Montauk Pioneer - July 4, 2008 - Tennis Tips For Montauk

Your equipment is almost as important as your strokes. The proper equipment will make a difference in your tennis game. The proper strings tension, type of strings and racquet that best suit your game, with the proper maintenance, will make a positive difference in your game.

As a general rule you should have your racquet strung per year as many time as you play per week. If you play on average three times a week, you should have your racquet strung three times a year.

Even if the racquet is not being used the elasticity of the strings and the tension of the string will lessen over times. When the tension is lost the racquet will have a more trampling effect which means the ball will travel further than you want. The tennis pros are so concerned about their strings tension holding that they will switch racquets every nine games. At this level string tension will drop after playing only nine games. If a tennis pro is hitting the ball long he will switch to a racquet with tighter strings tension so the ball will travel less distance. If he is hitting the ball shallow he will switch racquet with a looser tension.

With loose tension, the strings will move around more and without the elasticity the strings will not recoil back into the original position, which means the sweet spot on the racquet will move around and you will lose control of the ball.

Another problem with the racquet lying around for a period of time is the strings become brittle which takes away from the feel of the strings. Another term for brittle strings is dead strings. Dead strings mean that you are swinging at the ball and getting no response, no feel, no matter how hard you try.

If you are a recreational or seasonal player, you should get your racquet tuned up at the beginning of each season. There are as many types of strings and strings tensions as there are different players so when you tune up your racquet, be sure to talk to a professional about what type of strings and tension you should have on your racquet.

As a side note, you should also get your grip redone while you are getting your racquet strung. Nothing like playing tennis with a new set of strings and grip.

Tennis shoes are important. Tennis is a game of lateral movement. Having tennis shoes to support this kind of movement to prevent injuries is important. A lot of tennis players wear cross trainer or running shoes to play in. Cross trainer shoes do not give support for lateral movement. I have seen a few ankle injuries due to playing with cross trainers. Cross trainer shoes will damage the tennis court surfaces, especially clay and grass surfaces. They will also leave marks, which are difficult to remove, on the hard courts. Most tennis clubs regardless of what type of court surface they have will not allow play when wearing cross trainers or running shoes.

The Collas Tennis Academy has highly trained professionals on staff who can guide you in the proper direction on what type of strings or racquets are proper. Collas Tennis Academy has over 16 different types of strings and 17 types of racquets to choose from. Yes, we carry the new Wilson K line, the Prince Speed Port line, and 11 different types of junior racquets for all ages. We have on site demo racquets for you to try. Collas Tennis academy also has 5 different types of shoes as well as apparel from Fila and Balle de Match.