There comes a point in the life of every tennis racquet when it needs a bit of a makeover. Unfortunately, a lot of players do not always know when to tune up their racquets or what they need to freshen up their frame. I have also experienced many players who seem hesitant to tune up their frames, either because they don’t know how to take care of their racquets themselves, or they just weren’t thinking about it or paying attention to what their racquets need. So I’d like to discuss three items that are crucial to doing a tennis racquet tune-up, and hopefully shed some light on when to replace some of the items on your racquet.
1. New, Clean Grips
The first thing you need when tuning up your frame is probably the most obvious, you need a new grip! This can apply to over grips as well as under grips. An overgrip is really easy to tell when it needs to be replaced because you can feel it in your hand whenever you play. If the grip is dirty, slippery, ripped, or torn, it’s definitely time to put on a new overgrip. Under grips last much longer, especially if you use an overgrip or if your under grip is leather. Always be sure to check the state of your under grip when you replace the overgrip, and if you see that it’s been ripped or is tearing a bit, it’s probably time to replace that too.
2. Fresh Strings
The next thing you’ll need to do to get your tennis racquet back in great shape is getting it freshly strung. The strings are a crucial part of your frame, they contact the ball and send the response from the ball through the frame to your arm. Finding the best string and tension combination for you is extremely important to developing your game and feeling confident on the court. Never go more than two months without getting your racquet restrung, as even without playing the strings are losing tension and will start to feel dead.
3. Gromets & Head Guard
The third and final crucial element to a racquet tune-up is your grommets and head guard. While you can go years without needing new grommets, the head guard is a different story. Once the head guard has been damaged, cracked, ripped, or worn through on any area of the head, it’s very important to replace it as soon as possible. Continuing to play with a racquet that has a worn-out head guard will cause damage to your frame. If this continues long enough the frame could get so worn that it risks cracking and altering the playing characteristics of the racquet, such as the balance, weight, and response. It’s very important that you also get your grommets and head guard replaced by a certified technician, as it is easy to damage your frame or grommets during the process.
You can shop for the essential tennis racquet accessories you will need for your next tune-up here and check out the video below to learn how to perform a tune-up on your tennis racquet.
By Ewan Malenfant, Stringing Machine Service Technician