
Holding On For Dear Life — Why You Need to Invest in a Good Padel Grip
What is a padel overgrip, exactly? New padel rackets feature a layer of grip material over the handle designed to fit a small hand. The grip material that goes over the main grip is known as the overgrip.Here’s everything you need to know about this padel essential:
Contrary to popular belief, a padel overgrip is not just a fancy accessory.
There’s a lot more to grips and overgrips than meets the eye. This is true not just in terms of how they vary, but also in why you need them.
The first question that comes to mind is: what is the difference between a padel grip and overgrip?
The cushioned layer of strapping that goes directly onto the racket handle is the grip of a padel racket. The padel racket grip is always connected to the racket handle so that it does not move.
On the other hand, the overgrip is made of a thinner material that has a rubbery feel to it, making it easier to grasp. Unlike the racket grip, which has adhesive running its length, the overgrip only has sticky at the ends. The combination of the rubbery feel and elastic stretch helps to keep the overgrip in place during play.
Because the overgrip is non-adhesive, it can be changed quickly and easily during a match without causing damage to the primary racket grip.
Why do you need a racket grip?
A padel racket’s strong outer shell is composed of either fiberglass or carbon fiber. As the molded outer shell continues down into the handle, it becomes robust and stiff hexagonal.
Holding the racket would be very unpleasant if you had no grip at all. As a result, the main grip of a padel racket is more cushioned than any overgrip layers.

If you already have the grip, isn’t a racket overgrip overkill?
Overgrips enable players to adjust the size of their padel racket handle to fit their hands. So it would be best if you had overgrips for comfort and stability.
Another possibility would be for racket makers to provide rackets with varying handle sizes. This would have required a separate mold for each handle size and type of padel racket. This would have resulted in a significant increase in manufacturing prices, putting padel rackets out of reach for most players.
The most cost-effective approach is to manufacture overgrips that players can purchase inexpensively and use to enhance their padel grip as required. In this manner, an off-the-shelf padel racket may essentially be “one size fits all.”
The amount of overgrips used is entirely dependent on the player and the size of their hands.

If you have big hands, you may need two or even three overgrips to have a comfortable grip on the racket.
Your padel racket grip is too small if your fingers can touch your palm when gripping the racket. For me, the ideal is when I can place the index finger of my opposite hand in the space between the fingertips and palm holding the racket.
I find having an index finger width between my fingertips and hand-palm is best.
If the grip of your padel racket is too small, it will cause you to squeeze the handle too tightly. Not only will this lock up your wrist and forearm, thereby reducing your control of the padel racket, but it will also lead to elbow problems over time.