Thanks for the responses to last week’s story on the 10 player types and their equipment needs. It seems we have in our midst a lot of “Baseline Retrievers,” who should be thinking about using gut strings for more power; “Wild Thangs,” who should consider polyester strings if they don’t have any arm issues; and “Club Contenders” who, in pursuit of more effective volleys, should opt for larger grips and should try adding weight to the heads of their racquets for stability.
Your feedback will help us consider the different player types in future gear reviews. Some of you identified an 11th player type we overlooked—“The Bargain Hunter,” an especially relevant category in the recession, and one that we plan to add to the mix.
We also asked Nate Ferguson, founder of Priority One Tennis and racquet customizer to the stars, to answer a few of your questions. These represent some of the recurring themes we noticed among the responses to last week’s piece.
She wants to be ‘Amazing Grace’ for the team: “I’m a high school player, somewhere between a 4.0 and 4.5, who really wants to help our team win more this year! What would Nate suggest to improve my consistency, help me develop an all-court game and keep me from popping a lot of strings? –Grace
Ferguson: Try adding some weight with lead tape to the head of the racquet and see if that helps improve your consistency and power, Grace. In addition to giving you a power boost, the heavier racquet will slow down your and control your swing, plus help you net fewer volleys than you would with a lighter frame. You might also try a hybrid combination of Luxilon polyester in the main strings (for durability) and gut in the crosses (to help you control your new power game).
He’s a racquet flip-flopper: I’m a self-taught player who came to tennis after playing high school and college team sports. I’ve gotten myself to a 3.5, mostly from watching tennis and using my quickness. I can get to most balls, but I lack the stroke fundamentals and hit short a lot. I’m switching back and forth between a Babolat Pure Drive and the Prince 03 White. –Cory of Pocatello, Idaho
Ferguson: First, you need to commit to one of the two racquets because they’re at polar opposites, Cory. I’m also curious why your cross-string tension is four pounds greater than in the mains. The pros sometimes do this but their racquets are highly customized from the handles to the hoop. But since you’re buying your sticks off the shelf, you should use equal tension on the mains and crosses since that’s the way they were designed.
He’s playing through pain: I am a 5.0 baseliner getting over tennis elbow pain, and I love hitting with lots of topspin, but I’ve had to switch to Luxilon Big Banger Ace strings because nylon and synthetic gut just don’t last. I know that Nate says they’re not the “correct” choice for someone with elbow pain, but I have reduced my playing time in order to enjoy the strings. –Alladio
Ferguson: I’d never recommend that anybody with arm, shoulder or wrist problems string with Luxilon—it’s just too harsh, Alladio. Since you’ve decided to trade off frequency of play with quality of play to get the supreme spin that Luxilon delivers, you should at least soften the blow to your arm by using gut in the mains to go with Lux crosses, and drop your tension into the lower ranges to help protect your arm.
The dilemma: Big or small grip? I’m in my late 40s and hit flat with a one-handed backhand. I want to get some spin on the ball as well as improve my volleying. I’m wondering if I should go to a thinner handle, like a 4 1/4-inch from my current 4 3/8. –Rui
Ferguson: The smaller grip will help you get a more wrist into your shots and help create a little spin, but at the expense of improving your volleys. Larger grips provide more stability at the net and prevent twisting on off-center hits. I think you should stay with your 4 3/8, Rui.
Kevlar no, polyester, yes: I’m an 18-year-old 5.0 who uses Kevlar in the mains, and I know they’re bad for the arm. I’d like a little more power on my backhand and forehand topspins. –Nik
Ferguson: Try polyester strings in the mains, Nik. They’re much more responsive than Kevlar, help create way better spin and are easier on your arm without giving up your 5.0 level of control. Poly won’t be quite as durable, but it comes close and beats Kevlar in every other category.
Stretching the life of his strings: I am 52 with some wrist problems and currently playing with light and long Gamma G260 and a standard-length Fischer M Pro. I string loose with full gut for comfort but the strings move around too much and don’t hold their tension for long. Which racquet should I use and would string savers solve the problem? –John
Ferguson: Players with wrists problems shouldn’t be playing with light and long racquets, John. It’s a bad combination. That eliminates the lightweight and 27½-inch long Gamma. The Fischer is about an ounce-and-a-third heavier which makes it the best bet, and you should keep the string tension low. But string savers won’t lock the strings in place; they just help with wear-and-tear from friction. The way to prolong string tension is to tell your stringer to pre-stretch the string by pulling at the two ends before it goes on the machine.
