Grip size and overgrips
What G4 and G5 mean, how to check your size, and how overgrips change the feel.
Grip size is the thickness of the handle, marked with a G number. On Yonex, Victor and current Li-Ning rackets, the higher the number, the thinner the handle. A racket code such as 4UG5 means a 4U weight with a G5 handle.
The sizes
For Yonex, roughly:
- G4: about 86 mm round
- G5: about 83 mm round
- G6: thinner again, and rarely sold in the UK
Sources differ by 2-3 mm, and whatever you wrap on top changes the final feel. UK shops mostly stock G4 and G5. Older Li-Ning S sizes run the other way: a bigger S number means a thicker handle.
Check your size
Hold the racket in a relaxed forehand grip. There should be about a finger's width between your fingertips and the base of your thumb. No gap means the handle is too thick; a big gap means it's too thin.
Thinner suits most players
A thinner handle lets you switch quickly between forehand and backhand grips and use your fingers for control. That's why most players choose G5 and build it up if they need to.
Overgrips: you can add, never take away
Each overgrip adds roughly one size, so a G5 with one overgrip feels close to a G4. You can always build a handle up, but you can't make it thinner. Between two sizes, choose the smaller.
Which overgrip
- PU (polyurethane) overgrips are thin and come tacky or dry. Tacky suits dry hands; a dry feel suits sweaty ones.
- Towel grips soak up sweat best and stay grippy when wet, but they're thicker, pick up dirt and need changing more often.
Change an overgrip when it turns shiny, slippery or starts to tear. For regular players that's every few weeks.
The quiz suggests a size and overgrip for your hand and how much you sweat, and our Learn page has the full size table.