Tennis Grip Size Guide
How to Measure Your Tennis Grip Size (With a Size Chart)
The right grip size makes a racquet easier to control and kinder to your arm. You can measure it at home in a minute with a ruler, or check it with a simple test while holding a racquet.
Two ways to measure
The ruler method. HEAD's instructions: lay your hitting hand flat, fingers together, and measure from the bottom lateral crease of the palm (the middle of the three lines across it) to the tip of your ring finger. The measurement in inches is your grip size.
The finger test. Hold the racquet in an eastern forehand grip and slide the index finger of your other hand into the gap between your ring finger and palm. If there is not enough room for the finger, the grip is too small; if there is space left over, it is too big. A finger that just fits means the size is right.
Size chart
Manufacturers use US sizes in inches, while European racquets are marked 0 to 6. HEAD and the LTA publish the same conversion:
| European | US (inches) | Millimetres (HEAD) | Typical hand (LTA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | — | Juniors, small hands |
| 1 | 4 1/8 | 104.8 | Women, small hands |
| 2 | 4 1/4 | 108.0 | Average women |
| 3 | 4 3/8 | 111.1 | Average men |
| 4 | 4 1/2 | 114.3 | Men, large hands |
| 5 | 4 5/8 | 117.5 | Extra-large hands |
The hand descriptions are only a guide; measure rather than guess from appearance.
Between two sizes
If you fall between sizes, choose the smaller one and add an overgrip. An overgrip adds a little thickness and can be replaced cheaply as it wears; the LTA covers overgrips on the same page as its size chart. A grip that is too small makes you squeeze the handle harder, which tires the forearm; a grip that is too big makes it harder to turn the racquet between grips. Either can add strain to the wrist and elbow over time. A racquet shop can also build up a grip with a heat-shrink sleeve if you need a full size more.
This guide is general information. Clubs, tournaments and manufacturers set their own rules and change them; check the official source named in the text.
