Yes, an old chestnut but perhaps a new angle? From what I can tell, most professionals have what most people would call a small (thin) grip, with the some exceptions e.g. Peter Gade. (if any of the pros could comment on this it'd be really interesting, JR?) I think the size of grip used has been driven by their technique i.e. they hold the racquet (correctly) in their fingers whereas many social players hold the racquet in their palms. (perhaps Gade has really long fingers?!) In my experience (and I realise that this may be outdated!) I think this is an area not really covered by coaches... Coaches do teach correct grip technique but I don't remember any of mine commenting on anyone's size of grip that might be hindering the application of the correct technique. (perhaps we were all perfect! ) Is grip size a coaching point in the latest guidelines issued by, for example, Badminton England? (Mike/Paul might be able to answer this?) If you allow a player to use too large a grip then I think he/she will find it difficult to hold the racquet in their fingers and this is prevent correct technique. Any thoughts? ------------- I'm bringing this up because I've 'caught' myself increasing grip size and it's damaging my technique! For years I used to apply 1 Karakal PU replacement on top of the original grip so when I changed racquets (Ashaway T9 -> NS8000) I automatically did the same thing, but the NS8000 is a G3 and I suppose the Ashways are closer to a G4 or perhaps even smaller. Anyway, at least I've identified the problem and can hopefully undo the damage
Dont give so much attention to details that cannot explain your weaknesses. Just get a towel grip & go rehearsing your strokes until it is close enought from perfection.
Er, thanks, but trust me, I know I have an issue with my grip technique at the moment, and I know what's causing it. (that wasn't the main point of the post anyway) I used to use towel grips years ago when I was a junior, they are no longer the best choice for me, and are certainly not a panacea for grip issues!
Possibly, but then you'd have to move the other grip size-related threads e.g. the one about measuring your hand. The point of my post is about the grip i.e. the equipment.
the other way around. for Yonex: G3 : large G4 : small G5 : v. small for others, the other way around.
Thanks, I do know how the different manufacturers state their grip sizes I wish I hadn't posted the last bit, it's not really the point of the thread, I wanted to have a discussion about why top players' grips seem very thin compared to many club/social players and the link between the size and correct technique. The last bit (in a small font) was just to explain what had triggered my post, after 25 years and playing to a pretty high level I'm aware of what I need to do! (this wasn't a cry for help!) I thought a discussion on this topic might serve as guidelines for all those who keep asking "what grip size should I use" often the answers they get are things like "whatever's comfortable for you" and nobody really explains why it's important to get the size right e.g. so you can hold the handle in your fingers. Ah well, will try to be more clear next time, perhaps I should have just contributed to this thread instead as some of this could be covered there.
I think Rich's observation is correct: on the whole, professional players do seem to use smaller grip sizes than amateur players. I suggest this happens because professional players have a relaxed style of holding the racket, and know how to use finger tightening to help generate power. Many amateur players are not comfortable with this style of holding the racket, and prefer a very thick grip that fills up their hand. Getting the grip size right requires experimentation. It's obvious when a grip is much too thin, or much too thick; but it's hard to say what size is exactly right. You need to keep a small enough grip so that you can use finger tightening effectively, but a large enough grip so you can keep control of the racket during a smash (if the grip is too thin, then the racket may wobble in your hand when you hit a power stroke).
