Quick answer: "Badminton grip" means two different things, and you need both. The hand grip is how you hold the racket — forehand, backhand, panhandle and bevel are the four you need, and switching between them is what separates club players from beginners. The racket grip is the material wrapped round the handle: a replacement grip forms the base, an overgrip or towel grip goes on top. Most UK club players want a tacky overgrip over the factory grip — the Yonex Wet Super Grap is the reliable default — while heavy sweaters should go straight to a towel grip.
Your badminton grip is the only point of contact between you and your racket. Get either half wrong and you lose control on exactly the shots that need it most: smashes, net kills and defensive blocks under pressure. This guide covers both halves, written by the racket-fitting team at Central Sports, who regrip and restring hundreds of badminton rackets a year.
The four badminton grips every player should know
Ask most coaches "what grip should I use for badminton?" and they will teach these four. They are named after where the racket face points and where your thumb and index knuckle sit on the eight bevels of the handle.
- Forehand grip (basic grip) — shake hands with the handle. The V between thumb and index finger sits on the bevel in line with the racket edge, and the face stays roughly vertical. Your default for clears, drops and forehand smashes, and the first grip any coach teaches.
- Backhand grip (thumb grip) — rotate the racket slightly anticlockwise (right-handers) and place the flat of your thumb on the wider bevel. The thumb does the pushing. This is what gives you a backhand clear that actually reaches the back tramlines.
- Panhandle grip — rotate so the face is flat, like holding a frying pan. Correct for net kills and forehand net shots directly in front of you; wrong for almost everything else. Beginners default to panhandle for every shot, which is the single most common technical fault in UK club badminton.
- Bevel grip — a half-turn between forehand and backhand, used for backhand net shots, backhand serves and tight cross-court net play where you need the face angled rather than square.
The grip is never fixed. Good players loosen their fingers between shots, re-set the grip in the split second the shuttle is travelling, then squeeze at impact. A racket grip that is too thick or too slick makes those rotations slow and imprecise — which is exactly why the material half of this matters.
Overgrip, replacement grip or towel grip?
Three types, three jobs. Most players use two of them at once.
- Replacement grip (base grip) — wrapped directly onto the bare handle. Thicker and more cushioned, it sets the foundation size and feel of the racket. Replace every two to three months, or sooner once the cushioning flattens.
- Overgrip — a thin layer on top of the replacement or factory grip. Cheap, quick to change, and the main way you fine-tune tackiness. Replace every one to two weeks with regular play. Each overgrip builds the handle up by roughly half a grip size.
- Towel grip — soft cotton, thicker and far more absorbent. Built for sweat management rather than tack. Viktor Axelsen and Lin Dan have both played on towel grips for this reason.
The honest rule of thumb: it is sweat level, not skill level, that decides between tacky and towel. Cool sports halls favour a tacky overgrip; a hot summer session or a humid club night favours towelling. Plenty of players keep both in the bag. Compare the full range of badminton racket grips at Central Sports.
Badminton grip size explained (G4, G5 and building up)
Badminton handles are sized G4 (larger) and G5 (smaller), with G5 the most common size sold in the UK. Unlike tennis, you cannot easily shave a badminton handle down, so the practical route is to buy the smaller size and build it up with overgrips rather than buy big and be stuck with it.
Smaller hands and control-first players generally prefer a thinner grip, because faster finger rotation makes the forehand-to-backhand switches described above quicker. Players who hold tighter for smashes often prefer a touch more bulk. If the racket twists in your hand on off-centre hits, the grip is too thin or too worn. If your forearm aches after an hour, it is probably too thick.
How to fit a badminton grip properly
None of the pages currently ranking for this topic explain the actual fitting, so here it is in five steps.
- Strip the old overgrip. Leave the replacement grip on unless it has hardened or gone lumpy.
- Start at the butt end. Peel the backing and anchor the tapered start flush with the bottom of the handle.
- Wrap upwards at a slight angle, overlapping each turn by two to three millimetres. Keep light, even tension — pulling hard stretches the grip and it will unravel within a week.
- Stop about two centimetres short of the shaft, trim at an angle, and seal with the finishing tape supplied.
- Play a few shots and check for twist. If it slips at the butt, you did not anchor it tightly enough at step two.
If your hands sweat before you even start, a shake of Yonex Grip Powder 2 (£4.86) does more than another overgrip will.
Top picks from Central Sports
All of the following were checked in stock on centralsports.co.uk at the time of writing.
- Yonex AC102EX Wet Super Grap, 3 pack — £5.60. Best all-round overgrip. Thin, tacky, and it stays grippy once your hands go damp. The sensible default for most club players.
- Yonex AC402EX Towel Grip — from £2.30. Best for heavy sweaters. 100% cotton, self-adhesive, full handle coverage, in seven colours.
- Karakal X-Tra Replacement Grip — £4.75. Best budget base layer. Durable PU that sits under any overgrip and rebuilds a tired handle.
- Yonex AC221 Ultimum Leather Grip — £13.30. Best premium feel. Firmer and longer-lasting than synthetic, for players who dislike tacky PU.
- Aixo Nebula Tacky Overgrip — £3.80. Same tacky performance in a colourway nobody else at your club will have.
- Ashaway Super Grips, 24 pieces — £34.28. Best for clubs and coaches — the lowest cost per grip when you are kitting out a squad rather than one racket.
How often should you change a badminton grip?
Overgrips every one to two weeks with regular play. Towel grips on a similar cycle, sooner in hot weather since they hold onto the moisture they absorb. Replacement grips every two to three months, or as soon as the cushioning underneath feels hard. If the surface looks shiny, feels slick, or is unravelling at the edge, it is finished — a £3 overgrip is the cheapest performance upgrade in the sport.
A fresh grip on a tired racket is only half the job. If the strings have gone dead too, book a restring, or look at the full badminton racket range if the handle itself is beyond saving. Worth reading next: our guide to the best badminton shoes in the UK, and why overgrips are the cheapest upgrade across every racket sport.
Badminton grip FAQs
What grip should I use for badminton?
Start with the forehand grip as your default and learn the backhand thumb grip second. Add panhandle for net kills and bevel for backhand net play. For the racket handle itself, a tacky overgrip over a replacement grip suits most club players.
What are the four types of grips in badminton?
Forehand (basic), backhand (thumb), panhandle and bevel. They differ by how far you rotate the handle within your palm and where the thumb sits on the eight bevels.
What is the proper grip in badminton?
There is no single proper grip — there are four correct grips for different shots. The common fault is using panhandle for everything, which kills your backhand clear and your smash power.
Can I put an overgrip straight onto a bare handle?
You can, but most players find it too thin. Overgrips are designed to sit on top of a replacement or factory grip, not to replace one.
Do I need a different grip for tennis, padel or squash?
Central Sports stocks overgrips and replacement grips across badminton, tennis, squash and padel from Yonex, Babolat, Victor, Karakal and Ashaway. Check the intended handle diameter — tennis and padel grips are generally wider than badminton.
Getting your badminton grip right
Learn the four hand grips, then match the handle material to how much you sweat rather than how good you think you are. It is the cheapest change you can make to your game and the one most club players leave far too long. Shop the full grips and overgrips range at centralsports.co.uk, with UK delivery and expert racket fitting in store.
