Home » RSI magazine » Ask the Experts » Changing grip shape

Changing grip shape

Q: I have a client who likes HEAD racquets but prefers the rounder grip shape of the Wilson racquets. Is there an easy way to change the shape of the Head racquet’s grip?

A: It’s tempting to think that you could simply remove the replacement grip and apply tape or balsa wood selectively to the bevels to get the grip shape you want, but this method doesn’t work because while you can build up the underlying bevels, you cannot change the relationship among the bevels in such a way to make one shape the same as the other shape.

Regarding your situation, Head grips are composed of two halves that fit around the “hairpin” (that is, around an inner carbon fiber post). It’s not too difficult to remove the original halves; the trick is having new pallet halves that are shaped differently. For this, contact RPNY Tennis in New York.

For racquets with molded handles, the molding must be removed and a new molding made. RPNY Tennis does this as well, but the cost is a bit higher. If you have two or more racquets that need a different grip shape or size, RPNY can also match the weight, balance, and swingweight in addition to the grip change, assuming your racquets are matchable in the first place, of course.

From the August 2008 issue
Permalink