How to Install Tennis Racquet Grommets

Installing and replacing the grommets on your tennis racket is a time consuming but necessary practice. Installing new grommets will prolong your racket's life, and it should be done whenever you notice that your current grommets are worn away; or you are at risk of scratching the frame of your racket on the ground rather than the bumper guard. Although you can simply ask for new grommets to be installed when getting your racket professionally restrung for a low cost, it is useful for you to know how to do it yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Correct grommets for your make and model of racket
  • Awl
  • Pliers (optional)
  • Cloth or paper towels
  • Hairdryer (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy a set of grommets and a headguard that are designed for your racket's make and model. Search tennis catalogs, online shops and local sporting goods stores for grommets that match your racket.

    • 2

      Remove the old grommets and headguard from your racket. Many players are able to achieve this simply by pushing through from the inside to the outside of the racket frame. Push through from the inside to the outside of the racket head using the point of an awl if you find that you are struggling to remove the old grommets. Since you will most likely dispose of your old grommets, you need not worry about damaging them, but you must protect the racket head itself. Grasp the first part of the grommets you are able to remove using a pair of pliers and pull the remainder away from the racket frame.

    • 3

      Clean the space that the grommets usually cover using a damp cloth or paper towels. You can clean this part of your racket only when the grommets are removed, so you should do this any time you are installing new grommets.

    • 4

      Add the new grommets to your racket by lining up the grommet strip with the head of your racket. Push the first spoke of the grommet strip into the lowest hole on one side of the racket head. You will start and finish near the racket yoke, working your way around the top of the racket head. Push spokes from outside the racket toward the middle of the racket. Work your way from hole to hole and, where necessary, use the point of an awl to insert it from inside the frame, looking to guide the grommet through into its hole. Apply heat to the grommets using a hairdryer to make the plastic more flexible, if you find that grommets are proving particularly difficult to align with their holes.

    • 5

      Make sure every grommet sits flush in its hole before standing the racket upside down on a flat, hard surface. Roll the racket head along the ground, applying pressure to the outside of the grommets by holding the handle of the racket and pivoting it.