HEAD Padel Pro Overgrip, Pack of 3

Most HEAD overgrips started life on tennis rackets. The Padel Pro is the one HEAD makes for padel, and it shows in the thickness. At 0.60 mm it's a normal thickness for a padel overgrip, so one wrap refreshes the handle without changing how the racket sits in your hand. If your handle already feels right, that's what you want.

The surface is tacky: slightly sticky to the touch, so the handle doesn't twist when you catch a volley off centre. HEAD's own page pitches it at players who want a secure, non-slip hold, and Tennis Nuts' staff review says it balances tack and comfort well. The flip side of any tacky grip is sweat. Once it's soaked through it turns slippery, so heavy sweaters on a summer court may prefer something drier.

A thinner perforated option is the Signum Pro Micro wrap at 0.55 mm. If you would rather try the thicker adidas wrap, one strip is sold as the adidas single overgrip. If you want twelve in a bag, Black Crown sells a white 12 pack. HEAD sells several overgrips in packs of three, and the main ones are closer than the price list suggests. The Prime Tour three-pack is the same 0.6 mm thickness with a very tacky finish, made for tennis but at home on a padel handle. The Xtreme Soft three-pack is softer and cushier, and HEAD doesn't publish its thickness. If your hands sweat a lot, the perforated Prime Tour breathes better.

Strip the old overgrip first. Start at the butt cap with the tapered end, wrap up towards the head under light tension, overlap each turn by a few millimetres and finish at the throat with the tape. Padel handles are short, so expect to trim more off the end than you would on a tennis racket.

For a slightly thicker wrap, there is the Evade Pro from Raquex at 0.65 mm. One wrap is enough for most hands. If the handle still feels thin, a second Padel Pro on top builds it up, at about 5 g a time, all of it in the handle. A very thin option is the tennis-listed Genesis Supra 50 at 0.50 mm. A thicker base grip such as the Bullpadel Hesacore is the other route, and padel grips explains the trade-offs between them.

HEAD doesn't give a lifespan, and nobody else credibly does either: it depends on how often you play and how much your hands sweat. Change it when the tack has gone, when it looks shiny and smooth where your palm sits, or when it starts to tear at the overlaps. A pack of three suits someone playing once or twice a week. If you play more, the 60-grip tub works out at less per grip.

If your hand sweats a lot, Raquex's anti-sweat spray is a seller-claimed option. Fresh overgrip, fresh tape. A strip of HEAD protection tape along the top of the frame takes the knocks from the glass, and the racket protector page has the alternatives. If you're kitting out a new racket, HEAD's Vibe is a forgiving first teardrop and the Extreme Team a soft diamond for improvers; the full range is under padel rackets, and the guide to choosing a padel racket covers the rest. For balls, see padel balls. If you want a tackier blister wrap, the Head Prestige Pro is the tennis alternative, and a thick base grip is the Dual Absorbing