Racquet Type

As a keen tennis player you want to be sure that you pick the right racquet for your type of game. You will also want to be sure that your selection works with your physique and importantly, you should feel comfortable with your racquet. Selecting the proper grip size on your tennis racket is important not only for comfort and for performance, but also for injury prevention. Using a tennis racket with a grip that is too large or too small can lead to arm injuries. Selecting the right racquet can help you avoid serious injury and enhance the performance of your game. Whether a beginner, recreational, or a professional player the choices are many and you are sure to find one that suits your style of play.

Players that are more skilled generally prefer the manoeuvrability of standard length rackets. Players that suffer from tennis elbow, or any other type of arm injury will find more comfort in a larger headed racquet. Simply put, the shock and vibration caused by hitting a ball off center is less likely to occur with a bigger tennis racquet. Players new to the game of tennis generally need a lighter racket that can add more power to their swing. Power rackets are lightweight (8-10 ounces) and feature oversized heads (100-130 square inches); they’re generally longer and head-heavy to supply that extra torque in the swing.

Players who use a lot of topspin or backspin should avoid widebody frames because the ball is more likely to clip the frame when they angle the racquet during the stroke. Players tend to slide more on these courts. Because the balls travel somewhat slower rallys tend to be longer.

Strings

Strings with low tension tend to generate more power than strings that have a high tension. However, it is important to ensure that the tension of the strings isn’t low enough to cause the strings to actually move. Strings are an important part of your game. They can add power or control to your shots, stiffen or soften the feel of your racquet, and provide relief for sore joints. Stringing your racquet at a lower tension also reduces the vibration and lessens the risk of developing arm and elbow problems.

String pattern is measured by how many strings go up and down (called mains) and how many strings go side to side (crosses) when the racquet is fully strung. An open string pattern is one where there is a lot of empty space in the string bed because there are fewer strings. String your racquet at least once a year. After a few months your strings become loose and lifeless.

There are many good racquets available, which can now be purchased easily. One that which comes with very good recommendations and and is very affordable is the Babolat Aerotour.

For advice and information on where to buy these great racquets visit http://www.squidoo.com/babolat-aerotour

After 10 years of listening to Johnny Mac, Killa Cahill, B.G., Uncle Cliffy, Martina and Robbie Koenig, I have to say something -

I feel that I am doing my fellow tennis players a disservice by not “exposing” some of the half and non-truths they are putting out there about professional tennis equipment.

I jokingly say “exposing” because much of the information I’m about to give you has been reported in many places. I’m also sure that these announcers, who were some of the best players in the world, are not purposely giving out false info. I can only assume that they are badly under and/or misinformed.

On every tennis broadcast, you hear one or a combination of the previously mentioned tennis announcer’s talk about the “light and powerful” frames that the players are using. During the US Open Martina actually said that because of the racquets and strings, the players don’t have to be very talented. I’m sure Federer, Nadal, Murray and the rest of the players on the ATP Tour would have a different opinion.

There are a few ATP Tour players that use highly customized, much heavier versions of the Babolat Pure Drive (Roddick, Andreev), the Babolat Aero Drive (Nadal, Tsonga), and Head Extremes (Lubicic, Gasquet). But the vast majority of ATP Tour players use thin, fairly flexible, heavy, head light frames. Federer, Djokovic, Murray, and Soderling all top 5 players, are among them.

Here are some ATP player frame specs compared to the retail versions. The ATP player specs are courtesy of Greg Raven. The retail specs are courtesy of Hardcore Tennis. But as you know retail frames can vary greatly from frame to frame.

Roger Federer

WilsonBLX 6.1 Tour

Strung Weight 362.50g

Balance 31.50

Swing Weight 338

Retail

Strung Weight 354g

Balance 31.43

Swing Weight 333

Robin Soderling

Head You Tek Radical MP

Strung Weight 357g

Balance 33.75

Swing Weight 384

Retail

Strung Weight 312g

Balance 33.66

Swing Weight 324

Novak Djokovic

Head You Tek Speed 18X20

Strung Weight 360g

Balance 32.00

Swing Weight 371

*** Flex 51 ***

Retail

Strung Weight 335g

Balance 32.07

Swing Weight 317

*** Flex 65 ***

Rafael Nadal

Babolat Aero Pro Drive Cortex G

Strung Weight 335g

Balance 33.30

Swing Weight 350 (*4 1/4 with two overgrips*)

Retail

Strung Weight 320g

Balance 33.02

Swing Weight 331

As you can see each one of these ATP Tour players use a frame that is much heavier than the retail version. Notice how incredibly more flexible Djokovic’s frame is.

Also the frames that Soderling, Murray, and many of the ATP players that are endorsed by Head, use are frames that have been in production for over 15 years. Any tennis player who has put two overgrips on top of their replacement grip knows how much that increases the grip size.

I could go on about the “mis-representations” we hear on every tennis telecast. But you get the picture. In the next discussion I will tackle WTA Tour frame specs.

Feel free to email me with questions or requests for specs for a specific player.

Thanks and Play More Tennis!

ERIC

http://www.hardcoretennis.net

Eric Burke
Owner Hardcore Tennis
Atlanta, Ga
http://www.HardcoreTennisColumbia.Com

I have played tennis for almost 3 decades and have tried out dozens of tennis racquets over those years. I started out with the wooden racquets that needed to be put in a frame so that they wouldn’t get warped when you weren’t using them. With technology has come lighter more powerful racquets that allow even the most beginner of players to play the game of tennis. Choosing a tennis racquet can be a daunting task as there are all sorts of features to consider – head size, grip size, string tension, power, control, and your playing ability. Beginner tennis players are advised to go with an oversized head and a string tension that is “tighter” than “looser”. With a tighter string tension you will get more control and with the wide body racquets you should still have enough power to get the ball over the net. More advance players can reduce the tension of the strings and still have enough control to keep the ball in play. I personally like a tighter strung racquet because I take a big swing at the ball and create my own power. I use topspin to maneuver the ball around the court and therefore have plenty of control when I need it.

Beginners often walk into a store and buy the first racquet they put in their hands. Keep in mind that grip size is very crucial in deciding what racquet you pick. You’ll see grips that measure 4 3/8″, 4 3/4″, 4 1/4″ etc. – feel the differences between the grip sizes. Too small of a grip and you’ll be hard pressed to get the spins necessary and too large of a grip you will find the racquet hard to control in your hand. Have a store employee help you get fitted for the proper grip size. Most racquets are offered in all sorts of sizes and you can always do an overgrip on a smaller grip to “thicken” it up a bit.

Head size – the larger the head the more forgiving it will be and that is why novice players should look at the oversized racquets for the best combination of power and control. The thicker the frame, the more power you will get as well. For beginners, it’s always been a fine balance between lack of control and too much power. Intermediate players who can hit with spin and control can take on the added power of a mid-size frame (similar to what Roger Federer uses). If you have good ground strokes then adding a little more power could be a good thing. Just remember that keeping the ball in play is the key to winning, unless you are talented enough to hit clean winners from the baseline. Pros use racquets that weigh a little more than what the average weekend warrior uses simply because they can use the added weight to generate more power on their strokes. Stick with the most control you can get when first starting to play.

Top Brands – I have always used Head tennis racquets, but certainly names like Wilson, Babolat, Yonex, Prince, Fischer, Vokl, and Dunlop are solid names to consider. The pros like Serena Williams use a Wilson and Andre Agassi used Head. They all make various size racquet heads and you can get any racquet custom strung to the tension you prefer. Expect to spend at least $50 for a real beginner racquet and more like $100 to $150 for an intermediate to advanced racquet. Demo programs are a great way to get a feel for almost any racquet. Your local pro shop should be able to set you up with a demo and get you playing almost immediately. Try out at least 2 or 3 racquets with varying string tensions to see which one fits your game best.

Tennis is a game you can play your entire life (my dad still plays at 80) and it’s great exercise. Buy a racquet and get started to a better game.

K. Vedder
http://www.funskins.com