Badminton Overgrip Tape Guide: Why?
Badminton rackets normally come with a grip on the racket itself, but many players opt to use an over grip on top of the factory grip. These grips are generally made of rubber, cotton, or cloth and allow a player to customize the width and length of the grip area. Since we all have different feelings for our shots, it's important for a player to be able to customize how the racket feels in their hands. In this post, we will go over how to select the right grip for you and a few common grips that you can find right here on Badminton Warehouse.
How to Select a Grip?
When it comes down to it, selecting a grip comes down to trying many different grips at different thickness and textures until one feels "natural" to you. The last thing you want is to have the grip disrupt how your stroke or skill feels. However, there are a few qualities that different grips can provide.
Thickness
The thickness of the grip is one of the biggest factors of the grip feel. Depending on your hand and finger size, you may want to make the grip thicker or thinner so that you can have a better hold on the racket. The thickness can be based on the actual thickness of the grip, or by how tightly you decide to apply the grip on top of the racket. If you stretch the grip out more when applying, the grip will be thinner (as it is more stretched out), but if you don't apply as much stretch, the grip will be thicker.
Absorbency
This refers to the ability of the grip to absorb your sweat. Some grips will be able to absorb more of your sweat before producing the wet and slippery feeling on the grip, whereas other grips will not be able to absorb as much. This may require the player to dry off the grip with a towel or just switch rackets in the middle of a match if they sweat a lot.
Texture
Some grips are stickier than others and some grips are harder than others. Sticky grips have the benefit of having an easier hold on the racket, but can also lead to more friction between your skin and the racket grip. Soft grips may provide a more comfortable hold for players, but may lead to less control on the shots. There are tradeoffs in the different textures of a racket grip, but it comes down to which feels the best for you!
Check Out These Grips
Yonex Super Grap
The Super Grap comes in a pack of 3 grips for $6.50 and is one of the most common grips used by most players. If you have ever borrowed another player's racket, you may have already given this grip a try! It comes in various different colors, has solid absorbency, and the thickness can be adjusted based on how much you stretch it.
Yonex Towel Grip
The towel grip is another extremely popular grip used by many professional players. This is especially useful for the players who sweat more on their forearms and palms to help them maintain a good grip on the racket. Because the towel grip also absorbs more sweat than the traditional grip, it may develop an odor and need to be replaced sooner than normal. However, it is still a great choice for many players who prefer the extra absorbency and the light grip.
https://www.badmintonwarehouse.com/collections/badminton-grips/products/atgrip?variant=21904977735
Yonex Wave Grap
Another popular grip made by Yonex is the Wave Grap. This grip has a center cushion that gives the grip a ribbed feel and allows players to have a more comfortable time following the lines of the grip. With this grip, your fingers can rest comfortably within the ridges and allow you to control the racket more easily! This also comes in many colors depending on what suits your style the best.
https://www.badmintonwarehouse.com/collections/badminton-grips/products/aywgrap?variant=27506532359
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