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I am in the process of searching for a new racquet, and my dilemma is whether to get a more advanced racquet than my game (I am a male player, around a 3.5). Do you think it's a good idea to get a better racquet than your rating might otherwise indicate? Would it help with developing consistent stroke mechanics, something I'm presently struggling with? I don't mind losing in the present if it's worth it in the future.

Thanks TennisONE, by far the best tennis web site around!
Joe (U.S.)

Dear Joe,

Your question is a good one. Before you invest in a racquet you need to decide what areas of your game you want to improve, or in other words, what do you need your racquet to do? There are five features in racquets that determine it's performance---power, control, comfort, maneuverability, and stability. As to power, do you swing slowly and have fairly compact strokes, or do you have fuller, longer swings? The former would suggest a more power oriented frame, and the latter a more control oriented one. It's generally conceded that control oriented racquets are designed for high-level players who can get power when they need it because of well grooved strokes.

How do you want the racquet to feel when you hit the ball? Relatively inexperienced players tend to like frames that have lots of shock absorbing, comfort-enhancing features like bigger grommets, vibration absorbing handle systems, and shock absorbing materials in the frames themselves. Experienced players, on the other hand, are willing to sacrifice some comfort for increased feel and touch.

How often do you hit the sweet spot? When you hit the ball nearer the frame the racquet will torque. In general, heavier racquets and frames with larger heads resist torque better than lighter racquets, and are therefore more stable. A racquet's maneuverability is determined by it's swing weight ( how heavy or light a racquet feels when you swing it).

After thinking how these things apply to your current game, or the one you aspire too, it's still essential that you demo at least a few frames that have features that will help you improve. If a racquet feels great to you and you're getting the desired results after testing it on ground strokes, volleys, serves, and overheads, I'd get it whether it's "supposed" to suit you or not.

Good Luck,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE,

Lately, I've been noticing that my strings get much more deteriorated in the very right- center height area. Does this reflect any problem with my stroke mechanics? Am I loosing power/feel from hitting the ball at the side of my strings instead of hitting it at the center? Is this caused by hitting with topspin? Thanks a lot for your advice and regards form Argentina.

Lucas (Argentina)

Dear Lucas,

That is a common wear pattern for topspinners. No question but that you'd be better off not hitting closer to the frame but I suspect you do, in fact, hit plenty of balls more toward the center. As a rule, the sweetspot tends to be low center, but it depends on the racket you use. The next time you play, really concentrate on hitting the ball lower on the stringbed and see if it doesn't make a big difference in the way you connect.

Regards,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE,

When I swing my forehand from back to front on standard balls, when should I start to move my racket fast to generate the power (behind the body/just before hitting)? And, how about on double backhand side?

Thank you,
Blee

Dear Blee,

As you swing forward on both the forehand and the two handed backhand, the racket is the last in a series of synchronized links created by the body. Just remember that the speed of your racket is determined by that chain of links. As a ball approaches you have to synchronize your body and swing to it's variables (speed, spin, height, depth, width.) This is very important to the continuity of your swing. to coil, (once you're where you need to be), the hips, trunk, and shoulders will rotate back in that order. The racket will lag back for a split second before the whole process is repeated as you uncoil. The sum of those  integrated forces is what results in optimal acceleration of the racket. To get more racket speed, swing with the body, not just the arm!

Regards,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE,

I was wondering, considering my stature and situation, which is the better backhand? Is a one-hander or a two-hander? I really love my one-hander, but I am willing to switch if the situation dictates. I could really use some expert advice!

Thanks!
Troy
Natchez, MS

Dear Troy,

There's no question but that the high ball on the backhand is easier to hit aggressively (flat or topspin) with the two-hander. However, despite your height, if you really love your one-hander, I don't think you should throw in the towel just yet. When slicing the high ball, be sure not to short change your backswing. This isn't going to be a velocity oriented shot anyway, so you want to be sure and get the most out of it. After that what's most important is that you hold a long, high aimpoint. Otherwise the natural movement of your shoulder will pull the racquet down too soon and you'll hit short or net too many shots. Use your non-racquet arm for leverage by throwing it back and down. This will help keep your front shoulder up and keep you sideways to the net.

Another option you have, although a more advanced one, is to take the ball before it's too high to feasibly hit flat or with topspin. You need a firm wrist and good timing for this to be consistent, but with practice it can become a real ally. The last thing you could try before going to a two-hander entirely would be to hit the two-hander on this shot only. 

Good Luck,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE,

I have three questions for you. The first question is when I am in a rally with my opponent, I will hit two or three great topspin shots with good speed but then I will go for the next shot but I will mess up on it. Is there any good drills I can do to effectively help that? I have just hit with my dad but that still isn't enough. 

My second question is I am a 13 year old male player who plays under 14B2 ALTA (Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association), and I am looking for a new racquet. I was looking at the Head Ti Fire, which on the racquet says it is right for my swing, but I would like to know if I should spend that much on a racquet or if I should buy a lower priced racquet?

Sincerely,
Drew Knight

Dear Drew,

Stop and think about the kinds of errors you tend to commit after making your first few shots. Are you putting the ball in the net, overhitting, missing wide etc? If you can identify the kinds of errors you tend to make, use this as ammo on the practice court. I would suggest as a rule you hit a majority of shots crosscourt with a high margin of net clearance, and don't hit the ball any better than you need to win the point. When you and your dad hit, make it a point to keep building on your consistency. Don't worry about pace initially. Once you're able to consistently keep 10 to 20 balls in play you can expand powerwise and placementwise. It's very important that you do enough of this to gain the confidence it will take to do it in your matches. 

I wouldn't base the reason for getting a racquet on price (within reason). What's important, despite what you might read on the racquet, is that you demo it before you buy it. Try a few racquets you think might suit your style and unless they feel instantly terrible or fantastic, be sure you give them a good trial run. Take the string job into consideration when demoing. If the racquet feels great and the strings are ancient you're in good shape.

Good Luck,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE, 

I'm having problems generating power on the forehand side. I use a two handed backhand and can hit it about twice as hard as my forehand and with much greater consistency. My forehand feels strained and tight and unnatural. I feel like I'm "muscling" the ball. Often my elbow hits my ribs on the swing forward.  I also have difficulty hitting the ball cross court. How can I smoothen my stroke and generate more pace?

Thanks,
Stephen

Dear Stephen,

Sounds like you're cramped! You do want to keep your hitting elbow "inside," or closer to your hip for a good part of the backswing, but after the ball is struck be sure and release it to facilitate follow through. To get more rhythm and explosiveness on the forehand, first you need to develop a swing that is continuous. As the ball approaches don't jam the racket back but instead, draw the ball to you. This begins in the hips and works up to the shoulders. Your racket lags behind for a split second and is, in fact, the last part of the coil. At this point your shoulder blade should be pointed at the ball. As you uncoil, the order repeats itself prior to striking the ball in front of your center of gravity. Practice this without a ball but imagine you're actually swinging at one. This continuous flow is exactly how the actual ball hitting should feel. When you're really playing, constantly reinforce this feel with shadow swings between rallies or points.

Good Luck,
Scott Murphy

TennisONE,

I have trouble with my forehand whenever I come close to the net. When my opponent misses the first serve and starts for a second serve, they serve it at a slow speed so the ball would just dropped in the service court and bounce short and low. I have to run to the net to hit it. I know this strategy so I stand behind the service court line a couple of feet to reduce my time to run up and hit the ball. The problem, however, is that when I approach and hit the ball with my forehand, the ball either crashes into the net or sails long. I can't find out what the problem is. I've seen many pros hit the low, short ball near the net with a strong and deep stroke. So what is the problem? 

Please help,
Bo

Dear Bo,

The problem you describe is a common one. The kind of shot you're receiving begs to be crushed, but that takes practice. Remember when you watch pros play, the shots they hit have been replicated thousands of times under numerous circumstances. Have someone feed you the kind of ball you describe as often as it takes for you to develop a consistently strong reply. Don't start ripping it! 

One of the most common errors here is to "wing" or throw the racket head at the ball, thus losing control. Let the handle lead the strings no matter how hard you eventually hit it, and learn to hit it balanced and no harder than it takes to stay in control of it. 

One thing I see constantly in making errors on short, low lobs is that when they're hit back with the intention of hitting overheads, players hit down instead of up at them. If the ball is so low that even with a lot of knee flex you can't hit up and through it, don't hit an overhead. To start achieving depth on your backhands start by hitting them higher over the net without lobbing them. Don't settle for anything short of the service line, with the ultimate goal of getting them 2 to 3 feet inside the baseline. In the process make sure your swings are complete and continuous with a contact point comfortably in front.

Good Luck,
Scott Murphy

I recently seemed to improve on my groundstrokes quite a bit. What I do is relax my grip hand at the preparation and then tighten the grip at the point of contact. It seems that I can whip the ball and generate more pace than just holding the racquet at a constant grip pressure. In my forehand, I use my non-dominating hand to aid the shoulder turn, and then swing the arm in sync with the follow-through. Just wondering if I am on the right track ?

Also I would like to hear some advice on how to position myrself to the optimal position. I saw all the pros use one leg to lock the position and then transfer the weight from there.

Thanks,
Stanley 

Dear Stanley,

With regard to the way you're gripping the racket, and using your non dominant arm as a part of the forehand coil, all I can say is keep it up. You're correct on both counts. As you go to hit a forehand, whether with an open or squared stance, going in, the weight is on the foot closest to the ball. If you're right handed it's the right foot. If you hit with an open stance, you push slightly off that foot as you uncoil into the shot. When hitting squared stance, your weight is transferred from that foot to the left foot (again, if you're right handed).

Regards,
Scott Murphy

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