4 Best Leather Tennis Replacement Grips (Buyer’s Guide)
Choosing the right replacement grip for your racket is one of the most important things you can do to prepare and maximize your performance and feel for tennis. In this article, I will go through the four best leather replacement grips for those that prefer them over synthetic ones.
Before diving into the grips themselves, I want that you have a full understanding of the features, benefits, and cons they have over synthetic replacement grips. So first, let’s learn whether leather tennis grips are good.
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Are Leather Tennis Grips Good?
Leather tennis grips are good in terms of firm grip where you can feel the edges of the handle better, giving you a more secure grip. Also, leather grips will transmit more feedback of when the ball hits the racket, giving you a better feel on the power and spin of your opponent’s strike.
I love leather tennis grips because the overall feel of the game and grip is so much more secure and firm. It does need some time to adjust because if you would transition from synthetic grip to leather, the handle will feel really hard and unforgiving. Yet, this is awesome when you get used to it!
In addition to all of this, leather grips are heavier than synthetic replacement grips, so if you are looking for any means to add power to your tennis racket; a leather grip will add more force to your strikes.
How Much Heavier Is A Leather Tennis Grip?
As in general, leather replacement grips can be twice the weight of synthetic ones, often slightly less. A leather tennis grip usually weighs between 20 to 30grams, whereas a synthetic one is 15g-20grams and maybe even 25grams.
Of course, the weight difference between grips varies depending on the exact grips you are comparing. Given that you will probably cover the leather replacement grip with a synthetic overgrip, you will give a nice weight boost to your racket giving more power for your strikes.
On the other hand, if you want to minimize the weight of your racket, then leather grip may not be for you. All in all, the weight difference is 15grams maximum, so the difference won’t be likely noticeable.
Why Choose Leather Tennis Grip Over Synthethic?
There are various benefits that leather replacement grip offer that synthetic won’t. I love leather grips for the following reasons:
- Much firmer grip feel
Leather is hard and unforgiving material that doesn’t really stretch; the feel is firm and extremely secure. For beginners, the leather grip may feel uncomfortable, but intermediate players and higher can appreciate the benefit of it.
- Better feedback from the strikes
As the grip is harder, you can feel the vibrations of the incoming strike when the ball hits the racket, giving you information on how hard the strike was, how many spins it carried, and so on.
- Heavier weight
The weight of a leather grip is often double the one of a synthetic one, so it will transmit more force and power to your strikes which is always something you should want.
If you want to know every single aspect of which one to choose so you can make an educated decision, I highly recommend that you read my synthetic vs. leather replacement grip article. After all, no grip material is better than the other because it’s a matter of preference.
4 Best Leather Replacement Grips
Now that you know the ins and outs of a leather replacement grip, you can find the best ones below! I’ll start with my favorite.
Best Overall: HEAD Leather Replacement Grip
- Material: 100% leather
- Thickness: 1.5mm
- Weight: 29g
- Cost: $
There are many reasons why this HEAD leather replacement grip is the best overall. First of all, the feel of this grip is absolutely amazing. After you are done applying the replacement grip and take hold of your handle, you can feel the edges. This gives you an idea of how well this grip fits and feels.
When a grip has this great of a feel, your overall touch to the game will improve. The firmness of leather will also transmit way better feedback of the strikes than a synthetic one, so your control and understanding of your opponent will improve.
The price-quality ratio is amazing with this one as it’s not from the most expensive end, so I highly recommend this leather grip for all players that wish for one.
Best Affordable: Tourna Leather Replacement Grip
- Material: 100% leather
- Thickness: –
- Weight: –
- Cost: $
Tourna leather grip is the most affordable one on this list, yet it has many great benefits to its name.
Tourna is a veteran in making grips with over 40 years of experience. This is why they have included easy installation, beveled edges for a seamless fit, and finishing tape, so you don’t need separate tape to secure the grip on your racket.
Tourna grips have excellent tackiness, and so does this leather one. The only conside of this grip is that it’s 43.3inches (110cm) long, so it may be short for long handle rackets, especially if you use two hands on backhand strokes, as do most people. All in all, this grip is great, especially when you look at the price.
Best Premium: Wilson Leather Replacement Grip
- Material: 100% leather
- Thickness: 1.5mm
- Weight: 23g
- Cost: $$
Wilson leather replacement grip is the most expensive grip on this list, yet not by a long shot. This Wilson leather grip is 1.5mm thick and weighs 23g which is quite average specs for leather grips. This is good, so the grip makes your handle too thin or too thick in circumference. Also, 23g can add more power to your shots.
This grip also has length! Given that the Tourna grip above is 110cm long and tends to be a little short for many people, the Wilson leather grip is 130cm long, which is more than enough for all tennis rackets! So if you use a wide grip on both hands when you strike with the backhand, you can be sure that you will give grip.
This is somewhat more expensive than the rest, but in grips, the difference isn’t that much, so in my opinion, this grip is well worth the cost for people looking for a premium leather grip with length and great feel.
Also Consider: Tecnifibre ATP Leather Grip
- Material: 100% leather
- Thickness: 1.5mm
- Weight: 18g
- Cost: $$
This Tecnifibre leather replacement grip is a great choice as well. What makes this leather grip differ from the other ones is the weight. This grip only weighs below 20grams which is unusual for leather grips, so if you are looking for a lightweight leather grip, this one is the go-to choice.
1.5mm thickness guarantees a consistent handle thickness, and the dark brown color is just beautiful. This grip conforms well to the handle, so the feedback and overall feel will be good. All in all, a great grip to consider.
My Favorite Tennis Equipment
Thanks for reading this article. I hope it brought you great value that you can implement into your own life! Below you’ll find my top tennis equipment recommendations would like.
- Racket: My preferred tennis racket is the Wilson Ultra 100 V3. This racket is made from graphite and carbon fiber, making it durable, firm, and easy to swing. The racket weighs 300g, making it lightweight yet not too lightweight to generate power. The racket’s main benefit is power. I like to add multifilament strings to the racket, such as Wilson NXT Soft 16 (recommended tension 52lb/23.5kg), because they are comfortable and soft on the arm with a great feel to the game.
- Tennis balls: Best tennis balls are always pressurized, and I like them having extra-duty felt, which is fit for hard court play. I like Penn Championship Tennis Balls, and so does the ITF because these balls are approved for competitive play. So yes, these are the real deal.
- Tennis shoes: I can’t stress enough the importance of comfortable and supporting shoes. ASICS Gel-Resolution 8 tennis shoes are unique because the balance between durability and support mixed with comfort is something out of the ordinary.
- Fan Equipment: If you’re a fan more than a player, you don’t want to miss Fan Equipment by Fanatics. You can find items from various sports that bear your favorite team’s logo, such as jerseys, gift ideas, or other surprising things.