Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Pickleball Central. If you purchase through our links, FORWRD earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. We were not compensated by Gamma Sports.

Last Updated: June 2026

Gamma Honeycomb Pickleball Grip Review 2026: Thicker Feel, Real Moisture-Wicking

Most replacement grip reviews bury the only fact that actually matters: this is not an overgrip. The Gamma Honeycomb Cushion is a full replacement grip — it goes directly onto the bare handle, adds real thickness, and changes the feel of your paddle in ways a thin overgrip simply can't. Get that distinction wrong and you'll either be disappointed because you expected something thinner, or thrilled because you finally understand why your hand stops aching after a two-hour session.

At $8.99 from Pickleball Central, the Gamma Honeycomb is one of the most reasonably priced quality replacement grips available. It's 31 inches long, perforated with a honeycomb pattern that actively wicks moisture, and it includes finishing tape. That's everything you need. The question is whether the cushion, tackiness, and moisture management justify replacing what came stock on your paddle. Short answer: for most players, yes — particularly if you're playing longer sessions, dealing with hand fatigue, or sweating through your current grip.

Check Price at Pickleball Central →

Specs at a Glance

Spec	Detail
Type	Replacement grip (wraps bare handle — not an overgrip)
Length	31 inches
Texture	Perforated honeycomb surface (moisture-wicking)
Colors Available	Blue, Red, Silver, Yellow
Includes	1 grip + 1 finishing tape
Brand	Gamma Sports
Price	$8.99 at Pickleball Central

Why Trust This Review

FORWRD is a pickleball gear brand — we make bags, we live on courts, and we test gear the way players actually use it. Not in a lab; in 90°F summer heat on outdoor concrete, in humid gym sessions, and in back-to-back tournament weekends where grip failure isn't an abstract concept — it costs you games.

Benjamin Carper has tested grips and overgrips across Gamma, Tourna, Selkirk, Hesacore, and several smaller brands over three seasons. These evaluations are structured around player impact: does this actually help you hold the paddle better, hit more consistently, and last long enough to justify the money? That's the lens for everything below.

We don't take free product in exchange for favorable reviews. The Gamma Honeycomb was purchased at retail and tested against the overgrips and replacement grips most frequently cited in rec player circles. When this grip has weaknesses, you'll read about them here.

Replacement Grip vs. Overgrip: The Distinction Most Reviews Skip

This is probably the single most underexplained topic in pickleball grip reviews. Most articles treat replacement grips and overgrips as if they're the same thing in different thicknesses. They're not.

A replacement grip wraps directly onto the bare paddle handle. It replaces whatever grip came from the factory — or covers the exposed handle if the original grip is completely gone. Replacement grips are significantly thicker (typically 1.5mm to 2.5mm) and add real cushion and circumference to the handle. They're designed to be the base layer. When you buy a new paddle, the grip that's already on it is a replacement grip.

An overgrip is thin — typically 0.4mm to 0.6mm — and goes on top of whatever replacement grip is already there. It's meant to refresh the feel of the handle surface without removing the base grip. You'd use an overgrip when your handle still has good structure but the surface is getting slippery. You'd use a replacement grip when you're starting from a bare handle, or when your current grip has completely compressed and lost its cushion.

The practical difference: if you pull off your current grip and wrap the Gamma Honeycomb on the exposed handle, you're using it correctly as a replacement grip. If someone tells you to "just put an overgrip on top," they mean a totally different product — something like the Tourna Mega Tac or the Selkirk Pro Overgrip, which are 10x thinner and designed to layer over a grip that's still structurally sound.

This matters for the Gamma Honeycomb specifically because it adds meaningful diameter to your handle. Wrapping it over an existing replacement grip that's still in reasonable shape gives you a handle that may feel significantly fatter than you intended. Most players doing a grip swap should remove the old grip completely first, unless they intentionally want the added circumference.

Who Should Use a Replacement Grip vs. an Overgrip

Use a replacement grip — specifically the Gamma Honeycomb — if:

• Your current grip has fully flattened, cracked, or peeled away from the handle
• You're building up a handle that's bare (some players strip factory grips and build from scratch)
• You want more cushion to reduce hand and wrist fatigue — overgrips add almost none
• You want moisture wicking built into the base layer, not just the surface
• You play 2+ hour sessions and your hand starts aching mid-session on a thinner handle

Use an overgrip — the Mega Tac, Selkirk Pro, or similar — if:

• Your current replacement grip still has good structure but the surface is getting slippery
• You want maximum tackiness without adding circumference
• You swap grips frequently and want a cost-effective rotation option
• You prefer a thinner feel close to the raw handle

These aren't competing products — they serve different purposes. If your handle's been wrapped in the same grip since you bought the paddle eighteen months ago, you probably need both: a new replacement grip first, then an overgrip on top when the surface starts to wear. Check out the full breakdown in our Best Pickleball Overgrips 2026 guide if you're deciding between thin-layer options.

How the Gamma Honeycomb Actually Performs

Tackiness

Out of the packaging, the Gamma Honeycomb has solid initial tackiness — not aggressive like the Tourna Mega Tac, but noticeably grippy. The surface has a slight resistance when you close your hand around it. In the first session, especially, it feels locked in.

Where it separates from basic replacement grips is that the tack doesn't immediately flatten under palm heat the way cheaper cushion grips do. Standard foam replacement grips go from "grippy" to "smooth" in roughly the same session they're installed. The Honeycomb's tacky coating holds its character longer — you'll get 3 to 4 sessions before you start noticing any meaningful surface smoothing.

But to be direct about it: if raw tackiness is your primary requirement, the Tourna Mega Tac wins that specific contest without much debate. The Mega Tac's PU coating sticks to your palm in a way that the Honeycomb's cushion grip doesn't match. The Honeycomb's advantage isn't raw tack — it's the combination of decent tack plus cushion plus active moisture management. Those three together is where it earns its keep.

Moisture Management: What the Honeycomb Perforations Actually Do

This is the part most reviews gloss over with a vague sentence about "breathability." Here's what's actually happening.

A smooth grip surface — even a tacky one — traps sweat between your palm and the grip. Once enough moisture builds up, it creates a film that reduces friction. That's when grips "go slippery." Players blame grip quality, but often the issue is that the grip surface has nowhere for sweat to go.

The honeycomb perforations in the Gamma Honeycomb change that dynamic. The small holes give sweat a path to escape the palm-grip interface instead of pooling at the surface. This isn't absorption (like a dry overgrip soaking up moisture) — it's displacement. Sweat moves away from the contact zone, which means the grip surface stays drier for longer during play.

The practical result: in a standard 90-minute outdoor session in warm weather, most players will feel the Gamma Honeycomb's surface stay noticeably drier through the second hour compared to a non-perforated replacement grip. In back-to-back games without toweling off, the difference is clear. Heavy sweaters — the players who soak through a glove in 20 minutes — will eventually overwhelm any grip, but they'll hit that threshold later with the Honeycomb than with a smooth surface.

It's not magic. In genuinely extreme humidity — outdoor summer play in Florida, coastal Texas — you'll still want to towel your hands between points. But the Honeycomb genuinely extends the window before moisture becomes a problem, and that's worth the $8.99 if you're playing in warm conditions regularly.

Cushion Feel

This is the Honeycomb's clearest win over thin overgrips, and it's the main reason to choose a replacement grip at all.

The Honeycomb's thickness adds a layer of cushion between your hand and the hard paddle handle. On impact — especially on hard drives and speed-up balls — that cushion absorbs a small amount of vibration that would otherwise transmit directly to your palm and wrist. Over the course of a two-hour session, that adds up. Players who've dealt with early-onset hand fatigue or minor wrist soreness during long sessions consistently report feeling less hand strain after switching to a cushioned replacement grip.

It's not a medical solution for tennis elbow or grip-related injury — if you're dealing with actual pain, see a PT. But as a comfort upgrade during normal play, it's real and measurable.

The feel itself is slightly spongy but not mushy. You can still feel the paddle's feedback on contact; it doesn't dampen the connection to the point where you're playing through fog. Compared to harder foam replacement grips, the Honeycomb lands in the middle — more give than firm grips, less compression than the fluffiest cushion options on the market.

Durability: How Many Sessions Before It Needs Replacing

In moderate-climate, 90-minute session testing: plan on 6 to 8 sessions of real play before the grip surface noticeably softens and the tack fades. That's roughly 9 to 12 hours of on-court time.

In hotter, more humid conditions or with players who sweat heavily, expect closer to 6 to 8 hours. The perforations help manage moisture but don't prevent the underlying material from compressing over time. You'll feel it when it's time — the cushion becomes more of a memory foam flop than a responsive pad, and the grip surface stops having any real grab to it.

The tell: press two fingers firmly into the grip surface after a session and hold for three seconds. On a good grip, the material rebounds in under two seconds. On a worn grip, the impression stays. That's when it's due.

For regular players (3 sessions per week), budget a replacement grip roughly every three to four weeks. At $8.99, that's about $35 to $45 per year on grip material — very manageable. If you're playing once a week, the same grip might carry you two to three months.

Installation: How to Wrap the Gamma Honeycomb

Most reviews skip this entirely and then get comments from readers asking why their grip looks lumpy or has a gap at the top. Here's the actual process.

Step 1: Remove the old grip completely. Peel it off the handle starting at the butt cap. Remove any adhesive residue — a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol and a cloth takes care of most residue. Let the handle dry before wrapping.

Step 2: Start at the butt cap. Position the grip at a roughly 45-degree angle at the very bottom of the handle. The Gamma Honeycomb has a tapered end for the start of the wrap. Secure the starting point and begin wrapping upward with consistent tension.

Step 3: Maintain even overlap. Each wrap should overlap the previous by about one-quarter of the grip's width. Too much overlap makes the grip thicker than intended and can create ridges. Too little and you get gaps. Consistent quarter-width overlap gives you a smooth, even wrap up the handle.

Step 4: Keep tension consistent but not tight. You want the grip lying flat and smooth, not stretched thin. Pulling hard compresses the material and reduces both the cushion and the tack. Let it lie naturally.

Step 5: Trim and finish. At 31 inches, the Gamma Honeycomb will reach the top of most standard handles (typically 4.5 to 5 inches long) with 2 to 3 inches of material to trim at the shoulder. Cut cleanly with scissors. Secure the top end with the included finishing tape.

The whole process takes about 3 minutes once you've done it once. The finishing tape that comes in the package is adequate — it won't unravel mid-session, which is more than you can say for the tape that ships with some other grips.

Gamma Honeycomb vs. the Competition

vs. Tourna Mega Tac XL Overgrip

These are genuinely different products solving different problems, which is why it's a bit odd that they get compared so often. The Tourna Mega Tac is an overgrip — 0.44mm thick, goes on top of your existing replacement grip, and delivers the highest raw tackiness of any grip on the market. It adds almost no cushion and minimal circumference.

The Gamma Honeycomb is a replacement grip — 10 to 15 times thicker, goes directly on the bare handle, and delivers cushion plus moisture management at the cost of some raw tack.

If your hands are fine and you just need more grab on an otherwise solid handle, the Mega Tac wins — it's stickier, cheaper, and easy to swap. But if you're playing 2 hours on concrete courts and your hand aches by the second hour, or if you're dealing with a grip surface that's completely shot and needs to be rebuilt from the bare handle, the Honeycomb is the right choice. They're not really competing — one follows the other in a well-maintained grip stack.

vs. Bare Handle Re-Grip (Starting from Scratch)

Some players strip their factory grip and apply a new replacement grip immediately. The Gamma Honeycomb is a solid choice for this use case — better than most factory grips in terms of moisture management, comparable in cushion. If you're starting from bare carbon fiber or fiberglass, you want a full replacement grip, and the Honeycomb at $8.99 is a reasonable starting point.

One note: if you're building up handle circumference intentionally — say, you bought a 4" grip size paddle but find 4.25" more comfortable — you can use the Honeycomb plus an overgrip layer to add circumference incrementally. That's a legitimate technique, and the Honeycomb's cushion makes it a comfortable base layer for that application.

vs. Gamma Titanium Gut Replacement Grip

Gamma's own premium option, the Titanium Gut replacement grip, offers a firmer feel with less cushion and more durability than the Honeycomb. It's designed for players who want a firmer base layer — less sponge, more structure. The trade-off is exactly what it sounds like: you lose the soft cushion feel but gain a more stable, durable grip that holds its shape longer.

For control-focused players who prioritize feel-through feedback over hand comfort, the Titanium Gut is worth considering. For players prioritizing fatigue reduction and moisture management — which is most recreational players — the Honeycomb is the better fit in the Gamma lineup. The Honeycomb is also less expensive, which makes the decision cleaner for most buyers.

Feature	Gamma Honeycomb	Tourna Mega Tac	Gamma Titanium Gut	Selkirk Pro Overgrip
Type	Replacement grip	Overgrip	Replacement grip	Overgrip
Price	$8.99	$4.99	~$12–$15	~$6.99
Cushion	★★★★★	★☆☆☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆
Tackiness	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
Moisture Wicking	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
Durability	★★★☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆
Best For	Bare handle re-grip; sweaty hands; long sessions	Dry-climate; max tack; overgrip layer	Firm feel; durability priority	All-around surface refresh

Pricing and Availability

The Gamma Honeycomb Cushion Pickleball Grip is $8.99 at Pickleball Central. That's for one grip plus finishing tape — everything you need for a complete handle re-wrap. It won't be in stock at your local sporting goods chain reliably, and when it is, you're typically paying more than PBC's price.

Pickleball Central is the most reliable source for in-stock color selection. All four color options — Blue, Red, Silver, and Yellow — are listed, though stock on specific colors can fluctuate. If you're particular about color, check stock before you need it rather than the day you're ready to re-grip.

$8.99 is a fair price for what this grip delivers. Comparable cushioned replacement grips from other brands — especially anything marketed as "premium" — run $12 to $18 without offering meaningfully better performance. The Honeycomb punches at its price level without apology.

Buy Gamma Honeycomb at Pickleball Central →

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the Gamma Honeycomb and a regular overgrip?

The Gamma Honeycomb is a replacement grip — it goes directly on the bare paddle handle and serves as the base layer. A standard overgrip (like the Tourna Mega Tac or the Selkirk Pro Overgrip) is much thinner and goes on top of whatever grip is already on the handle. The Honeycomb is roughly 10 to 15 times thicker than a typical overgrip. You'd use the Honeycomb when your handle needs a complete re-grip from scratch. You'd use an overgrip when your handle base is still solid but the surface is worn. They solve different problems.

How do I install the Gamma Honeycomb replacement grip?

Start by completely removing your old grip from the bare handle, wiping off any adhesive residue. Position the Honeycomb's tapered starting end at the butt cap of the paddle at a 45-degree angle. Wrap upward with consistent tension — not stretched tight, just naturally firm — overlapping each pass by about one-quarter of the grip width. At 31 inches, you'll have a small amount to trim when you reach the top of the handle. Cut cleanly and secure with the included finishing tape. The whole process takes about 3 minutes. If you get uneven ridges, you're overlapping inconsistently — take your time and keep the overlap uniform.

How long does the Gamma Honeycomb last before it needs replacing?

In normal play conditions, expect 6 to 10 hours of on-court time before the cushion compresses noticeably and the tack fades. In hot, humid conditions with heavy sweating, that range shortens to the lower end. For players who play three sessions per week at 90 minutes each, that's roughly every 3 to 4 weeks. The tell is the rebound test: press two fingers into the grip and hold for 3 seconds. If the grip material rebounds quickly when you lift, it's still good. If the impression stays for more than 2 seconds, it's time for a new one.

Is the Gamma Honeycomb good for players with sweaty hands?

It's one of the better options for sweaty-hand players specifically because of how the perforations work. The honeycomb holes displace sweat away from the contact surface rather than just absorbing it — so the grip stays drier longer during active play compared to a smooth replacement grip. Heavy sweaters won't get complete sweat management from any grip alone, but the Honeycomb genuinely extends the dry window compared to non-perforated options. If you're dealing with extreme sweating, pairing the Honeycomb as your base grip with a dry absorbent overgrip on top (like the original Tourna Grip) is a solid combination.

Should I buy one grip or stock up on a few?

If you play regularly — more than twice a week — buy two or three at a time. At $8.99 each, there's no meaningful savings in bulk, but having replacements on hand means you're not scrambling when the current one gives out mid-season. There's also nothing worse than showing up to a session with a dead grip and no replacement. Keep a spare in your bag and you never have to think about it. If you play once a week or less, a single grip will carry you through two to three months before replacement.

Final Verdict

The Gamma Honeycomb Cushion Pickleball Grip does exactly what a good replacement grip should do: it builds a comfortable, moisture-managed foundation on a bare handle, holds its tack through multiple sessions, and doesn't make you think about your grip during play. At $8.99, it's one of the most straightforward buys in pickleball accessories.

It's not going to deliver the raw stickiness of the Tourna Mega Tac — that's not what it's built for. It's built for players who need cushion, who sweat on the court, and who want a grip that holds up through longer sessions rather than forcing them to towel off every third game. That's a large portion of the recreational and competitive rec player population, which is exactly why this grip has stuck around in Gamma's lineup.

If your handle needs a full re-wrap, the Honeycomb is a reliable, well-priced choice. Buy it, install it properly, and your grip will stop being a variable in your game — which is the whole point.

Get the Gamma Honeycomb at Pickleball Central — $8.99 →