Gloves

Margie Hadden Asked 6 years ago

Hi Alois long time no hear?anyway we are currently experiencing an unprecedented heatwave but generally I have a major problem serving when my hands get sweaty. There’s an old post here about sweaty palms and gripping the racket but nothing about serving problems. I tried talcum powder which is excellent for drying sweat every 6 points but it causes my rubber to become antispin. So are there special gloves I could wear and would they be legal? I could maybe get the sweat glands removed or blocked in my hands if it was safe! As you know tabltennis is a very serious Matter!

Alois Rosario Answered 6 years ago

Hi Margie,

I wouldn't go to the extent of sweat gland removal... but you are allowed to wear any gloves you want. The powder would mess with the rubber.

I would go with the wiping of the hands and running them under cold water before the match.

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Jean Balthazar Posted 6 years ago

You could also consider putting a dry tennis overgrip on your handle (not a rubbery / sticky one). It can only do so much in terms of moisture absorption, but it will make the handle less slippery as well.

Josh Meka Posted 6 years ago

My hands don't get extremely sweaty, but I play significantly worse when they are. Because of that, I make sure to wipe my hands off (by the net or on my pants) every single point and then I blow on my hands. It may not actually work, but it makes me feel better, like my hands are more consistently dry.

Rohan Keogh Posted 6 years ago

Margie, I'll assume you use a shake-hand grip since sweaty hands is less of an issue for pen-holders.

Is it your palms or fingers that mainly get sweaty? If it is your palms and the 3 fingers that grip the handle then a single wrap of one of the 'dry' sports grips will go a long way to helping. I've used them to good effect. If it is your finger tips, (thumb and index fingers in particular), try applying some spray-on antiperspirant (sports strength) before your games. This may even be a solution for your whole hand. A fellow at the club swears by this technique and it may be a lot more comfortable than wearing a glove. If you do decide to go for a glove though, a golf glove would be your best bet - they are specifically designed to aid in gripping a handle (albeit usually a rubber one) and will be the most comfortable option.

Good luck.

Chris Portwood Posted 6 years ago

I like using wrist and head bands. They can absorb sweat from your hands and come with the added bonus of giving you something to use to wick sweat from you neck you might otherwise flick with your hand without thinking.

Margie Hadden Posted 6 years ago

Thanks for all the comments. It’s the serving hand that causes the most problems as the palm needs to be dry to serve. My hands are the only part of me that sweat badly. I have palmar hyperhydrosis. It was always a source of worry during tournaments but this weather really brought the problem to the fore. Today I used one wet towel and one dry towel for my hands. And a seperate damp cloth to clean my bat rubber. I kept my eye out for as smooth a glove as I could find for serving. I found a fingerless work out glove. It’s not ideal, but since anxiety as well as exertion and heat makes the sweating go into over drive, having the serving glove nearby is a huge psychological comfort to me. Knowing it’s there if I need it and I’m glad to know that it’s legal. I try to get along with out the glove using the towels. I will get a super absorbent type towel. I will try the antiperspirant trick and I will get the absorbent grip for the handle. So I am more confident now about dealing with it. Thanks all

Nigel C Posted 6 years ago

Funny enough I get the opposite problem - hands too dry. I get static on my hand so the ball will stick to it a little especially if the ball is fresh out of the packet. I often blow on my hand holding the bat as it also gets dry and I feel like I don't have proper hold of the bat. Trust me to be awkward.