Padel grip size and overgrips: the cheapest fix for your elbow and your control
Nearly every padel racket ships with a handle that is too thin for the hand holding it. An overgrip costs three euros and changes more than a new racket would. Here is how thick, how many, and which.
The test
Hold the racket as you would to hit a forehand and slide the index finger of your other hand between your fingertips and your palm. If it does not fit, the grip is too thin; if two fingers fit, too thick. Most rackets come one overgrip too thin for a man's hand and about right for a small woman's. A thin grip makes you squeeze, squeezing sends vibration up the forearm, and that is padel elbow in one sentence; the injury guide has the rest.
How many, and how
One overgrip is the norm; two for large hands or a racket you cannot control; three is a sign you need a different racket. Wrap from the bottom of the handle up, overlapping by a third of the width, pulling it tight, and finish with the tape it comes with. Replace it when it goes shiny and hard, roughly every month of twice-a-week play; a fresh overgrip is the cheapest confidence in the sport.
Tacky or dry
Sweaty hands or a humid club: a dry, absorbent overgrip (the Tourna type). Dry hands or a cold hall: a tacky one. Most brands sell both; Bullpadel, Head Xtreme Soft and Wilson Pro are the ones you see on tour. Buy the box of twelve; the singles are a waste.
The strap
The wrist strap is mandatory in padel and it exists because the glass is a metre from your follow-through. Wear it on the wrist, not the forearm, adjusted so the racket cannot leave your hand and cannot swing back into your leg. A frayed strap is the one piece of kit to replace immediately; replacement straps cost less than a coffee.
Hand hurts anyway?
If the grip is right and the elbow still complains, the racket is the next suspect: a hard core, a diamond shape or a head-heavy balance transmits more. The finder weights the arm question heavily and will steer you to soft and round.