Coping with sweaty hands while playing

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by Drgn01, Mar 21, 2010.

  1. Drgn01

    Drgn01 Regular Member

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    Hi there! I just have a few simple questions about how to deal with having very sweaty hands in badminton. I've done quite a few searches through the forum, as recommended, and I've found a lot of valuable information, but I still have a few questions.:confused:

    I've been doing tons of research lately and whenever I had a question I would search it on Google, and almost every time I was directed towards this forum where I learned from the great expertise of all you experienced players :) So I decided to come join this great forum. ;) Anyways, I have a strong case of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) so for that reason I tend to have to replace overgrips very frequently.

    1) What can I do to extend the lifespan or usability of my grips/overgrips? I've read here that some people recommend wiping off the handle with rubbing alcohol then wiping it dry afterwards. Does this work to help keep the tackiness for longer?

    2) Is there anything I can do to help my sweaty hand situation during a game? Someone suggested that you have a wristband on your non-racquet hand and wipe off your racquet hand on the wristband in between points.. Does anyone here do this? I'm wondering whether it actually helps or not, so I don't go off and buy wristbands for no reason :p

    3) In general, is there anything else I can do to help minimize the effect that my condition has on my gameplay? I might try a towel grip, but I heard they get slippery and dirty very quickly (and I would have to make it myself, Lol.) And I was researching about chalk but people are saying that it makes the grip dirty pretty fast and that it doesn't help for long.

    I would really appreciate any kind of help you can offer me in regards to these questions :eek: Thanks for your time!
     
  2. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    1) There's not much you can do to make a particular grip last longer. However, replacement grips (the thick ones) tend to last much longer then overgrips (the thin ones). This makes replacement grips more cost-efficient, even though they cost more per grip and are less convenient to change.

    2) If you want to use a wristband, put it on your racket wrist, where it will catch the sweat running down your arm. A wristband on your non-racket wrist is pretty pointless. :p

    3) Making towelling grips yourself is a serious waste of time. You can just buy them in a roll (example).

    You can try various drying agents. One option is grip powder (example).

    Personally, I find liquid chalk (example) much more effective. A small amount of this stuff really dries out your hand. I wouldn't use traditional climber's chalk (the dusty stuff), as there's too much potential for mess.
     
  3. Drgn01

    Drgn01 Regular Member

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    Thanks for the suggestions, Gollum!
    That grip powder/chalk seems like it's worth a try.
    My largest problem is that badminton isn't too popular here, and even in areas such as the GTA I've yet to find any sources for quality equipment. Any purchases for replacement grips, chalk, strings, etc. would have to be made online, which is quite inconvenient for me since I don't have my own credit card yet :(

    In regards to the wristband: sweat running down my arm isn't much of a problem for me, which is why I was asking about using it on my non-racquet wrist. My hands/palms will be the biggest issue, which is why I was asking about wearing it on the opposite arm to wipe off the sweat from my hand following a long rally. I would normally use my t-shirt or whatever but the ones I wear during badminton aren't meant to absorb sweat so it doesn't really help. Anyways, I suppose the only way to find out if it's a good idea or not is to try it out myself.

    Thanks again for the suggestions and examples!
    If anyone else has someone to add that would be of great help too ;)
     
  4. CantSmashThis

    CantSmashThis Regular Member

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    I have the same problem as you, or maybe even worse since I have a very bad sweating palm disorder. An alternative to grip powder if you don't have access to that is baby powder. It doesn't work super well, but it will help you out if you don't have anything else to use. As for during a game, I'd just say to try to wipe off your sweat onto a shirt or something after every rally, or use your shirt to wrap it around the grip and try to dry it out. That's what I tend to do. I usually buy 30 packs of grip tape though since my grips die out very fast and change it every few days.
     
  5. druss

    druss Regular Member

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    I'm surprised that no one there has towel grips. I'm sure they're around if you search enough.

    At a minimum, racket pro shops at badminton facilities should carry them.
     
  6. Drgn01

    Drgn01 Regular Member

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    CantSmashThis, thanks for the tips man. I think we have something quite similar - my hands are essentially always sweaty no matter what I'm doing, or if I'm even doing nothing at all, so when I'm actually playing they're litterally drenched.. I'm hoping it eventually goes away.. But anyways, thanks for the suggested alternative, I'll give that a shot :)

    druss, I was also initially surprised that badminton equipment is difficult to find.. Although, I've only been searching in large sporting shops such as SportChek in Brampton and Mississauga - I'll keep my eye open for specialty racket shops. Thanks for the pointer!
     
  7. Trying2improve

    Trying2improve Regular Member

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  8. druss

    druss Regular Member

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    ouch... the large sporting chains are not where you want to look at/buy badminton equipment from. sport check, having worked there for 2 years when I was in my 20's, does most things well and nothing great.
     
  9. Drgn01

    Drgn01 Regular Member

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    Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on that one.
    Do you happen to know of any good racket/badminton shops in the GTA? I don't really know of any so I'll have to look around myself, but if you've had any good experience at a certain shop that would sure help me out.
     
  10. Trying2improve

    Trying2improve Regular Member

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    Read post#7. Those are GTA shops.
     
  11. Drgn01

    Drgn01 Regular Member

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    Ohh wow my bad, I only went to the last of the three links and I thought they were all online-only stores or something. That's awesome! I didn't know there were badminton-specific shops around here. Thanks for those links! :)
     
  12. Trying2improve

    Trying2improve Regular Member

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    Even the last one, MEC has a store in Toronto. Check it out.
     

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