So last time i went to a shop I had the opportunity to buy two towel grips. One for myself, and one for my friend who accompanied me in the cold weather. I had not the chance to use it yet, but my friend did. He showed me his NS 9900 with yellow towel grip. And when I holded it, it felt insecure and unsafe in my hand, as if it was going to slip away the moment I tried to smash with it(btw My friend and I don't have sweaty hands we just wanted to try for the heck of it). When we played together, twice did he lose his grip, and once he dropped his racket. The towel grip's name is like AC402EX. Are all towel grips originally like that? Or is it just that it only works for people with sweaty hands?
You might want to consider unwrapping the original PU wrapping on the wood grip of your racket before adding on the towel grip. A towel grip is much thicker. So remove the original grip that came with your racket before putting on the towel grip. In my experience of both using the towel and PU grips, i find PU grips are stable whereas towel grips are more comfortable. However it is when the PU grips become sweaty then they are more slippery than the towel. If you watch LD's towel grip that is wrapped only 3/4 on the wooden panel, you can see the wood on the unwrapped part. That means the original PU is removed. However, there are players who like to play with a thick grip. This restricts the deft and quick snap of the wrist needed in badminton play, be it stroke play or power play. Playing with thick grips are also the cause of wrist injuries. Also, in addition to using towel grips, try out the sports powder too when the towel gets sweaty a little. However, you can't use sports powder on PU grips as this makes it even more slippery to use. The disadvantage of using a towel is that the sweaty towel becomes harden after drying up (the next day) making it susceptible to more changes and renewal than the PU grip. However, due to my fondness of towel grip, I don't mind changing it often as I feel very comfortable with the towel grip. It provides the softness but no rubbery bouncy feel like when you grip it too hard with your fingers, sort of like a trampoline grip, if you get what i mean. A towel grip has no such feel to it. Also majority of players (serious playing ones) are sweaty. Incorporating the use of wrist-band can also help detract the sweat from the whole arm running down the wrist and then the racket grip itself. I hope I have given you the info that you require.
For towel grip, I always apply some powder for each session before I start. Especially more important when it's new and very slippery. cheers Hugh
Most people who tried my rackets (I always use towel grip) and don't sweat much at the palm, told me that they felt the grip really slippy. I think towelgrip works only for sweaty palms. If you have dry hands stay with the PU's.
i have dry hands and don't sweat much on my hands and little on my arms. used towel grip once in my life and the darn racket flew out of my hands. the rest of the same i tried hard to grip it that i didn't have power anywhere else but my grip. dry hands, no need for towel grip in my opinion.
For non-sweating hand, PU offers better grip and control. My hands are sweating a lot, so towel grip is the best choice. I love using PU grip like AC102EX when it is fresh and dry but when my hands start to sweat, I immediately change to towel grip, better than flying racket Towel : sweaty hand => better grip when wet + faster replacement. PU : Non-sweaty/Dry hand = > better grip when dry + long replacement. Grip thickness is subjective, always use PU/cushion wrap before applying towel grip for extra protection to wood grip and extra comfort/cushion.
But....when "sweaty hand => better grip when wet" - so why do the most people with towel grips use GRIP POWDER?
I do mean the grip texture. Towel grip has rougher texture than PU grip when wet, so better grip. Dry towel grip is always better than wet towel grip, so grip powder makes your towel grip harder to get wet and makes your hand drier (and it will prolong your towel grip durability). Nobody wants extra wet towel grip right ? From my experience, it will makes your racket heavier. Cheers
If this would be the case, maybe "water" could be used as grip...."powder"...! Ohhh I already imagine the Yonex advertisement: YONEX GRIP LIQUID. Ingredients: Water LOL
When I used to use towel grips I used to dampen them before I started playing as my hand wasn't sweaty enough to start with. It works very well
Okay, invent your own liquid grip and sell it more than Yonex does. . . You have the most genius invention and will be rich in no time. . . . . Right ?
Oh well, I'm sure I would never be able to sell water to a price that Yonex would But...psssssst! Don't say a word to anyone! I'm already working on this! *oh wait....* Okay...this is too much "OffTopic"
Do it as you wish. . . . Grip powder reduce the sweat in your hand and keep your towel grip less wet than without grip powder. If you have your own opinion, it's up to you. Thanks. . . .
I agree! My palms don't sweat at all, and using a towel grip gives it a very strange feel... uncomfortable and velvety, like it'll fly out of my hand when i swing too hard.. That's what I stuck to PU ones My buddy who sweats from the palm a lot finds the towel grip a whole lot more suitable for him.
the thing is when a towel is wet, it gives a lot more grip than when it's dry. PU works the other way around. wondering if there's a PU grip that's very grippy yet absorbs sweat very well like the towel grip?