Grip — Tennis
Guard-Tex customizes your racquet handle — building bevels where you need them, padding where you blister, and removing clean when you want to change. The grip mod your pro shop can't do.
Racquet handles come in 1/8-inch increments — L1, L2, L3, L4. Your hand doesn't conform to those increments. A 4 3/8 feels slightly too small in your palm but a 4 1/2 is too thick for your fingers. The heel pad needs more support but the index knuckle area needs less. The standard grip is an average that fits nobody perfectly.
The pro shop solution is a heat shrink sleeve or extra overgrip layers. The sleeve adds uniform thickness everywhere — same amount at the heel pad, the fingers, the bevels. It can't build more material where you need it and less where you don't. Extra overgrip layers add bulk and sponge, changing the feel of the handle and the feedback from the strings.
What you actually need is an adjustable underlayer that lets you build a custom bevel profile — thicker at specific contact points, thinner everywhere else — that stays invisible under your grip and removes without a trace when you want to try a different setup.
Precision Fit
Guard-Tex wraps between the handle and your grip to create custom bevel profiles. More material at the heel pad for stability. Extra padding at the index knuckle for topspin comfort. Tapered transitions so every bevel feels natural. Remove it and the handle is factory-original.
Handle customization. Build up specific bevels to match your grip style. Eastern grip players need more material at bevel 3 where the heel pad locks in. Western grip players need support at bevel 5 for the base knuckle. Continental servers need a prominent ridge at bevel 1 for the index finger. Guard-Tex lets you add 1–4 layers at exactly these zones — precision that heat shrink and overgrip layers can't achieve.
Blister prevention. The two most common blister points in tennis are the base of the index finger (from topspin strokes) and the thumb pad (from the continental serve grip). Two layers of Guard-Tex at these hot spots absorb the friction that causes shear blisters without changing your grip feel everywhere else. You can wrap the handle, your fingers, or both.
Between-size solutions. Between grip sizes? Instead of choosing the smaller size and adding an overgrip, or the larger size and losing feel, start with the smaller handle and use Guard-Tex to build it up precisely where your hand needs more material. The result is a custom fit that's better than either stock size.
"My coach suggested building up the heel pad bevel. Two layers of Guard-Tex, same overgrip on top. My serve immediately felt more stable — I could feel the bevel lock into my palm instead of sliding around."— Rachel K., USTA 4.5 player, San Diego
| Guard-Tex | Heat Shrink Sleeve | Extra Overgrip | Replacement Grip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable bevel thickness | ✓ Layer by layer | ✗ Uniform | ✗ Uniform | ✗ Uniform |
| Blister zone padding | ✓ Targeted | ✗ | Minimal | Minimal |
| Reversible / adjustable | ✓ Remove anytime | ✗ Permanent | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zero handle residue | ✓ | Can damage finish | Varies | Varies |
| Preserves string feel | ✓ Minimal damping | Some damping | Significant damping | Varies |
| Fine-tune grip size | 1/32" precision | 1/8" increments | ~1/16" per layer | Fixed |
| Cost | ~$4 per racquet | $8–15 + labor | $3–6 | $8–15 |
Eight minutes. One roll of 3/4" Guard-Tex. No heat gun, no pro shop visit.
Strip overgrip and replacement grip. Look at the bare handle — note the eight bevels and where your hand naturally contacts each one. Mark your pressure points: heel pad, index knuckle, thumb ridge.
Wrap Guard-Tex at your primary contact zones. For eastern grips, build bevel 3 (under the heel pad) with 2–3 layers. For western grips, build bevel 5 (under the base knuckle). For serve-and-volley, build bevel 1 (index finger ridge). Taper edges so transitions between built and unbuilt bevels feel smooth.
If you blister at specific spots, add 2 targeted layers there. The gauze absorbs shear friction — the lateral force that separates skin layers and forms blisters — without adding padding everywhere. Common spots: index finger base (topspin), thumb pad (serve), pinky side (two-handed backhand).
Install replacement grip and overgrip as normal. The Guard-Tex stays invisible underneath. When the overgrip wears out, peel it off and the custom base layer stays. Fresh overgrip, same handle, 60 seconds.
Tennis Player Favorite
One roll customizes 6–8 racquets. Disappears under any grip or overgrip. Matches tan leather replacement grips. The same tape trusted by industrial workers and athletes since 1935.
Shop Now"I'm between L3 and L4. Three layers on the heel pad bevel gets me the stability of L4 with the finger control of L3. Best mod I've ever made."— David S., USTA 5.0 player, Chicago
"I was getting index finger blisters after every match. Two wraps of Guard-Tex on that finger before I play — no blisters in three months of league play."— Elena R., recreational player, Phoenix
"Showed my stringer and he now recommends it to everyone who asks about grip size adjustments. Cheaper than a sleeve and actually customizable."— Kevin T., college club team, Chapel Hill
"The clean removal is huge. I match my racquets and they all need slightly different builds. Guard-Tex lets me customize each one without permanently altering the handles."— Naomi P., tournament player, Miami
Tennis players who discover Guard-Tex for their racquets find it solves grip problems across every other sport they play. It builds custom pickleball paddle handles with the same precision. Golfers use it for blister prevention and grip customization. It wraps bicycle handlebars for pressure point relief on long rides and protects hands during CrossFit workouts. One roll, one material — from the court to the gym to the garage.
Only where you apply it. Add thickness at specific bevels for a custom profile, or wrap uniformly to increase overall size. Most players add 1/32 to 1/8 inch at targeted zones without meaningfully changing the overall size.
Minimally — 2–4 grams at the butt end. This slightly increases the head-light balance, which most players prefer for maneuverability. The change is less than switching overgrip brands.
Yes. Wrap directly on your fingers at hot spots before playing. The tape absorbs friction that causes shear blisters, stays on through sweat and grip changes, and removes without pulling skin. Common spots: index finger base and thumb pad.
Yes. It sits between the handle and your grip, staying locked in place during play. When you change your overgrip, the Guard-Tex base stays intact. Fresh overgrip, same custom handle, 60 seconds.
Heat shrink adds uniform thickness everywhere and can't be adjusted once applied. Guard-Tex lets you build variable thickness bevel by bevel. It's also removable — if the profile doesn't feel right, unwrap and rebuild in minutes.
No. Guard-Tex bonds to itself through cohesive technology unaffected by moisture. Your overgrip handles surface sweat — the Guard-Tex underneath maintains its structure regardless of how much you perspire.
Wraps anything. Sticks to nothing. American made since 1935.
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