Tennis Equipment

Besides having a court to play on, essential tennis equipment consists simply of a tennis racquet and tennis balls.

Tennis Equipment

Fundamentally, the tennis racquet is a rigid grid of cords strung across a large, looped frame (sometimes called the "head") which is attached to a handle. The center of the racquet's grid is often referred to as the "sweet spot," as it is this area of the racquet that will make the most effective shots when the ball hits it. Most racquets for adults have a length of about 27 inches, with shorter lengths that are available for younger players. The size of the racquet's head can vary - a larger, wider head can make for stronger hits and a larger sweet spot, while a smaller head can allow for better control over one's shots.

Tennis Court Equipment

In the earlier days of tennis, tennis racquets were usually made from wood and the strings were made from animal intestines, or "gut." In the modern era, the racquets used are overwhelmingly made from light metals or composite fiber materials and are strung with nylon or other synthetic fibers. These modern racquets are invariably much lighter than the older wooden racquets, and allow for greater agility and speed.

Tennis Gear

Some tennis players make adjustments to the stringing of their racquets to customize their tennis game. As usual with racquet customization, the two factors that a tennis player must choose between are power and control. With stringing, a tighter strung racquet will result in better control and firmer contact with the ball, while a more loosely strung racquet will make the ball rebound harder off of it and therefore generate more power.

The tennis ball is instantly recognizable to just about anybody, and even to people who aren't familiar with tennis. This is perhaps because the tennis ball has kept the same look and form since the beginnings of modern tennis. The modern tennis ball is fairly light-weight, and consists of a hollow, rubber sphere that is coated with neon green fuzz. They are usually sold in sets of three or four which come packaged in a vacuum-sealed tube; the vacuum-seal ensures the "freshness" of the tennis balls. Once the vacuum seal is broken, the tennis ball will begin to gradually lose air and eventually become "flat." A flat tennis ball will not bounce very well and generally results in a poor game of tennis. Tennis balls can last anywhere from a couple of months to several months, depending on the intensity of use.