Want More Control?

Want more control?
First of all, I should be specific about the type of control I'm describing. I'm talking about depth control. The ability to hit the ball consistently deep, but not long.
If this is the kind of control you are looking for, there are a few ways to achieve it though equipment. The first is with rackets. If you are hitting lots of shots long, your racket may be too powerful. A racket with a smaller head, thinner beam or denser string pattern will all reduce depth. This does not come without some cost. With less depth comes less power.
The other way to gain control is with your strings. Going a little tighter on the tension will add some depth control. You can also go to a firmer string. This will decrease the trampoline effect and add control. As mentioned above about rackets, going firmer or tighter on your strings will reduce your power and increase the amount of effort to get the ball deep.
There is another, non-equipment way to add control. Increase your topspin. More topspin will help the ball drop down and in play, keeping you from hitting as many long.
Stop in and we can show you ways to gain control with the least amount of power loss.

Want More Spin?

Spin.
It seems like everyone wants more, but how to get it?First of all, unless you are doing the right things in your swing, equipment really won't help you much. Assuming that you can already generate some spin, there are some ways that you can increase it.For some players, a softer string will increase the amount of time the ball stays on the stringbed. This additional dwell time can increase your spin potential. For other players, a thinner or textured string can help. Both will increase the bite on the ball, adding spin potential. The only downside is many of the textured strings are polys, which can reduce power for some players.
Spin potential can also be increased with a racket change. Rackets with open string patterns allow more string movement for longer contact with the ball, adding spin potential. Also, finding a racket that fits your power needs can help. A racket that is too powerful or not powerful enough can decrease spin potential.
Stop by the store and we can see what you using now, and help you find rackets or strings that can get you the spin you need.Spin potential can also be increased with a racket change. Rackets with open string patterns allow more string movement for longer contact with the ball, adding spin potential. Also, finding a racket that fits your power needs can help. A racket that is too powerful or not powerful enough can decrease spin potential.Stop by the store and we can see what you using now, and help you find rackets or strings that can get you the spin you need.

Tennis Equipment & Cooler Weather

Hopefully, the weather around here will get cooler soon. When that happens, does it have any impact on your tennis racket or strings?
Here, in the Tampa Bay area, the answer is most likely, no. While the cooler weather is nice, it doesn't get cold enough, long enough to really affect your tennis equipment.
If it got cold enough (like up north), stringing your racket a little looser can help reduce the shock of impact. Around here, you won't have to change anything.
One thing to keep in mind, even though it is cooler in the fall and winter, you still don't want to leave your rackets in the car all day. It can still get hot enough in a car to potentially affect both your rackets and strings. Keeping them inside a climate-controlled building or house will keep your racket and strings playing better longer.

Strings for tennis and racquetball are a lot like rubber bands. At impact they give, stretching out, then snapping back, returning the energy to the ball. The more a string can be made to give at impact, the more energy goes into the ball for more power.
Softer, multifilament strings are more elastic and will give more. For players who want more power and depth on their shots, these strings are a great option. In addition to the added power, they also absorb more of the impact, making them easier on the arm.
Poly strings are less elastic, and therefore have less power for most players, For the really big hitters who can make poly strings give enough, the power can be great. 
The other thing strings have in common with rubber bands is that over time, they lose the ability to "snap back". After a while, a rubber band left stretched out will not snap back. Tennis strings are the same. After some time, they will not return as much energy to the ball, causing a loss of power and depth on your shots. For harder hitters, this will happen quicker, but eventually, this will happen with all strings. A good rule of thumb is to restring after a six months to a year if the strings have not broken, as they will have lost a good deal of the "snap back" and the performance will have dropped.
Not sure you're ready for a new string job? Stop in and we'll be glad to help, and if needed, help you pick the best string for your game.

Low Tensions....Are They Good for You?

A trend in tennis right now is to string rackets at lower tensions. On some rackets, such as the Wilson Clash, stringing at 45-50lbs is recommended.
Should you be stringing that low?
That depends mostly on the racket you are using.
Just because someone you play with is playing great with a racket strung at 45lbs, doesn't mean that it will work on your racket. All rackets have a recommended tension range. Depending on your racket, 60lbs could be at the high end of the range or the low end and will play very differently.
Another thing to consider is the strings being used. Some poly strings such as Luxilon, suggest stringing 10% less than with other, softer strings. Like with rackets, 60lbs with a poly string will feel much different than with a multifilament.
The main thing to know is what are you using now, both racket and string-wise, and what sort of results are you looking for. We can help you find the string/tension that will be fit your needs and your racket.

Racquetball Rackets and Fan Patterns

Racquetball rackets have come a long way. They are more powerful than ever. The additional power comes from better materials making the frames stiffer and new, more open, fan string patterns.
Those string patterns "fan out" as you go up the face of the racket, creating more space between the strings. This increases the give in the strings at impact, returning more energy to the ball, and more power.

Power is great, but there is a downside. Durability.
All that extra give in the strings puts more stress on the strings and for hard hitters, can cause more frequent string breakage.
If you are a really hard hitter and the softer strings are breaking to quick, switching to a tougher, nylon string can add string life without giving up much power. There is a trade-off. What adds durability takes away power and vice-versa. Every player has to make a decision on which is more important, knowing the pros and cons of each string.
We can help you make a string choice that can get you more of what you need for your racquetball racket. Stop in and we will go over the options and find the best fit your needs the best.

"Should I String Like My Friend?"

Something we hear quite often when people are in to get their racket restrung goes something like this.
"My friend said their racket is strung at 60, so I should be at 60."
This is very often false. Just because someone you play with gets their racket strung at a given tension, does not mean you should do the same. When thinking tension compared to someone else, keep these things in mind.
1) Rackets have different recommended tension ranges. If your racket has a range of 45-55, and your friend's racket is 55-65, stringing both at 55 will give you very different results.
2) The type of string will make a difference. Many players who use poly strings will use lower tensions, which would not be as good an idea for someone using a softer multifilament.
3) The need of the player will dictate the tension for each player. A hard hitter will often string tighter for control. A player needing more power would want to go with lower tensions.
The thing to remember is that everyone has different reasons for why they have their racket strung at a given tension. When trying to find the right tension for you, YOUR game should be the most important factor.
Stop in and we would be happy to help you find the string and tension that will have you playing your best.

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.

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.

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.

Tennis Myths Busted - Big/Small Grips Are Best

Something we hear fairly often from people in our store goes like this. "I heard a smaller grip won't cause tennis elbow", or, "someone told me a bigger grip is easier on the arm".

Both things are wrong.

Here's the thing. A grip size that is the wrong size, small or big, has the potential to be tougher on the arm. Over the years, the myth about grip size has gone back and forth between big or small being better.  The fact that it goes back and forth gives you an idea that both are wrong.

About ten years ago, we would see guys come in with grips built WAY up. When asked about it, the answer was the same, "it is better for my tennis elbow." No matter how big they made their grip, the tennis elbow never seemed to go away. We're not saying that grip size is the cause of tennis elbow but combined with other factors, can make it worse. 

When a grip is too big or too small, the effect is the same. You will have to squeeze the grip tighter than normal in order to keep the racket from slipping or twisting in your hand. Multiply that by several hours of playing tennis and you're likely to feel it in your arm or hand. Add heat and humidity and it just gets tougher to keep a good grip on your racket.

A properly sized grip allows you to grip the racket firmly, yet without the need to put a death-grip on it to keep it stable. You shouldn't have to squeeze if the size is right. You can see below what the right size grip will look like in your hand.

If you've got more than a finger's width gap between the middle fingers and the base of the thumb, the grip is too big. The above is the desired size.

There should be a pinky-finger width space between the base of the thumb and the middle fingers 

If the fingers and base of the thumb are touching, the grip is too small.

When buying a racket, something to consider is the use of over grip. It will add just about one grip size when added. Many people are now choosing a grip size that is a little small so that when the over grip is added, the size will be right.

If your grip is too small or too large, there are options to get it closer to the right size. There are some limitations to how much bigger or smaller we can make it, but we can get it closer to the right size than it is now. Stop by our Dale Mabry store and we can show you the options available and can show you the right size grip for your hand.

Tennis Myth - Adding Weight to the Head is Always Best

So often, a customer will come in and ask for their racket to be made heavier. The mistake they make is wanting to put all of the weight in the head of the racket. A common myth is that when you add weight to the racket, it should always go on the head.
This is very often the worst way to do it.
Here's the problem. You have a racket that becomes to light for you and you'd like to add weight. No problem, so far. But if the racket is already head heavy and they want the weight added to the head.

Problem.
You will be making a head heavy racket, even more, head heavy. The racket will become less maneuverable and tougher to generate racket speed with. Think of it this way. How maneuverable is a sledgehammer? Sure, assuming you can swing the thing, there may be power, but with the cost being the loss of maneuverability and stability.

The better option is to add weight in both the head and the handle. Done correctly, you can add weight without changing the balance of the racket.

An even better option if using a head heavy racket is to add the weight in such a way as to make the racket both heavier and less head heavy. There is a reason that the racket companies all do the same thing. As the rackets they make get heavier, they also get more head light. This adds maneuverability and the ability to get racket speed while also making the racket more stable. The more head heavy a racket is, the further from your hand the weight is, making it less stable.

Everyone is different. If you need a racket heavier, stop into our Dale Mabry store and we can show you the best way to add weight to your racket to achieve the feel and performance you are looking for.

Control...and Where to Get It

One of the most requested things we are asked for at our MP Tennis & Sports store on Dale Mabry Hwy is strings for more control.
We can help, but here's the thing, it depends on what your definition of control is.
First of all, no string is going to do anything for your right/left control. That is a function of your swing and your timing at impact. Depth is another matter.
For many, control is not hitting the ball long all of the time. If you are hitting the ball long frequently, there are several things that could be going on.

1. Not hitting enough topspin.
2. A racket that is too powerful.
3. Strings that are too lively.

We'll skip #1 for a moment and go to #2. If you are using a large, oversize headed racket, it just may be too much racket for you. Large head rackets are designed for players with weaker, shorter swings. Sure, you can put a really stiff string in it or max out the tension, but you'll never really change that the racket may not be ideal for you.
As for #1, topspin can give you much more margin for error. Topspin is a result of taking the right kind of swing. You can use a spin friendly string, but that is only going to help so much. The best thing you can do is take a few lessons with a good pro who can show you how to hit more spin the right way.
The funny thing with strings is so many of the characteristics that help with spin potential also make the string bed more lively. Playing with a string bed that is too lively will help send balls long. The better your technique is for creating topspin, the less likely you are to hit the ball long.
Now, if you hit the ball flatter, a lively string will give you little margin for error where depth is concerned. Going to a firmer string will reduce the trampoline-effect at impact and give you less depth, causing fewer shots to go long.
It is a balancing act. You don't want to go so firm that you can't hit shots deep enough. Find a string and tension that gives you enough depth on well-hit shots, with the fewest number going long. Also, a string that offers too much "control" will reduce the power of your shots, making them easier to return.
There is going to be some trial and error involved. We can show you some options that will offer the best depth control with the least sacrifice of power. Stop in and we'd be glad to help.