Okay, so I wanted to figure out my tennis grip size. I’ve been using a friend’s racket for a while, and it felt okay, but I decided it was time to get my own, and I wanted to make sure it was the right fit. I didn’t want to mess this up and get something uncomfortable.
First, I tried the “ruler method”. I think I saw it on some tennis website or maybe it on Youtube. You basically hold your hand flat, fingers together, and measure from the tip of your ring finger down to, like, the bottom big crease in your palm.
I grabbed a ruler and gave it a shot. It was kind of awkward, and I wasn’t sure I was measuring to the exact right spot. My hand’s all… fleshy. I don’t know. Anyway, I think I measured around 4 3/8 inches. Maybe? It was hard to tell.
The Index Finger Method
Then I remembered another method, what I called the “index finger method.” It’s supposed to be a fast way to find the correct size and easy to remember.
- I grabbed my friends’ tennis racket.
- I gripped the handle in an Eastern forehand grip, you know like you’re shaking hands with it.
- I tried to slide my index finger of my non-hitting hand into the space between my ring finger and my palm.
If the finger fits snugly, it’s supposed to be the right size. If there is too much space, the grip is likely too big, if your finger does not fit at all, the grip is too small. And I also can felt it. But, I am not pretty sure of that, what the exact size I need?
Because I had to get another racket, I went down to the local sports store, which is where I was headed anyway. There, a sales person helped me. They had a bunch of different sized rackets, so I just tried them out using that finger trick. It was way easier than messing around with a ruler at home!
I ended up liking one that was 4 1/4 inches. It just felt… right. The finger test worked perfectly. And the racket felt so good. Like I have the full control of it.
So, yeah, skip the ruler. Just go to a store, if you can, and try the rackets out yourself. Use that finger trick – it’s way more practical!
