One grip or two?
One grip is the usual setup. Two grips, one fitted over the other, make the handle fuller and soak up more of the jolt from a hard shot. Start with one, and add a second only if the handle feels too thin or hard shots sting.
What a grip actually does
A rubber grip does three jobs: it stops the bat turning in your hands, it takes some of the jolt out of a hard shot, and it sets how thick the handle feels. Thickness mostly changes the second and third.
Thinner grip
- The handle feels slimmer, and you feel more of the ball on the bat.
- Some players like it for wristy shots and quick hand speed.
- Less cushion, so mistimed shots can sting more.
Thicker grip, or two grips
- The handle feels fuller, and more of the jolt is soaked up.
- Some players with bigger hands find a thicker handle more comfortable to hold without squeezing.
- The bat can feel a touch heavier at the top, and some players feel it takes away from their "feel".
How to choose
Hold the bat in your normal stance. If your fingers wrap well past your thumb and you find yourself squeezing hard, a thicker handle may feel steadier. If the handle feels like a broom handle and your hands don't close properly, go thinner.
Then play a few sessions before deciding. A grip that feels odd in the first over often feels normal by the end of the week.
How to double-grip a bat
- Fit the first grip as normal and finish the bottom neatly.
- Load the second grip onto the cone and fit it straight over the first.
- Roll slowly. Two layers are tighter, so dragging is even more likely to split the top grip.
Many players use a chevron grip underneath and a tacky one on top for bare-hand games. Not sure which goes on top? See chevron or tacky. Fitting steps: how to change a cricket bat grip.
About our grips
The Tezvia Match Grip Kit has 4 grips, so you can try one layer or two and keep the feel you like. We'll give the exact grip thickness once we've measured our samples ourselves. See the kit.