Ever wondered what those colourful strips of tape wrapped around the tennis racket’s handle are for? They’re called overgrips, and they serve an important purpose in keeping your grip dry, comfortable, and slip-free during play.

Any experienced tennis player will tell you that having a good grip on your racquet is the building block for all other strokes in the game. After all, no one can hit the ball very well if they can’t even hold on to the main tool they need to do so.

What Is a Tennis Overgrip?

If you look for ways to improve your game and optimize performance, sturdy overgrips for tennis racquets are your safest bet. They’re essentially strips of tape that are made of different materials like leather, PU (polyurethane), or silicone.

Their main purpose is to provide a more comfortable grip and prevent your hands from slipping during play. The materials are designed to wick away sweat and keep your hands dry, which is essential for maintaining a secure hold of your racquet.

To have the best grip possible while playing on the pro tour, many players will use a fresh overgrip each time they pick up their racquet. Even if you are unable to update yours regularly, you can still gain from doing so sometimes.

However, not all overgrips for playing tennis are created equal. They’re available in a range of hues, textures, and thicknesses, while some are more effective than others in increasing traction or soaking up perspiration.

Overgrips vs. Replacement Grips

As we have already said, an overgrip is a thinner, less robust wrap that is used on top of a replacement grip and is replaced more frequently. Whereas, a replacement grip is a thick, resilient cover attached to the handle to give players a comfortable surface to hold their racquets on!

Overgrips for tennis racquets can be changed quickly and easily, hence many players will do so during a game’s changeover. Additionally, it allows you to easily modify the size of your racquet’s handle.

When selecting the right size, you might fall between sizes. If that’s the case, we advise you to get the smaller size so that, if necessary, you can quickly develop a grip.

Why and When to Replace Overgrips

Overgrips are primarily used by players to increase grip and decrease racquet sliding or twisting in their hands. Your racquet’s grip loses tackiness over time, becoming slicker and less effective. Overgrips can come in handy in these situations.

You’ve probably already noticed that it can be difficult to keep a strong hold on your racquet when you start perspiring. In warmer weather, some overgrips can lose their effectiveness more quickly because they can’t withstand sweat as well as others.

Players who play indoors or in warmer climates frequently use overgrips with improved perspiration absorption. Remember, though, that you are not required to employ the same overgrip each time. You might want to keep a couple of different grips in your backpack if you play in different environments.

Because your hands haven’t become used to the friction your hand experiences when you play, if you’re a new player who has only recently begun learning how to play tennis, you may be more prone to developing blisters. These can be successfully avoided by using soft overgrips.

A blister might not seem dangerous in terms of wounds. Nevertheless, having several blisters or having one on the incorrect portion of your hand can be excruciatingly uncomfortable and, in the worst case, force you to alter your swing, which may result in elbow and shoulder injuries.

Since overgrips are reasonably cheap, it’s worthwhile to replace them frequently to make sure you have a good grip on your racquet. However, it’s up to you how frequently you switch up your grip.

How Many Overgrips You Should Choose

One overgrip is all it takes to completely wrap a racquet handle. However, some players may add additional overgrips to their handles to make them thicker to achieve the ideal fit. Remember that the racquet’s bevels or eight sides assist you to retain firm traction and prevent the racquet from twisting in your hand when employing multiple overgrips.

The handle will flatten out and lose its edges as you add more overgrips, which can make it challenging to smash without the racquet twisting. In light of this, you should only add two overgrips to your racquet’s handle.

How to Find the Ideal Ones

It will take some trial and error to find the ideal grip. Moreover, you’ll discover that using various overgrips under certain circumstances is beneficial. In hot, humid weather, for instance, you could choose a sweat-absorbing grip, while in colder or drier weather, you might utilize a tackier grip.

Overgrips can be anything from 0.4 and 2.6 mm thick, with overgrips on the thicker end of the spectrum frequently having a ribbed insert to aid in improving control. The majority of overgrips fall between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm. Your handle size won’t vary as much if your grip is thinner, but its ability to absorb perspiration will likely be limited.

Best Tennis Overgrips to Buy

Best Overall: Wilson Pro

While Tecnifibre racquets may be the best ones for some, the most well-liked models on the market are the Wilson Pro ones. It’s the overgrip of choice for athletes like Roger Federer and the Williams sisters.

It’s many people’s top choice because it strikes the best balance between tackiness and perspiration absorption without veering too far in either direction. At 0.6 mm thick, it won’t significantly alter how your racquet feels. Overall, it’s versatile and the most preferred grip on the market.

Thickest: Yonex’s Dry Grap

The thickest, non-ribbed overgrip on the market is the Yonex Dry Grap. With a thickness of 0.65 mm, it effectively wicks away moisture and keeps your hands dry, but it’s important to keep in mind that it doesn’t have a particularly sticky grip.

The Wilson Pro, Yonex Super Grap, or Head Prestige Pro overgrips, all measuring 0.6 mm, are excellent options if you look for a thicker overgrip with some tack.