What Do the Pros Play?

Do the pros play with the same rackets that are available to the public?

The answer is, sometimes.

Many of the top players you will see on television are playing with rackets that look like the ones you'll see in stores, but under the paint, are quite different. They may have different string patterns, weights, and can even be an entirely different model underneath.

Nowadays, most of the ads for rackets have a disclaimer saying that the rackets you see in the ad may not be the one being used by the pros. One neat thing that many companies are doing is offering several versions of the "pro model" so people can have the racket look like the pros, but in a weight and power level that better suits their game.

There are pros who use "stock" rackets, but very often, they have them weighted up to meet their needs in performance and feel. Before that, they were the same frames available to the public. We had a pro years ago that would have us add weight to all of her frames by about a half-ounce, as the stock weight was to light. This is something we can do for anyone who feels their racket is to light.

While it's cool to have the same racket as the pros, 99% of tennis players are far better served to find a racket that fits their game. You'll end up with a more comfortable racket and play better tennis.

Women's Rackets

"Do you have any women's rackets?"
We get asked this from time to time and the answer usually surprises the person asking. The answer is they are all potentially "women's rackets".
Most of the racket companies don't make a racket specifically for women. Often when they do, it's just a paint job in a "women's color". The racket itself is really no different than the other rackets in their line.
What we recommend is that women (and men for that matter) find a racket that fits their game and their needs. While some women need a lighter, more powerful racket, others can use something heavier and more control oriented. Using our demo program, you can find that racket that fits your game and has you playing your best, even if its not a "women's racket".

Racket Balance, The Right Way

Quite often we will see people testing the balance as seen in the picture. This does not always give you an accurate measure of the balance depending on the design of the frame (headsize, length, shape). A better way to tell is going by the specs provided by the companies or finding the true mid-point in the racket's length and using that point. Sometimes people will give up on trying a racket that could be a very good fit because when the test the balance (wrongly), they think it is too head heavy or light.
Very often, balance is tied to the weight of the racket. If you feel that a change in balance may help you with your current racket, we can custom weight and balance it to your needs (within certain restrictions).
Not sure about balance?
Stop in and we'd be glad to help you find the right combination of weight and balance for your game.