There are many ways to tailor a racquet to your play style. We're bringing it back to basics so you can make your racquet work for you.

If you are trying out a new tennis racquet - or wondering why your current one isn’t as effective as it used to be - it can be helpful to know a few basic facts about the frames and strings to help determine what is working and what's not.  

Most differences between frames comes down to four basic measurements: weight, stiffness, length & overall size, and head size. Each of these can be adjusted to either create more power or more control in your game.  

Want more power? Add more weight, particularly to the head of your tennis racquet. Thicker frames or racquets made with heavier material increase the power in your swing.  

If after adjusting the weight you still want more power, increase the stiffness in your tennis racquet. Frames can be made with various degrees of thickness and strength, and increasing either will make the overall racquet stiffer and add power to your play. Another nice perk of high stiffness is that you increase the size of the sweet spot.  

Longer racquets increase power as the extra distance helps create more velocity in your swing. The longer reach also can help you if movement or timing are an issue.  

The bigger the head of the racquet, the larger the sweet spot and the greater the power you can generate. Of course, this often requires you to sacrifice overall control and precision with your swing.  

Similar to frames, there are some adjustments that you can make to your strings to achieve your desired level of power or control. These include modifying the mains & crosses, the tension, and the gauge.

Mains are the strings that go up and down the racquet face, and crosses are the strings that go across the racquet face. You can have a varying number of mains & crosses, and the basic principle is that the fewer the mains & crosses the more spin you can generate on the ball. Additionally, the fewer the strings the more power you can generate.

The reason for these benefits is that with fewer strings there is more room for the strings to move, slide around and distort. This creates more movement on the ball and generates an increased trampoline effect as the ball is pushed off the racquet by the maneuverable strings.

The downside? With fewer strings, there is an increased chance of them breaking as they rub against each other.  

The big deal about tension is how it affects the amount of time the ball spends on your racquet. Lower-tensioned strings create a trampoline effect on the ball, cradling it for a short period of time before sending the ball off toward your opponent. The additional time increases your power, but it also hurts your control. The longer that ball is on your racquet, the less effective your contact point becomes as the ball and racquet move around a little as you swing. Increasing tension ups your control by decreasing the cradling effect.  

Tennis racquets come with a range for the preferred tension - often measured in pounds per square inch. If you have two identical racquets, you may want to keep one strung about 2-5 lbs tighter. Having a higher-tension racquet in your bag can be helpful when you are having a hard time controlling your shots.  

The bigger the number, the thinner the string. The thinner the string, the more elastic it is and the more likely it is to move on contact with the ball. So, thinner strings typically mean more power, more spin - and inevitably more breaks.

With this information, we hope you are able to personalize your racquet to best accommodate your preferences and play styles. Of course, we are always here to assist with any questions!