tennisidentity.com

Motivation: James Blake. He keeps, going and going and...watch.

First in a new Tennisidentity.com category MOTIVATION. We all need it on court and some people are truly inspirational. Check out this ATP World Tour Insider video on one of my personal favorites, fellow New Englander, James Blake.  Check it out here.

Metal and magnetic jewelry in sports; are the benefits all in our minds? The Wall Street Journal reports.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal presented an excellent article on the questionable curative properties of copper and magnets among other metals. I personally know many tennis players, both male and female, who wear magnetic jewelry to allay aches and pains. This site reported on one such product last year.

Referencing results from a British study of copper and magnetic bracelets published in this month's Complementary Therapies in Medicine, WSJ health writer Melinda Beck presents the medical facts in her piece, "Metal: Panacea or Placebo?." Check it out here.

It appears that any positive effects may be all in our minds. Anyone disagree?

The wearin' of the bull. Rafa Nadal's bull feather light cap.

At last it looks like Rafa will get his own line signature line too. First out is what I prefer to call Rafa's bull-fighter hat, officially named the Nike Bull Feather Light, now available in 100% recycled poly with adjustable dri-fit headband. The Nike swoosh sits on the right side of the visor; $22 USD.

Me'thinks these will be hot. Cooler than RF? You be the judge.  Get yours at Tennis-Warehouse. I don't see it on the Nike site yet but I'm sure it's on the way.

New prints for tennis at Smash Gal. No faux paw here.

Animal prints continue as hot sellers at Smash Gal; they've got four in the offing. No faux paw here. Love this off-the-reality-map turquoise and black tiger print skirt (left).  Teams are loving it too. The sleeveless top is lightweight poly/spandex, $28 and the skirt, A-line cut elastic waist, $26.

More traditional animal print lovers will like the cute new black and brown leopard skirt. I'd wear it with a plain black or white top.

Got enough animal in your game? Take a look at the company's new blue/green swirly skirt (inset below) or check out the wide variety of prints online.

The size you buy dictates the length of the skirt (accounts for curves) so use the size chart when ordering. Size 2-4 for example has a 14.25" length; size 16-18  is 16.25." 1x and 2x sizes are available.

Available only online at SmashGal.

New eliza audley fashions for tennis. A treat with a cherry on top.

eliza audley has released its latest womens fashion collection for tennis. Pictured left are two dress possibilities from the Chocolate Covered Cherries group.

The designer line makes high-end tennis clothing that is cut to flatter and turn heads. Built in bras with cups mean no extra support is needed unless of course you are very amply chested in which case you will need to look to another eliza audley group for more coverage. Their Pros's Rose collection is now on sale.

The Dessert dress (left), $116 has an applique looping necklace like design at the neckline and hem. The fabric has a very slight sheen and because of its mid-weight does not cling. The t-back top assures everything stays in place.

The Cherry-On-Top dress, $112 has a sheen to it as well. No question, you will be noticed. Panels of color gradiated asymmetrical color blocking add even more pizazz to the clean silhouette. I didn't get to play in this one so I can't vouch for whether or not the straps stay put; this style does not have a t-back. Based on the designer's knowledge of the game, however,  I assume it is not a problem.

The group also offers a top and skort. Buy at Tennis-Warehouse or find a local retailer at Eliza Audley. Use the size chart on the site before you buy.

Image: DeoneJahnke.com

C'mon, time to check out Yonex mens. Lleyton Hewitt's Style and Gear

Have to say that I personally don't see much Yonex on the US courts.Time to give it a rip mates; it's great stuff. Pictured here in New York Lleyton Hewitt wore it head to toe. He's been with the company since 1998.

His racquet: the Yonex RDiS 100 Mid, $189 (a 4.5+ level player's racquet); The shirt is the loose fitting Performance crew in white and grass green, $49.99 (the graphic is great) and the Performance Tournament short in black with green piping, $46.99. On his feet the lightweight Power Cushion 306, also in silver and green, $109. I also really like the white red and navy version of the shirt.

The mid weight performance fabric Yonex uses is called Very Cool, appropriately named as it is made with Xylitol which, according to research, offers an overall body cooling effect by lowering the skin's surface temperature by 3 degrees. Built in ventilation panels offer additional cooling.

Hewitt's whole range of 2009 tournament shirts is available online. Looking forward to see what's up for Australia 2010.

Find it all through Yonex or Tennis-Warehouse.

To restring your racquet or not? Stringmeter makes it less of a guess.

  Wondering whether or not to restring your racquet? Some people wait until their strings break. Me not being a string breaker I tend to restring if my game feels like it's going downhill. There is a more exact science available.

Take a look at this little gadget called the Stringmeter; Unique Sports sent me one to try. In less than a minute per racquet (I've got three of the same), Stringmeter revealed that two of them needed restringing. One I already knew about because of sliding strings. Only the one that had been recently strung was pretty close to what I had set it at.

Why the tension differences?

Stringing machines do not always generate a like product. A machine set to string at 58 lbs may result in a deviation of four pounds in either direction. Hit with the racquet for a couple of weeks, check again and you are sure to see even more tension loss.  You've seen Roger Federer switch racquets between games. This may be part of the reason. Hard hitting effects tension too.

Additionally, if you use different stringing shops know that stretch, racquet distortion, friction, tension, and stringer technique may all factor into dissimilar tensions on the same racquet using the exact same string. The racquet you had strung at 60 lbs in Florida may not be exactly like the one you had done locally.

 At 2.5 or 3.0  this may all be a mute point but the much higher level player can definitely feel the difference when tension is off.

The Stringmeter retails for $34.99 USD and measures string diameter and tension in pounds and kilograms during stringing and after. The techie in me thought it was useful and kinda' fun. Buy at Tennis-Warehouse and UniqueSports.

Tennis players, think pink and support breast cancer research.

    
 
 
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and sadly most of us know at least one woman who has been touched by the disease. Athletes everywhere are supporting the cause. Did you see the pink cleats hitting the NFL turf this month? Tennis players you can help researchers find a cure too.

There are a myriad of pink breast cancer awareness items out there. I like the ones that actually give a portion or all profits to support the cure. These items fit the bill. Left to right: hot pink Prince Lighting XX string, $5.50; New Balance  tank, $37.99 and skort, $41.99 (from the Lace Up for a Cure Collection); Wilson 3 pack racquet bag, $27.95; Soar for the Cure tee, $20; New Balance Motion Jacket, $50.

Pink is a hot and much loved color on court. Make it work for others too. Find these items and more at: Tennis-Warehouse, Shop Komen.com and tennis retailers.

Tennisidentity.com has made a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of tennis friends who have battled or are battling breast cancer.

Svetlana Kuznetsova Clinches China Open Title. Her style, gear and the U.S. Open practice ball.

Props to Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia who won the women's title at this year's China Open. Earlier this month she secured a spot at the WTA's year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Kuznetsova has had one of her best seasons on Tour this year, capturing the trophy at Roland Garros, her second Grand Slam title, as well as winning two additional Premier titles at the Internationali BNL d’Italia (Rome) and Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart), defeating World No.1 Dinara Safina in all three finals.  To date, Kuznetsova has defeated a reigning World No.1 player six times. Why not more exposure for this woman?

I personally have a soft spot for Sveta as she said hello and handed my young daughter her practice ball after a blistering warm up hit at the U.S. Open. Despite the heat and tournament pressure she was one no-airs-about-her ambassador for the game. Impression made; witness the ball emblazoned "Svetlana Kuznetsova's Practice Ball"  and always, "How's Svetlana doing?"

Pictured above in Beijing, Kuznetsova wore the Fila Heritage Cap Sleeve Top, $48 and Skort, $45, one of the year's most winning women's outfits. Kim Clijsters wore it to win the U.S. Open. I looked at some of the other pieces from the group earlier in the season.

Kuznetsova plays with a HEAD MicroGel Extreme Pro with Teflon.

Find her style at Tennis-Warehouseand Fila. HEAD has more info on the racquet.

Novak Djokovic wins the China Open. His Beijing gear and style.

Congratulations to Novak Djokovic who just claimed his third title of the year at the China Open in Beijing. Djokovic plays with the HEAD YOUTEK Speed Pro.

Pictured left, trophy overhead, he's sporting the adidas  competition warm up top, $85 USD. He mixed things up a bit and broke out the orange Fall Edge Djokovic Top, $65 in his final match against Marin Cilic. Great to see him win but I really prefer the darker (pure steel inset) shirt he wore at the U.S. Open. It's my personal fly favorite on N.D. at the moment. 

Orange or grey, you can combine either of the shirts with the adidas Fall Edge 10" short in pure steel and the CC Genius Novak shoe, $120, for some serious adi hotness.

Find Djokovic's gear at: Tennis-Warehouse and adidas Tennis . HEAD has more info on the racquet.

Shuai Peng Rises to the Occasion in China.

With the home crowd behind her every step of the way,  unseeded Shuai Peng has so far stopped the rise of both Jelena Jankovic AND Tokyo champion, Maria Sharapova at the China Open

Peng has been wearing the adidas fall adilibria tank in light purple with cobalt, $55 and the adilibria skort in cobalt with night purple, $50. The two pieces are loaded with un-fussy feminine detail but are still solidly athletic. The top is close fitting with built-in shelf bra and blousey overlayer of jersey. The skort has a delicately ribbed mesh overlay, lightweight and made of ClimaCool (as is the top). The outfit is part of the group that included Ana Ivanovic's recent dresses.

I saw (and coveted) these pieces in adidas' flagship in NYC earlier this year. The styling is a tad Stella but the color combo far more bright.

On Peng's feet, the coordinating adidas Barricade V white and purple (whimsical graphic on the shoe), $120.00. Her racquet is the HEAD MicroGEL Extreme with Teflon polymer.

Peng faces Nadia Petrova next.

Find her look at adidas Tennis or  Tennis-Warehouse.

Image: Feng Li/Getty Images -- Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

Keep those pricey tennis duds smiling with WIN Green. Mother Earth too.

With all of the tennis gear running through wash after wash in this house I am thankful for WIN. Given the amount of money I spend on sports apparel it's nice to have things last more than one season and even through multiple kids. The problem is not so much getting things clean but getting them "unstinky" -- sports fabric is notorious for holding onto odor. A few manufacturers are currently combating this with antibacterial fabrics, but not all.

I reviewed the original formula last year but the company now offers WIN Green a new concoction that maintains the same level of efficacy as the original while being completely biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, dye and fragrance-free. I like all that. $6.99 for 21 oz that does 14 loads. My only gripe is that you can't find WIN in the grocery store AND that it comes in such a small bottle. I need one of those jugs with a spigot.

 You can order WIN Green online at Sweatlifter.com. Tennis-Warehouse sells the original formula.

Nike spark reignites Rafa's game in China.

 
Rafael Nadal made a successful return to the court earlier this week with a first round win at the China Open. Always true to color infused style, he wore the Nike Men's Winter Bold Master Polo $60 USD (same style and design as at the US Open) in Green Spark and the Men's Winter Woven Long Short, $55 in Obsidian Navy and White, a very loose and baggy fit short; 23" length to knee, zip and velcro closure.

On his feet, the Nike air max court ballistic 1.3 $120 with green (the NYC worn yellow versions are already on sale). The exact shoe Nadal is wearing in China appears to be custom (or available overseas) BUT a cool version of it is currently at retail, see above. The white headband with the green swoosh isn't out yet either but keep an eye out. I'm sure it will hit shortly. The black and white versions look a little less "package" anyway. I'd go with those to avoid looking like a total wanna be.

Find the look at Nike and Tennis-Warehouse.

The buzz! Introducing Loup. Tennis style for the fashion religious.

Loup has just launched its first line of tennis apparel for women.  Designer Danielle Ribner, a Parsons School of Design alum and player herself, created the line to give fashion conscious women feminine, chic tennis clothing that they can wear on and off the court.

The well cut garments truly lengthen and carve out curves without clinging. The skort for example has a zip-up side and snap closure for a puff free waistline. Fun to wear, you could totally see running errands and then popping onto the court without changing your clothes.

Pictured left is the charming 2-layer dress, a pull on style with t-back and built in shelf bra, $99 USD. The fabric is all stretch performance, a bit of a stiffer feel lightweight fabric but probably necessary for no cling. I did not play in it so I cannot report on breath-ability.

"I have always admired athletic brands," says Ribner, "but never felt a connection to them. I personally felt like I was dressing in costume to work out and it made me feel uncomfortable on the court and as well as walking around before and after I played. The idea for Loup always seemed like an obvious evolution of the athletic style for me. Why not make clothes I would want to wear on an everyday basis out of fabrics I can work out in?  I am a firm believer that if you feel comfortable and confident in your outfit, you always perform better."

At the moment the line is all solids and simplicity, black, white, dusty rose, hushed violet. Loup will be available in retail stores on the West Coast starting in November, online in December/January, and East Coast in spring time. Prices range from $60 for a top to $99 for the dress and coordinating jacket. The line is made in the good ole US of A.

 Visit Loup for a retailer listing and more information.

Broken strings getting a little spendy? Try stringing at home.

Tennis racquet stringing machines range in price from $149 USD for Klipper's tabletop USA Klippermate to $8,900 for the Technifibre TF-8000. The more expensive models are those you see in tennis clubs or pro shops; that's not to say you couldn't own one if you had the financial means. 

Why buy a stringing machine? The obvious reason is to save money. drgreenthumb, a Tennis-Warehouse forum member and self described string breaker says that he's "a home stringer because [he] could no longer justify $25-30 stringing jobs every two weeks." 

Lakers4Life another contributor on the forum noted that "Some have associated [stringing] with..some kind of handicraft...To me it's a hobby that pays for itself. How many hobbies can you say do the same?"

At home stringing also gives players a chance to try a variety of different strings, quickly cutting out those that don't work for them without the wasted service dollars. Once you get the hang of the craft you can also make a little money taking care of friends.

Learning how. Most home stringers I polled got instruction from a pro and/or used the machine manual or online racquet retailer videos. Your first racquets will undoubtedly not be among your best.

My family uses the Gamma 6004 with 2 point mounting (pictured above left), $1299. It is not a new to market model. The first racquets we strung took an hour each. We can now do them successfully in 30 minutes. With five players, two of them breaking strings almost weekly, we save quite a bit of money and the biggest bonus -- we get the racquets done when we need them -- right away. Quick set up means no issues with different frame sizes. Next step up would be to get something that has electric tensioning but that comes with a bigger price tag.

Bret Meyer, Gamma's stringing machine engineer, says that "more money buys you better accuracy, consistency and convenience. A spring tension machine generally strings 2-4 pounds more or less than you set it at. Electric tensioning ensures each racquet is exactly the same."

Just hitting the States this year is the  Wilson Baiardo, $6000 (pictured right), a dream machine with multiple ergonomic and other features. This is what they used at the Open....no one NEEDS a Porshe either.

Racquet Sports Industry Magazine released its 2009 Guide to Stringing Machines earlier this year. You can find it HERE if you want more info on the 15 stringing machine brands in the offing.

Gamma stringing machines are sold by Tennis-Warehouse and other tennis specific retailers. Find a listing on the Gamma site. Contact Wilson re the Baiardo. The RSI article provides info on how to contact the other brands.