Welcome everyone (in the northern hemisphere) to the first day of summer!  You guys in the southern part of the globe will have to wait a while.

For some of you this will be the beginning of your tennis season so take a few minutes to get your equipment ready for the action.  Here are a few suggestions that will make it easier and more fun for you.

Get your racquet strung!  A fresh string will provide the right start to your season and will perform better than those old things.  Fresh strings can cost between $25 and $68 and are certainly worth it!

Babolat VS Team 17 Natural

Babolat N.Vy Synthetic

Replace your grip, both of them!  The synthetic grip that normally comes with a racquet needs to be replaced at least twice a year but more often in the heat.  I know all of you use “over grips” and this should be replaced after every match, period.  That is what they are made for…do it!

Do not leave your racquet in a very hot spot, like the trunk of your car, a hot table at the courts, or in direct sunlight.  The elevated temperatures allow the string molecules to relax and therefore string tension is lost.  This loss, unfortunately, can not be recovered.  I have tried!  Elevated temperatures will take a quick and dramatic toll on grips as well.

If you play on soft courts try to brush the grit off of the string before you put the racquet away.  Simply use a soft towel for this  but don’t rub the string just brush it.

Keep in mind that the “performance” life of string is about 25 hours of playing time for a recreational player, less for tournament players.  Strings do not last forever, although some of you have tried.  Just because your string is not broken does not mean it is as good as new.

Keeping your racquet in top notch condition is not expensive or inconvenient.  If you have any questions about any of this send me a note or call.

Have a great tennis summer!