Recently at a regional match in Walsall it was noted that girls from other teams were spraying something onto the soles of their trainers. On investigation it was discovered that it was hair spray and the reason they were doing this was that the match courts were actually quite slippy so the tacky nature of the hair spray gave them more grip on court....or so you might think, the sticky shoes actually pick up every piece of dust you step on and soon your trainers will be a collection of dirt, providing a slick surface for you to slip on the court with.

Anyway this prompted me to research products that might enhance trainer grip and yes there are a number of products out there that claim to do this but I also stumbled on some information which helps and at no cost.

Basically you need to keep the soles of your trainers as clean as possible, ever worn a brand new pair of trainers and noticed how much more grippy they were than your old ones ? well it's because your old ones were probably had dirt, dust, grit, chewing gum etc accumulate on the soles and as before provide a slick surface against the court hence you slide. By ensuring the soles of your trainers are kept clean (washing, brushing dirt off etc.) will ensure your trainers provide maximum grip ! simple but effective.

This information is only really applicable when playing on indoor courts and to that end it is also advisable to were different footwear to arrive at the venue at and then change into your match trainers.

 

Phil