the tape that comes on a stock racquet.
 
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golden chicken

Hall of Fame
There are a few threads discussing electrical tape vs. finishing tape. Seems a rather even split between users of both.

As far as electrical tape goes, there is definitely a range of quality. Some cheap stuff is stiff and has terrible adhesive, some cheap stuff is thin and stretchy, and the good stuff has a quality adhesive and some stretch.

I would venture to guess finishing tape and electrical tape are both vinyl tapes, you're just going to have to try a few before you find one with the characteristics you desire.
 
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esm

Hall of Fame
What is the reason for wanting additional grip tape? Unless you want the quality of the grip tape you like, but in different colours, so you can distinguish between matched racquets?
(That’s what I use anyway, so I can tell between my no.1 and no.2 racquets... lol)
 
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RadicalEdward23

New User
Gamma and Tourna have finishing tape you can buy from Tennis Warehouse, idk if you've tried either of those. Electrical tape is usually used but I agree that it's not the same. I know that some grip packs come with a roll of tape but I don't know if those are sold separately.
 
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esm

Hall of Fame
RadicalEdward23 said:
Gamma and Tourna have finishing tape you can buy from Tennis Warehouse, idk if you've tried either of those. Electrical tape is usually used but I agree that it's not the same. I know that some grip packs come with a roll of tape but I don't know if those are sold separately.
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I bought the 30 pack Tourna years and years ago, and it came with a roll of red finishing tape. It is definitely thicker and not the same as the red finishing tape came with the 3 pack. The roll of red tape didn’t have the Tourna print in it either.
(Now thinking about it... maybe the seller/retail replaced with a roll of red tape... who knows. Lol)
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
golden chicken said:
There are a few threads discussing electrical tape vs. finishing tape. Seems a rather even split between users of both.

As far as electrical tape goes, there is definitely a range of quality. Some cheap stuff is stiff and has terrible adhesive, some cheap stuff is thin and stretchy, and the good stuff has a quality adhesive and some stretch.

I would venture to guess finishing tape and electrical tape are both vinyl tapes, you're just going to have to try a few before you find one with the characteristics you desire.
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I've tried many. All pretty sucky except a couple but they come so wide and don't stick the best.
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
esm said:
I bought the 30 pack Tourna years and years ago, and it came with a roll of red finishing tape. It is definitely thicker and not the same as the red finishing tape came with the 3 pack. The roll of red tape didn’t have the Tourna print in it either.
(Now thinking about it... maybe the seller/retail replaced with a roll of red tape... who knows. Lol)
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Huh, I know what you mean. That's too bad. Tourna cuts a lot of corners. And by that I mean they literally don't even cut a taper into their overgrips.

Volkl v dry, try it sometime. Gave me what I wanted out of tourna but works and lasts better for me. Looks better, tapered both sides, little adhesive starter, etc. I love it.
 
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Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
RadicalEdward23 said:
Gamma and Tourna have finishing tape you can buy from Tennis Warehouse, idk if you've tried either of those. Electrical tape is usually used but I agree that it's not the same. I know that some grip packs come with a roll of tape but I don't know if those are sold separately.
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I think I bought one or two. I should call them and really ask about it in detail haha. This is one of those things that's hard to find because almost nobody cares so nobody talks about it and there's no clear standard or brand, etc.
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
esm said:
What is the reason for wanting additional grip tape? Unless you want the quality of the grip tape you like, but in different colours, so you can distinguish between matched racquets?
(That’s what I use anyway, so I can tell between my no.1 and no.2 racquets... lol)
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Hmm mostly because I absolutely hate glossy tape. Not into gloss in general. I hate that it is reflective, I hate the glare. Don't want it on my racquet finish or on my tape.

But I also really prefer an unbranded look but also to just cut the tape to my own length. I also might redo the overgrip in some instances or redo the leather base grip.

Your idea makes sense. I guess I'd have another way of telling but I always do something different because I'm experimenting almost all the time. I like custom buttcap stickers so I'd probably do that.
 
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socallefty

socallefty

Hall of Fame
Do you think you win one more match or lose one more match because of the grip tape you use? Who gives a da#n.
 
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Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
socallefty said:
Do you think you win one more match or lose one more match because of the grip tape you use? Who gives a. da#n.
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This is what I'm talking about.

No, dude. It's not that meaningful in a performance way. I just have a preference and it matters to me personally.

Others get it. Are you just here to bug on someone's personal preference by making it about competition when it's got nothing to do with that?

As if that's the only valid metric to measure the value of someone's question...
 
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Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
golden chicken said:
There are a few threads discussing electrical tape vs. finishing tape. Seems a rather even split between users of both.

As far as electrical tape goes, there is definitely a range of quality. Some cheap stuff is stiff and has terrible adhesive, some cheap stuff is thin and stretchy, and the good stuff has a quality adhesive and some stretch.

I would venture to guess finishing tape and electrical tape are both vinyl tapes, you're just going to have to try a few before you find one with the characteristics you desire.
Click to expand...
Finishing tape might have brought me some promising options.

Ordered. Now we wait and see if the search is over. Hope so. It's so dumb to be bothered by something like the tape but here I am.
 
socallefty

socallefty

Hall of Fame
Jay Sean said:
This is what I'm talking about.

No, dude. It's not that meaningful in a performance way. I just have a preference and it matters to me personally.

Others get it. Are you just here to bug on someone's personal preference by making about competition when it's got nothing to do with that?
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Yes. I’m trying to make you think about the big picture. Don't have personal preferences which don’t mean anything in the bigger scheme of things. If your happiness comes down to things like grip-tape on-court, how can you cope with life off-court where it is much more of an uncontrolled situation.

You are in your mid-twenties and I can tell you after having the wisdom of almost three more decades that you shouldn’t even be thinking about these kinds of minor issues.
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
socallefty said:
Yes. I’m trying to make you think about the big picture. Don't have personal preferences which don’t mean anything in the bigger scheme of things. If your happiness comes down to things like grip-tape on-court, how can you cope with life off-court where it is much more of an uncontrolled situation.
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You one of those guys that identifies with on court mentality all the way off court?

Some of the highest ranking players of all time are very superstitious.

Who cares. Why do you care?

What if I was sponsored by conflicting grip manufacturers and need an unbranded tape for my overgrips and the sponsoring companies only provide me with crappy electrical tape? Then would my question have some validity to you, oh great Hall of Fame lefty socal player?
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
socallefty said:
Yes. I’m trying to make you think about the big picture. Don't have personal preferences which don’t mean anything in the bigger scheme of things. If your happiness comes down to things like grip-tape on-court, how can you cope with life off-court where it is much more of an uncontrolled situation.

You are in your mid-twenties and I can tell you after having the wisdom of almost three more decades that you shouldn’t even be thinking about these kinds of minor issues.
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This is actually such a hilarious comment to me. "don't have personal preferences which don’t mean anything in the bigger scheme of things."

That is legitimately some of the most insane ways of thinking I've heard. You're the one taking some exaggerated tangent to create way more meaning for this tape than is there.

I just want matte tape that doesn't suck and isn't branded. It's very, very simple. The funny part is how hard such a thing is to come by despite how common it is on stock racquets.

And so what if the aesthetic of my racquet matters to me a bit? Why do you think nice looking cars sell? Why different graphics on racquets affect the likability? This goes for shoes, clothes, literally anything you might wear.

People care about fashion but also function. If you're going to project some idea that someone who cares about fashion couldn't care also about function, that's ridiculous.

This is an instance in which both matter to me. In fact, both almost always matter to me with anything I'm passionate about.

Maybe you don't know what is like to mesh the love for an aesthetic with how it performs. Maybe you overthink less than some for it and that's great for you but not everyone's like that.

And some of the best players in the world certainly are not like that and they just are who they are and it's a part of why they are who they are.

So maybe just accept people for who they are with their little quirks as the bigger picture of who they are and don't be so quick to identify it with something you'd label a flaw.
 
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golden chicken

Hall of Fame
If you've found an electrical tape you don't mind the performance of, but it's glossy, you could hit it with some fine sandpaper after you apply it. If you're careful with an exacto knife you can cut the tape in half too.
 
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esm

Hall of Fame
Jay Sean said:
Hmm mostly because I absolutely hate glossy tape. Not into gloss in general. I hate that it is reflective, I hate the glare. Don't want it on my racquet finish or on my tape.

But I also really prefer an unbranded look but also to just cut the tape to my own length. I also might redo the overgrip in some instances or redo the leather base grip.

Your idea makes sense. I guess I'd have another way of telling but I always do something different because I'm experimenting almost all the time. I like custom buttcap stickers so I'd probably do that.
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yeah, i can understand the glossy bit - but i think most electrical tape in a roll would be glossy/slippery, to prevent the tape from sticking... maybe run an eraser over it to take the shine off the tape, just a thought.
i also understand your thoughts about the butt cap - i used to also apply a small piece of the same colour grip finishing tape on the butt cap, so it'd easier for me to tell which is no.1 or no.x when i have my racquet bag in the up right position.... 8-B
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
golden chicken said:
If you've found an electrical tape you don't mind the performance of, but it's glossy, you could hit it with some fine sandpaper after you apply it. If you're careful with an exacto knife you can cut the tape in half too.
Click to expand...
That reminds me of a trick i did to clamp a razor down like 1cm off the table and i pressed a roll of electrical tape into it and just rotated for a few minutes and it cut the whole roll perfectly in half after.
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
esm said:
yeah, i can understand the glossy bit - but i think most electrical tape in a roll would be glossy/slippery, to prevent the tape from sticking... maybe run an eraser over it to take the shine off the tape, just a thought.
i also understand your thoughts about the butt cap - i used to also apply a small piece of the same colour grip finishing tape on the butt cap, so it'd easier for me to tell which is no.1 or no.x when i have my racquet bag in the up right position.... 8-B
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I never really thought to degloss the electrical tape haha. I wonder if that wouldn't be as annoying as it sounds.

Really hoping to just find what I'm looking for. It exists. I know it. Just gotta find it.
 
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esm

Hall of Fame
Jay Sean said:
I never really thought to degloss the electrical tape haha. I wonder if that wouldn't be as annoying as it sounds.

Really hoping to just find what I'm looking for. It exists. I know it. Just gotta find it.
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found this online - black cloth electrical tape.... maybe this is more suitable for ya

 
S

struggle

Legend
I use electrical tape, and quite happily. Brand doesn't matter much as i put the silly
little rubber thing over it when done.....AND it doesn't need to stay on long.

I'm happy to sell you all of the silly little tapes i get with my overgrips (usually Yonex), but it'll cost
you as it's a silly exercise (IMO) and it'll have to be worth my time...

Holler!!
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
struggle said:
I use electrical tape, and quite happily. Brand doesn't matter much as i put the silly
little rubber thing over it when done.....AND it doesn't need to stay on long.

I'm happy to sell you all of the silly little tapes i get with my overgrips (usually Yonex), but it'll cost
you as it's a silly exercise (IMO) and it'll have to be worth my time...

Holler!!
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Also hate the rubbers. But thank you!
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
struggle said:
Then you must also hate overgrip?
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Not all all. But the rubber band thing that some racquets have at the throat? Drives me crazy. I think most people take that off.

Are you over generalizing rubber? I was kinda making a condom joke but this whole tape thing is pretty specifically for the overgrip tape.
 
S

struggle

Legend
Jay Sean said:
Not all all. But the rubber band thing that some racquets have at the throat? Drives me crazy. I think most people take that off.

Are you over generalizing rubber? I was kinda making a condom joke but this whole tape thing is pretty specifically for the overgrip tape.
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Gotcha, haven't used a condom in so long that a touch of tape is a non-issue. To me, the rubber band that hides the tape you are so
concerned about actually more matches the feel of any overgrip than does any piece of tape i've ever known. As such, carry on with this
discussion. I have no more input.

I'll catch on your next thread about important stuff.

Cheers!!
 
Jay Sean

Jay Sean

New User
struggle said:
Gotcha, haven't used a condom in so long that a touch of tape is a non-issue. To me, the rubber band that hides the tape you are so
concerned about actually more matches the feel of any overgrip than does any piece of tape i've ever known. As such, carry on with this
discussion. I have no more input.

I'll catch on your next thread about important stuff.

Cheers!!
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The rubber easily moves around so it's the stress of keeping it in place.

The tape I'm looking for is what I'm looking for, ya know?
 
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