Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Has anyone ever told you that 'a good tradesman never blames his tools'?
Obviously, someone who has never played a match with an unfamiliar racquet or poor footwear, otherwise they would know that the right equipment plays a huge role in how you perform on court.
The better you get at the sport, the more sensitive you become to playing with the right equipment. Touring professionals go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy their equipment needs.
Racquets are customised in many different ways. Moulds are taken of a player's perfect grip size and shape. Every racquet the player uses is fitted with that grip.
Lead tape is used to make sure that the weight and balance point of every racquet is identical. Top players are super sensitive to even the slightest degree of difference from one racquet to the other.
How about you? Are you able to tell the difference in the grip size of two different racquets with slightly different sizes?
And, even if you could, would it make any difference to your game? Perhaps not, but if you're playing with a grip size that's way too small or way too big, it sure will make a difference to your game and most likely your shoulder and elbow too.
The same goes for strings; if they're too loose just watch those balls sail long over the baseline. If they're too tight you may experience the frustration of those off-centre balls landing inside the service line or in the net. Stringing a racquet too tight can also cause tennis elbow, particularly if the racket is light and head heavy.
Footwear is probably the second most important part of your tennis equipment. Most pros use special shoes for each surface.
For instance, they use specially made grasscourt shoes for Wimbledon, special shoes for clay courts and different shoes again for hard court. The main difference between them all are the soles, they will have different tread for different surfaces to help with traction.
Could your game benefit by using shoes that are suited to your favourite surface? Yes, and it could easily mean the difference between you winning and losing a match.
Your clothing can also make a big difference. Shirts that are too small or too big can be difficult to move in; same goes with shorts. The material from which they're made also makes a difference as some of them hold sweat and increases the weight, again making it harder to move around.
It is also an image thing, if you look the part you'll feel the part and you'll probably play the part too.
Happy hitting!
