Tennis Grip Size Chart and Guide
Tennis Grip Sizes are probably not one of the first things beginner players think about when they are considering what racket to buy but getting the wrong size can have a detrimental impact on your game, as if you buy a racket with a grip that is too big or too small for your hand, then this can lead to issues with your wrist and tennis elbow.
This is why it is important that you understand what is the right grip for your racket.
How do I measure my tennis racket grip size?
There are two main ways to measure your grip for rackets and they are the index finger test and the ruler test.
Index Finger Test
The Index Finger Test gives you a rough guide as to whether a particular racket has a grip that suits your hand.
To perform the Index Finger Test, you first hold the racket in an eastern forehand grip.
Next, you look at the gap between your palm and your middle finger.
If the grip is just right you should be able to just fit the index finger of your free hand in the gap between your palm and middle finger.
If the gap is too big for your index finger, then that suggests you need a smaller size grip.
If the gap is too small for your index finger, then that suggests you need a bigger size grip.
The downside of the Index Finger Test is that you need to be holding the racket to use the test.
Therefore, the test won’t be of any use to someone buying their first racket online.
Ruler Test
As its name implies, the Ruler Test involves using a ruler to measure the distance between the top of your ring finger to the bottom lateral crease in your palm.
When doing this ensure you hold your fingers together so that you improve the accuracy of your measurements.
The ruler test is good to use, when you physically can’t get your hands on the racket you are considering buying.
You can check out the Tennis Warehouse video below that demonstrates the Index Finger and Ruler Tests.
No matter what test you use, it is not an exact science as it will only give you a rough idea of what size to go with.
If you are between two sizes then I would recommend getting the smaller of the two sizes as it is much easier to add an overgrip to increase the size of a grip than it is to reduce it.
Tennis Grip Size Chart
You will find that the size of most racket grips that are displayed in online tennis shops use either European measurements (L0-L5) or USA measurements (4–4 5/8 inches).
I have put together the below grip size table to help you work out the best size of grip for you.
European and US Grip Sizes
L0 (100–103 mm) — 4 inches
L1 (104–106 mm) — 4 1/8 inches
L2 (107–110 mm) — 4 1/4 inches
L3 (111–113 mm) — 4 3/8 inches
L4 (114–118 mm) — 4 1/2 inches
L5 (119–121 mm) — 4 5/8 inches
What is the most common size of grip?
The most common grip for adult players is L3 or 4 3/8 inches.
You will also see lots of L2 (4 1/4 inches) and L4 (4 1/2 inches) grips at your local tennis club but L3/4 3/8 inches is by far the most common.
Smaller sizes like L0 (4 inches) and L1 (4 1/8 inches) will usually be used by juniors or adult female players with larger sizes like the L5 (4 5/8 inches) being typically used by adult male players.
When I first started tennis I used an L5 (4 /5/8 inches) as that is what the ruler and index finger tests suggested I use but I felt like this was very uncomfortable to play with, so when I got my next racket, I dropped the size of the grip to L4 (4 1/2 inches) and I haven’t looked back since.
Increasing the size of your grip
Overgrips
The easiest way to increase the size of the grip is to use overgrips, as each overgrip you use will increase the size by approximately 1/16 of an inch.
Tennis Pro Novak Djokovic uses two overgrips on his rackets which without the overgrips would be 4 and 3/8.
With the two additional overgrips, Djokovic’s grip size is closer to a 4 and 1/2.
Heat Link Sleeves
A more permanent solution to increasing the size of your grip is to use a heat link sleeve.
You can buy heat link sleeves that will increase your grip from 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch.
A heat link sleeve is more difficult to apply to your racket and may be best left to your local tennis pro shop.
If you want to have a go at doing it yourself, then check out this Tennis Warehouse guide.
Decreasing the size of your grip
Decreasing your racket’s grip isn’t as straightforward as increasing it as you don’t have as many options to do it.
However, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce the size including replacing the stock grip on your racket with a thinner replacement grip.
By adding a thinner grip, you can reduce it by approximately a 1/2 grip size.
Another option is to remove the stock grip and simply use an overgrip instead.
However, there are downsides to doing this as your racket will be more head heavy and you won’t have the same level of comfort holding the racket.
Do Tennis pros use Overgrips?
Yes, overgrips are used by many ATP and WTA players with the big three in Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic all using overgrips on their rackets.
The main reason pros use overgrips is that the original stock grips that come with most rackets can be very hard and thin.
