Pickleball grip size: how to measure and choose

How to measure

Open your playing hand with the fingers together. Measure from the middle crease of your palm up to the tip of your ring finger. That length in inches is a good guide to the grip circumference you need.

Another check: hold the paddle in a continental grip. There should be about a finger's width of space between your fingertips and the base of your palm. No gap means the grip is too small; a big gap means too large.

Grip size chart

In our database, 53% of paddles that list a single grip size use 4.25 inches and 34% use 4.125 inches. Only 7% are 4.1 inches or less and 2% are 4.375 inches or more, so most paddles fit a medium hand out of the box.

Too small or too large?

• Between sizes, go smaller. An overgrip adds about 1/16 of an inch; nothing makes a grip thinner.
• A grip that is too small makes you squeeze harder, which can aggravate elbow and wrist pain.
• A grip that is too large limits wrist movement, so you lose spin and quick hands.

Handle length

Handle length is separate from circumference. The median handle in our database is 5.5 inches. If you hit a two-handed backhand, look for 5.5 inches or more. If you have small hands and play one-handed, a shorter handle keeps more of the paddle's length in the face.