How to put on a tennis overgrip – step by step

Should you change the overgrip or the base grip?

A tennis racket has two layers of grip, which is why regripping can mean either. The base grip sits directly on the handle and is rarely replaced – it's part of the racket. The overgrip wraps on top of the base grip, is thinner and is made to be changed regularly.

When the grip feels slick, it's the overgrip you change. Remove the old one, leave the base grip on and wrap a new one on top. An overgrip makes the grip roughly half a grip size thicker. If you want to keep the exact original thickness, you can remove the base grip and wrap with overgrip alone, but most players keep both layers for the cushioning.

How do you put on a tennis overgrip?

You need the overgrip, the tape that comes with it and a pair of scissors. Lay the racket down so you can reach the whole handle and follow the steps in order.

1. Remove the old overgrip. Start at the top, where the tape is, and unwind it around the handle. The base grip stays on.
2. Peel off any protective film from the new overgrip.
3. Turn the overgrip so the ridge faces down, against the handle. The raised edge then shows as a spiral on the outside of the grip.
4. Start at the very bottom, at the butt of the handle, with the tapered end of the wrap angled upward. Hold the end in place with your thumb for the first few turns.
5. Wrap upward toward the racket head with even tension and 2–3 mm of overlap per turn, or all the way up to the edge of the ridge if you prefer.
6. Stop just below the top of the handle. Cut off the excess at an angle, so the end follows the angle of the wrap.
7. Secure the end with the tape and press it down all the way round.

Is the wrap long enough for a tennis handle?

A tennis racket has a longer handle than a padel racket. A wrap made for padel won't reach all the way, and a join in the grip is immediately noticeable in your hand.

Znake Viper Tennis is cut for full length – 1 070 mm, against 990 mm for the padel wrap. It has the same raised edge and the same material as the padel version, sized for tennis rackets. Depending on how much you overlap, there is often a piece left over to cut off.

How much overlap and how much tension?

Overlap is a matter of taste. 2–3 mm per turn is the norm and gives an even surface. Many players overlap more, all the way up to the edge of the ridge. That uses more wrap per turn and makes the grip slightly thicker.

Tension decides the feel. Wrap tighter and the grip gets thinner and more direct; looser adds cushioning. Both work. What matters is that you wrap the same way every time, so the feel doesn't change from one overgrip to the next.

How can you tell the wrap is right?

Run your hand along the grip. The thickness should feel even all the way, with no gaps where the base grip shows and no spots where the wrap sits double.

Check the edges. No edge should lift, neither at the butt nor under the tape. A loose edge catches on your hand and comes undone faster.

Look at the ridge. The raised edge should run as an even spiral with the same spacing all the way up. If it doesn't, the tension or the overlap has varied, and it is better to rewrap than to play on an uneven wrap.

How often should you change a tennis overgrip?

Competitive players often change every match or every other match. Playing a couple of times a week, an overgrip usually lasts two to three weeks. Feel decides it, not the calendar: once the surface has turned slick or hard, the wrap is done.

If you play outdoors in the heat, absorption matters more than tack. A dry, ribbed surface moves moisture away better than a tacky wrap, which loses its hold once saturated. Viper Tennis is made from a denser material that holds its grip through the match and lasts up to 3× longer than standard wraps.