Have you always wanted to customize your frame? Use these six tips to create the ultimate racquet.
You upgrade your computer, tweak your sound system, and pimp your ride. But have you ever given any thought to fine-tuning your racquet?
You should, Roman Prokes says. Prokes owns the RPNY pro shop in midtown Manhattan, which in addition to serving recreational players has customized pros’ racquets for years. His current clients include Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport, and Andre Agassi.
“Often what players get off the store shelf doesn’t match their exact needs,” Prokes says. But with a few modifications, frames can be made more stable, powerful, and comfortable. While some changes require the expertise of a racquet technician, many are easy to do yourself.
“You should first find the most comfortable and controllable racquet for your game,” says Dave Bone, executive director of the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association and a TENNIS technical adviser. “Then look at customizing.” Here’s how to make your racquet play better than ever.
TRY A HEAT-SHRINK SLEEVE
It’s important to find your ideal grip size, but ultimately go with what feels best. Let’s say you want to increase the size of your grip. You can slap on a replacement grip that’s thicker than your current one or have a racquet technician put a heat-shrink sleeve (a tight-fitting piece of plastic) over the handle. The sleeve molds to the shape of the handle and makes the grip a half-size or one size larger. You can also put the sleeve on yourself: Buy one online or at a pro shop and get a heat gun. If you want a thinner handle and comfort isn’t an issue, you can try removing the grip and using just an overgrip. But in this case it might be better to buy a new racquet.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR GRIP
One of the simplest things you can do to your racquet is add an overgrip. Two of our favorites are Yonex Super Grap and Wilson Pro Overgrip. Both offer a terrific blend of tackiness and durability. You can also try replacement grips (shown here underneath the overgrip), many of which deliver a soft feel and help dampen vibration through the use of gel and felt backing. And if you’re an old-school player who misses the hard leather grips of years past, you’ve still got some options. Babolat, Wilson, and Gamma, among others, sell leather grips.
SNUFF OUT VIBRATION
The easiest racquet modification you can make is adding a vibration dampener. These inexpensive rubber devices attach to the bottom of the string bed. They come in different shapes and sizes; the bigger they are, the more vibration they eliminate. But remember: According to the rules, the dampener cannot go inside the pattern of crossed strings.
CHANGE YOUR STRING GAUGE
If you’re trying to hit with more spin, use a thinner string. Companies offer varying thicknesses, from 15L gauge (the thickest) all the way to 18 gauge (usually the thinnest, although you can find a rare 19). The drawback? Thinner strings break more easily.
PICK THE RIGHT STRING
“Most of the time, I see recreational players using a string that’s wrong for their style of play,” Prokes says. If you’re a hard-hitting baseliner, he recommends using a polyester string like Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power or Babolat Pro Hurricane. “Poly lasts a long time, and it gives you good control and spin from the backcourt,” he says. But polyester might be hard on your arm. If that’s the case, use a softer synthetic or natural gut for the cross strings and a polyester for the mains, which typically break first. If you’re an all-courter or serve-and-volleyer, Prokes suggests trying a string with more feel so you can control the ball better. “Natural gut is the best,” he says. “You get outstanding control.” But gut is costly—a string job could be as much as $70, and it also breaks more quickly than other strings. For most players, the ideal solution is a top-shelf synthetic. The best include Gamma Live Wire and Wilson NXT. Many stringers also rave about NRG2 and X-0ne Biphase, by Tecnifibre.
CHANGE THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE
“The most common problem is that recreational players are using racquets that are too light,” Bone says. “You should play with the heaviest racquet you can handle that doesn’t slow down your swing. Heavier racquets generate more power and stability.” You can figure out your ideal weight by experimenting with lead tape on your frame. Babolat, Gamma, and Unique Sports sell tape for a few bucks. “Wherever you add weight to the head, you expand the sweet spot in that direction,” Bone says. You also alter the frame’s balance. Putting lead tape above the racquet’s balance point, toward the tip, will make the frame more head-heavy (ideal for baseliners); adding weight below the balance point, toward the handle, will make the frame more head-light (better for net players). Your stringer can find your racquet’s balance point, or you can do it yourself. Alpha makes a balance board called Viper, which goes for around $30.
Here are four key places to use lead tape: 3 and 9 o’clock: This configuration stretches the sweet spot toward the sides of the frame and makes the racquet more powerful. 10 and 2 o’clock: Weight placed at these positions increases the frame’s power and reduces maneuverability. This is a good option for baseliners who want to add more pop. 12 o’clock: Applying tape here will give you the greatest power boost and expand the sweet spot toward the tip. The downside is a significant decrease in maneuverability. For baseliners only. Handle: Lead tape under the grip suits serve-and-volleyers who want a heavier racquet without sacrificing maneuverability. But beware: Too much tape can make the grip feel awkward. There is also software available that will help you pinpoint exactly where to put tape to give you the specs you want. Go to the USRSA website (usrsa.com) to find out if there’s an expert with the software in your area; you can also pay $9 for a one-month Web-trial, which comes with access to the software.