Weighting Blades are larger than grips, and paddles are always blade-heavy. Weighting the grip helps to make a paddle balance better in the hand. Most custom paddles include this detailing, but all grips need attention to improve creature comfort. Strip the varnish off wooden grips before sanding with 320, then 400, grit sandpaper, then oil with Watco or Dekswood. Wipe excess oil off before it sets.
Some paddlers sand and oil shaft grips too.
The grip transmits control to the blade through the paddle shaft. The shaft must be comfortable, torsionally firm, and have minimal flex characteristics to perform properly. The shaft should be nicely ovaled in shape to reduce hand fatigue. The dimensions should comfortably fit the paddler's hand. The shaft must be torsionally stiff for precise pitch control and to resist flutter when accelerating forcefully.