| Finding the right tennis equipment is vital for any tennis | | | | yourself if you play it for too long. With a lighter |
| player, beginner or seasoned player. First and | | | | racquet you may have to swing longer and faster to |
| foremost, you must find yourself a great racquet to | | | | get some real pace, but you won't injure yourself quite |
| play with. With so many different technologies in tennis | | | | a quickly. Similar to the tennis grip, you can modify the |
| racquets, it might be a bit intimidating to find one that | | | | weight of a tennis racquet, you can purchase lead |
| suits your tennis game. Let us start with the basics, | | | | tape which goes on the head of the racquet, and you |
| you need to find the right grip size, a good weight for | | | | can even put some weight under your grip. A typical |
| your game, and the correct racquet head size. | | | | beginner tennis racquet will usually start at 9 ounces |
| Finding the right grip size | | | | then as you become stronger and more confident in |
| There are a few different sizes that come standard; 4 | | | | your game, you can add weight or purchase a heavier |
| 1/8" (L1), 4 1/4" (L2), 4 3/8" (L3), 4 1/2" (L4), and 4 5/8" | | | | racquet. |
| (L5). The most commonly used size for men is 4 1/2" | | | | Finding the right racquet head size |
| and for women is 4 1/8". The best way to measure | | | | Many beginners don't know that there are a variety of |
| the perfect grip size for your tennis racquet is to use a | | | | tennis head sizes, there are many different sizes |
| ruler. With your ruler you will want to measure your | | | | ranging from 88" squared all the way up to 110" |
| dominant hand from the middle crease of the palm of | | | | squared. Now, what's the difference? Well, it's simple |
| your hand and measure up to the tip of your ring | | | | really; smaller head size, smaller sweet spot; bigger |
| finger. Whatever grip size you choose, make sure you | | | | head size, bigger sweet spot. What's a sweet spot? |
| start with something a little smaller, that way, if it's not | | | | It's the small area in the string bed that produces the |
| quite right you can built it up. If you pick too large, it's | | | | most power, spin, control, and feel of the ball. When |
| close to impossible to make the grip smaller. One thing | | | | buying your first tennis racquet you will probably want |
| that many tennis players don't realize is that grip sizes | | | | to buy a racquet with a bigger head size (100" to 110" |
| can be build up, if you decide that a 4 3/8" grip is just | | | | square inches). With a bigger head size you will have a |
| not big enough, then you can always alter your grip to | | | | bigger sweet spot which will be more forgiving when |
| make it bigger. There are two ways of doing this; the | | | | making contact with the ball. As you grow into your |
| first is probably the cheapest and easiest way of | | | | tennis game and become a better player you may |
| doing it. Use an overgrip, it's similar to a normal grip, | | | | want to toy around with the idea of playing with a |
| however; it's usually not as thick, they are simple to put | | | | smaller head size. If you do purchase a tennis racquet |
| on and replace when needed. Overgrips come in a | | | | with a smaller head size, you should expect to hit a |
| vast variety of colors, absorbency, and thicknesses, | | | | few shanks right off the bat, that is an indication that |
| The other is a little more challenging and may require | | | | you are missing the sweet spot! Though, when you do |
| you to visit your local pro shop to have them do it.. | | | | hit that sweet spot, it's a thing of beauty, you'll notice |
| You can buy a heat shrink sleeve, which is a sleeve | | | | how quickly the tennis ball flies off the strings and how |
| that is heat shrunk to build up a grip either 1/2 a grip | | | | controlled the ball is. Using a smaller head size, does |
| size or one full grip size. | | | | take a lot of practice of honing in the timing of your |
| Finding the right racquet weight | | | | swing in relation to the ball. Most of the players we've |
| Finding the correct racquet weight is essential to your | | | | talked to like the smaller head size because it allows |
| game. There are many different weighted tennis | | | | them to get more pace off the ball and let's them |
| racquets, some come as light as 8 ounces and some | | | | control points with ease. |
| as heavy as 12 ounces (please note, these weights | | | | If you follow all the above steps, you should be able to |
| are for unstrung tennis racquets). The thing about | | | | identify the right tennis racquet for your game. |
| heavier racquets is that you can swing them pretty | | | | Remember, tennis racquets can be modified to fit your |
| hard and get some great pace with it, however; the | | | | needs. It is suggested that you visit your local tennis |
| draw back is that you will fatigue quickly if you are not | | | | shop or tennis pro if you have further questions. |
| accustom to it and there is the potential of hurting | | | | |