Gear & Guides
Tennis Guides
Plain-English guides to tennis equipment and the game itself — with diagrams, videos and no jargon. Written to help you choose well, not to sell you the most expensive option.
Gear GuideHow to Choose a Tennis RacketA clear, no-jargon guide to choosing a tennis racket: head size, weight, balance, stiffness, string pattern and grip size — and how they change the way you play.
Gear GuideThe Best Tennis Rackets for Every LevelWhich tennis racket families suit beginners, improving club players and advanced players — Babolat, Wilson, Head, Yonex and Tecnifibre compared by level and style.
Gear GuideTennis Strings and Tension, ExplainedPolyester, multifilament, synthetic gut, natural gut or hybrid? How tennis strings and string tension change power, spin, control and comfort — and how often to restring.
Gear GuideBest Beginner Tennis Rackets on a BudgetHow to pick a good, affordable first tennis racket: the specs that matter for beginners, what to avoid in cheap rackets, and model families worth looking at.
Gear GuideTennis Grip Size GuideFind your tennis racket grip size in two minutes: the ruler and finger tests, a full EU/US/mm conversion table, and how overgrips change the size.
Gear GuideTennis Elbow: An Arm-Friendly Racket and String SetupWhich rackets, strings, tensions and grip sizes are kindest to a sore arm, what really helps and what is a myth — plus when to see a doctor or physio.
Gear GuideTennis Shoes by SurfaceWhy tennis shoes differ by court surface, how to read an outsole (herringbone, nubs, smooth), what to look for in cushioning and stability, and when to replace them.
Gear GuideTennis Balls, ExplainedPressurised or pressureless? Regular or extra duty? Red, orange and green junior balls, high-altitude balls, and how to tell when a tennis ball is dead.
Gear GuideJunior Tennis Racket Size GuideWhich racket length fits your child: a size chart by age and height, the simple standing test, when to move up a size, and when to switch to an adult racket.
Tennis BasicsTennis Scoring ExplainedA clear guide to tennis scoring: 15-30-40, deuce and advantage, no-ad scoring, sets, the 7-point tiebreak, the 10-point match tiebreak and how to read a live score.
Tennis BasicsPadel vs Tennis: The Key DifferencesPadel and tennis compared: court size and walls, the underhand serve, scoring, rackets and balls, how hard each is to learn, and how tennis players adapt to padel.
Tennis BasicsATP and WTA Rankings ExplainedHow the ATP and WTA rankings are calculated: the 52-week rolling system, points by tournament category, defending points, protected rankings and the race.
Gear GuideTennis Bag EssentialsA practical checklist of what to carry in your tennis bag — spare racket, overgrips, balls, string kit, first aid, hydration — and how to choose the right type of bag.