Bag check! Equipment Interview with Coach Eddie Matthews

Thanks to my awesome interview skills, and for Coach Eddie Mathews time to answer my awesome questions, I give to you all you need to know about the stuff I don't know much about, ironically, such as racquets and stringing and such. Come on, I've been playing with the same racquet for all my life! 

You want some stringing done? It's $15 for stringing; email eddie.mathews@hotmail.com or call 863-280-5728 and Eddie with take care of it, Seminole HP style!

1.) When it comes to tennis racquets, is there a "perfect fit" for everyone?

It's tough to really say there's a "perfect fit" for everyone, but there are definitely plenty of different racquets available to suit everyone's unique playing style. I do feel that many players become too technical when choosing a racquet to use, meaning focusing too much on the racquet's specs (swing weight, stiffness, balance, etc). These specs are good to know, but only if you are a competitive player looking to switch racquets and want to have a similar feeling frame. For those starting on a blank slate with no preference of the above mentioned specs, my advice is to test out multiple frames and simply choose the one that feels the best hitting each shot. There are also many ways to customize racquets with lead weighting that can bring you one step closer to your "perfect fit". Keep in mind that finding the best racquet for you can elevate your game some, but at the end of the day it all comes down to you as a player doing the work and not the equipment.

2.) What would you suggest for each age group? Beginners? Intermediate? Competitive?

In the beginning stages of learning how to play tennis, the focus needs to be more on the length and weight of the racquet rather than the more technical specs and brands. Good thing tennis racquets are now made at multiple lengths so there is a fit for everyone. If you are in elementary school, you should be using a racquet anywhere from 19" to 23" in length and it should be very light. For middle schoolers, 23" to 26" in length with a little more weight, and anyone older than 14 should be using a regular sized racquet which is either 27" or 27 1/2".  Keep in mind, this is all dependent on the height and strength of the child. At the intermediate level, the player can begin to look more into brands of racquets they would like to use, but still with the focus on the proper length and weight as mentioned above to fit the person playing. At this level you will begin to see if a racquet is too short, too long, too light, or too heavy for the player. At the competitive level, you should already know what length and weight of racquet works for you, but now should focus on stiffness ratings, string patterns, the balance of the racquet, and swing weight. At this level, the player should demo and test multiple types of racquets to find which one suits them the best. From there you can get into customizing the weight and balance with lead type to really make the racquet feel just right in your hand.

3.) What is tension on the racquet all about? How do you know what tension your racquet is? What happens to the ball when the tension gets higher or lower?

After choosing the racquet that best suits you, next you need to find the right string and tension that you like. On each racquet there is a recommended string tension range the manufacturer prints on the frame, usually in the throat of the racquet. A tighter tension, let's say 56 lbs and higher, will give a stiffer feel and more control by not allowing the string to create as much of a trampoline effect, which is what sends the ball across the net. A looser tension, 55 lbs and lower, will give a softer feel and more power by creating more of the trampoline effect. The tension you choose should always come down what feels the best to you as a player, but you can make a good guess at what tension suits you best based on your swing style. For example, if you are a big hitter with lots of racquet head speed and use your power to win points, a higher tension would help by giving a little extra control. On the other hand, if you don't swing as hard and focus more on feel shots and placement to win points, a lower tension would help by giving you a little extra power and feel around the net. Finding a string tension the accents your game will definitely boost your confidence on court.

4.) Some racquets have labels on them-- more spin! More power! More everything! How do we know what is right for us?

Tennis racquets are not all the same because no tennis player is the exact same. That's why racquet manufacturers use labels like "more power" and "more spin" to appeal to a wide variety of people so they can sell racquets. Tennis is such a feel sport that you can never know what racquet is right for you until you try several out, but these labels can definitely help you in the right direction. If a racquet is said to give you more power, all the manufacturer is saying is the frame of the racquet is thicker and stiffer than others. This is to make the racquet play more lively and give you extra pop. A thicker frame is like trying to hit a ball with a piece of wood compared to a pool noodle, obviously the ball will travel further and harder using the piece of wood. Racquets advertised to provide more spin to the player refers to the string pattern and weight of the racket. These racquets will be more head light so you can accelerate through the ball with greater speed. More racquet head speed means more spin, and a more head light racquet will give you the extra head speed. Then it comes down to what string pattern is in the racquet. There are multiple pattern types, but the most common are closed patterns with 18 mains x 20 crosses, and more open patterns with 16 mains x 20 crosses, and 16 mains by 18 crosses. The more open the string pattern, the more your strings can grab the ball, which will create more spin for your shots. Again, the only way to know what combination of stiffness, weight, and string pattern that's right for you is to test out as many rackets as possible and choose whatever one feels the best while playing.

5.) I always tell junior tennis players that your racquets are equivalent to having five children that you need to take care of. What would you say is a good way to "take care" of your racquets?

Do not leave your racquets or tennis bag in a vehicle! Vehicles act as ovens and by consistently leaving your equipment in an environment where temperatures fluctuate to very high levels you are affecting the integrity of your equipment. A couple things that happen if you do this are that the material your racquet is made of will begin to break down causing your frames to become dead so you lose feel and power, and strings will lose their tension faster and break quicker. All this can be avoided by simply bringing your equipment into your residence with air conditioning. Another way to take care of your racquets is by not banging them on the ground when you hit a bad shot. I know I have been guilty of doing that but it is terrible for your racquets' integrity. Banging your racquet on the ground leads to cracks and chips which completely changes how your racquet feels and plays. One thing that all tennis players need to do is to check your racquets' head guard and grommets. Far too often I see racquets worn down on the top of the frame because the heard guard got scraped away. Grommet and head guard sets are very inexpensive, around $6, and easy for anyone to replace. You can save yourself lots of trouble and money by simply doing an equipment check once a month.

6.) Share a "horror story" regarding equipment with us (or two, or three!).

I was stringing a racquet for a customer of mine. I put the racquet on the stringer and began like any other racquet. I finished stringing the mains of the racquet and had just pulled tension on the first couple cross strings when all of a sudden the string snapped while pulling tension on the next cross string. I had to cut and trash all the string that was being used. Thinking I made a mistake and pinched the string, I started to string the racquet again being a little more careful this time. I got to the same spot as before on the cross strings when the string broke again while pulling tension. Again I had to cut and trash the string that was being used, but this time I decided to look at the racquet to see if there was anything wrong. Sure enough a grommet was warped where the string kept breaking and would get cut by the frame whenever I pulled tension. Long story short, I did my best to fix the grommet but ended up wasting 2 more string sets before I was able to make it work. Instead of making money I lost quite a bit because of using extra string. I was not a happy camper.

7.) What's your fastest stringing record?

So far my fastest tennis racquet stringing record is 10 minutes. I've been trying to break into the single digits but have come just shy. Hopefully I will be under 10 minutes in the next few months.