Racquets

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

Let’s look at what the pros do when their results are in a slump. Most of them have a team to watch their matches and help them pin down their problems. In most cases, the pros will change their nutrition, practice strokes that may be causing problems, improve their fitness and footwork, maybe raise or lower the tension of their strings, consult a sports psychologist, and review their practice vs. match schedules. They may do any or all of these things.

Did you notice I didn’t say anything about changing racquets? That’s because the pros seldom change their frames. The frames may sometimes LOOK different, but they are just painted to look like the newer “consumer” frames. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

Somewhere in Florida…an avid player...let's follow the drama... ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

A light racquet (less than 10 ounces) is a very seductive thing. When you pick it up, you think, “Gee, I love how light it is! I’ll be able to swing it faster and bring it around easier for my backhand.” Unfortunately, two things happen: firtst, the lighter the racquet, the heavier the ball is relative to the racquet. What that means is when these two objects collide, the ball pushes the racquet more than a heavier frame, and it increases shock to your arm. Secondly, if you are a higher level player, the faster you swing, the worse things get. You will find that you have to work harder than you did before. This can be very frustrating. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

As I speak with customers coming into my store, I find that the majority of them are very confused about what power actually means when it’s related to racquet frames. They think (as they have been so cleverly led to believe by advertising) that power will help them blow their opponent off the court. When I talk about a low power, or medium power frame, the customer will often say something like, “Why would I want that? I want as much power as I can get.” ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

I hope you all had an enjoyable, if frugal holiday season. I’m sure some of you are now proud owners of new racquets. Did you choose the one with the most power so you could crush your opponent? Unless your stature and your stroke are very short indeed, if you did get a really powerful frame, you probably got more than you needed. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

One of the first questions we ask customers seeking a new racquet is “what racquet have you been using?” Often the answer is something like: “a Hammer” or “a Liquid Metal” or “a TripleThreat.” This tells us that the racquet companies are getting across their “theme names” but consumers are not fully aware of the many significant differences within each theme family. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

There is an interesting magazine called “Skeptic” and it treats its subject matter as the name implies. A tennis equipment buyer should be called “Skeptic, Most of the Time” because almost all racquets come with labels touting technological nirvana. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

We constantly hear from racquet companies like Prince, Wilson and Head, but if the “big guys” are the only frames on your radar, you are missing out on some very good racquets. Today, we’ll talk about what you might consider second tier racquet companies, but they all make very good frames, and should be tried when you are looking for a new one. ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

Most people buy a tennis racquet and expect to keep it for the rest of their natural lives. For those players, this will be a reality check. The first thing we all need to realize is that grips need to be changed OFTEN. Synthetic grips (anything other than leather) are made of several layers of materials. The layer that touches your skin is quite thin and wears very quickly. When you first get the racquet, the grip will look glossy. Once that glossiness is worn off, the grip material will not "grip" like it did when it was new. In my store, I get many racquets for stringing that have grips worn completely through to the handle. When I point this out to the customer, most will have the grip replaced, but, believe it or not, some will say, "that's ok. Just leave it the way it is." ...[continue reading]

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

We talk about equipment variables all the time: racquet stiffness, head size, length, beam, string thickness, composition, and on and on. What we almost never talk about are the most important variables of all, those having to do with the user. ...[continue reading]