Padel rackets come in one handle size, so thickness is something you adjust: an overgrip adds a thin layer, and a Hesacore replaces the base grip at 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0mm. Choose a Hesacore by how your grip feels now and how many overgrips you use. It's a moulded sleeve that slides on, not a wrap, so use the strips in the box, never force it, and it won't split.
One handle, thickness to taste
Padel has no grip sizes on the shelf. The rules cap the handle at 20cm long and 50mm wide and thick, and brands build to one standard size within that. You change how the handle feels by what you put around it.
Some attack rackets, including NOX's 2027 AT10 Genius Attack and Ventus Attack, have a longer handle, which suits players who use two hands on the backhand. The thickness is still yours to set.
Is your handle too thin or too thick?
Too thin and you squeeze to stop it turning in your hand. Your forearm tires, the racket twists on off-centre volleys, and a sore elbow often follows; see padel and tennis elbow.
Too thick and your wrist loses its flick. Volleys feel clumsy and the víbora loses its snap.
Build up one overgrip at a time and play a full session on each setup before you decide. Once you know the setup you like, Hesacore's size guide turns it into a size.
Choosing a Hesacore size
A Hesacore replaces your racket's base grip with a moulded hexagonal sleeve, so your fingers land in the same place every time and you can hold the racket without squeezing. Its sizes are the thickness of the material, matched to what you play with now:
| You play with now | Hesacore size |
|---|---|
| A grip that feels too big for your hand | Extra Small (1.0mm) |
| A grip that suits your hand, with one overgrip | Small (1.5mm) |
| Two overgrips, or a grip that feels a little small | Medium (2.0mm) |
That's Hesacore's own size guide. They also size by hand, measured from the tip of your middle finger to your wrist: under 18cm is Extra Small, 18–19cm Small, 19–20cm Medium, and over 20cm (or more than two overgrips) is Large, which we don't stock.
You aren't sizing up: you're recreating the thickness you already like, with a better shape underneath. Original (or Pink) is the place to start, Gel is the softest for a sore arm, and Carbon is the firm, direct one.
How to fit a Hesacore without tearing it
Fitting is the most common complaint about Hesacore grips, and the risk is a split sleeve. The sleeve is a silicone blend, and it can tear if it's stretched at the open end or twisted once it's on. Take it slowly:
- Strip the handle. Unwind the original base grip and its finishing tape, and peel off any adhesive left behind. The Hesacore goes on the bare handle in place of the base grip, not over it.
- Line it up first. The hexagon has to sit on the flat sides of the handle so your fingers land in the ridges. Check the orientation before it goes on, because turning it once it's on is how sleeves tear.
- Use the plastic strips in the box. They sit between the sleeve and the handle so it glides on rather than gripping. Follow the instructions supplied with your grip.
- Push it on evenly; don't pull or twist. Work it down the handle a little at a time. If it binds, stop, reseat the strips and go again. Forcing it is what splits it.
- Remove the strips and check the fit. The sleeve should sit flat all the way up from the butt, with no wrinkles or gaps.
Some players skip the strips and spray a little isopropyl alcohol inside the sleeve and onto the handle instead. It gives you roughly ten seconds of slide before it evaporates, so be quick, and let it dry for about 15 minutes before adding an overgrip. Use plain isopropyl alcohol, nothing oily.
Then add an overgrip, or don't
Most players run a Hesacore on its own, or with one overgrip over the top. Keep that overgrip thin: a thick, cushioned one fills in the hexagon and you lose the point of having it.
How to fit an overgrip
- Take off the old one and its finishing tape. If the base grip underneath has worn through to the handle, you need a new base grip, not another overgrip.
- Peel the backing strip and start at the butt of the handle with the tapered end, sticky side down.
- Wind it up the handle at a slight angle, overlapping each turn by a few millimetres and keeping the tension even, so there are no ridges or gaps.
- Finish at the top of the handle, trim any excess at an angle, and secure the end with the finishing tape from the pack.
An overgrip is a consumable. Most players get four to eight sessions out of one, fewer in Queensland humidity, so it pays to buy them in packs.
Which grips and accessories are worth buying →
Written by the Australian Padel Shop team and last reviewed on 20 October 2026. Prices on this page are pulled live from our catalogue. Hesacore sizing is from Hesacore's own size guide. Sources: FIP Rules of Padel (handle dimensions) · The Pickleball Gang (Hesacore fitting and the alcohol method).