Combing through closets to bounce unused clothes from the hanger bar isn’t the only source of spring cleaning for tennis players. As April approaches and the weather warms, many players clear the cobwebs from their games, rid racquet bags of old gear and prepare for the move from indoor to outdoor courts.
“Experienced recreational players understand that just as your car will drive better with regular oil changes, there is some maintenance involved with your gear,” says Midwest Sports’ product manager Dave Limke. “When you get new strings, re-grip and put a vibration dampener, you tune things up without having to necessarily go out and buy a brand new racquet. Essentially, you can make it play pretty close to new, assuming it’s not a 10-year-old racquet.”
Restocking your racquet bag doesn’t have to drain your wallet. We talked to some of the nation’s top retailers and specialty store owners for their views on the best gear buys for $25 or less. Here are some suggestions:
(Next week, we’ll explore some of the best apparel buys for under $25, and wrap up by offering stringer and retailer recommendations for a variety of strings.)
Gamma Ballhopper Risette 50 (MSRP $22.95) Give your back a break from bending over to pick up stray balls and check out the Gamma Ballhopper, which can hold 50 balls and features handles that flip over into a stand.
Babolat Loony French Open Damp (MSRP $4.95) The official brand of Roland Garros combines tradition with a comic touch in this vibration dampener two-pack. One displays the classic Roland Garros logo while the other re-imagines the red clay as a pair of eyes staring down the ball onto the strings.
Head HydroSorb Replacement Grip (MSRP $10) Available in black and red or white and black, the HydroSorb features a high-tack surface that keeps moisture off your hand, sustaining a sure grip. Shock absorption and cushioning are its key qualities.
Tourna Grip 10 Pack (MSRP $16.95) Pete Sampras brought the blues back to Madison Square Garden earlier this month, taking the court against archrival Andre Agassi with a blacked-out racquet trimmed with Tourna Grip’s light blue overgrip. Made in the USA, Tourna Grip counts the Bryan Brothers, Andy Murray, John Isner, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova among its users, who like its lightweight and secure feel.
Wilson Pro Overgrip 12-Pack (MSRP $24) When Roger Federer and Serena Williams re-grip, they both wrap the distinctive white Wilson Pro overgrip around their handles. Our personal favorite is Wilson’s best-seller. At .55 millimeters thick, it’s thin enough to offer racquet response and the color works as a barometer of change: when the white becomes a grimy, grungy grey, it’s time for a new one.
Babolat French Open All Court Ball (MSRP $4.25) Babolat takes over as official ball of Roland Garros this spring, and you can add some French flavor to your game with the brand’s all-court ball.
Camelbak Elixir Orange Alert (MSRP $10) Providing a quick pick-up without the sugar of some energy drinks or the bitter taste of coffee, Elixir Orange Alert is a sugar-free tablet that dissolves in 24 oz. of water. There are 10 tablets in a $10 tube, with each one offering 10 calories and 75 mg of caffeine—about the same as a shot of expresso or a serving of Red Bull. No messy mixing required.
PowerBar Energy Gel Pack (MSRP: $1.19-$1.29) PowerBar brands its 41-gram gel pack as “fast fuel,” and some pro players supplement the tour’s staple snack—bananas—by ingesting this instant energy both before and during matches. Now available in seven flavors, the gel comes in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. The Double Latte flavor offers 200 mg of sodium to replace electrolytes lost in sweat—as well as 27 g of carbs and 10 g of sugar.
Paper Shower 6 Pack (MSRP $7.50) Wash up between sets without soap and water with Paper Shower, a combination of moist and dry towelettes sealed in variously sized multi-packs which fit in your bag or pocket. Each towelette is 9” x 12”. Paper shower gained a bit of international exposure when the Illinois-based brand sent packs of the products to Chile for use by the 33 miners trapped underground.
Chilly Pad Super Cooling Towel (MSRP: $14.95) Whether you need to cool off amid scorching conditions or just relish a chillaxing changeover, the Chilly Pad delivers. Made by Frogg Toggs, it’s a 27” x 17” towel that transforms into a cooling device when wet. When it stops cooling after a few hours, re-wet the towel, wring it out, and it starts cooling again. “We got some of these and they were immediately one of our hottest-selling items,” says Woody Schneider, who owns Grand Central Racquet in New York City. “They’re great for kids who play tournaments or attend tennis camps.”
Nalgene MultiDrink Water Bottle (MSRP: $14.99) Drinking water is an essential activity on court, but leaky bottles that flood racquet bags can be as annoying a dripping faucet. Nalgene offers a solution with its 24-oz. MultiDrink water bottle that comes with a leak-proof lock to prevent spills. The bottle offers a wide-mouth cap that can be removed to add ice, as well as a pivoting straw when you don’t need a big gulp. Measurement marks along the side of the bottle make it ideal for mixing ice tea or powdered drinks.
Price: $210 Head Size: 100 square inches Length: 27 inches Weight: 10.75 oz. Balance: 3 points head light Ideal Swing: Medium to long String Pattern: 16 mains/18 crosses Beam Width: 23 mm/25 mm/23 mm NTRP: 4.0-7.0
How It Tested: This sleek stick whipped through the strike zone as smoothly as a straight razor through silk, delivering a crisp and clean response on ground strokes. It responded to power particularly well and provided plenty of spin. Explosive servers will appreciate its ability to crank authoritative first serves and create spin on the second serve. We found it easy to maneuver on volleys and overheads.
Likes: Probing players who take the ball on the rise and like to move forward should enjoy the 500 Tour, which may be the premier all-court performer in the Biomimetic family of frames. Dunlop claims the HM6 carbon in the racquet enhances feel; play testers reported exceptional feedback. The snazzy black-and-yellow frame should draw interest on its good looks alone, with its bumble bee-colored cosmetic befitting a frame with a prowess for stinging shotmaking.
Dislikes: Players with two-handed backhands may feel slightly squeezed the 500’s short shaft; it doesn’t provide a lot of space if you play with separation between your hands. This is a stiffer frame than the Biomimetic 300, 300 Tour or 200 Plus frames, which could be a concern for players who battle tennis elbow.
Bottom Line: Biomimetic, the title technology, means to "imitate life" and the 500 Tour is lively without being loopy. If you don’t have the strength to comfortably carry the frame’s weight, or if prefer something more flexible, consider exploring other options in the Biomimetic series. But if you own an ambitious swing and play aggressive tennis, this is a well-designed, all-court frame that delivers the power to push play forward and the precision to control rallies from the baseline.
Additional Comments from Bruce Levine:
TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.
Price: $230 Head Size: 95 square inches Length: 27.5 inches Weight: 10.5 oz. Balance: 8 points headlight Ideal Swing: Medium to long String Pattern: 16 mains/20 crosses Beam Width: 24/25/25 NTRP: 4.0-7.0
How It Tested: Attacking players with fast swings may find their soul mate in the BLX Tour Limited, a revised racquet in Wilson’s popular Tour series of frames. Its tapered beam provides controllable power, and play-testers relished the racquet’s adaptability to virtually any situation on court. Whenever a challenge presented itself, the BLX Tour Limited offered a sound, stable response.
Likes: Wielded earlier this year by the now-retired Justine Henin, the BLX Tour Limited is ideal for an accomplished player with all-court skills. While the racquet may skew highly on the stiffness scale, play-testers lauded its flexibility and ability to smoothly transition from baseline to net. Its extra half inch of length can help shorter players add some reach and sting on their serves.
Dislikes: No major qualms, though its smaller head size means you must bring a longer, fluid swing to reap the greatest benefits.
Bottom Line: If you’re an aggressive baseliner or an athletic all-courter, the BLX Tour Limited should be a strong playing partner. This responsive racquet allows you to crush flat drives, apply piercing topspin or hit sharp slices. While it offers ample power, stronger players may gain even more pop by adding lead tape to the top of the hoop. In the right hands, this frame can work wonders.
TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.
Price: $200 Head Size: 98 square inches Length: 27 inches Weight: 10.22 oz. Balance: Even balance Ideal Swing: Medium to long String Pattern: 16 mains/19 crosses Beam Width: 20 mm/20 mm/20 mm NTRP: 4.0-7.0
How It Tested: Fernando Verdasco plays with a customized version of the 300, and if you can find the sweet spot consistently, it can unleash the inner Spanish shotmaker lurking within. Groundstrokes, when struck correctly, penetrate the court with depth. The racquet’s rapier-sharp potential was also evident on swing and drive volleys. However, some testers said it was slightly too light (10.22 oz. unstrung and 10.75 oz. strung) to nullify big hitters during blistering baseline exchanges.
Likes: Whether you drive a flat ball or prefer whipping titanic topspin, if you hit the ball cleanly you’ll be rewarded by the Biomimetic 300. The aggressive red-and-black color scheme and distinctive Aeroskin surface—designed to make the racquet more aerodynamically adept—highlight cutting-edge cosmetics that make a striking statement.
Dislikes: Weight and response were issues for some play-testers. (For them, the heavier Biomimetic 300 Tour, Jurgen Melzer’s frame, is a better option.) Some reported a smaller sweet spot and stiffer feel than its classic ancestor, the classic Dunlop 300G, which earned a cult following for its flexibility and feel.
Bottom Line: This racquet rewards the accurate ball striker and aggressive baseliner. It won’t help the lighter hitter pack a more potent punch, nor will it solve the hit-and-miss hacker’s control issues. But if you’ve got a good, reliable swing and the ambition to play atheltic, all-court tennis, you may find a partner in the 300.
TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.
MIAMI, Fla.—Sweat seemed to pirouette from Dominika Cibulkova’s skin as she launched her 5’3” frame into the air again and again. This wasn’t a drill meant to take her service motion to new heights—the leaps were choreographed commercial climbs.
The world No. 25 spent part of her Tuesday afternoon inside Kikor Studios in Miami, posing for publicity photos for her racquet sponsor, Dunlop, in front of a green screen large enough to serve as a shower curtain for King Kong. Photographer Kiko Ricote provided encouraging instruction along the way.
“Dominika, your left hand is covering your face so try to move it a little bit to the side,” Ricote said, while an assistant sprayed Cibulkova’s face and arms with water to simulate sweat.
Even when she’s not the star subject of a photographer’s lens, Cibulkova has a habit of generating attention. She beat world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in Sydney this January and edged third-ranked Vera Zvonvareva in Indian Wells earlier this month. She also owns wins over former No. 1s Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova.
The Slovak’s game recalls a young Amanda Coetzer in that she compensates for her stature with astute anticipation, fast feet, impeccable footwork—taking the short, precise preparation steps to put herself in position for each shot—and an ability to hit clean shots while taking the ball on the rise and playing off her opponent's pace.
"My strengths are that I have good movement and am consistent from the back of the court," Cibulkova said. "I like to play as a bit of a counter-puncher. I think I'm quicker than the tallest players and I try to use that to my advantage."
While the Bratislava-born blonde is not the most physically imposing player on the WTA, hearing her fast feet and seeing how effectively she times her shots can pose problems for opponents.
"She's difficult to play because she doesn't make a lot of mistakes," said Alizé Cornet, whose rivalry with Cibulkova dates back to their junior days.
“She’s a jack rabbit—she gets to everything,” said Sharapova, who lost to Cibulkova, 6-0, 6-2, in the 2009 French Open quarterfinals.
No matter how Cibulkova fares the rest of the season, expect to see more of her. She’s one of six players participating in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Hot Shots show, a web-based reality TV series that will follow six WTA players—Cibulkova, Cornet, Sorana Cirstea, Sabine Lisicki, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Heather Watson—as they travel the tour.
Cibulkova, who is active on both her Facebook page and official web site, conducted this Gear Talk Q&A following her photo shoot. It was a bit of a role reversal, as she spent time interviewing other players for Hot Shots during the Sony Ericsson Open player party in Miami.
TENNIS.com: Dominika, what was the first racquet you ever owned? How did you get it?
Dominika Cibulkova: My first racquet was a Volkl. My parents got it for me when I was a little girl. I remember it was very light. Boris Becker got involved with Volkl after he retired so it was a big brand where I was growing up, and I played with Volkl for years as a junior. Then when I became professional, I felt like I needed a racquet with a little more power so I switched to Dunlop and I’ve played with Dunlop ever since.
TENNIS.com: Your racquet is one quarter inch longer than the standard 27 inches—how do you customize your racquet?
Dominika Cibulkova: I only customize the color [laughs]. I like pink and bright colors so I have my name written in pink (near 2 o’clock on the hoop).
TENNIS.com: What string do you use?
Dominika Cibulkova: I use natural gut and Luxilon on the mains. The Luxilon gives me control and spin.
TENNIS.com: You clearly have a passion for fashion. Do you sit down with Lacoste, your apparel company, and give them ideas about the colors and styles you like to wear?
Dominika Cibulkova: At this time, no, I don’t do that. But I would like to help with that in the future and sometimes they do ask me for my opinion. I like to wear bright colors on court. When you’re dressed well you feel good on court.
TENNIS.com: What match made you believe that you could compete with the best players in the world?
Dominika Cibulkova: It was four years ago, I played Fed Cup against Jelena Jankovic, who was number three in the world at the time, I think. I was an outsider ranked about 75 then. I lost 9-7 in the third set, but I learned from that loss that I can play with top players. Those matches give you the extra confidence that you need because you see that you can compete with the best.
TENNIS.com: Is there anything tennis has taught you that you’ve been able to apply to your life?
Dominika Cibulkova: In tennis, you are alone on the court so you need confidence and a belief in yourself. In my private life, it’s something completely different than tennis. I guess one thing is that through tennis I maybe grew up a little faster because of the travel, meeting different people and having experiences that is part of a tennis player’s life.
TENNIS.com: What are your immediate and long-term goals?
Dominika Cibulkova: My goal is to be better than I was last year. I have a love for tennis and that helps me in my training. I worked hard in every practice and that has helped my fitness. I just want to keep improving every year. Really, that’s been my goal every year: to be better than I was the year before. This year, I beat Wozniacki when she was number one, in Sydney, so that helped my confidence for sure. My immediate goal is to be more consistent. To be able to play five and six good matches in a row, that’s an immediate goal for me and I think if I can do that I can improve.
TENNIS.com: You’re known for your quickness, your ability to take the ball early and your competitive spirit. What quality do you think has been a key to your success?
Dominika Cibulkova: That I have power. That I can hit the ball fast. I can take the pace and hit the ball hard. I grew up on clay, but I like all surfaces.
TENNIS.com: Lastly, how did you get involved with the new Hot Shots reality show and what part of this project are you most excited about?
Dominika Cibulkova: I think it’s going to be a great show and a great opportunity for us players to connect with our fans, and for people to get a chance to know us more, see what kind of personalities we have and what kind of people we are. They only picked six players, so I’m excited to be one of the six. I use Facebook and the internet a lot so it’s a great way to connect. I just hope people will vote for me and support me—I need the support [laughs].
Cliff Drysdale is a small-screen veteran who spends time pondering tennis’ big picture.
He’s been around the game for so long that he remembers the days when equipment modifications meant a leather grip on a racquet handle, or a slice of cabbage placed beneath a baseball cap to keep the head cool.
Times have changed, but Drysdale remains a constant as a voice of tennis for more than three decades, most recently on ESPN2.
Born in Nelspruit, Transvaal in the Republic of South Africa in 1941 as Eric Clifford Drysdale, he attended college in the United States (the college-age Drysdale is portrayed in Gordon Forbes’ classic A Handful of Summers as quite a player both on and off the court) and later became an American citizen.
An accomplished pro, Drysdale reached a career-high rank of No. 4 and in 1965 became the first player with a two-handed backhand to advance to the U.S. National final (now the U.S. Open). A Roland Garros and Wimbledon semifinalist in 1965 and 1966, Drysdale defeated Rod Laver in the fourth round of the 1968 U.S. Nationals just weeks after the Aussie legend won Wimbledon and a year before he would sweep his second Grand Slam. In addition to his six finishes in the Top 10, Drysdale was a respected doubles player who partnered with Roger Taylor to capture the 1972 U.S. Open doubles title. He also played on South Africa’s 1974 Davis Cup championship squad.
As one of World Championship Tennis' "Handsome Eight", Drysdale was instrumental in the dawning of professional tennis. As a co-founder and the first president of the ATP, he played a prominent part in providing players with a platform within the politics of the sport, and maintains unique understanding of the decision-making dynamics of the game's governing bodies.
Today, when he’s not calling tennis matches, Drysdale runs Cliff Drysdale Tennis, a tennis club management services company that performs daily tennis operations and management for resorts, hotels and private tennis clubs. We caught up with him for this interview on the evolution of equipment and style.
TENNIS.com: Cliff, Pat Cash told us he believes the ITF should have regulated string technology because, he argues, the ability to create massive spin and speed with strings has killed the volley. Do you agree with that assessment?
Cliff Drysdale: I think the racquets have had an impact as well as the strings. As for regulating the strings, I think a lot more thought should have been put into it before we got to this point. The tournaments, the tours and the ITF constantly have to try to balance conditions in accordance with the evolution of the equipment and the game. And for the most part they have done that pretty successfully. Has the volley become extinct? To a large extent, yes it has. Has tennis become less interesting to watch overall? Definitely not. Professional tennis is as much fun to watch now as at any point in the past. And remember, at one time three of the four Grand Slams were played on pretty poor grass courts and it was all serve-and-volley then, because you couldn’t stay back on grass with the unruly bounces. There is no question the strings and racquet technology have given the returners a huge advantage and made the volley almost extinct, and that part is sad. I wish there was a way to re-introduce the volley because it has become a lost art in some respects.
TENNIS.com: In your era, almost all the top singles players played doubles as well. Is it possible for the tours to encourage younger players to play more doubles, or do the physical demands of today’s game mean it’s just too much to ask?
Cliff Drysdale: No, there’s not a way to get them to play doubles. And even if there were a way of encouraging doubles play, it would not solve the problem we’re discussing. It would not make the singles players more prone to playing volleys in singles match. The character of the game has changed. It’s now a matter of set-up shots to hit winners from the backcourt, whereas in the past, the first short ball was the set up to get into net and finish the point at net.
TENNIS.com: So many top players now have gone to increasingly small grips so they can snap the wrist to turn the ball over. How has your grip size changed since the days you were a Top 10 player?
Cliff Drysdale: I use a 4 and 1/2-sized grip now and I was 4 and 5/8 during my playing days. I never went that thick on the grip as many of my contemporaries did. I used a thinner grip than most; I wanted my whole hand around the grip. My racquet was much heavier during my playing career. In the days of wood racquets, you needed a certain weight to accommodate the strings and tension.
TENNIS.com: You teach tennis a lot now; how has equipment changed your game and your style of play?
Cliff Drysdale: At my age there’s not much that has changed. The only thing that changed was my forehand grip. In my era, we all played with a continental grip on our forehands. The idea was simply to get into the net, and the slice forehand was used for that purpose. Now, if I had my druthers and I could start all over again, I would start with an eastern or semi-western grip and be able to come over the ball more. Manolo Santana could do that in our day. The changes to my style were not so much strategic as they were technical.
TENNIS.com: Any time another player aside from Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal wins a major, there is speculation about the changing of the guard. Barring injury, how long can Federer and Nadal sustain their success at the top of the game and their rivalry?
Cliff Drysdale: Rivalry is one thing and success is another. Rivalry, they can maintain for another five years. Obviously, Nadal is young enough and Federer is fit enough, and I think his game takes so much less of a toll than most. Federer’s genius for movement and his economy of strokes will allow him to play at least another five years and maybe more. Remember, Ken Rosewall, at age 39, reached the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Jimmy Connors, at age 39, made a run to the U.S. Open semifinals. Age, in and of itself, should not be the closing factor for Federer and Nadal. They’ve both got at least five more years. The biggest problem for them is the generation headed by Novak Djokovic that has learned to play the way Federer plays, which is no weaknesses and great speed and court coverage. And that is more of a factor in impacting the Federer-Nadal rivalry than age, in my opinion.
TENNIS.com: You saw a lot of Milos Raonic and Alexandr Dolgopolov, Jr., during ESPN2’s Australian Open coverage. Among the younger players, whose game excites you most and which man has the best game built for long-term success?
Cliff Drysdale: It’s too early for me to tell you that. I like Raonic’s game and aggression. I don’t think Dolgopolov, with his unorthodox style, is going to be able to challenge in the same way for the same length of time. Andy Murray is not out of the picture and I think he’s going to be a factor in the near future.
TENNIS.com: Of the American men aside from Andy Roddick—specifically Mardy Fish, John Isner and Sam Querrey—who do you think is poised to have the best season?
Cliff Drysdale: I think that is a question that will be answered this month. We will know the answer to that after Indian Wells and Miami as the clay-court season is obviously not going to be of much assistance. Mardy has a much more well-rounded game. I think Mardy potentially will have the best year of his career this season, depending on his health. I think Mardy sees the light at the end of the tunnel and that will inspire him. John Isner has got such a big game and is so tough to break he will be a threat. I don’t see him in that category of Federer and Nadal, but he is a threat when he’s playing well.
TENNIS.com: Years ago, shortly after Federer won his fourth major, you told me then he was the best player you had ever seen. Do you still believe that?
Cliff Drysdale: Given Roger’s record, I have not changed my mind about him: he is the best player I’ve ever seen. I think the other players are catching up with him; that was inevitable. I discount Pete Sampras’ suggestion that the competition is not as great as it was in his era. I think it’s every bit as strong, and even stronger. I still stand by Federer being the best player I have ever seen. I don’t say greatest of all time because I didn’t see Don Budge and Bill Tilden and Fred Perry. But if you gave me a 100-match series between Federer and anyone else, I would say that Federer would win the majority of those matches against anyone I’ve ever seen.
TENNIS.com: Is there any champion from the past whose style reminds you of Federer?
Cliff Drysdale: That question kind of goes back to what we were discussing earlier about string and racquet advancements and how grips have changed. Pancho Gonzalez, for instance, rarely hit over his backhand. He was basically slicing it to get to net as quickly as he could. So it’s hard to compare different generations. If you name a shot and ask me if Federer can hit it, I say yes, he can. He is the most complete player. If Federer had played in any other era, he potentially would have dominated that era the same way he has dominated this era. His movement, his strokes, his serve and his volley are all textbook. I’ve seen many great volleyers from Newcombe to Roche to Emerson to Edberg and I would put Federer’s volley up against almost any of the great volleys. In my book, he is the best player I’ve seen.
TENNIS.com: Last question: we spoke about the impact equipment has had on tennis. How has tennis itself impacted you over your many years in the game?
Cliff Drysdale: Running a tennis club management business that continues to grow, in addition to the tennis commentary work I do for ESPN, keeps me involved in the game. Tennis can help you stay energetic and enthusiastic and that’s what we look for in our business: enthusiastic, energetic people who love the game. Clearly, the internet has had a major impact on tennis in terms of how it’s covered, how people learn to play, how people connect to the game, so I really want to join all of those forces because it is so important to the game. Above all else, tennis really is a fun lifestyle so I’m privileged to be a part of it.
Likes: Nike is known for integrating cutting-edge cosmetics with its athletic shoes, and the Air Max Courtballistec 3.3 has gained international attention as Rafael Nadal’s footwear of choice. The white/grey/black/crimson version of the shoe features the distinctive Rafa bull logo on the heel. If physicality is part of your game, this shoe can withstand the wear-and-tear of stampeding play on multiple surfaces. Nike incorporates its DragOn 2X material in the heel flexors and mid-sole for durability, flexibility and support.
Dislikes: The weight wore some testers down. This is a heavy shoe with a narrow fit. Off-set lacing is designed for comfort and to reduce the risk of breaking laces from dragging, but some wear testers said the shoe was tough to put on.
Bottom Line: This is a shoe designed for the young, strong, powerful, aggressive player. If you don’t have the requisite size and strength, you may find yourself burdened by the heft of the shoe. Another option for Nike wearers is the Lunar Vapor, a lighter and more comfortable shoe that's gentler on the feet than the Air Max Courtballistec.
Dr. David G. Sharnoff is a podiatrist practicing in Shelton, Conn. He has served as TENNIS’ shoe adviser since 1986 and as a consultant to the WTA since 1989. A graduate of Ohio State, he played on the university’s varsity tennis team for four years.
Adhering to an Australian tradition of advancing forward, Pat Cash took Grand Slam tennis upward in an ascent that marked the convergence of competitor and crowd.
Cash conquered world No. 1 Ivan Lendl to capture the 1987 Wimbledon crown and climbed into the Centre Court seats to embrace his father, coach and girlfriend in celebration. That victory tour completed a fortnight that saw Cash dispatch a trio of elite players—Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors and Lendl—without surrendering a set.
The Aussie serve-and-volleyer and part-time guitar player, whose trademark checkerboard headband was a tribute to one of his favorite bands, Cheap Trick, set a precedent that has made modified crowd surfing a popular choice for many newly-crowned champions. It also earned him a polite request from All England Club officials.
“They told me it was great that I did it, but asked me not to do it again if I won again,” Cash recalls with a grin.
That wasn’t the first time Cash won at Wimbledon—he was a junior champion as well. Last summer, Cash took home another trophy at SW19, partnering with Mark Woodforde to win the Wimbledon senior doubles. In doing so, Cash became the first man in the Open Era to win Wimbledon titles as a junior, professional and senior player.
These days, the 45-year-old is still engaging crowds as a competitor on the senior circuit. Now a grandfather, Cash surprised his former charge, Mark Philippoussis, a player 11 years his junior, last month at Delray Beach with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-8 win, and commemorated the occasion by tossing his sweatbands and headband into the crowd.
Though he began playing tennis on a red clay court with a Ken Rosewall junior model racquet, Cash’s sporting path is rooted on grass—he grew up dreaming of playing Australian Rules Football before making the switch to tennis, but retained the rough-and-tumble, aggressive approach from his younger days.
An attacking player in the Aussie tradition of serve-and-volley players stretching back to Lew Hoad, Roy Emerson, Frank Sedgman, Fred Stolle and John Newcombe, and continuing through Patrick Rafter, Cash helped lead Australia to Davis Cup championships in 1983 and 1986. During his career, Cash won seven singles and 12 doubles titles. He was a singles finalist at the Australian Open in 1987 and 1988 and was a semifinalist at the U.S. Open in 1984.
We caught up with Dunlop-endorser Cash in Delray Beach for this interview about his gear and game.
TENNIS.com: Pat, how have the advancements in racquet and string technology changed the game? How has technology impacted your game?
Pat Cash: I think the biggest thing, for me, is the difference in the strings. The racquets are more powerful now and you can hit the ball harder, but the racquets haven’t changed too dramatically in recent years. I think the strings have had the biggest impact on the game. For me, it’s gone too far. I think the ITF should step up and regulate string technology. There’s too much spin on the ball and there’s too much power. It’s killing the volley and making the game more boring because you don’t get the contrasting styles as much; it’s a very similar baseline game now. Shots are dipping in now with these strings that, 20 years ago, would not go in, so you have to play more safely. Years back, you couldn’t afford to hit the ball so hard because you couldn’t keep the ball in the court.
TENNIS.com: Watching you beat Philippoussis in Delray Beach, you were using the chip very effectively, changing up the pace frequently and of course working your way into net when you could. Is that more difficult for you to do with polyester strings, or are you playing half and half?
Pat Cash: I play half and half. I think (polyester) helps on the serve and on the ground strokes; even on the slice I feel I can get more bite on the ball. The only shot that the strings don’t really help is the volley. You don’t have the same control. You don’t need power on the volley, you need the control. So that’s the only shot it doesn’t really help you on and it’s the shot I use the most. I like to mix the play up and keep the opponent guessing, and that’s the way I’ve always played, but there’s less chance of doing that now.
TENNIS.com: You’re 45 years old now and you look very strong on court. What are you doing for your fitness?
Pat Cash: It’s a bit of variety; I try to do all sorts of stuff. I’ve been doing a lot of martial arts. I do this particular type called Feldenkrais, which is absolutely fantastic. It’s about body movement and getting body control. It’s more along the lines of Pilates than anything else. I don’t do weights too much anymore. I do pull-ups and hop jumps and jumps up stairs and stuff like that. You can’t be too tight when you’re playing tennis. When you’re out there playing two hours or more you just can’t carry too much weight on you. The weights make you heavy.
TENNIS.com: Are there any young players out there whose style of play really excites you? Any young player you like to watch?
Pat Cash: Kei Nishikori is a good up-and-comer. He’s not the biggest guy out on tour, but he takes the ball early and he can hit it bloody hard. He has a good sense of the court. The Bulgarian kid, [Grigor] Dmitrov, I think he’s an exciting player who seems to have some all-court ability, which is fun to watch. The Lithuanian kid, [Richard] Berankis, is also an interesting player who can be exciting to watch.
TENNIS.com: Is Bernard Tomic the real deal?
Pat Cash: The real deal as far as what?
TENNIS.com: Is Tomic capable of being a consistent Top 20 player?
Pat Cash: He’s got ability, there’s no question about that, but I think he’s struggled with his consistency. He’s not very stable at the moment. He’s got a bit of maturing to do. He’s 19 now, he’s big and tall and strong and he’s still learning. I think he’s one of those guys who will be able to upset players, but I’m not sure he’s a guy who will be consistently in the Top 10. I don’t know that at this stage.
TENNIS.com: You coached Mark Philippoussis to the U.S. Open final. Would you ever consider coaching full-time on the ATP Tour?
Pat Cash: I never say never. I’ve got plenty of things going on at the moment. I love coaching and I love teaching so I’d never say never. I don’t think there’s that many good all-around coaches now, so they get snapped up when they are let go. That’s the nature of the beast.
TENNIS.com: Are still running your academy in Australia?
Pat Cash: I still have my academy out there. I’m opening up some smaller academies around the Caribbean. We’ll be opening one in St. Vincent, the Dominican Republic and in St. Lucia and Barbados as well, in the next four or five years. They’re resort tennis academies.
TENNIS.com: Do you think Roger and Rafa can continue this rivalry at the top and continue to face off for major titles for a few years to come?
Pat Cash: I don’t see any reason why not. Roger set the benchmark for so many years and some of the top guys have caught up with him. You have to give Roger credit for trying to become a better player. But I think he was in cruise control for so long, I think he might have missed his opportunity to become a better player. I think he should have incorporated that attacking style earlier, but you can’t fault him because he was winning so much, and it’s hard to change when you’re doing that.
He’s trying to be more aggressive, but I think he falls back into a defensive kind of game at times, and guys like Rafa and Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych have shown they can beat him from the back of the court. It’s pretty hard to beat those guys from the back of the court, so he’s got to use his all-court ability more. He hasn’t done that consistently of late.
A guy with his talent is going to be challenging all the time, but then you’ve got other guys like Andy Murray on the cusp of trying to break through, so it doesn’t get any easier. I think some of it will come down to how his body holds up as well.
Price: $189 Head Size: 100 square inches Length: 27 inches Weight: 10.9 oz. Balance: 10 points head light Ideal Swing: Long String Patterns: 16 main/18 crosses and 18 mains/20 crosses NTRP: 4.0-7.0
How It Tested: This maneuverable racquet scored well in delivering dipping passing shots. Large holes and String Suspension Inserts allow the strings to respond more freely, especially at the frame’s outer edges. The racquet will offer help when players are stretched out wide in defensive positions.
Likes: Offering immense spin production potential, the EXO3 Tour comes in both an open (16 x 18 for more pop) and dense (18 x 20 for more control) string pattern, enabling players to choose the spec that best suits their style of play.
Dislikes: Some serve-and-volley playtesters felt the frame was not as crisp as other Prince frames. Off-center hits near the top of the hoop floated beyond the baseline for some.
Bottom Line: Players who hang back at the baseline and like to trade titanic topspin strokes will feel most comfortable with this stick. It’s a head light frame that performs best for players with full, whipping strokes.
Additional Comments from Bruce Levine:
TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.
Price: $180 Head Size: 98 square inches Length: 27 inches Weight: 10.6 oz. Balance: 3 points head light Ideal Swing: Medium to long String Pattern: 18 mains/20 crosses NTRP: 4.0-7.0
How It Tested: Having made its mark as a noted player in the string market, Solinco launched its Pro racquet line in the U.S. after the 2010 U.S. Open. Playtesters noted this racquet’s versatility as well as its all-around sound performance from the backcourt, frontcourt and on serve. Advanced playtesters reported crisp response emanating from the sweet spot.
Likes: Stability is a key component of this stick. With its carbon nickel-mesh technology designed to enhance strength on impact, the Pro 8 holds up to fire from the heaviest hitters without significant twisting on contact. And in an era where bold, bright colors are in vogue, the gunmetal grey frame is a distinctive cosmetic, highlighting the carbon nickel-mesh in the hoop.
Dislikes: Like a player without a major weakness but devoid of a devastating shot, this is a solid all-around racquet that satisfies, but lacks a single quality that will blow you away.
Bottom Line: A racquet suitable for baseliners or serve-and-volleyers. Weighing in at 10.6 oz. with a swing weight of 303, the Pro 8 is an ideal candidate for customization and can grow along with a player’s capacity to handle more heft.
TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine is a former touring pro who has coached on both the men’s and women’s tours. Bruce is the general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., has worked as a full-time teaching pro for 30 years and lectures nationally on racquets and equipment.
