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Tune Up Your Racquet

© Sandra Eggers

Your tennis racquet and strings take abuse every time you make contact with the ball (and worse if you make contact with the fence or net). If you want to get the most out of your racquet, and the best performance, you need to take care of it.

Following are some basic "how to" things you should know to care for a tennis racquet, and some "maintenance" things you should do to keep it in top condition.

Where is your tennis racquet right now? If it's not in the house with you, then it's in the wrong place. The best way to prolong the life of your racquet frame and strings is to keep them out of extreme temperatures. The trunk of your car does not count as a good place to store your tennis racquet, and the garage isn't much better.

During the summer, this is particularly important as extreme heat has a negative effect on strings and string tension. The life of your strings will dramatically decrease if your racquet is in hot temperatures. The sun's UV rays are also damaging, so it's always a good idea to keep your racquet in it's cover and out of the direct sun.

How often should you get your tennis racquet restrung? The rule of thumb is to restring as many times per year as you play per week (i.e. if you play 5 times per week, you should restring 5 times per year). If you don't play very often, it's still a good idea to restring at least twice per year.

Strings gradually lose their life from the moment you restring, and sometimes you won't notice a difference, but your performance will continue to degrade until you replace them. The average playing time for a nylon string is about 40 hours, but you probably don't keep track of your court time, so it's usually best to keep with the schedule.

Lastly, and usually last on a players list of things to do, is to replace your grip. If your grip is dirty or worn, it may cause you problems gripping the racquet and hitting the ball solid, which can lead to arm problems and bad shots. It's always a good idea to thoroughly check your grip when you have the racquet restrung, and get it replaced if needed. If you're not able to replace the grip, a good temporary solution is to use an overgrip (but be careful as this will increase the grip size slightly).