Badminton racket grips are an important addition to your racket. You want to make sure your racket feels comfortable in your hand to allow you to play the shots required of you in any given situation.
There’s a variety of grips available to badminton players these days but they’re often presented in very confusing ways.
I mean we can tell the difference between a synthetic grip and a towel grip fairly intuitively.
But what is the difference between a Yonex AC134EX Twin Wave Grap and a Yonex AC 420EX Hi Soft Grap? And what is a grap?!
Unlike rackets, they don’t have a cool name given to them by a team of marketing executives. So it’s almost impossible to tell them apart by name alone. However, similarly to rackets, you will have to try a number of grips to find the one you like.
The Basics – Terminology
There’s a lot of information out there on grips that leads to a lot of confusion.
1. A Grip And Grap Are The Same Thing. I don’t know what Yonex’s idea was when they started calling grips “graps.” Perhaps they think it sounds tackier. This caused me some confusion when I first started playing but think of them as the same and you’ll never be confused again! They are both usually a type of overgrip.
2. Under Grip. The under grip is any grip below your overgrip. The best way to think of it is as the default grip that comes with any new racket because this is what most players apply their new grip over. However as I will mention later, you can strip this grip to the wood and apply a new under grip which many players might not have done before.
3. Overgrip. An overgrip is the grip you apply on top of the under grip. Typically when people buy badminton grips, this is what is being referred to and is the visible grip on the racket.
All grips fall into the above two categories. Of course, there are variations, mostly in overgrips but ultimately, they are either one or the other.
Types of Badminton Grip
Under Grips
As mentioned, most players use the default grip that the racket came with as their under grip. There’s nothing wrong with this and it’s the most convenient way to apply an overgrip to the racket.
What you might not know is that there’s another badminton under grip available. It’s called cushion wrap and is a thin foam-like material.
The idea is that it is lightweight and so does not impact the balance of the racket too much. It also helps to absorb vibrations from the racket when playing.
This under grip usually applied directly onto the racket wood as above. As much as you like can be used to the required thickness, bearing in mind that an overgrip will go on top of it.
Overgrips
Synthetic Grips
Overgrips come in a variety of options. The most common is the synthetic grips. These are made of polyurethane in most instances but you can also get leather grips – although this is pretty rare.
Advantages of Synthetic Overgrip
- Comfortable. Synthetic grips are comfortable to hold and provide additional cushioning on the racket handle.
- Options. As mentioned above, there’s a wide range of options available. They come in a variety of thicknesses and styles as demonstrated by the images above. Some are ribbed for more comfort, some are meshed to allow greater ventilation and others are plain.
- Longer life. This depends on usage, but generally, a synthetic grip will last longer than a towel grip.
- Tacky Feeling. The material used on the synthetic grip produces natural friction with the skin in your hand. Therefore it feels like you have good control of the racket.
Disadvantages of Synthetic Overgrip
- Sweat Absorption. Having said the above, they do not absorb sweat as efficiently as a towel grip. Therefore the result is that the handle of the racket can become damp and potentially slippery. This could result in the racket coming out of your hand during play.
Towel Grips
Towel grips are made of cotton or polyester. Unlike synthetic grips, there’s not much variation in towel grips in terms of feel. There is higher quality to some than others but the average person probably wouldn’t be able to tell too much other than some are thicker than others. Towel grips are the preferred grips of professional players.
Advantages of Towel Grips
- Sweat Absorption. Due to the nature of the material, sweat is absorbed very quickly.
- Comfortable. Although this is subjective, from research and my own experience, towel grips are considered a little more comfortable to hold.
- Lightweight. Towel grips, particularly the thinner variety are very light. This is useful if you wanted to grip your racket and avoiding adding too much additional weight to the handle. This is an advantage shared with synthetic grips for the equivalent thickness.
- Better Grip. Because sweat is absorbed more efficiently, this provides a better grip on the racket.
Disadvantages of Towel Grips
- Must be replaced often. Because they are so good at absorbing sweat, they become saturated quickly and if left too long can become a breeding ground for bacteria.
- May Require Grip Powder. Grip powder helps to absorb excess sweat and maintain a tacky feeling on the grip. This may also help to extend the life of the grip. However, this does mean a little extra expense.
Ultimately, this is a personal preference and entirely up to you. The above is to help you make an informed choice.
When To Replace Your Grip
This generally refers to replacing of the overgrip. There’s a number of factors that will determine the life of your grip. These include how often you play, how much you sweat and the quality of the grip.
Normally the best time to change your grip is when it doesn’t provide the same level of comfort or friction as it did before. Other reasons might be for aesthetic reasons. Light coloured grips will show dirt much more obviously than dark grips. Overused grips will also start to smell a bit off, which is also a good indicator that it should be changed. Generally, all the above reasons go hand in hand.
How to Change Badminton Grip
It’s easier to visually see how to change a racket then to read about how to do it. So here’s a very useful video from Yumo Pro Shop.
Thick Vs Thin Badminton Grip
How thick the grip should be again is a personal preference. However, it is advised not to go too extreme either end of the spectrum.
Too Thin – having too thin a grip is basically like playing holding the underlying wood of the handle. It can be very uncomfortable. There is also a lot more space for the racket handle to move about in your hand. This can cause rubbing against your hand, resulting in calluses or blisters.
Too Thick – having too thick a grip has the opposite problem where the racket isn’t allowed to move enough. This will reduce your ability to use finger power for those short sharp shots at the net. It will also reduce feedback from your shot because the grip will absorb this. It will also be difficult for you to move between grips to play different shots.
Power Vs Control
There is a general badminton knowledge flying around that thick badminton grips provides more power and a thin grip provides more control. While this might be true, its effects are minimal. If you are a very good player, it probably doesn’t matter how thick your grip is (within reason) because you can still generate adequate power and control through technique.
Many players find that a thick grip gives them a more solid base from which the shot travels. They are able to grip the racket harder at the point of impact with the shuttle.
Meanwhile, others find that a thinner grip provides more feel of the shuttle a creates a better touch. Because the racket handle can move more freely in your palm, this allows for greater deceptions and steeper shots. In addition, it provides greater ability to change shot grip (eg forehand to backhand grip) faster which is an important factor.
Another point to note is the impact a thicker grip will have on the balance of the racket. As you add more weight to one side, you shift the balance point. Rackets are so light today that this might have an obvious impact on your playing. Therefore you probably want to avoid having too thick a grip on very light or headlight rackets which might cause injury as you try and force more power through your shot.
Of course, as I mentioned this is all a personal choice. Pick the right size and style of grip that compliments your game.
Alien Pros – Designer Overgrips
I am grateful for Alien Pros making me an ambassador of their badminton grips. If you want your racket grip to stand out from the crowd, Alien Pros are a Hong Kong based company which design and supply high-quality overgrips in a variety of beautiful designs and patterns. All grips are eco-friendly and offer significant comfort and are highly absorbent. .
If you want 15% off Alien Pro’s awesome looking badminton grips – click here and use the code “shuttlesmash” at check out! It will help support this website and enable me to provide you with more badminton content!
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