Why Your Padel Overgrip Matters More Than You Think

A padel racket is a rigid frame. It doesn't flex. It doesn't give. Every vibration, every off-center hit, every shanked bandeja travels directly through the handle into your palm. The overgrip is the only dampening layer between the racket and your hand.

Most players change their paddle before they change their grip.

The physics of grip

When you swing a padel racket, grip pressure affects everything: swing path, wrist release, net clearance on volleys. Research on racket sports consistently shows that excessive grip pressure correlates with lateral epicondylitis — tennis elbow — because tense forearms transfer shock rather than absorbing it.

A fresh overgrip lets you hold the racket with less force. The tackiness does the work. You're not squeezing — you're guiding.

A worn overgrip does the opposite. You grip harder to compensate for the slip. Your forearm tightens. Your shoulder compensates. Three sets in, you feel it.

What makes a padel overgrip different from a tennis overgrip

Almost nothing, if you're buying the standard options — which is the problem.

The overwhelming majority of overgrips sold for padel are tennis overgrips rebadged for the sport. Same material, same dimensions, same moisture profile. They're designed for the grip dimensions and swing mechanics of a 27-inch racket, not a 45.5–46cm padel racket.

Padel handles are typically shorter and squarer. The wrist movement in padel — particularly on the backhand volley and the bandeja — puts different torque on the grip. The contact time is shorter. The swing is more compact.

None of this has been taken seriously by the brands selling most of the world's padel overgrips.

Moisture and texture

Outdoor padel in any warm climate means sweat. The difference between a dry grip and a wet one is the difference between a controlled drop shot and a racket sailing toward the glass.

Perforated overgrips — those with small holes punched through the material — allow airflow and moisture wicking faster than solid wraps. They're standard in tennis for a reason. Padel players who sweat, or who play through multiple sets without swapping grips, need perforated.

Tacky, non-perforated grips work in cooler or indoor conditions. They're not wrong — they're situational. Most players don't know this. Most brands don't tell them.

How often to change

The honest answer: more than you do.

A padel overgrip loses its effective tackiness after 3–6 hours of play depending on conditions. If you play twice a week, you should be changing your grip roughly every two to three weeks. Most players stretch theirs to months.

The reason is cost and availability. A single overgrip from most brands costs $3–5 and comes in packs of three. If you're paying $5 per grip and your game suffers for three weeks because you don't want to open the next pack — that's the problem the market has created.

The solution is obvious: overgrips should be affordable enough that players change them when they need to, not when they've given up. $12.99 for a three-pack changes the calculus.

The grip is not an afterthought

It is the interface. It's the part of the racket that is in constant contact with your body. It determines how you feel feedback from the court. It affects your fatigue rate, your control, and over time, your injury risk.

The brands that have treated it as a secondary SKU — a small add-on to the racket or bag sale — have done padel players a disservice. The sport deserves better.

That's what we designed the Kortco Court Overgrip for.