Unlike tennis rackets, padel rackets do not come in grip sizes. Almost every frame ships with the same deliberately slim handle, and you are expected to build it up to your hand with overgrips. Most people never do, and the ones with sore elbows are usually the ones who did not.
Why there are no sizes
Tennis rackets are sold in grip sizes L0 to L5 because the handle is what transmits a heavy, strung impact into the arm and the swing is long. Padel took a different route: one narrow standard handle, with the fit adjusted by the player.
The design reason is real. A slim handle lets you change grip quickly between forehand, backhand and volley on a short-swing sport where you have almost no time. The consequence is that the handle arrives too thin for a lot of adult hands.
Nobody governs this. There is no federation specification for padel grip circumference, and no equivalent of the tennis L-number. Where a brand does print a size, it is its own convention and does not transfer between brands.
What the right size feels like
A well-fitting padel handle lands somewhere between 10.5 cm and 11.5 cm in circumference for most adults, once the overgrip is on.
The test that works without a tape measure:
- Hold the racket in a normal forehand grip, as if you were about to hit.
- Look at the gap between the tips of your fingers and the base of your thumb.
- You want about one finger’s width of space there.
| What you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fingertips dig into the palm | Handle too thin. You will squeeze to compensate. | Add one or two overgrips |
| About a finger’s width of gap | Correct | Nothing |
| Fingers cannot close comfortably | Handle too thick. Slow grip changes and less wrist control. | Remove an overgrip, or use a thinner one |
Why it matters more than it sounds
A handle that is too thin forces you to squeeze harder to keep the racket from turning. Squeezing does three things, all bad:
- It tires the forearm, so your control drops in the third set rather than the first.
- It loads the elbow. Grip pressure is the mechanism behind most racket-sport elbow pain, and padel adds a stiff, stringless face that transmits more shock than a strung one.
- It kills touch. A tight hand cannot play a soft volley or a drop, which are exactly the shots padel rewards.
If your arm complains, grip thickness is the cheapest thing to change before you consider a different racket. The other two levers — a softer face and a lower balance — are in carbon fibre padel rackets and padel racket weight.
The overgrip arithmetic
Each overgrip adds roughly 1.5 to 2 mm of diameter — about 4 to 6 mm of circumference. In tennis, adjacent grip sizes are about 5 mm of circumference apart.
| Overgrips | Adds | Equivalent to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~5 mm circumference | One tennis grip size up. This is where most players land. |
| 2 | ~10 mm circumference | Two sizes up. Large hands, or players coming from tennis. |
| 3+ | ~15 mm+ | Too much. It rounds off the bevels and you lose the reference edges. |
Two overgrips is the practical ceiling. Beyond that the octagonal shape of the handle disappears and you can no longer feel which face of the racket you are holding — which matters enormously on a stringless racket where both faces look identical.
How to wrap one
- Start at the butt of the handle, with the tapered end of the overgrip.
- Wrap upwards towards the head, overlapping each turn by about a third.
- Keep light, even tension. Pulling hard stretches the grip thin and it will loosen within two sessions.
- Stop before the throat, cut at an angle and finish with the tape supplied.
- Right-handed players wrap clockwise seen from the butt; left-handed, anticlockwise. Wrapping the wrong way lets the edge lift as you turn the racket.
Replace it when it stops being tacky, not when it looks worn — typically every ten to fifteen sessions, sooner in a British summer or if your hands sweat.
Base grip, overgrip and grip tape
| Layer | What it is | Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Base grip | The grip fitted at the factory, usually a thin synthetic leather. It is the reference shape of the handle. | Once a year at most, and only if it has hardened |
| Overgrip | The thin tacky wrap you add over it. This is your size adjustment and your sweat management. | Every 10–15 sessions |
| Grip tape | Another name for overgrip in most listings. Occasionally used for the finishing tape. | — |
Do not remove the base grip to fit an overgrip. The base grip is part of the handle’s shape and the racket will feel wrong without it. Which overgrips are worth buying, with British prices, is in best padel grips and overgrips.
What about the wrist cord?
The cord is not optional and it is not a grip accessory: the rules require the racket to be attached to your wrist throughout play. Wear it tight enough that the racket cannot leave your hand and loose enough that you are not adjusting it between points. It is in the rulebook, alongside the size limits, in padel rules.
Frequently asked questions
Do padel rackets come in different grip sizes?
No. Almost every padel racket ships with one standard, deliberately slim grip, and there is no federation specification for it. You size the handle to your hand by adding overgrips.
How many overgrips should I use on a padel racket?
One suits most players. Add a second if your fingertips still dig into your palm, or if you are coming from tennis and used to a thicker handle. Three or more rounds off the handle’s bevels and is counterproductive.
What size should a padel grip be?
Between about 10.5 cm and 11.5 cm in circumference for most adults, with the overgrip on. The practical test is a finger’s width of gap between your fingertips and the base of your thumb.
Can a padel grip cause tennis elbow?
A grip that is too thin contributes to it. It forces you to squeeze harder, and grip pressure is the mechanism behind most racket-sport elbow pain. Building the handle up is the cheapest thing to try first.
How often should you change a padel overgrip?
Every ten to fifteen sessions, or as soon as it stops feeling tacky. A slipping grip is both worse to play with and a hazard on a court with three other people on it.
Should you remove the original grip before adding an overgrip?
No. The base grip is part of the handle’s shape. Wrap the overgrip over it.
Sources. The absence of a standardised padel grip size, and the circumference guidance, as described by British and international padel retailers and coaches consulted on 30/08/2026 — no governing body publishes a specification, and this page says so rather than inventing one. Racket dimension limits and the wrist cord requirement: Rules of Padel, International Padel Federation (FIP).