You can buy tennis racket grips online at a variety of websites, but it’s important that you know the right terms before you place your order. Similar, but different, parts of a tennis racket go by the same name among many players, but have specific names by retailers. Understanding exactly what you need for your tennis racket handle will help you buy the right item for your needs.
The quickets and easiest way to shop for tennis grips online might be to head to Amazon.com.
Terminology
A grip can refer to the placement of your hand on a racket, the handle, the material under the wrapping on the handle, the main wrap of the handle or the temporary material you put on the main wrap.
The part of the racket you hold during play is the handle of the racket. The material on the handle is the grip. The leather or synthetic material that comes with the racket is called the grip or replacement grip. The lighter, cheaper material you put on the grip for several matches to absorb sweat is called the overwrap or overgrip. It’s important to understand the difference between the latter two, because you may order the wrong item when you buy online.
If you are ordering a primary, or replacement, grip (the material that goes directly on the handle of the racket), look at the packaging if it’s displayed on the retailer’s website. These replacement grips generally come one to a packet, while overwraps or overgrips usually come three to a packet. Some overwraps look like one roll, similar in packaging to a replacement grip, but they are actually three overwraps rolled into one roll, looking the same as a replacement grip.
Grip Replacement Pallets
If you would like to make the size of your handle, or grip, larger, you can replace the pallets, or pieces of material that comprise the grip, on some rackets. Rackets come in different grips sizes, usually represented as a 4, followed by a fraction. A 4-3/8 grip is a slimmer grip; a 4/1-2 is a standard grip; a 4-5/8 is a thicker grip. If you are ordering pallets for your racket, make sure you note the current grip size on your racket to make sure you order the next size up or down before you place your order. You can often build up a grip with a thicker replacement grip, then adding an overwrap. Tennis Warehouse offers a simple explanation of how to find your grip size, with photos, at its website.
Ordering Grips
Many tennis companies will not sell you their products directly over the Internet, via their websites, because this will decrease the sales of their local retailers, who will then stop carrying that manufacturer’s products. While numerous websites sell tennis products online, manufacturers restrict how cheaply they can sell the manufacturer’s products so they do not unfairly compete with brick-and-mortar retailers. You can buy grips three to a package, or in larger, single-package quantities. If you know you like a certain overgrip and will replace them frequently, you might want to save money by ordering a package of as many as 30.
Some of the more popular online retailers of tennis products that have been around for many years and place full-page ads in Tennis magazine each issue include Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Express, Holabird, ATS Sports and Midwest Sports.