St handle to Fl

A little bit off topic but I can't resist to ask: What gets worse for you with ST? Personally my backhand gets a lot better with ST and my forehand just becomes sh*t. With FL my backhand is ok and my forehand is much better than compared with ST but still quite lousy.

Straight tends to be better for bigger hands.

I transitioned from FL to ST handle probably 1.5 years ago. The main reason behind my transition was that I used to feel that the blade somehow moved in my hand where the neck tapered in FL version. The uniformity of ST handle seemed to solve that problem for me. But after I bought a ST handle, I felt that the blade itself is slipping away during shots and I might have to hold the blade in a different manner. As I wasn't very comfortable changing my grip I started using a grip tape on my handle which is just a very thin layer and it prevents slippage.

I think you can hold the flared looser, since the ends are bigger. While it is easier to change the grip with ST since it is not as hard and steady in your hand.

I did not mean that you should change grip, just stated that it is easier to do with ST.

Maybe you can try sanding it down in the middle?

Spinlord 2709 said:

Hello guys,

I don't know if anyone has asked anything similar and my question seems dumb to me , but I'll try

Is there any way to make a straight handle flared? Using grip tape or something like that? I have an almost new xiom, which I haven't played at all, because I got st handle( Fl was out of stock in tt11 and said "how different would it be? )

Thanks in advance guys!

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This is a candidate for TTD question of the week. (this is not sarcastic, serious)

Using grip tape to custom shape the grip is a long time honored practice in sport, but not so publicly discussed.

You would need a longer piece of wrap, but that is no problem, longer wraps are made for other racket sport and you can cut off the right length.

You would wrap light the first 70 from neck to bottom of handle, then make it more dense the next 10 percent, then even more dense the bottom 20 percent.

Voilla !! Ready to RUMBLE !!

Personally, I like using a ST handle and tape it a little differently. I like a bulge at a certain point where it rests below my "V" and a smaller bulge on bottom. A little different from anatomic... This allows me to get extra easy leverage pivot from using my fingers as they firm up... Easily get more spin from such a wrap job.

EXPERIMENT !! What you are seeking to do is good stuff !!

Echte, that do not sound comfortable! haha

please post a picture of it if you have the time

mart1nandersson said:

A little bit off topic but I can't resist to ask: What gets worse for you with ST? Personally my backhand gets a lot better with ST and my forehand just becomes sh*t. With FL my backhand is ok and my forehand is much better than compared with ST but still quite lousy.

Click to expand...

I think a few advantages of a ST handle are:

- Easy to get the BH into play
- Easier transition BH to FH

This might help a lot of players who play mostly at the table.

EDIT: Material rubber players who love to TWIDDLE will find using a ST handle much easier to twiddle than using a FL handle.

I think you were talking about the Viking Mace, not my grip job.

The "bumps" used for the leverage do not need to be huge like Camel Humps or O. Andersson.

Actually, the bump on an anatomic handle is larger than what I need for this leverage.

Spinlord 2709 said:

Just to make clear what I mean. I don't want to change grip. I am asking if there is any possible way to make a st handle flared.

I got a st handle by mistake and I can't stand it. Is there any way to make it look like flared if I use grip tape in a way more at the bottom and less towards the top? Or I'll make it worse that way? Has anyone tried anything similar?

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I've done this with a few paddles and it was very tough to get a good, smooth taper. It made the setup very heavy and shifted the balance very far toward the handle end, making it difficult to get much whip. Lula's idea of sanding it at the top, in conjunction with 1 extra layer of grip tape at the bottom may help.

Another thing I have seen some players do is a very inexpensive mod...

Take a thick rubber band and wrap it on bottom of handle until there is enough to keep it tight enough to be secure.