Wilson Shock Shield Hybrid Replacement Grip Black
4.3
Overview
A great way to up the comfort level of any racquet, Wilson's Shock Shield Hybrid Grip caters to those players wanting a plush feel and less shock from their racquet. A hybrid of PU and Iso-Zorb gel offer an excellent combination of tack and cushioned comfort.
- Arm-friendly
- Easy to apply
- Color: Black
- Comes 1 per pack
Customer Reviews
Feels good to handThis grip has multiple layers of material including about 0.5 mm of an elastomer. It feels good to hand. However, Wilson claiming it to be a "Shock Shield" is definitely not appropriate. The grip, by necessity, needs to be relatively thin, and it cannot shield shock. Also, there's essentially no "shock" after fuzzy elastic ball impacts racquet's strings, which is isolated with grommets, and travels down the frame.
The top layer that makes contact with my hand wore out some after about 6 days on the court. This is okay with me, since I plan to use an over-grip.
Adds weight and comfort, but no size increase3.5/5 stars - Recommended to those with arm problems and looking to make a racquet more HL, but not to those looking for a grip size increase.
This didn't exactly work as I expected... Based on the reviews here I was looking forward to:
1. Added comfort due to the shock absorbing gel component.
2. Added weight to the handle that will alter the balance point towards more HL.
3. Increase of the grip size by 1 (or something close to that).
I got 1 & 2, but not 3. And the grip size increase was actually the main reason I bought this, with the other two properties being a bonus.
The thickness of this grip is not mentioned anywhere, but I have measured it at 2.0mm. This matches the famous "Let's Gather All Grip Specs" thread on Tennis Talk forums as well. So it's not thin, but nothing out of the ordinary, there are other "comfort" grips of similar thickness like Head Hydrosorb Comfort (2.1mm), Prince ResiSoft (2.2mm), Diadem Comfort Max (2.0mm), etc. I'm not sure where the big warnings about the size increase in other reviews came from. If anything I'm worried that due to the gel component it might start squeezing more than the aforementioned ones (all do) and end up feeling thinner. Time will tell.
The difference in static weight of a Tecnifibre TF40 with the stock grip (Tecnifibre ATP X-Tra Feel 1.9mm) and this one was +10 grams added by the Shock Shield. Since this is on the handle it will make a racquet around 2 points more Head Light (per ChatGPT: "for every 5 grams added to the handle, the balance shifts approximately 1 point head-light").
Lastly, the gel actually makes the grip installation messy. The middle of the strip is pretty thick compared to the rest, so near the buttcap where you will overlay it and then start going up the handle, ridges and ugly spots appear because it's hard to stretch it and lay if flat.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
Absorbs shockAbsorbs shock better than any other grip I tried.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.]
SuperDave 3I had to quit playing with my Wilson 6.1 PSC years ago due to the fact it gave me some tennis elbow, even stringing at the lower end of the recommended tension with soft strings. With this grip I can now play with it again with no TE issues.
Previous Feedback
Comments: Comfortable grip- increased handle size and tail weighted the racquet (supposedly adds ~10g compared to a conventional grip based on the Talk Tennis forums), so should make a racquet 1-2 points more headlight. Personally, I have not noticed a difference. Overall, tacky when first using it, but it wears off so I end up using an overgip once it gets older. One downside is that once you put it on, I would recommend not taking it off as anytime I have tried to reapply it, I have noticed it doesn't apply as easily and actually rips/tears at certain points. I've never had that happen with any other replacement grips which I have routinely swapped out of racquets. I have a sensitive elbow and I feel that it does help reduce shock and vibrations for me, so I would recommend this for someone who has tennis elbow and is looking for a more dampened feel (or someone who wants to make their racquet more headlight slightly).
From: Bill, VA, 10/9/21
Comments: I bought this to tail-weight and increase grip size from 4 1/4 to 4 3/8. It did exactly that.
From: Brad, 12/31/20
Comments: I have used this grip for several years to add weight to the handle end of my racquets, and see no reason to change. I recently recommended it to a friend who had persistent tennis elbow and tried everything to fix it. Within a week or so of changing to this grip, his arm soreness was gone and has not returned at all in the months since.
From: JA, 4/11/20
Comments: I normally use leather grips and like the distinct feel of the bevels. This grip has a similar weight (due to gel) and is surprisingly similar to leather in its bevel definition, but is much more plush and forgiving. However, this does not work well with sweaty hands so I always use an overgrip. This grip is a bit thicker than other replacement grips I've used, so it may work better going down a pallet size (put it on a 1/4th but not 3/8th for example). Overall, I'm very pleased with the way it feels and plays.
From: FX, 10/8/18
Comments: I use this grip solely to add more weight to the handle end of the racquet. I think you get used to the feel of any grip over time, but I quite liked the feel of this grip from the first time I used it and now I don't even notice it. It has a vibration dampening effect as others have said, which I wasn't looking for as I have no arm issues, but ithe dampening doesn't bother me one way or the other. Overall, if you are looking to add handle weight with a synthetic replacement grip and don't want to go for a leather grip with overgrip then I think this is the best choice.
From:Anthony, 5/12/18
Comments: This grip is a great choice for those with arm issues and for those who are trying to customize the weight of the racquet. I believe it is the heaviest (or definitely one of the heaviest) replacement grips available and works well to give a more head light racquet. Also the comfort of the gel dampens the vibration very well!
From:CF, 10/2/17
Comments: This product allowed me (a chronic arm problem guy used to using high 50s/low 60s flex racquets), to use a Babolat. Enough said.
From:Anonymous, 7/16
Comments: Coming out of the package, the rubber isn't what you are used to. It's very dry and feels like sandpaper at first. It takes a while for the rubber to break in to get rid of that rough feel. When holding it, you can feel the gel when you squeeze it. It does legitimately dampen the racquet quite a bit. If you're using a dampener, you might have to play around.
From:Aspharr, 6/16
Comments: Interesting grip. I'm not a huge fan of Wilson grips because they tend not to hold up very well (cushion-aire), but this one seems very different. The gel seems like it has enough cushioning without being to soft like most comfort grips. Heavy and on the slightly thicker side with almost a dry rubber like feel. I will update when I complete a full playtest.
From:William, 4/16
Comments: I love this grip. Outstanding combination of supreme comfort, dry feel and durability.
From:Srikanth, 5/15
Comments: Nice replacement grip. Makes my racquet a little bit more head light. It is also durable. I use this on my Steam 99. I am a 4.5 player who hits flat groundstrokes.
From:Mario, 7/14
Comments: I have this on one racquet and a Comfort Hybrid on the other. I noticed that one of the racquets became more head heavy than the other. I then found out that this is about 15 grams heavier than d Comfort Hybrid. I actually prefer this one over the Comfort Hybrid. I will buy this one instead. Best replacement grip I have ever used. Very comfortable and very tacky. Like! Like! Like!
From:Arvin, 7/14
Comments: Love it, recommend putting overgrip over it, but it is great! Absorbs vibration so much better while being cushiony.
From:Justice, 3/14
Comments: I really like this grip a lot, I've tried different brands of other so-called cushion grips like Babolat, Prince, and Wilson's Cushion Air Sponge grip, but this grip by far beats them all in terms of squishiness, texture, and softness. It does provide a heavy damp feel to the racquet though and a muted feel, so if you don't like that, then it is just based on preference. Personally, I like the dampened feel on my racquets. It really does help with shock, definitely recommended it for keeping the elbow and wrist injury free based solely on the grip.
From:GJD, 9/13