Q AND A: GRIPS AND GUT {2008}

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

Here are some questions and answers regarding grips and natural gut string.

“Why do my grips wear out so fast?”

First, VERY IMPORTANT!! If you use hand cream or sun block (and you should use sun block) make sure you put it on BEFORE you leave home so you can wash your palms before going to the courts. This will avoid the oils getting on your grip which will reduce the life of the grip, making it less tacky as well. Rosin will reduce synthetic grip life also.

Synthetic grips are designed for comfort rather than durability. The surface is made extremely tacky, but wears out quickly. After much use the grip becomes compressed, which reduces the size of the grip and eliminates the cushioning effect. Replace your grip at least every time you string, or every six months. Additionally, when you are finished playing let the grip dry out completely before covering it.

Leather grips last for years but they have little or no cushioning and get slick. To keep them tacky, use some rubbing alcohol on a cloth and rub it on the grip to get all the dirt and hand oils off. After drying, use some cooking oil (about as much as will stay on your fingerprint) and rub it over the grip.

“What about natural gut strings?”

I use natural gut most of the time. The normally high humidity we have in Florida seems to be ok, but direct contact with heavy moisture (rain, wet balls, dripping water bottles, sweat, etc.) will weaken the string. Modern gut string is coated with a protective varnish for increased life. This varnish will wear off, but the better companies also coat the string internally. Most players appreciate the playability of natural gut and it is still the best choice for arm comfort. Common sense care for the strings should give them very acceptable service.

Natural gut generally lasts less time than synthetic string. You can keep it in good shape, however. After stringing, we put all racquets in protective bags. You should put the racquet [head only; see “grip” answer above] back in this bag after playing. A light spray of light duty silicone (available from hardware or home improvement stores) on the strings right after playing, and a quick wipe with a cloth or paper towel will go a long way toward keeping the string resistant to moisture.

Cold weather may cause the natural gut to stiffen slightly, making it tighter, but after a warm up, it should be fine. I think extreme heat will make it more relaxed, causing it to feel a little looser.