How to Tell if Your Hands Are ‘Overly Sweaty’ in Tennis

• You’re struggling to keep your grip on the handle
• Your grips are becoming saturated rapidly
• You feel the need to frequently dry your hands when playing

   Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

If you HAVE BEEN or are experiencing any of the issues above, DON’T WORRY, I’ve been there.

In fact, I’ve managed to crack several rackets over the course of my career simply because the racket was FLYING OUT of my hands.

One of my not so fond memories was while playing IN COLLEGE when I attempted to unload on a forehand and the racket PRACTICALLY WENT further than the ball!

Rather embarrassing to say the least.

You’d be surprised at the number of people WHO STRUGGLE with super sweaty hands in tennis too.

Of course, if you’re PLAYING at a place with sub-zero temperatures, you might not experience these problems.

But if you’re playing somewhere reasonably warm, and you’re playing the game intensely, sweaty hands are PERFECTLY NORMAL, even for professional players.

With that said, although they are normal, they can be an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE – just ask the chain of rackets I’ve been able to break because of this!

The good news is that this is an issue you can easily overcome, which is what I’d like to share with you right now.

Ways you can combat this issue

At the end of the day, while sweaty hands are an inconvenience, this is something that can EASILY BE DEALT WITH these days (this is my favourite tennis overgrip for sweaty hands) (this is my favourite tennis overgrip for sweaty hands).

There are many products out there specifically designed to aid with this problem, and there are other ways you can help YOURSELF TOO.

Here are the top products and tips you should be considering:

Wristbands

In my experience, one of the best ways to avoid hands becoming OVERLY SWEATY is to stop excess moisture from reaching this region in the first place.

Different people tend to SWEAT HEAVILY in different parts of the body during exercise.

For me, I sweat a ton through my arms, and this sweat has a knack of running down my arm and MAKING ITS WAY into my hands.

So, the best way of stopping this is to then use a wristband!

You can use a wristband on each wrist or just use one on your dominant wrist, and the best thing is that wristbands then double up as some extra support for your wrists when striking the ball.

Of course, you can then wipe the sweat from your face with a wristband too, which is more preferable than using your shirt.

Sweat Absorbent Overgrips

Personally, I much prefer overgrips rather than replacement grips.

Overgrips have a BETTER FEEL to them in general, and they are tackier, as well as being more sweat-absorbent – depending on the actual grip you choose to use.

For the LONGEST TIME I used tournagrips when playing, but when I was sweating heavily, I found that these grips would become saturated.

Don’t get me wrong, I STILL LOVE tournagrips, I just prefer to use other grips when playing in very Hot Conditions.

In fact, it was during my college days that I started to explore other options like Wilson and Babolat overgrips. 

These are both major brands when it comes to CREATING high-quality tennis equipment.

And when I was checking them out, I realized that they HAD MULTIPLE, sweat-absorbing options.

Of course, there are others in the market too, but these two are some of my ALL-TIME FAVORITES.

Basically, these grips help to absorb the moisture from your hands, helping TO AVOID complete saturation on the grip itself.

Rosin Powder

I was introduced to this product also in college, through a friend of mine who used to sweat uncontrollably when playing.

Basically, this is a manufactured powder that when applied to your hands, dries them almost INSTANTLY.

I’d recommend grabbing a bottle of this stuff rather than getting Rosin bags, as it’s EASIER TO APPLY IT and it fits snugly in your tennis bag too.

All you have to do is apply a small amount as and when you need it, and while the bottle is pretty small, it LASTS FOREVER.

This is also a very cost-effective method of managing sweaty hands – much better than constantly changing your grips!

With this said, you don’t have to use the powder if you’d prefer not to. There is also a liquid Rosin gel that is fairly awesome too.

It comes out a bit like hand sanitizer, and YOU CAN then rub it all over your hands. It takes slightly longer to do this, however, which is the main reason I tend to go for the powder over other products.

Use a Fresh Towel

You’ve probably seen professional players HEADING FOR the towel after each point, especially guys like Rafael Nadal.

They don’t just dry their faces either – they normally dry their arms and hands at the same time.

You can employ the same approach when playing if you like, and ALL YOU NEED to do is keep a fresh towel at the side or at the back of the court.

Ideally, make sure the towel is easily accessible to avoid holding up play too much.

And if you combine this tip with some of the other tips and products I’ve mentioned above, you should notice an IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT concerning overly sweaty hands when playing.

My conclusion

Speaking from experience, prevention and treatment REALLY ARE CHEAPER than the cure here.

As recently as this summer I managed to break a brand new racket because it FLEW OUT of my hand when hitting a serve, all because I didn’t change the grip before the match and didn’t use the Rosin powder!

That’s a $200 mistake right there.

So take it from me, start applying the tips mentioned and look into the products I’ve advised to avoid such problems. Your bank balance will thank you in the long run!

Do you have other tips or products you’d like to share with our readers? Please let us all know down below.