* HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR RACQUET {2005}

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."

To get the most out of your tennis experience, grips should be replaced at least 2 times a year, or whenever the grip shows signs of wear. If you use overgrip, this should be replaced regularly, but, just as important, the grip underneath should be replaced at least once a year, because the material becomes compressed, so it no longer cushions and actually makes the grip smaller. One last word about replacing grips; don't try to do it yourself. Most shops will replace the grip free of charge if you buy it from them. They will do a professional job. DIY in this case will most likely be disappointing.

We talk about string a lot, but there's a good reason for that. The vast majority of players who don't break string are playing with dead string as I write this. If you trust the person who strings your frame, listen to their recommendations on when to replace your strings.

Most of today's racquets have bumper guards at the top and grommet strips around the sides and bottom. The reason for these is to protect the racquet. These will wear and crack, but the good news is they are replaceable; in fact, they are made to be replaced. The bad news is, the manufacturers only make these "kits" usually during the time the frame is in production. Some racquet shops will build an inventory of these kits, so if you need to replace a kit, you may get lucky. If so, replacing these will protect the frame, allowing it to be protected from wear and increasing the life of your racquet. A number of people protect their bumpers with head tape. This is of course an option, but keep in mind that head tape adds weight to the frame, changing its balance, weight and swing-weight substantially, so the frame will play differently. Whether this is a problem, only you can decide.

Most frames will withstand between 20 and 30 stringings. If you have your racquet strung 2 times a year, and make sure the bumper and grommets are in good shape, that means you can expect to get as much as 10-15 years from a racquet (assuming the frame is not abused in any way-unfortunately, it is unlikely you can keep a frame that long without having several "accidents"). People ask me about their frames going dead. This can happen, but the average recreational player will probably not have to worry about it, as long as they maintain the frame properly.

COPYRIGHT 2005