Pickleball
Sweaty hands in pickleball: keep your paddle from slipping
Your overgrip helps with traction. It doesn’t stop your hands from sweating. Gamer Grip treats the hand instead of the handle, so your paddle stays where you put it through a full session.
Why your paddle slips
Pickleball is short, fast exchanges at the kitchen line, over and over, often outdoors in the heat. Your hand is squeezing, relaxing and re-gripping the whole time. When your palm is wet, the paddle rotates in your hand on hard drives and off-centre hits, and you start squeezing harder to compensate. A tighter grip costs you touch on dinks and resets.
Sweat is the cause. The paddle is just where you notice it.
What doesn’t fix it
- A fresh overgrip. It feels great for the first fifteen minutes. Then it’s soaked, because it’s absorbing sweat your hand keeps producing.
- Towelling off between points. It clears the sweat that’s already there. It doesn’t slow the next lot.
- Tacky grips and sprays. They make the handle stickier, which changes the feel and still leaves your palm wet.
- Gloves. They add material between your hand and the paddle, and most players don’t like the feel.
How Gamer Grip works
Gamer Grip is a cream you put on your hands, not on the paddle. It forms a moisture barrier between your skin and the handle and blocks sweat at the source. It dries clear, it’s non-sticky, and it leaves no residue on your paddle, your overgrip or your clothes.
One application keeps your hands dry for up to 4 hours. That’s a full open-play session or a tournament block without reapplying.
How to use it on court
- Wash and dry your hands before you warm up.
- Shake the tube and apply a pea-sized drop.
- Rub your palms together for about 15 seconds, until it’s dry.
- Play. Reapply with clean, dry hands after about 4 hours.
Keep the overgrip you like. It gives the handle texture; Gamer Grip keeps the hand holding it dry, so the overgrip stays dry longer too.
Who’s playing with it
PPA men’s singles champion Hunter Johnson was already playing with Gamer Grip before he signed with the brand in 2026.
“I started using Gamer Grip because it keeps my hands dry without making the paddle feel sticky or leaving residue on the handle.” — Hunter Johnson
4x PPA medalist JT is a Gamer Grip Community Partner, and the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (RSPA), whose 14,000+ members teach tennis, pickleball, padel and platform tennis, named Gamer Grip its Official Dry Hand Performance Solution.
Which tube to buy
Gamer Grip for Racquet & Paddle. Every Gamer Grip shares one base formula; this is the tube made for pickleball, tennis and other paddle-sport players. It comes in single tubes and multi-packs, and direct orders carry a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Pickleball FAQs
Is Gamer Grip allowed in pickleball?
Gamer Grip is a cream you apply to your hands before you play. It isn’t applied to the paddle and doesn’t change the paddle surface. If you play sanctioned events, check the current equipment rules for your event.
How long does one application last on court?
Up to 4 hours. That covers a typical open-play session or a tournament day block without reapplying between games.
Do I still need an overgrip?
Keep the overgrip you like. Gamer Grip works alongside it. The overgrip gives the handle texture; Gamer Grip keeps the hand holding it dry, so the overgrip stays dry longer too.
Will it make my paddle sticky?
No. It dries clear and non-sticky, and it leaves no residue on the handle or your clothing.
How do I apply it?
Start with clean, dry hands. Shake the tube, apply a pea-sized drop and rub your palms together for about 15 seconds until it’s dry. Then play.