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Squash Grips

Updated 36 Comments

Squash Grips. They do something basic, but important — they help you hold onto your racket, even when you are sweating profusely.

sweating

Here are some brand of squash grips I’ve covered so far on Squash Source:

Ashaway | Black Knight | Decathlon | Dunlop | Eye | Gamma | Head | Karakal | Mantis | Oliver | Prince | Salming | Tecnifibre | Tourna Grip | Wilson | Yonex

Types of Squash Grips

Your racket will come with a stock factory grip. You can put an overgrip on top of that, to help with sweat absorption, or to increase the size of the grip and make the racket feel more comfortable in your freakishly large hands.

You can also buy a replacement grip. In this case you remove the factory grip and put on the replacement grip instead.

I generally only use overgrips. My favorite has always been Tourna Grip. Here’s a video review I did of Tourna Grip, along with a brief tutorial on how to grip a squash racket:

I don’t use replacement grips too often but I’d have to guess the #1 brand of replacement squash grips is Karakal PU Super Grip. Tons of pros use Karakal.

Here’s a video discussing Karakal grips and another overgrip called RKEP:

Picking a grip is a very personal matter. Obviously, you need your squash racket to feel comfortable in your hands. So experiment with different squash grips and see what works best for you and your freakishly large paws.

P.S. #1: My friend CJ uses Dry Grip lotion on his hands

P.S. #2: Want to see the grip Ramy Ashour used to win the World Championships? Sure you do. Here it is:

Comments

  1. ()

    Hi Pierre,
    Like almost everyone in the post, I have super sweaty hands (yes, racquets fly out after a long rally). I came across a little discovery today. I decided to use a racquet that has been in storage since 2007. The grip (as you can imagine was dry). Rubbing the grip produced tiny powder-like shavings. The effect of these shavings was similar to having talcum powder/ baby powder. Surprisingly, it was the best grip I ever used, however, this is clearly not sustainable as the grip is wearing off bit by bit.

    So my questions are:
    – Using talcum powder on grips? is that something common? Any practical feedback on whether it actually works or plays out?
    – Are there grips that have a similar effect / feel?

    Thanks,

    Reply

    • ()

      I never tried talcum powder! My friend CJ uses Dry Grip antiperspirant lotion, which I just realized I never added to the post above but will do now

      Reply

  2. ()

    @Pierre’s post from August 2nd,

    yes that’s the overgrip I am referring to.
    I like to call the grips by their acronyms since I find their names little meaningful.

    According to Eric the G08 SOFT75 is his second best overgrip for sweaty hands, outperformed only by the G16 POWER GRAB, which is supposed to be made of the same base material as G08 but has an added bulge stitched to the bottom part of the tape.
    I have not yet tested the G16 though since I hold my racket a little further up the handle and am not sure the G16 would offer me any benefits and also because I am afraid the bulge could give me blisters.

    I think the most complete list of all the RKEP grips can be found at the bottom of this auction here:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/140397885894

    Since the information can be a little overwhelming I found the following post at BadmintonCentral which complies with my observations:
    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/rkep-grip.81662/page-49#post-2097016

    Dry hands?
    G01 SUPER SOFT (replacement grip), G05 ULTIMATE (replacement grip), G10 WET TAPE (overgrip) or G11 WET TAPE [G10 with holes] (overgrip)

    Moderately dry/sweaty hands?
    G06 POWER MASTER (replacement grip) or G09 ELITE [most popular RKEP grip according to Eric] (overgrip)

    Very sweaty hands?
    G08 SOFT75 (overgrip), G15 TOWEL GRIP (replacement grip) or G16 POWER GRAB (overgrip)

    Not yet categorized?
    G03 KING [probably categories dry to moderately dry hands] (replacement grip)
    G04R CONTACT-RIB [probably categories moderately dry to sweaty hands] (replacement grip)

    I tried the G15 TOWEL GRIP and have to admit I didn’t like it both because it was fuzzing a lot and also because I didn’t feel I had proper control over my racket, this is probably more suited for badminton rackets with thinner handles.

    Finally, you don’t need to go through ebay, but can contact Eric directly at rkepracket@gmail.com
    His English isn’t the best but he is very friendly and replies quickly, also you can order single pieces of what you like.
    Don’t forget to tell him what colors you are looking for, else he will send you a colorful mixture of everything he has.
    Before shipping he will send you a picture of all the items selected just to make sure he picked everything correctly.

    Reply

    • ()

      G’day,

      I’ve been dealing with Eric since about 2009.

      I’ve brought everything from Squash Rackets, Strings, Grommets, Grips and Balls.

      My personal favourite racket of his is this SB03 Lighting (name changes every couple years) and is basically a Black Knight C2C Heat frame. It’s the best value racket I’ve used in 40+ years of playing Squash (other than the earlier days when I was covered by sponsorships).

      Another RKEP racket to look at is the SP99 Wind (based on the ProSupex VBO Tour which I’m told is pretty close to a Eye VLite ),

      Eric’s always prompt and friendly.

      Reply

  3. ()

    Here are some thoughts on grips. I have gone from replacement grips to overgrips. Overgrips are faster to change, cheaper, just as good tack and usually you can use both sides. These points mean that you can change it more often than replacement grips for the same money. I only buy thin overgrips so they will not effect the grip size much.

    Karakal PU Supergrip. I used to grip my rackets with this, but honestly I don’t get the huge love people have for it. In my experience it initially has great tack, but it loses this great tackiness after the first matches and becomes just average quite fast.

    Technifibre Absolut Squash replacement grip. Good initial tackiness and feel but looses its best feel and tackiness quite fast. Okay for sweaty hands, but not great. I would call it overall an “okay” product but not the best out there. Seems to work for El Shorbagy.

    Tourna Grip overgrip. The initial tackiness is good, not great. Has a dry “sandpaper-like” feel and great durability. The best grip for sweaty hands, where the tackiness actually increases with a little moisture and does not get slippery from sweat. As a bonus you can use both sides of the grip like Wilson and Yonex. One of the best overgrips on the market.

    Rab Reflex Dry Overgrip. Tries to emulate the Tourna grip but succeeds poorly. Low initial tackiness which gets just a little better with sweat/moisture. I cannot recommend this product.

    Wilson Pro overgrip. One of the best overgrips. Has a silky smooth feel, which is difficult to explain, with good tack. The smooth feel of this grip is probably its best trait. Okay for sweaty hands but not as good as Tourna. Average durability but you can use both sides, so a 3-pack actually becomes a 6-pack. Highly recommended

    Yonex Super Grap overgrip. Quite similar to Wilson pro, but not as smooth feeling and maybe not as good for sweaty hands. Maybe looses its tackiness slightly faster than wilson, but overall a good overgrip. Average durability but you can use both sides.

    Head Xtreme soft. Great initial tackiness. Has a nice rubbery feel and the neon yellow looks cool. Tackiness outlasts the Yonex and Wilson and has good durability. Slightly thicker than Yonex and Wilson. If you have sweaty hands it initially feels like it has good adsorbtion, but depending how much you sweat it will suddenly become very slippery. Only one-sided so you can’t use it twice, but overall a good tacky grip but not for those who sweat alot from their hands.

    Salming Extreme Sticky replacement grip and overgrip. Both the replacement- and overgrip feel quite similar except for the thickness. Very good tackiness and has a rubbery feel like the Head. Nice feel and looks cool and with average durability. Not the best choice for sweaty hands. Overall good products.

    These are just how i myself feel about these grips, and others might have different opinions. I’ve tried and tested a bunch of other grips aswell but i’ll get to them another time.

    Play on buddies!

    Reply

    • ()

      Hey Niklas, have you tried RKEP (Racket Expert) grips from ebay (“squash_mart”)?
      I have very sweaty palms and am using the G08 overgrip at the moment because it’s both cheaper and offers me more control than Yonex AC102 “Super Grap”.
      I would love to learn how you rank it compared to Tourna Grip.

      Reply

      • ()

        Hi Jan. Never heard or seen one of those before. Seems like a Taiwanese company? The shipping overseas to Europe doubles the price, so I think I will pass on them for now. Personally I’m more and more convinced that the Wilson Pro Comfort White is the best overgrip for me, not sure though how they work with very sweaty palms.

        Reply

        • ()

          Hi Niklas,

          correct, they are Taiwanese.
          If I understood Eric’s (vendor/owner) posts over at BadmintonCentral correctly, RKEP seems to have access to some of the production facilities of both Karakal and Yonex and have created independent yet very similiar products to those of other well known brands.
          Very similiar to the practice of some of the racket companies e.g. Harrow, Eye and Xamsa.
          I agree, international shipping costs are a hurdle for those who only want to test a few of the grip tapes.
          My friends and I ordered a mixture of 12 grips (both some replacement as well as some over grips) and a pair of their sports socks (hightly recommended) and paid 22 € including shipping to Germany, which we thought was a very competitive price.
          My friends and I have very different preferences, those with dry hands prefer thick and tacky replacement grips and I on the other hand am looking for as thin yet absorbent/dry a grip as possible to cope with the slipperiness of my sweaty palms, which, besides the cheap prices, was a reason we were looking for a vendor who offered a broad range of different styles.
          So far we especially like the thick, tacky G01 replacement and the thin, dry G08 over grip.

          If you and Pierre would be interested in some of the RKEP grips it would be my pleasure to add the styles the two of you are interested in to my next order and send it to you for test purposes.
          Just let me know.

  4. ()

    Tackythistackythat. Curious about some leather replacement grips. Experiene anyone?

    Reply

    • ()

      I have tried, but not for long. To heavy(maybe 20 grams, so changes racket specks totally, but will work if having superlite headhavy(harrow 140 strung, balance 38) ending up with headlight heavy racket 160/34.

      Kimono grip is the lightest http://kimonyusa.com/TechniLeather.html. I have tried this also, but leather grip is not so forgiving/dampened so I find it to hard on the hand, returned to regular karakal pu.

      Tor, I have both leather grips(Fairway and Kimony) here in Norway if you still want to try/buy.
      Ole

      Reply

  5. ()

    Use a good quality wristband and the RAB Zenith white or yellow grip. Beats Karakal grips handsdown!

    Reply

  6. ()

    Sorry. That say this for karakal:

    ‘OVERVIEW: High levels of tackiness, sweat absorption, comfort and with incredible durability, the PU Supergrip sets the standard that all other grips aspire to. The grip is available in different colours, which all appear to have slightly different properties (green seems less tacky after extended use for example), but we found the yellow grip to be a standard-setter across the board’

    Reply

  7. ()

    Hi Pierre. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I am an Eye rackets fan. I think you should include other grips such as Eye X tacky grip. You can find reviews and information about other grips as well on the squashxtra app. The latest issue talks about grips. For example it says this about the Eye grip :

    ‘OVERVIEW: Super soft and extremely comfortable in hand, the X.Tacky offers a high level of sweat absorption and maintains its properties even after prolonged usage and heavy sweat exposure. The tackiness level is incredibly high, leading to a secure and comfortable feel, however this does mean that on-the-fly grip changes can feel clumsy and awkward especially when starting out and tackiness is at its highest’

    Whilst for karakal it says this:

    ‘OVERVIEW: Super soft and extremely comfortable in hand, the X.Tacky offers a high level of sweat absorption and maintains its properties even after prolonged usage and heavy sweat exposure. The tackiness level is incredibly high, leading to a secure and comfortable feel, however this does mean that on-the-fly grip changes can feel clumsy and awkward especially when starting out and tackiness is at its highest’

    I recommend that app for any squash fans

    Reply

    • ()

      the squashxtra app says the same exact thing for the eye grip and karakal grip?

      or just a copy/paste error?

      Reply

    • ()

      I have used both and I am a Eye Rackets fan too, but I have to say that Karakal are better than Eye grips. The duration is quite longer in Karakal, the feeling is similar, but I prefer thiker grips. So personally I prefer Karakal grips. And you can costumize your racket with the different colours of the grips!!

      Reply

      • ()

        I like to add that Eye grips are better than I expected, is a soft, thick and dry grip. I a good starting point for this brand, if they improve some little aspects, they will have a grip at the same level of their unbelievable rackets.

        Reply

        • ()

          “Is a good starting point…” The keyboard failed… Sorry

      • ()

        I only prefer eye grips because I hunk that karakal grips are too tacky and thin. It slightly irritates my hand, making it hot actually. The Eye grip is soft and not as tacky which is why I like it

        Reply

  9. ()

    Hi Pierre,

    I have extreme grip problems due to very, very sweaty hands. Do you have any grip recommendations or advice? I have tried just about any and every grip that has been recommended to me. The grip either becomes immediately too slippery due to sweat (happens with most PU/tacky grips) or I saturate the grip entirely (happens with most non-PU ‘absorbent’ grips). I have to resort to Tacky-Towel but this is far from ideal as I sacrifice being able to move up and down the grip and changing my grip positions ever so slightly. If anyone has any advice, that would be greatly appreciated.

    David

    Reply

    • ()

      Hi David, I have moderately sweaty hands and the only grip I’ve ever felt entirely comfortable with is Tourna Grip. I guess you have probably tried that though.

      My friend CJ uses a product called Dry Grip

      Let’s see if anyone else comments with other ideas.

      Reply

  12. ()

    I find the Wilson overgrips to be best, Tournagrip is definitely the best if you’re hands sweat a lot, but I hate the way it feels, and I hate the fact that there’s no glue at the beginning and its not cut at an angle, plus they give you so little that I barely ever have enough to finish up my grip.

    Reply

  13. ()

    Have you tried the Eye grips? I find them quite consistently good, as I don’t like the tacky nature of the Karakal grips.

    Not a fan of the Wilson grips. Bland, textureless to me.

    Reply

    • ()

      Thanks Bård, I haven’t tried Eye grips. I actually have an Eye racket on hand but I put a Tourna Grip over it. Will take that off and see how it plays. It’s been sitting under the Tourna Grip for several months so it may not be “fresh” but we’ll see.

      Reply

  14. ()

    Just thought i should put my 2 cents in
    i’ve gone through a ton of grips and over grips myself….

    i tend to stick w/ original racket grip then apply an over grip as well…like most here

    i’ve used tourna grip and wilson and feel w/ 100% certainty that the Wilson grip is just frickin awesome…it’s tackier, lasts longer, and is a bit easier to apply.

    I use Amazon Prime for most of my Squash stuff and the over grip as well:

    http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-Pro-Overgrip-Optic-Pink/dp/B0013JBV3M/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1446481875&sr=8-12&keywords=wilson+over+grips

    check that out and read their reviews as well….one member even compares the wilson the tourna grip

    all the best and happy squashing!

    rod

    Reply

  15. ()

    I bought 2 harrow rackets and they send me 2 harrow grips.

    In my opinion the harrow grips are really good, soft and tacky. It was a really good surprise, I would definitely give preference to harrow grips.

    Unfortunately, I couldn’t find harrow grips to buy and the only one that sells in my city are the karakal ones, not bat.

    Reply

  16. ()

    Thanks all. I’ve added a page for Ashaway grips. I will keep an eye out for the Wilson grips and the Gamma head protection tape.

    Reply

  17. ()

    I’m w/ Pierre i tend to only do overgrips as well

    i’ve tried a lot and really love the Wilson overgrip and comes in a ton of colors and really feel the wilson should be listed here as they’re a wonderful affordable overgrip.

    currently i’m using tourna grip and like that as well …so, between those two i got it covered.

    i’ve tried karakal as far as a replacement grip and really love them…very tacky and seem to not be affected too badly by sweat

    that said i had just purchased a six pack and using those…and then putting the tourna grip over it…really like the feel of that combo.

    Reply

  18. ()

    In my book, the only grip to use is the Karakal PU in yellow. All the other colors have different performance characteristics, especially the green, which tends to slip around for some reason. I would love to use green, as it’s a cool color to have on your squash racquet, but the yellow grips perform best and most consistently, and you can get them by the box.

    My racquet gripping technique is to start with the raw racquet handle, and then use wraps of head protection tape (the clear stuff by Gamma – usually for tennis, but good for squash too) and overwraps to get to the desired base thickness. The top layer before putting on the final grip should be a layer of the head protection tape, which provides a smooth surface for the grip to adhere to, while also allowing for a clean removal of the top grip when it becomes worn.

    Reply

  19. ()

    Almost all Ukraine players using Karakal grip its #1 grip in our country and its really good grip.
    But now i found for my self new grip its – Ashaway , not popular in our country, nobody sell, but i want to say that i like more then karakal. So who like to try i will advice to buy next time.
    But i cannout undesrtand why offical website of Ashaway not provide this producst? can see only strings

    Reply

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