It’s 5 all in the third set of your local club tournament. You step up to hit a second serve and….the racquet flies out of your hand.
Not only do you lose the point and the game, but your racquet is cracked. Want to avoid this scenario? Here are some tips to combat sweat while playing tennis:
Bring a Towel
Perhaps the most obvious solution which far too many people forget to bring to the court: a towel! Always bring a towel to your matches and place it on your side of the court.
Assuming the majority of my readers don’t play in tournaments with ballboys readily available, you can either put the towel through the fence of the court, or you can place it on the court at the back (the slightly less clean solution).
Without a towel, you’ll be left trying to dry your hands on your own clothes. Trust me, trying to dry your hands on your clothes is a tough task, especially with dri-fit shirts or shorts. Whenever your hands are sweaty, wipe ’em dry with a handy dandy towel!
Bring Extra Grips
I recommend the non-tacky grip (i.e. tournagrip) if it is hot and you sweat a lot. I’ve gone through 3-4 tacky grips (wilson pro overgrip) when it has been hot and humid.
My favorite grip to use in the heat is Yonex Super Grap Overgrip. It isn’t quite as tacky and thin as the Wilson Pro Overgrip Sensation (my second favorite overgrip) and seems to last pretty long, even in the heat. If you like the feeling of a really secure grip that sticks to your hands, then the Wilson Pro Overgrip Sensation would be my first choice.
Just remember, everyone has different preferences. Some people swear by Tournagrip, which I have used and think is another excellent option. It has a smooth, almost velvety feel, and isn’t as sticky as the Wilson or Yonex grips above. I recommend that you test a few grips out and see what works for you.
There is nothing worse than needing an overgrip and not having one. The sweat permeates the grip so even if you flip over your used overgrip and re-wrap it, it won’t last for long. Be prepared!
Use Wrist Bands
Wrist bands are a great way to keep your hands dry, and I use them all the time. The sweat from your arms and body stream down to your hands, which makes them very slippery. By using wristbands, a majority of the sweat that would have gone to your hands and racquet grip is absorbed by the wristband. And wristbands can be a cool look too.
Wrist bands also come in different shapes and sizes, so if wearing a long thick one bothers you, opt for the thin smaller ones. When I sweat while playing tennis, I definitely throw a couple wrist bands (and a headband if I’m feeling feisty 😀 ) in the bag. It keeps my hands dry and saves me money on grips too.
Change Your Shirt
Changing your shirt is one of the more obvious solutions on the list. Bring a bunch of shirts, preferably sweat resistant ones (aka dri-fit, clima-lite, heat-geat, etc), to the court. Wearing a sweaty shirt can really weigh you down and make for an uncomfortable couple hours of tennis.
So the next time your shirt feels more like a heavy towel, change your shirt, move like Flash from the Justice League, and crush your opponents. Game, set, and match (your shorts and shoes with your dry shirt, that is).
Bring a Rosin Bag
Rosin is a powdery substance that helps keep your hands dry. You store the rosin in a rosin bag. You may have seen a baseball pitcher with a rosin bag and white powder (the legal stuff) all over his hands. The same stuff can be used by tennis players to dry their hands off.
If you sweat while playing tennis and the above solutions are not effective enough for you, try a rosin bag. Here’s how to make one. Alternatively, you can put some sawdust in your pocket.
After cracking a couple racquets in college because of a sweaty grip, I have used the above tips and am proud to say I am racquet slip free! Well, racket throws don’t count.
Is sweat while playing tennis causing you trouble? Give these tips a try. Otherwise you’ll think of this article a split second after your racquet flies out of your hand and before the frame is cracked in half.
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What is your favorite way to combat sweat while playing tennis? Tell us below!
