Overgrips for Sweaty Hands: What Actually Works in Match Play

You probably don't need the overgrip everyone recommends for sweaty hands. The one that shows up first on every forum, the one your doubles partner swears by, the one that feels like paper out of the wrapper — it works, but not the way you think, and not for the reason you're buying it.

I've spent the last season testing overgrips in the conditions that actually wreck your match: humid Saturday mornings, third-set tiebreaks, and the kind of hand sweat that makes you change your shirt between games. Here's what I found, and why you might be spending money on the wrong thing.

Two types, not one

There are only two kinds of overgrip that matter for sweaty hands. The first gets tackier when wet — it's a polyurethane surface that bonds to your skin as moisture increases. The second is a dry, absorbent material that soaks up sweat before it reaches the surface. They behave completely differently, and the one your friend loves might be exactly wrong for you.

You need to know which camp you fall into before buying anything.

The tacky-when-wet group

These grips start smooth, almost slippery when dry, and turn sticky as you sweat. The sensation is strange at first — you hit a few clean forehands, feel the grip firm up, and realise your hand is actually locking into place. The trade-off is that once the grip is saturated, it stays wet. There's nowhere for the moisture to go. You finish the match with a damp handle, and if you're playing back-to-back days, you're changing the grip before the second session.

The best example here is Yonex Super Grap. After years of Tourna Grip (the dry kind), I switched to Super Grap and the difference was immediate. The first time I used it in a humid 28-degree doubles match, I stopped thinking about my grip halfway through the first set. That had never happened before. My two-handed backhand came back — I could trust that my top hand wouldn't slip on the follow-through. The only real downside is how long it lasts. You get two competitive matches, maybe three if you're not a heavy sweater. Then it turns into a smooth, useless layer of plastic.

The dry-absorbent group

These are the papery, textured grips that feel like they belong on a bicycle handlebar. They don't get tacky. They absorb. As you sweat, the moisture moves into the material and away from your palm. The grip stays dry on the surface for longer than you'd expect.

Tourna Grip is the standard here. It's thin, it's absorbent, and it costs almost nothing. If your hands drip sweat between points — the kind where you have to wipe your palm on your shorts before every serve — Tourna is probably your grip. But there's a catch. Tourna has almost no cushion. You feel every seam of the handle, every vibration on an off-centre hit. Players with tennis elbow or sensitive hands often hate it. It also dries out fast. If you're playing in low humidity or air-conditioned indoor courts, Tourna can feel dusty and slick within an hour.

What about the middle ground?

Wilson Pro Overgrip tries to sit between the two categories. It has a moderate tack level and a bit of absorbency, but it doesn't excel at either. It's the safe choice — the grip you put on when you don't know what the conditions will be. In dry weather it feels fine. In high humidity it gets slippery faster than either Super Grap or Tourna. I keep a roll in my bag for practice sessions where I don't want to waste a good grip. For matches, I pick one of the two extremes.

The wildcard: Volkl V-Dry

This grip is less common in shops, which is a shame. It's a dry-style grip but thicker than Tourna, with a perforated surface that lets air circulate. It's the best option I've found for outdoor summer play in coastal cities where humidity sits above 70 percent. The downside is availability. If your local pro shop doesn't stock it, you're ordering online and paying shipping for a five-dollar item.

One honest negative about each

• Yonex Super Grap: short lifespan. Two matches and it's done.
• Tourna Grip: zero cushion. Not comfortable for players with sensitive hands.
• Wilson Pro: jack of all trades, master of none. Slips in high humidity.
• Volkl V-Dry: hard to find. Not worth the shipping cost unless you're buying four rolls at once.

How I'd actually decide

If your hand sweat is heavy enough that you wipe your palm between every point, start with Tourna Grip. It's cheap, it works, and you can change it every two matches without feeling guilty. If your sweat is moderate — damp but not dripping — try Yonex Super Grap and see if the tack-when-wet sensation solves the problem. That's the one that surprised me, and it's the one I'd recommend most players try first.

If you have a history of elbow or wrist issues, skip Tourna. Go straight to Super Grap or, if you can find it, Volkl V-Dry. The extra cushion matters more than a marginal gain in sweat management.

Who this isn't for

If you change your overgrip once a month, none of this matters. Buy whatever's on sale. The difference between these grips only shows up in competitive match conditions — high heart rate, high sweat, high stakes. If you're playing social doubles once a week and your hand never gets damp, you're not the audience.

Try this this week

Next time you restring or re-grip, buy one roll of Tourna Grip and one roll of Yonex Super Grap. Put Tourna on your two-handed backhand side (the dominant hand that needs dry surface) and Super Grap on the other hand. Play one set. You'll know within fifteen minutes which camp you belong to, and you'll have spent less than what a tube of balls costs.