Have you ever thought about taking up tennis as your new hobby or your next career? If you have, you know that the game isn’t easy to learn. It takes a lot of practice, patience and persistence. But with all of this, you need to have the proper training equipment. Things like the right racquet, many balls, resistance bands and doughnut rings can help you a lot. They’ll give you the right posture, force, and precision and build up the experience you need.
Tennis Balls
When someone mentions tennis, the first thing we think about is the small, yellow, furry balls. Besides the racquet, they’re the most essential thing you need to play the game. Despite looking the same, tennis balls are made differently and for different purposes. Before your practice, you should gear up with a bucket of tennis balls for sale from a reliable supplier. This way you’ll have enough balls to get you started.
The 3 main components of these balls are the felt, the core and the air or gas inside. The outside layer is fuzzy and yellow, and it’s called felt. The felt has a big influence on the ball’s performance. It’s a mix of synthetic nylon fibres and natural wool. Just below the felt lies a rubber element that makes up the core. It’s made of synthetic or natural rubber, and it’s rolled, cut, shaped and finally moulded into a sphere.
The majority of tennis balls are pressurised with natural air. Although the recommended amount of pressure is not specified, most tennis balls have a PSA of 12 to 14. Balls come in several varieties. The first one is extra-duty balls. They’re made for concrete, asphalt and other hard surfaces. Their felt is thick and highly durable. Regular duty balls are softer, slower, have less felt and work perfectly on clay surfaces and indoor courts.
The pressureless balls are best if you’re just beginning your tennis adventures. They work well as training and recreational gadgets. Instead of air, they have thicker walls on the inside that make a unique impact sound when you hit them. They last longer than pressurised balls and retain their bounce longer. On the other hand, they’re heavier and will add more impact to the racquet.
Junior balls are also a thing. They’re foam balls made for children aged 3-5 and are the biggest and slowest in the bunch. The red-coloured ones are firm. There are also orange balls made for kids aged 9-10 and green ones for 11-13 years old. If you’re a beginner, get as many balls as you can. They come in cans or in big buckets containing around 70 balls or more.
Tennis Racquet
The tennis racquet is something you can’t play without. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all racquet, so you’ll need to find the one that fits you the best. There are hundreds of options on the market but only the right one will increase your performance, improve your skills and make you feel comfortable while holding it.
There are 3 categories, midsize, mid-plus and oversized. The size of the head has the biggest impact on the power and control you’ll have. If you want a higher bounce effect and an easy way to find the sweet spot, go for a larger racquet. A small head will give you more precision, but these are mostly used by professionals.
The racquet’s length can vary between 68-72cm. Bigger ones give you more reach but are harder to control. A heavy racquet has more power and it lowers the impact shock, but a lighter one won’t wear you out as much. Make sure the grip you have on the handle is comfortable. This way you’ll get optimal performance. In case you find yourself between sizes, go for the smaller one and you can add grip tape to get the right fit and grip.
Ball Hopper
If you’re a beginner, a ball hopper is a great investment. It’ll help you speed up the ball picking all over the court. It’s very practical and a good replacement for a tennis ball machine. Find a bucket of tennis balls for sale, pour it into the hopper and you’re ready to go. It’ll assist you a lot during your serve training sessions, and help you grow and develop your skills faster.
It can range in size and weight from 40 to 150 tennis balls and 1.5 to 8.3 kg. Find one with an adjustable height so you don’t have to bend over each time you pick up a ball. These hoppers are mainly made from plastic or metal. Plastic is less robust but lighter than metal, which is more resilient but heavier. A hopper with a lid is very practical in case you tip it over. And if you can, find one with wheels. It’ll make transportation much easier.
Tennis Bag
You’ll definitely need a tennis bag to fit all your gear. It gives you a protective space to fit your racquet, water bottle, towels, practice tennis balls and other necessities. They come in different sizes, so you’ll need to decide how much storage space you need. This depends on the gear you currently have.
Don’t buy a bag that’s too small because it can damage your belongings. But if it’s too large it’ll make a mess on the inside. Keep an eye on extra pockets. There can be a cool pocket to keep your drink cold or a shoe pouch for your footwear. It’s a good idea if the handles are padded and adjustable. This way you can wear it without straining your muscles.
Ball Clips
You won’t have ball boys or ball girls supporting you as an amateur player on the court. Instead, you can use ball clips. They fasten around your waist and can handle multiple balls simultaneously. They’re very practical and keep the balls by your side. This accessory is comfortable, easy to use, and most importantly, affordable. You can find 4 types of ball holders: clip-on, waistband, pouch and ball hoppers.
Donut Rings
These rings are great if you want to improve your agility on the court. They’ll help you learn many footwork patterns you’ll find useful in the future. This is a great accessory for beginners, especially for junior players. If you know how to use them, you’ll be more efficient and more powerful in the game. These rings are a very simple, yet very effective tool in the tennis world.
Agility Ladder
The agility ladder is made to improve your agility, speed, explosiveness and coordination. It’s a good accessory for any age. It also helps with your stamina, balance and footwork. All of these things are very important in tennis, so investing in this piece of training gear can be a big boost to your game and performance.
Australian Atlas 