TennisIDENTITY

Vera Zvonareva Picks Prince's EXO3 Black 100.

 
 Prince Tennis has announced that Vera Zvonareva is now officially on the Prince athlete roster. She has selected the new Prince EXO3 Black 100, $199 USD, as her weapon of choice.

“I trust Prince and the quality of the racquets they produce and know that the company is continually thinking about ways to take my game to a higher level.  When I first picked up the EXO³Black, I knew something was different, special about it, and the more time I spent with the racquet,  the better it felt to me.  I have already won my first title with it and am looking to make deeper runs at the bigger events this year, especially the Grand Slams.” Zvonareva joins Gael Monfils, Maria Sharapova, the Bryan Brothers and Shahar Peer, already playing with an EXO³.

There are currently fifteen different racquet models in the EXO³line of performance racquets, allowing players with different playing styles, preferences and skill levels the opportunity to take advantage of the technology.  There are eight models in the EXO³Tour Series (Zvonareva's racquet is one) designed for ultra-competitive players looking for control-oriented frames with more traditional weights and cross-sections. The seven models in the Thunder Series are designed for players looking for ultimate comfort with exceptional playability (that's speak for the rec player).

The dot on Zvonareva's strings? The mark of Gamma. She plays with Gamma Zo Sweet 17, $11.25 per package. This is a hybrid set with power monofilament for the mains and TNT2 for the crosses. Her outfit is K-Swiss.

Learn more or find a retailer at Prince  and Gamma or buy/test drive at Tennis-Warehouse.

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.

QuickStart Tennis Grows an Early Love of the Game Fast. Get Your Kids Out There!

You love tennis. Wouldn't it be great if your kids loved it too? Tennis can be frustrating to learn. Kids want to rally and if they can't enthusiasm hits the road. QuickStart Tennis is a new program being introduced nationwide by the USTA for kids ages 4-10; think of it as the t-ball of tennis. QuickStart has morphed into names like pee-wee tennis or mini-tennis but essentially it involves a smaller net, court and over sized or low compression balls. The balls are easier to track and the rallies...well get out there and give it a try...the rallies these little players have are tremendous! Totally fun, easy and yes, addictive.

Ask your club or recreation department if they offer this program or go to Quick Start Tennis to find one near you. If you want to go it alone with your kids, it's a great driveway or hard-top game. You will need a mini collapsible net (in carrying case), sponge balls and racquets. Racquets start at 19" long for a child between 3 and 4 feet tall.  The taller the kid, the longer the racquet. You can order supplies on the QuickStart site or at Tennis-Warehouse. Look there for the Head Junior tennis Net for $39.99 USD, Gamma Revolution Foam Balls (a 12 pack is $29.99). Junior-sized racquets start at $16.95.  The QuickStart tennis site is loaded with more detailed information about this great new program. Have fun playing with your kids now because in a few years they WILL be beating you.

Gamma's Tackiest -- aptly named, a Smart Grip

Look for this hand print on the Gamma Smart Grip Overgrip package. If you like tacky grips you'll love this one. The "DermaGrip" surface offers your hand great traction and control. The material stretches thin as you wrap it over your existing racquet grip so there is no wrinkly build up.

According to the guys at Gamma there is no hard and fast rule about replacing overgrips. Simply put, when it's not working for you anymore, replace it. The tack does last a while on this one. Definitely not a one and done.

This overgrip comes in a package of three. It retails for $3.50 and comes in black, blue and white.There are a lot of recreational players out there with incredibly dirty looking overgrips. At this price (about $1.16 per), were not sure why more don't change it up more frequently. Look for Gamma overgrips at Tennis-Warehouse.com or find a retailer at gammasports.com.

Train Like the Pros with this Tennis Ball Caddy

When you want to drill specific shots or practice that serve over and over again, what's more aggravating than having just a few balls?

Bring along a bagful (150 should do it) with a collapsible ball caddy that holds balls at waist level. This lightweight travel cart opens and folds super quick (seconds) and doesn't take up tons of room in your car like many other ball carriers.

The Gamma Ballhopper EZ Travel cart 150 retails for  $119.95 USD. That's just a few dollars more than one, one-hour private in some parts of the country. Go to www.atssports.com to learn more or to buy. You can get the matching ball bag for $23.95. Happy drilling to you.