What's your favorite leather grip?

[Booger]

I'm sure this has been done, but this is the 2020 version.

Just picked up a blade 98 for a broke high school player and am rooting through my grip stash. Synthetic grips are hot garbage only invented to save $1 on manufacturing cost, don't @ me. Found a fairway, oehms (how do you pronounce that?), couple Kimony, and a TW house brand.

Fairway is probably my favorite even though they are a pain to install. Haven't tried the other 3. Didn't care for Wilson or Babolat leather, which I'm assuming are white labeled from another manufacturer.

 

[Ronaldo]

Have a few Fairways palmed from old 80s racquets.

 

[Booger]

Have a few Fairways palmed from old 80s racquets.

Have to break out the staple gun and tape. My only gripe.

 

[Ronaldo]

Have to break out the staple gun and tape. My only gripe.

No spray adhesive?

 

[Booger]

No spray adhesive?

A very messy method and not easy to redo if you need to.

 

[Ronaldo]

A very messy method and not easy to redo if you need to.

Re-do? Still using the Head leather on the Prestige.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

The TW 22mm 1.3 is great if you don't want to add much weight or thickness to the grip. It can be pulled tight and trimmed alot. Never used Kimony but Ive heard it is similar in those regards. Would avoid that black coated one though since it might slippery.

Love the oehms pro leather! Have found some QC issues since one had adhesive backing all the way up and one had none at all. My preference would be for it to have adhesive for maybe 8" so that way there would be a good bind around the butt cap and then no junk where its not needed. Oehms is a good balance of characteristics whereas the leather grip head sells is very firm.

Never used FW. Hear it is the gold standard but I know the original company went out of business. Maybe its like the Prince calfskin, which is super velvety? That would be my choice if playing "bareback".

 

[2ndServe]

No love for Gamma? I just get that because it's cheap on amz, got no complaints

 

[Booger]

No love for Gamma? I just get that because it's cheap on amz, got no complaints

Lol we are looking for best here, not b grade dog collar material.

 

[g4driver]

Fairway. Nothing else comes close.

Easily installed.. no stable gun. Just a 5" strip of XFasten Double Sided tape installed like an overgrip. This tape is the closest thing I have found to that thin sticky tape underneath most original grips on Wilson, Head, Babolat frames. If you have ever replaced an original grip on those frames, do you remember that layer of sticky thin material under the grip? Well this is as close as it gets.


XFasten Double Sided Tape Clear, Removable, 1-Inch by 20-Yards, Pack of 3 Ideal as a Gift Wrap Tape, Holding Carpets, and Woodworking https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HHQF97/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_duMmEbNCBH6ZD

 

[2ndServe]

Lol we are looking for best here, not b grade dog collar material.

ha sometimes ignorance is bliss,

 

[Booger]

ha sometimes ignorance is bliss,

So if you had your choice between any of the ones I listed vs gamma, you'd choose gamma?

 

[beltsman]

What do you like about leather grips versus synthetic?

 

[Booger]

What do you like about leather grips versus synthetic?

Most synthetic grips are mushy. Leather is firmer and allows you to feel the bevels more easily.

 

[Crozzer95]

I think my P1 leather is the best I’ve ever seen and or felt

 

[dnguyen]

Ho

I think my P1 leather is the best I’ve ever seen and or felt

how do you buy it?

 

[Ronaldo]

Most synthetic grips are mushy. Leather is firmer and allows you to feel the bevels more easily.

Gamma Hi-Tech synthetic is/was pretty firm.

 

[Crozzer95]

Ho

how do you buy it?

You can’t.

 

[Znak]

Such a cliff hanger, how did it end, which did you end up preferring @Booger?

 

[Local Tennis Players]

Is it wrong that I like Babolat’s leather grip?

 

[taylor15]

I just tried Oehms on my new prestige pros. I have used Wilson, Dunlop and TW in the past.

spoiler: just bought 3 more Oehms for future use. I like it that much

 

[Znak]

I just tried Oehms on my new prestige pros. I have used Wilson, Dunlop and TW in the past.

spoiler: just bought 3 more Oehms for future use. I like it that much

Their Retro leather or or Pro leather? Anyone know the difference between the two I can't see much on their website

 

[taylor15]

Their Retro leather or or Pro leather? Anyone know the difference between the two I can't see much on their website

I'm playing the Pro leather. It's the only one I can find in the US easily, Oehm's runs a store in the rainforest. Pic is of the whole racquet, but if you want some closer up pics let me know.

Weight was 28g untrimmed and 24g installed on a Touch Prestige Pro.

36-BCED8-C-E09-D-4-C19-9-E65-1-E64783-F525-B hosted at ImgBB

Image 36-BCED8-C-E09-D-4-C19-9-E65-1-E64783-F525-B hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[Znak]

I'm playing the Pro leather. It's the only one I can find in the US easily, Oehm's runs a store in the rainforest. Pic is of the whole racquet, but if you want some closer up pics let me know.

Weight was 28g untrimmed and 24g installed on a Touch Prestige Pro.

36-BCED8-C-E09-D-4-C19-9-E65-1-E64783-F525-B hosted at ImgBB

Image 36-BCED8-C-E09-D-4-C19-9-E65-1-E64783-F525-B hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Looks slick!

 

[Return_Ace]

I was really liking the Oehm's grips, have two on my Prestige Pro's another on my Gravity Tour and my Ezone Tour.

Bought another for my Gravity MP and was having a real struggle wrapping the grip around, the first turn wouldn't sit flush, and would keep slipping when trying to wrap up; I had thought it was just a me issue, hadn't wrapped a grip for a while, so kept persisting to no avail. I then found I had an old Angell Tennis leather grip lying around and wrapped the grip effortlessly first time round; not sure what exactly went wrong (maybe the tapered side was too short? Maybe need to sticky tape the first turn down?).

 

[taylor15]

Looks slick!

It's a very soft leather, but not squishy or thick (if that makes sense). Of course, I covered it with an overgrip for tonight's match but I may try hitting only leather like I did as a kid

 

[taylor15]

I was really liking the Oehm's grips, have two on my Prestige Pro's another on my Gravity Tour and my Ezone Tour.

Bought another for my Gravity MP and was having a real struggle wrapping the grip around, the first turn wouldn't sit flush, and would keep slipping when trying to wrap up; I had thought it was just a me issue, hadn't wrapped a grip for a while, so kept persisting to no avail. I then found I had an old Angell Tennis leather grip lying around and wrapped the grip effortlessly first time round; not sure what exactly went wrong (maybe the tapered side was too short? Maybe need to sticky tape the first turn down?).

Interesting. I had very good experience with wrapping the grip. I did reuse the staple from the original grip bc it was sliding down but I’ve experienced this with other head buttcaps in the past bc if the shape. I actually found it to wrap smoother than the TW leather bc it’s more pliable

 

[CosmosMpower]

Head Tour, easiest to install. Not too crazy heavy.

 

[La Pavoni]

I've always got an overgrip on anyway. So I use Babolat leather if I want to reduce thickness and Wilson premium if I want to increase it a little. I find that I'm generally fine playing with either a 3 or 4 grip size and so I've settled on something in the middle. Either a 3 with a thicker replacement, or a 4 with a thinner one. Leaves me with about a 1mm difference in circumference.

 

[FoldingChair]

Thanks to you all for the heads up on the pain of installing fairways. I would’ve been very unprepared

 

[kdwithketchup]

Are Fairways and Oehms consistently heavier than the other brands? I'm looking for something heavy to make the racquet more HL

 

[Znak]

Are Fairways and Oehms consistently heavier than the other brands? I'm looking for something heavy to make the racquet more HL

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/lets-gather-all-grip-specs-weight-thickness-into-one-thread.465717/post-7476736

 

[JW10S]

Back in the old days I exclusively used Fairway grips. I wrapped them without any glue or double sided tape so when they got worn and lost their feel I would turn them over and wrap them rough side up. That gave a great grip albeit a little tough on the hands which is probably why I still tape my fingers when I play decades later.

 

[Tronco20]

I've always got an overgrip on anyway. So I use Babolat leather if I want to reduce thickness and Wilson premium if I want to increase it a little. I find that I'm generally fine playing with either a 3 or 4 grip size and so I've settled on something in the middle. Either a 3 with a thicker replacement, or a 4 with a thinner one. Leaves me with about a 1mm difference in circumference.

I'm the same - have rackets both in grip size 3 and 4, and always look for sth between (Use both Supergrap on 3s and Babolat VS on 4s). I've never used a leather grip (I like Skin Feel for reducing 1/2 a size from 4) but was thinking of trying one. The thing is: I see Babolat leather thickness listed at 1.7 mm, which is among the thickest. How come it reduces (slightly) the grip size? (I was thinking of putting Babolat on my grip 3 rackets and TW 1.3mm on my grip 4 rackets. However, haven't seen TW 1.3mm or any on tw-europe yet. Have they ever offered it for Europe or is it US only? Do you have any suggestions for a similar one available in Europe?

 

[La Pavoni]

I'm the same - have rackets both in grip size 3 and 4, and always look for sth between (Use both Supergrap on 3s and Babolat VS on 4s). I've never used a leather grip (I like Skin Feel for reducing 1/2 a size from 4) but was thinking of trying one. The thing is: I see Babolat leather thickness listed at 1.7 mm, which is among the thickest. How come it reduces (slightly) the grip size? (I was thinking of putting Babolat on my grip 3 rackets and TW 1.3mm on my grip 4 rackets. However, haven't seen TW 1.3mm or any on tw-europe yet. Have they ever offered it for Europe or is it US only? Do you have any suggestions for a similar one available in Europe?

Reduce might all be relative, compared to original. I'm in Europe too (or at least I was until Brexit ). The Babolats that I got were 1.4mm. The Wilson premium a 1.6 or 1.7mm. You can go even thinner with the Kimony Techni.

Str*#£3r5world in the UK have a pretty decent selection. Be warned though, not everything in stock, is actually always in stock...

 

[recreationalplayer]

Is it wrong that I like Babolat’s leather grip?

No it isn't - but please say why you wrap lead tape around the bottom of the handle rather than placing the strips along the length of the handle, as in one strip, each, on the 'top' , 'bottom' and side bevels, one opposite the other?

 

[Local Tennis Players]

No it isn't - but please say why you wrap lead tape around the bottom of the handle rather than placing the strips along the length of the handle, as in one strip, each, on the 'top' , 'bottom' and side bevels, one opposite the other?

good question. I think it’s because I always did it this way haha

 

[Purestriker]

I'm sure this has been done, but this is the 2020 version.

Just picked up a blade 98 for a broke high school player and am rooting through my grip stash. Synthetic grips are hot garbage only invented to save $1 on manufacturing cost, don't @ me. Found a fairway, oehms (how do you pronounce that?), couple Kimony, and a TW house brand.

Fairway is probably my favorite even though they are a pain to install. Haven't tried the other 3. Didn't care for Wilson or Babolat leather, which I'm assuming are white labeled from another manufacturer.

I like Fairway, Head and Tourna in that order (not too bad on a budget). Have not used the TW logo or Oehms.

 

[WilsonPlayer101]

I can't go by new current grips but my fave is the old leather grip on the Head Arthur Ashe leather grip in the early 80s. Now that was great.

 

[Alex78]

MSV (known for their strings) have a new leather grip in their portfolio. I've ordered a fewe and I have to say I'm very impressed.
Produces a bevel feel I have not experienced with any other leather grip before (I always wrap my grips with the same degree of overlap).

 

[AndrewUtz]

I typically use fairway. Has anyone had both fairway and oehm’s premium and can compare the two?

 

[NicoMK]

TW leather grips are pretty good, and they are not expensive. Good deal.

 

[SOY78]

Favorite is the Head calfskin followed by the TW leather grips.

 

[AndrewUtz]

Favorite is the Head calfskin followed by the TW leather grips.

have you tried fairway and head calfskin?

 

[BlueB]

None. Don't like them much.

 

[SOY78]

have you tried fairway and head calfskin?

I have and I still like Head Calfskin more

 

[AndrewUtz]

I have and I still like Head Calfskin more

I hear the oehm’s premiuum is the same as the head calfskin. I’m thinking about getting it as I can’t find any place to get the head calfskin.

 

[AndrewUtz]

I just got my Oehm’s premium leather grip in the mail. I’m sorry but it’s not even close to the same quality as the fairway. Fairway is far and away the winner when it comes to leather grips. I’ve tried Dunlop, Wilson, Tourna, Yonex, Head (not finest calfskin, just the retail one), and now Oehm’s. If you’re reading this thread just save yourself some time and get the fairway.

 

[zoingy]

I just got my Oehm’s premium leather grip in the mail. I’m sorry but it’s not even close to the same quality as the fairway. Fairway is far and away the winner when it comes to leather grips. I’ve tried Dunlop, Wilson, Tourna, Yonex, Head (not finest calfskin, just the retail one), and now Oehm’s. If you’re reading this thread just save yourself some time and get the fairway.

What's bad about it btw? Just curious

 

[AndrewUtz]

What's bad about it btw? Just curious

Nothing is wrong about the Oehm’s. There’s just a lot right with the fairway. more supple and tacky leather grain, thicker higher quality piece of leather over all. Both are still probably above the others i’ve tried but if you’re after the best I think fairway holds that title for me.