
How To Become A Better Tennis Player By Improving Your Gear
Naomi Osaka’s prowess in tennis is incredible. She is an iconic superwoman with a long tale of her journey to the top on the court.
A crucial lesson she has learned in her enviable career is the power of good gear in becoming a better tennis player.
The gear you use on the court when training and during matches determines your success rate in this sport. But this is often overlooked or not thought about in its entirety. Nonetheless, we will explore the best gear for this sport.
What Gear Do You Need For Tennis?
A tennis racquet, sports shoes, a tennis court, and a tennis ball are the gear you need. But they pass off as just basic equipment for a tennis match. However, this is not the case. For example, when choosing a tennis racket or racquet, it must be of high quality.
A good racquet must tick the box on a few things: weight, level of skill, and grip.
The shoes must have good traction because balance is everything in tennis. You cannot keep slipping on the court. Good tennis shoes provide high lateral support preventing you from rolling sideways and hurting your ankles during a match. And don’t mistake your running shoes for tennis shoes! They are a disappointment trap.
You have also seen tennis players wrap a headband on their forehead, but you don’t know exactly why. It is not a sports statement. The headband prevents sweat from dripping into the eyes because it causes blurred vision momentarily. Wristbands are also mandatory in most cases for the same reason. They prevent sweat from dripping into the palm, which loosens the grip of the racket. Further, the tennis court must have a high-quality regulation net standing three and a half feet from the ground at the posts. It is the recommended height.
Who Makes The Best Tennis Gear?
Tennis racquets are segmented on how a player swings – fast, slow, or moderate. Tennis Racquets are also based on skill level, i.e., beginner, intermediate or advanced. A good racquet must be the correct size and the right weight based on your playing skills.
The four types of racquet categories are:
- Power Racquets
- Control or Player’s Racquets
- Tweener Racquets
- Modern Player’s Racquets
Tennis coach and semi-professional player Fred expounds on the following racquet brand which you can buy from an online sports store. Each of them offers a racquet for a beginner, intermediate, or beginner.
- Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3
Its large head size is excellent for reducing mishits and is recommended for beginners.
- Wilson Clash 100
It is sensationally light and appeals to intermediate players who fell in love with its easy but incredible swings.
- Wilson Pro Staff RF97
It’s Roger Federer’s preferred ammunition for the game. However, only an advanced player can handle its intrigues.
Other popular brands include Babolat, Head, and Prince.
What Brands Do Tennis Players Wear?
Nike and Adidas are the leading sports apparel brands that most tennis players wear. More than half of tennis players rock a Nike or Adidas sports shoe when training and in matches. Lacoste, New Balance, Fila. Ellese and Asics are other reputable brands. While brand names are important to tennis players, foot shape and playing style largely determine a player’s tennis success. Playing tennis is an art that requires you to learn how to play on different surfaces. There are carpet courts, grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts. How you play on each of them is different.
What Do Professional Players Wear?
A cotton-made shirt – with sleeves or not – is the allowed playing wear. A sleeveless shirt makes the body cooler, thus, more comfortable. But different tennis clubs have their rules. Some allow sleeveless shirts, while others don’t allow them. A headband, a visor, or a cap form part of a professional’s wear. In addition, a wristband is recommended on the hand holding the racquet to help absorb the shock of the ball head.
Can Tennis Players Wear Any Brand?
In most cases, tennis players do not have the luxury of choosing the brand to wear because of contractual obligations. Some of them are brand ambassadors of certain brands, thereby limiting their choice of wear. The clothing brand chooses the latest collection for the players during their matches. And for this reason, tennis players stick to one brand since they are all sponsored by the same entity. Interestingly, they rock the same brand, yet they are competing against each other.
Brands translate to excellent tennis gear. However, learning your level of skill in the game informs what gear to purchase and when. When you graduate from a beginner to an intermediate player, the racquet changes too.