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The equipment you bring to the court can really give you an edge. Top tour players bring a huge kit bag on court with them filled with everything but the kitchen sink, they know that equipment make a difference!
It is difficult to bring too much equipment on court but it is very easy to bring to be under prepared.
A professional kit bag will include:
It's a good idea to have at least one back up racket in case you
break a string, or in rare cases you may break the racket frame itself.
Professional players will have 5 or 6 rackets, sometimes more! You may
want to have a couple of spare rackets that are strung at different
tensions depending on how you are playing, the weather conditions and
the court surface.
Tip: The lower the tension the more power and less control, the higher the tension means less power and more control.
Most people do not care much about the tennis balls they use but they can make a big difference to your game, using balls that are old and do not bounce can affect your game. It is also useful to try different types of balls to see which ones you like best.
It is also a good idea to have a spare grip in case the one on your racket becomes old, lumpy, worn and slippery.
Ideas: extra grips, balls, extra string, string savers
It's nice to have a change of clothes, as putting on a new t-shirt can give you a real boost when you in a long match.
Ideas: spare socks, T-shirts, shoe laces, tank top (for cold days), woolly hat, scarf, gloves.
The sun can be lovely when you are on the beach but on a tennis
court it can really affect your performance, it can get in your eyes
and make you more tired than normal.
Ideas: sun cream, sunglasses, cap, sweatbands, towels (1 large and 1
small), antiperspirant for hands (this is excellent and stops the
racket slipping).
Other items could include: match snacks, bottle opener, net winder (to adjust net height), mini net measure (to measure the net), vibration dampeners (to reduce vibration on the strings).
Injuries and ache and pains are part and parcel of playing tennis,
and most people will be injured at some point, so be prepared!
Ideas: plasters, surgical tape (for cuts and blisters), re-hydration
formula (excellent if you've been sick, ill or had cramps), anti-septic
cream, salt tablets, vitamins, safety pins, New Skin (acts as a second
skin for if you have blisters or broken skin), anti-inflammatory
tablets, Ibuprofen cream, Imodium, travel sickness tablets, pain
killers, chemical ice.
