Different Sticks for Different Strokes

The pros adjust their racquets to suit their games. You should, too.

Tennis players are a loyal bunch. Once they get used to their racquets, they’re reluctant to change. Still, you should keep your options open. If your game has stalled, consider trying a new frame with specs that better match your style of play. From there, experiment with grip sizes, adding weight, and even more radical customizations. “Nine out of 10 players at all levels can see improvements in their games through customizing,” says racquet customizer and TENNIS technical adviser Roman Prokes. His first recommendation: Add weight to your frame with lead tape. “The idea that a lighter racquet is better is a misconception,” Prokes says. But where should you add weight, and what other changes should you make? Like the pros, you should customize to suit your strengths. The chart below shows common setups for different styles of play. But remember: Every player is unique, so make sure your adjustments don’t compromise your feeling of comfort with your frame.

1. THE POWER BASELINER
Are your strengths a Western forehand and heavy topspin like Rafael Nadal? “Head heavy generally works better,” Prokes says. Nadal adds weight to his lightweight factory Babolat Aero Drive frame, giving it a head-heavy balance. Adding lead tape closer to the top of the frame at 10 and 2 o’clock rather than 9 and 3 will accentuate this even more. Nadal also plays with an unusually small 4 1/4 grip, a trend popularized by Sergi Bruguera and Gustavo Kuerten in the ’90s. “Smaller grip sizes are the trend across the board,” Prokes says. The smaller grip gives Nadal more flexibility in his wrist to come over the ball and generate the immense spin that is the hallmark of his game.

2. THE DOUBLE TWO-HANDER
While Marion Bartoli’s strokes may be unorthodox, she’s a great example of how to think outside the box with your racquet. Bartoli hits with two hands on both sides using a unique, custom-built 29-inch Prince O3 Red. The ultra-long racquet (it’s the longest you can use legally) gives her hands room to hold the grip and affords her extra reach, which helps offset her average movement. “It’s a light frame,” Prokes says. “It has to be so she can swing a racquet that long. But it feels heavy because there’s weight added to the head.” While it’s hard to find a 29-inch racquet off the shelf, there are many extralong frames between 27 and 28 inches that will help you maximize your game.

3. THE ALL-COURT PLAYER
For all-courters, net-rushers and doubles players, Prokes recommends a head-light racquet: “You can maneuver it better.” Roger Federer is a classic all-courter. He hits heavy topspin drives and biting slices, looking for opportunities to end points with baseline winners or well-placed volleys. To do this, his Wilson [K] Six.One Tour is heavy, head light (the added weight is concentrated on the handle), and has a very small 90-square-inch head. But Federer also plays with a small 4 3/8 grip to maximize wrist action for added spin. Federer’s all-court setup combines the weight and feel of the classic attacker, with the wrist-snapping, topspin-friendly grip of the modern power-baseline game.

4. THE BIG SERVER
Michael Chang famously switched to a longer frame in search of a bigger serve. Today’s biggest server, Andy Roddick, also plays with a frame half an inch longer than the standard 27 inches. His Babolat Pure Drive is already more powerful than the typical tour player’s racquet, and extra weight in the head helps Roddick plow through the ball on his serve. Adding weight to a longer racquet increases its swingweight—how heavy it feels when you swing— more than on a standard length, so be conservative with the lead tape if you choose a long frame. “There’s a medium amount of weight added,” Prokes says, “so when you take his racquet in your hand, it feels heavy.”