Most players buy a racket, pick it up, and start playing. The grip size printed on the packaging rarely gets a second glance – padel equipment is confusing enough already. But grip size is one of the few racket specs that directly affects injury risk. Get it wrong and you’ll be squeezing, overcompensating, and potentially heading towards the elbow pain that sidelines a meaningful chunk of regular players.
Here’s how to work out what you need.
What padel grip sizes mean
Padel uses the European L-scale: L1, L2, and L3 are the sizes you’ll find on almost every racket sold in the UK. The number refers to the circumference of the handle at its widest point.
| Size | Approx. circumference | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | ~95mm | Smaller hands, many women |
| L2 | ~100mm | Average adult hands |
| L3 | ~105mm | Larger hands, many men |
Padel grip sizes differ from tennis grip sizes, which use a different scale (L1–L5 in Europe, or fractional inch measurements in the US). If you come from tennis, the numbers don’t transfer.
How to measure your hand
Two methods work reliably.
Ring-finger measurement: Hold your dominant hand flat with fingers together and palm facing up. Measure from the tip of your ring finger to the middle crease of your palm (the second fold, not the one at the base of your fingers).
- Under 10cm → L1
- 10–11cm → L2
- Over 11cm → L3
Finger-gap test: Hold a racket in a continental grip (racket edge pointing up, like a hammer). With the right fit, you should be able to slide one finger of your non-dominant hand into the gap between your fingertips and the heel of your palm. One finger: correct. No gap: too small. Two fingers’ worth of space: too large.
The measurement method is more useful when buying online. The finger-gap test is better when you have a racket to hand.
Why manufacturers don’t all agree
Padel grip sizing is not standardised. There is no governing body that mandates a specific circumference for an L2 grip. One brand’s L2 might measure 99mm; another’s 103mm. When ordering online, that gap matters.
The practical fix: measure the circumference directly. If you have a racket that fits well, measure it with a tape measure and use that number as your benchmark. A well-fitting grip typically lands between 10.5cm and 11.5cm for most adults. Trust the number over the label.
Adjusting grip size with overgrips
If your racket grip runs slightly small, you don’t need a new racket. Overgrips are thin wraps wound over the base grip, and they add measurable thickness.
Each overgrip adds roughly 1.5–2mm to the handle’s diameter – about 4–6mm of circumference. Since adjacent padel sizes are roughly 5mm apart, two overgrips can bridge L1 to L2, or L2 to L3.
One note: overgrips wear out and need replacing every few weeks if you’re playing regularly. A worn overgrip is smooth and slippery, which causes the same grip-squeezing problem as an undersized handle.
Grip size and injury
When your grip is too small, your hand can’t wrap around it naturally. To stay in control, you grip harder – usually without realising it. That sustained muscular tension, repeated across every shot in a session, does cumulative damage to the tendon attaching the forearm extensors to the lateral epicondyle of your elbow.
The result is lateral epicondylitis: padel elbow. The mechanism is the same as tennis elbow, because the source is the same – forearm overload.
If you’re experiencing forearm fatigue or elbow soreness after sessions, grip size should be the first thing you check, before you spend money on braces or dampeners. The injury prevention guide covers the full picture of what poor equipment fit leads to over time.
Signs your grip is the wrong size
Too small: You grip harder as the session progresses. Forearm fatigue arrives early. Elbow soreness after play. The racket occasionally rotates in your hand on off-centre hits.
Too large: Your wrist feels restricted on topspin shots. Generating snap on volleys is difficult. The finger-gap test shows two fingers of space.
Most coaches recommend erring smaller and adding an overgrip – a grip you can adjust upwards is easier to manage than one that’s already too big.
Finding your size
Measure your hand once. Test the finger-gap if you can. Add overgrips to fine-tune. The whole process takes five minutes and the result follows you to every racket you buy.
If you’re choosing a new padel racket, look for brands that list actual grip circumference in their specs – not all do, but it saves the guesswork. If they don’t, default to L2 and adjust from there.