Do you guys apply towel grips like an overgrip or like a replacement grip? Would the towel grip have a 'cushiony' effect if it is used like a replacement grip?
I have recently started using towel grips and i use it over the grip the racket comes with..so yes as an overgrip for me.. Really liking it at the moment..
I have tried the way that Paul says but found it too thick for my liking. Whenever I use towel grips, I use them straight on to the wood handle. I'd say they were more communicative that most grips but still offer a little cushioning. My advice to you, try both methods, see which one you prefer.
its ideal that you wrap at least a layer of electrical or hockey tape before you apply the towel grip.. as your sweat will accumulate and maybe eventually rot away the wood underneath.. rotten wood = no good = snap..
the purpose of electrical or hockey tape is to cover the wood, with a semi waterproof ability.. sellotape isnt too tacky and waterproof if i remember correctly.. i know people who use towel grips without the tape underneath, but its a risk you take. i sweat quite a bit, and i can tell you, my grips are soaked by the end of practise
Great advice. I have been using towel grips as an over grip for quite some time now. It's really comfortable and suitable for me. However, like what the others said, it destroys the factory grip, and the sweat rots the wood. Good job ray_mond. I'll buy and electric tape ASAP. Thanks
All electrical tapes have the same thickness right? If I apply electrical tape on to the wood and the apply a replacement grip on it, would the electrical tape increase the thickness by soo much that it affects game play?
If you're going to apply an electric tape, make sure it's angled diagonally so the consumed tape length would be short, maximizing the spaces the tape could cover on the handle. (Tip: cut the end of the tape diagonally, giving about 60-degree angle so that the wrapping would be directed downward.) The shorter the electric tape used, the less thickness it would give to the grip. Approximately give only a few centimeters of allowance when sticking and overlapping the tape. I hope this helps
i use sellotape and electric tape. I always put electric tape on the cone though this is cus sellotape holds so much stronger and pulls the paint off. But i prefer sellotape on the handle because it lets the grip off so much easier and there isnt any sticky residue left, which i find with the electric tape.
i'm thinking of experimenting with industrial vinyl tape. it's stretchable & almost identical to the tape supplied to secure the grip. if it works, i will post some pics here.
I just wanted to add that some companies have actually stopped producing towel grips because they can be quite bad for correct grips in badminton. Once you play with the grip a lot the grip takes the mold of your hand , so when changing grips you find it harder. Something like that I think . Just wanted to add that
That's another good point. I guess I just don't play with towel grips enough to notice these things. PU Super grip FTW!
haha no problem. electrical tape is extremely thin, and i think its actually thinner than paper when stretched out. I dont think there would be significant grip size change.
The electric tape also serve as the barrier between the adhesive and the wood. Sometimes, the adhesive of any replacement grip is too sticky to the extent that when the grip is replaced after several days or weeks, bits of the grip will be left sticking to the wood. It has to be scraped off the wood. The electric tape eases out the process of replacing a grip. Btw, here's what I do to save money on using towel grips. I purposely buy bath towels like this: Once they are worn out and/or I don't want to use them anymore, I cut them into strips. See the ribbed pattern of the towel, that's where I cut along. I use a double-sided tape for the adhesive on one side of the strips I cut. That's all you need for a towel grip. Just imagine how many towel grips you can make out of one bath towel (much more if the ribbings are vertical ). In my place, even if I buy a brand new bath towel only to be used for making towel grips, I can still save a lot than buying single towel grips.
I can make two grips out of one "lane" I cut along the entire length of the bath towel. So it doesn't matter if the ribbings are in vertical or horizontal. And even if I can only make one grip out of one "lane" cut horizontally, that would still be around 15+ grips (depending on the width of each "lane").