Grips and overgrips: what a maker's pages say and what the laws leave open
Material, wrap counts and the missing numbers on real grip pages, and the one line the laws give about the handle.
What a grip is, and what the laws say
The handle is the part of the racket you hold. Law 4 of the BWF Laws of Badminton, edition in force 26 April 2025 defines it in one sentence and says nothing about the thickness, the material or the surface of a grip. The same law lets a cord secure the handle to the player's hand (Law 4.3). So the choice of grip belongs to you, within the rule that the racket must stay free of other attached objects.
What one maker's pages give
On 9 November 2026 we read the US pages of one maker for three grips. Their collection page lists twenty items, many sold by the number of "wraps" (a wrap is one strip).
- A polyurethane overgrip described as "tacky": the page says it absorbs shock and moisture. Sport: tennis and badminton.
- A towel grip: "100% cotton", described as offering "enhanced absorbency".
- A cushioned polyurethane grip described as having "high-cushioning efficiency".
What the pages do not give
None of the three pages gives a thickness, a length, a weight or a test of grip. The words "tacky", "absorbency" and "cushioning" are descriptions, not measured values. So two grips from different pages cannot be ranked by the page alone.
Grip size is a different thing
The "G" in a racket code such as "4UG5" is the size of the handle itself. The pages we read for rackets show only the combined code and do not define the G number. Add a grip on top and you make the handle thicker; the pages give no figure for how much.
What to take from this
- Material is the one hard fact the pages give: polyurethane or cotton. Choose by trying, on a racket you own.
- Wrap counts are the pack size, not a quality.
- Treat any claim without a number as a description.
- Before adding anything to the handle for a tournament, remember that Law 4.3 allows only a cord and objects that limit wear, vibration or distribute weight; ask the organisers if in doubt.