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.