From shoes, rackets, overgrips, and string, there are so many options for a tennis player. As a 4-year varsity tennis athlete that has been No.1 singles for 3 years, here are some of the best tennis gear that you can get to make you a more successful tennis player.
Tennis Shoe
A good pair of tennis shoes is one of the most important things when you are a tennis player. If you have shoes that do not support your feet, then it is a struggle for those long grueling matches.
My favorite shoe, which I have been using for about 3 years now, is the Asics Gel Resolution 9. It was labeled as the best overall tennis shoe for males, and the best durable shoe overall for both males and females in February 2024 from Tennis Warehouse. Reviewed by Tiffani from Tennis Warehouse, “I moved with confidence and felt like these shoes delivered me plenty of other performance features that I wasn’t bothered by the weight at all.”
If you play consistently, then the soles will only last you about a year before they wear out. Although it is very difficult to ruin them in any other way than the soles wearing out, the whole outside design is rubber instead of mesh, so that makes it very difficult to put holes in the sides. Also, this shoe is narrower than most, so if you have wider feet they have a wider version you can get instead.
Overgrip
Having an overgrip always comes in handy when you are playing tennis. It is an additional grip that can help you absorb sweat and allows you to have a better grip on the racket. I use the Yonex Dry Super Grap, along with the majority of the boys and girls varsity tennis team and the varsity coach. This overgrip absorbs shock and sweat and has a tacky feel to it, so you can grip the racket better. This grip is long-lasting and will last a while even after playing pretty much every day. Ed Wong reviewed this product on Tennis Express and rated it a 5/5, “This overgrip just plain lasts. It is without exception the best overgrip I’ve ever used. Unlike Tournagrip, this stuff doesn’t get worn out after one match. It stays usable and allows you to play without slipping.” Since they last so long, they have packs of 30 that will be able to last you the entire season if you change your grips a lot. If you only change your grips once in a while it will last you over a year. These grips also come in 5 different colors, blue, white, black, yellow, and red, so you have a large variety.
Tennis Racket
Buying a tennis racket that makes you feel like you can control the ball as well as create power is very important. Five people on the girls varsity tennis team use the Babolat Pure Drive, including me. This racket is designed to get more spin on the ball, so even when you hit it off-center, you are still able to get spin and power while being able to control the ball. The Tennis Tribe explains all the details about the head size and length of the racket. While buying this racket you are able to customize the weight and grip size, the basic weight is 10.6 ounces, and 4 ½ inch for the grip size. However, if you do have a smaller hand you are able to go all the way down to 4 ⅛ inch grip. The Tennis Tribe also created a list of the 7 best rackets that give you power, with the Babolat Pure Drive being the one that allows you to get more power. If you are a good baseline hitter then you can create more power with this racket.
String
What kind of string you have is also a very important piece to your tennis game. The one that the entire varsity tennis team uses, both boys and girls, is the Solinco Hyper-G 17 gauge string. It is designed for you to have a lot of spin and a lot of power. This string is made of a co-polyester monofilament, which allows you to swing big at the ball without breaking the strings too quickly. Tennis Express explains the different string types a little more in-depth depending on the type of string. When stringing, you can get your racket strung at a range of tensions. When strung at a lower tension, it results in more spin on the ball, and when strung at a higher tension you can get more control and power on the ball. It all depends on whether you like spin or power more, but the safe tension to string your racket at is usually at 54 pounds. String tension is a very important part of how you play, as it allows you to feel the ball when playing to make smarter shots.
Where to buy