Find your racket grip size
Grip size is the measurement most people get wrong on a first racket — and the easiest one to get right on your own, with a ruler and a minute.
How to measure
Open your dominant hand with the fingers straight and together. Measure from the middle crease of your palm to the tip of your ring finger. That figure, in centimetres, is your size.
| Hand measurement | Grip |
|---|---|
| up to 10,5 cm | L1 |
| 10,5 – 10,8 cm | L2 |
| 10,8 – 11,1 cm | L3 |
| above 11,1 cm | L4 |
When you are between two sizes
Pick the smaller one. A grip can be built up with an overgrip, but it cannot be slimmed down. That is why almost every shop tells you to round down.
Overgrips change the size
Each overgrip layer adds roughly half a size. If you always use two layers, factor that in before buying: an L2 with two overgrips ends up close to an L3.
What the wrong grip feels like
A grip that is too small tends to demand more force to stop the racket twisting, and the hold closes up. A grip that is too large makes grip changes slower and usually stiffens the swing. In both cases the feel shows up before anything else.
This page is about equipment, not health. Persistent pain in the arm, elbow or wrist is a matter for a health professional, not for a change of racket.