Cooler Weather...Different Strings?

Now that the weather has finally cooled off, some of our customers have asked if they should change anything about their strings for the colder temps.
If you live here in Florida year round, you'll be fine with what you use the rest of the year. It just doesn't get cold enough, long enough, to make changing strings or tensions worth it. If the weather were to get really cold (for the Tampa Bay area), you might notice the ball feels "harder" and maybe a little less pop on your shots, but really cold snaps are usually short, and again, not worth restringing for.
If you are a frequent string breaker, you might adapt slightly to the cooler conditions, knowing that any strings will probably not be in the racket long. For the rest of us, unless you are feeling a real difference in your strings in the cooler weather,  you should keep going with your normal strings and tension.
Have questions? Stop in and we'll be glad to help you find the strings and tension best for you.

Better Weather, New Grip

With the weather (hopefully) turning less hot, it's a good time to think about getting your tennis racket ready for the cooler weather that will be here soon (hopefully).
Playing in the summer weather takes a toll on your grip. It has absorbed a lot of sweat during the hot months which will cause the grip to break down and the surface to get worn and slick. This can be a problem when the weather becomes less warm and humid. Your grip may feel even slicker in the drier and cooler conditions. Even if you use an overgrip, the grip underneath will break down from all the sweat it has absorbed and lost some of it's cushioning and feel.
This is a great time of year to re-grip your racket. A new grip will have a tackier feel, which will be less slick as the weather finally turns more pleasant. Stop in and we can replace your grip while you wait and have you back on the court with a much better hold of your racket.

How to Beat Big Hitters

You know the type. They try to kill everything hit to them. They have no idea what a lob or drop shot is. They win by hitting balls past you with all the power they can muster.

They can be beaten....if you play it smart.

If you have trouble with the big hitters the thing to understand is that you can’t let them draw you into playing their game.  Many big hitters want you to stand at the baseline and trade big swings with them. Don’t play their game.

You have to take them out of their comfort zone. Big hitters like to see the ball coming with some pace on it so they can hit it back with even more pace. Don’t give them balls they can tee off on. You will have to mix it up.

Here are some ways to get them out of their comfort zone:

• Get them off the baseline. Hit some drop shots when you can and force them toward the net. From there they will either have to come all the way in and hit a volley or backpedal to the baseline. Either way, you have moved them off their preferred spot.
• Take pace off the ball. Try to hit it deep and with less pace than they would like. You are going to force them to over swing to generate the pace they like. It also attacks their ego and will frustrate them, both of which makes them more apt to hit errors.
• Slice. This will take some pace off the ball while making the ball bounce lower. Big hitters like to see topspin, which puts the ball higher on the bounce and puts it right in there strike zone where they can hit it back with lots of power and topspin. Lower bounces will force them to hit balls in ways they won’t like.
• Spin Serves. Use spin to mix it up on your serves. This will keep them from getting comfortable and less likely to have a ball where they want it.
• Make them run. Hit to all parts of the court and make them run down balls. This will test their fitness, lengthen points and force them to hit balls on the run. Most players can not hit the ball as hard on the run as they can while having the chance to set them selves.

One thing to keep in mind about many big hitters is that they are going to win their share of points. They will hit some right by you and there won’t be much you can do.

Patience will be the key. Lengthen the points and win as many points as possible by taking them off their game. Think of the match as a marathon and chip away, winning as many points as you can by playing smart. In the end, you’ll win more matches.

How to Beat a Pusher

We have all played them, and we have all lost to them at some point. They’re like playing a human backboard.

They are the Pushers.

The reason most players don't like to play them is simple, they can't beat them. Well, if you can't beat them, why not join them...at least to a point.

The reason that the average pusher wins is by consistently getting the ball back and not committing unforced errors. They wait for you to make the error, winning the point without hitting a winner.

It's a fact; most points are won with errors, not with winners.

To win more points and matches, you must cut down on the errors and force the pusher to play more aggressive tennis, making them either hit winners or errors.

The first key is to hit the ball higher and deeper to your opponent. A tennis court is 78' long by 27' wide. That is a lot of ground to cover for your opponent if you are hitting it deep, while moving him around. If you can make your opponent hit more shots on the run, you increase the chance that they will make the unforced errors.

There are several things you can do to help you with your consistency.
1) When you are practicing, can you hit 10 in a row back? Work on being able to keep a rally going with balls hit deep.
2) Try to clear the net by at least 3' on ground strokes. This will reduce the chances of giving your opponent the point with a ball in the net.

3) Work on hitting more topspin. Hitting shots with more topspin lets you clear the net with more room and margin of error.
4) Work on hitting lobs. This is a great shot to have in your arsenal. When on the run, hitting a lob back will keep your opponent deep and allow you time to get set back up for their return.

Power is a good thing to have but is best used at the right times.

Taking a little power off of your shots will insure that more shots are hit in.

Remember, every shot hit out is a point for your opponent. Against a pusher, you are playing right into their hands by giving them free points. Take some power off your ground strokes to keep the ball in play, waiting to really crush the ball for when you really need it.

We know, against a pusher, it is tough not to hit the ball with everything you have (if even just to work out some frustration), but by keeping them deep and moving them around, you will win more points and more matches.

Maybe next time, you will beat them at their own game.

Will Wet Courts or Weather Affect My Racket or Strings?

It is the time of the year in Florida when playing tennis is very weather dependent. It seems to rain most days and sooner or later, you will find yourself playing on wet courts or even finishing in the rain.
We get asked if doing so will hurt their strings or rackets. For the most part, the answer is no.
The rackets will not be affected by water with the exception of the grips. They will take time to dry out and may not last as long if getting saturated often (yes, that includes perspiration).
As for strings, poly and synthetic strings are not negatively affected by rain. Natural gut strings are another story. They are very dehydrated and will absorb moisture when they can. This will cause them to lose performance and longevity.  In addition, keeping a racket strung with natural gut in a garage this time of year will hurt the overall performance and durability. Keeping them inside in the air conditioning will keep them playing better, longer.
There is one thing to consider when playing on wet courts or in the rain. The balls will absorb the moisture and will get heavier. Impact with a wet ball will feel different. This is more from the ball than the strings. It will not hurt the synthetic or poly strings to play in those conditions.

A Better Grip in Hot Weather

With hot weather on it's way, many tennis player's concern turns to making sure the racket isn't slipping from sweat. There are several things you can do to insure a good grip on your racket on even the warmest days.
The first thing that can be done is the simplest. Make sure you're changing your grip or over grip more often. Worn grips are already more likely to slip or turn in your hand. Add heat and humidity to the equation and it gets way, way worse.
Replacing over grips every match or two for those who sweat a lot is a very good idea. The base grips can go longer, but at the point they look or feel warn, get it changed.
There are several other things that you can get that will help.

• Tac Rags - these towels have a tacky substance in them that can be used to wipe your grips or a hands, making them far more sticky. If you don't like a really sticky feel, this may not be the way to go, but for players who sweat a lot, this can help keep the racket in your hand.
• Get-A-Grip Lotions - They have one that, when applied to your hands will make them more tacky. Another will give your hands a dry feel. 
• Wilson Progrip Max - This is basically anti-antiperspirant for your hands. You squirt a little in an hand and rub it in. Depending on how much you sweat, it will keep your hands dry for as long as a set or more. Those who have excessive sweat may need to re-apply often.
• Rosin Bags - For player who don't sweat to much, this can be a way of making your hands feel drier. You just toss it in your hand a few times for a better, drier grip.

Other things that can help are wristbands and having several towels available to wipe your hands off on between points. Stop by our Dale Mabry store and we can help you find the option that will work best for you.

Should I do anything different with my strings in hot weather?

"Should I do anything different with my strings in hot weather?"

The answer to this question has two answers. On-court and off-court.
On the court, here in the Tampa Bay area, the answer for most players is no. It just isn't cold enough, long enough to have changed anything in your stringing due to the cold weather. Up north, players will often lower their tension to balance out the cold's effect on the ball and the strings. Around here, it is warm enough most of the year that once summer arrives, you really won't have to change anything. For some big hitters, they may notice a slight loss of depth control, so going up in tension will help. For the rest of us, unless you notice a drop in control (from strings less than 2-3 months old), you can keep them the same.
Off the court, there is something you need to do differently in really hot (mid-80's and higher) weather. Keep your rackets out of your car when possible. Living in Florida, we all know how hot our cars get in even a short time parked. This extreme heat can cause strings to lose tension far quicker than you'd think. The authors of "Technical Tennis" found in their research, “Ten minutes in a really hot car will drop the string tension by at least a few pounds, permanently."
Don't forget the racket itself. Heat can break down the frame and the grips. Over the years we have seen many rackets that broke prematurely due to being left in the car during the day.
Overall, here in the Tampa Bay area, if you are keeping your rackets out of the extreme heat of a car, there may not be any other changes you'll need to make to keep them playing great.

Should I Get an Oversize Racket

Should I get a racket with a larger head size?
We get asked this question all the time. Our answer is usually to ask a few questions to be able to better answer correctly.
Basically, if you need more margin of error or more depth on your shots, a larger head can be a good idea. The larger head creates a more trampoline-like effect when the ball hits, helping you gain more depth with less effort. Also, being larger, the sweet spot is going to be larger.
Another benefit is that very often the larger headed rackets are also among the lightest. This can be a big help for those who want more racket speed and added power.
An oversized head can be an issue for those who generate plenty of power on their own. The extra trampoline effect can hurt control and spin potential for those players. These players will most often gain more from a mid-size racket.
If power is a major concern, a larger head size can be a great way to go.
As always, the best way to know for sure which head size is best for you is to try before you buy. With our Demo Program you can try as many rackets as you need while we help guide you to the best fit for you.

MP Tennis Tip - The Backhand "The Forward Swing" Part 1

In this video, Mike shows how to start the forward swing and the fundamentals of getting the racket to impact.

A question we are asked from time to time is, "what are the numbers on tennis balls for?"
Over the years we have heard many wrong answers such as, "the higher the number, the higher the bounce", and "certain numbers are for hard courts."
The real answer is simple. The number is there for identification. If you have a can of 1's and your friend has a can of 2's, when you're done you'll know whose balls are whose.
There is nothing more to it than that.

Fairly often, we will get someone come into our store with two rackets with broken strings. The question they usually ask is,
"why did the strings break on both in the same match?"
The reason is pretty simple.
They were equally used, therefore, equally worn.
Think of it like this. You have two identical trees in your front yard and you are going to chop them down. You decide to hit one tree with an ax, then the other. You keep taking turns, hitting one, then the other. When the first tree goes over, the other should be very close to falling as well.
It is the same thing with your strings on multiple rackets. If you are alternating them perfectly, when a string goes on one, they are going to be very close to breaking on the other.
So, what should you do?
There are a few ways to avoid this problem. The first and most obvious is to use one until it breaks and save the other. This will greatly increase the chance of getting through a tournament without the other breaking or just until you can get the other restrung.
There are some players who don't like saving a racket. For those, a good way to do it would be to use one racket more than the other (think 70% of the time for one, 30% for the other). This will keep enough difference in wear that you should be able to get through a match or two with some confidence.
One thing to keep in mind is that I am talking about string breakage through wear and use. Mis-hit breaks and breaks caused by things other than wear are unpredictable and the above won't help.
The biggest thing to consider is that you want to be able to get through the rest of your match or tournament with your backup racket without unnecessary fear of breakage. By making sure your backup has significantly less wear will help get you through with much less worry.

We get asked all the time about hybrid stringing.

A hybrid is nothing more than a stringing with two different types of strings. But why would anyone want that?

Most often, hybrids are a good option for players who want some of the benefits of a particular string, but not the negatives. For example, they want the durability of a poly string, but need it to be easier on the arm. By stringing a poly in the mains and a softer string in the crosses, you give the poly more ability to give and absorb impact while maintaining much of the durability.

Here at MP Tennis & Sports, we can make a hybrid out of any two strings we carry. We can also help you find the combination that will best suit your needs and your game.

Ever wonder why your strings are moving so much? Simple. They're supposed to. The more spin you hit, the more the strings should move, and the more they move, the more spin potential you will have. In this era of tennis where standing at the baseline and trading big groundstrokes, topspin has become more important. The more spin you can hit, the larger the margin of error over the net and shot depth. String movement helps increase spin potential. When strings move more they can grab the ball, hold on longer and impart more spin. There are many factors that can add to the string movement. 1. "Spin patterns" - Companies like Wilson are making rackets with intentionally more open string patterns. This increases the space between strings, giving them more room to move to increase spin potential. (see video below) 2. Stiffer rackets - As rackets have gotten stiffer, players have found that they can hit the ball with more power. When a frame is stiffer, it doesn't give as much at impact. The only other thing that can give is the strings, and they will give more, and move more. This increases power and spin potential 3. The strings themselves - Many strings are made with a coating on them to increase the ability of the string to move across itself without wearing into itself. This adds some durability as well as spin potential. Something we see here is customers asking to have their rackets strung as tight as possible to reduce string movement. This only works to a point. Hit enough spin, they will still move, not to mention the increases shock at impact and loss of depth and power. Others will use a poly string because "they don't move". They still move, but the stiffness of them gives them more of a tendency to return to where they started. For many though, poly strings are tougher on the arm and require more effort to get the ball deep. We do have to be honest about one fact of string movement. More string movement does, for some players, reduce the life of the string. The friction at the intersections of the strings causes them to wear through and eventually break. Generally, the harder you hit and the more spin you hit, the quicker you're likely to have your strings break. The trick is to find a string and tension combination that maximizes spin, power and feel, without sacrificing durability. Yes, moving strings back is a pain, but the additional spin is more than worth it in the form of more balls hit in and points won. Check out the video below to see the effects of string movement on spin in the Wilson Spin Effect rackets.