Stringing Over The Range

"Can I get my racket strung above the recommended range?" The first thing to consider when answering this question is why? Many of the people who want their racket string 5lbs or more over the max are trying to get depth control. One line of thought is that if you have to go that far over to gain control, you have the wrong racket. A less powerful racket would play better and do so without having to go to tension extremes to make it work. Another thing to consider is if your racket is under a year old, there is a warranty on it. Stringing over the max recommended tension can void that warranty. If you are looking for more control without going over the recommended range, a poly string may be an answer. Poly strings are stiffer and less powerful. While there are some negatives to poly strings, many players find the extra control they need this way. While not the best thing to do, going a little over the max (less than 5lbs) isn't a big deal and something we see from time to time. Over that, it is not recommended. If control is a problem, stop in and we'd be glad to show you the string options that may work for you.

Common Mistake When Trying Rackets

A mistake some people make when using our racket and paddle Demo Program is being too quick to make a decision.
The beauty of our Demo Program is that you can try many different rackets and paddles. As you go, you can eliminate what isn't working and narrow it down to the ones that you're hitting well.
As you are trying them, we recommend that you hit for an hour or more with each one. This allows you time to get used to the feel and know if its working or not. With new rackets like Wilson's Clash series, this is even more important due to their unique feel.
Another thing to do is to hit with some of the people you most often hit with. It's another way to make sure you'll know how well a given racket or paddle is hitting for you.
Our best advice, take your time and enjoy the demo process. Taking the time to hit with the rackets and paddles enough will ensure you get the right racket for your game

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.

Two Rackets...Same Tension...But Different

Often we will have someone come in for a restringing and ask for 55lbs because "my friend strings their's at 55lbs."
The main thing to keep in mind is that 60lbs can feel very, very different depending on the racket being strung. For example, the new Wilson Clash has a recommended tension range of 48-55lbs. The old Wilson BLX 3 has a range of 53-63lbs. A tension of 55lbs on the Clash is the maximum suggested and will feel quite tight. On the BLX 3, it will be at the low end of the range and will play looser and more powerful.
When comparing tensions that others use, check the tension range (which is stamped on most rackets) on their racket and figure out how tight or lose it is strung based on that. That will give you a better measure than the actual tension will.

We get many people coming in with questions about hybrid strings. The most common is, "what types of strings should I use?"
First of all, the main reason for using a hybrid string is because you need a combination of benefits that one string alone can not provide. An example of this is someone who wants the durability of a poly string but needs a softer feel than poly alone will have. By pairing the poly with a softer string, he can get some of the benefits of both strings and reducing the negatives in both.
As for what to use, a good way of thinking of it is apples and oranges. Most often the strings will be fairly different. Some players will use two poly strings as a hybrid, but that is like using apples and apples. The majority of the hybrids we string are a stiff, durable poly string paired with a softer,  multifilament or synthetic gut (in feel and performance, apples and oranges). Using two very similar strings, while not out of the question, will not give you the benefits of an "apples and oranges" hybrid like improved feel and added performance.
Stop in and we'd be glad to help you determine if a hybrid string job would be best for you and what combinations will have you playing better tennis.