What Tennis Grips Do The Pro’s Use?
Tennis grips are often an overlooked part of a tennis players game. They demo racquets and try a new string that might give them a little more power, or spin, or control, or just might help with that nagging tennis elbow! Sometimes they even prioritize their sweat bands or shock absorbers over their tennis grips. While there a lot of accessories that goes into making the tennis players game exceptional, sometimes we forget about the first thing that your hand touches. The tennis grip! Whether you are a 3.0 or playing on the ATP or WTA Tour, having a grip that you like and are comfortable with… can make all the difference. There are a lot of different brands of Grips out there in the Tennis News, so what kind of grips are your favorite tennis players playing with!
Roger Federer uses a Tacky and cushiony tennis grip. Because he is sponsored by Wilson he uses their tacky grips. The pros of these tacky grips are that they are super comfortable in the hand and give you a great feel of the racquet. The down fall is that they can turn slippery if they have absorbed too much sweat. Some tacky grips absorb sweat better than others.
Rafael Nadal also uses a Tacky Overgrip but his grips come from Babolat due to his sponsorship. Nadal probably sweats more than Federer does, but these pro’s have the advantage of being able to switch racquets every 10th game or so. They will either switch racquets when the grip is to sweaty or their strings start to get loose. We common tennis players are often stuck with 1 or 2 racquets during the match. Nadal uses a thinner grips than Federer that may allow him to have a better “feel” of the racquet, but it wont be able to asborb the sweat as much!
Since we are doing all three greats… Novak Djokovic also uses a tacky overgrip. These are definitely the most popular among the pro’s as they are the most comfortable. They don’t last forever though. These pros will have a new over grip on before every match! Djokovic actually uses two overgrips. The first one lies flat with no bumps and the second overgrip will be rigged with the bumps to fit his hand properly.
Top American Tennis Players like John Isner and the Bryan Brothers use the dry material for their grips. This dry material is water resistant that are great for hot and humid weather. They aren’t quite as cushion-y as a tacky over grip but if you can’t keep the racquet in your hand they might be a good fit for you.
Tennis is a very fun sport with lots of accessories that can elevate your game to the next level. Next time you play tennis we recommend you look at the grip and see if its time to find the right one for you. The tennis grip can be just as important as the racquet and the string! Whether you like a little more comfort in a tacky grip or need to keep those hands dry for you at all cost, there is a grip out there that is right for you!