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Show Proper Selection of Tennis Rackets and eventual need for grip replacement. The only care your racket needs is to keep it clean, especially the strings and the grip. Wipe the strings with a damp cloth or liquid cleanser. . Clean the grip with a rubbing alcohol to remove skin oils and dirt. A good cover will keep the racket clean and prevent breaking strings or scuffing the edges. A piece of tape across the top of ' the bow will present wearing down the bow until string breakage can occur. A good quality racket carefully selected for makeup and build can lead the way to an enjoyable season marked by steady improvement im-provement in your game. Have a happy summer! . By Frank Stobbe With summer here, our thoughts should be turned to the nation's fastest growing sport-tennis. sport-tennis. Whether you've never played before or if you're an advanced player working to improve your standing, this article is intended to help you select a tennis racket which will fit your makeup and build and will help to improve your game. Proper selection, use and care of your racket will greatly affect the degree of success you achieve. Most rackets are of the same general shape and size, with small, but, important differences in weight, balance, flex, torsion, grip, stringing and control. They are now being made of many different materials; wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglas, graphite and combinations of these. They look pretty much alike, cost quite a bit differently and have a direct bearing on how well you will stroke the ball. Control vs. power Generally wood rackets offer less flex, and consequently more control, while metal offers more flex and therefore more power, but, less control. The newer fiberglass, graphite and composition rackets offer any degree of flex and stiffness you may like. It's up to you to select the degree of control or power you prefer. A qualified pro can show you charts which detail the exact playing characteristics of every racket on the market. Weight-Balance and offers only slightly different playing feel. You would be wise to have your racket strung in nylon or one of the reasonably priced synthetic guts. The pressure with which a racket is strung will greatly vary the feel control and power you obtain. The tighter the string the more power and less control. A good standard pressure for men is about 55 pounds, for women 50-52 50-52 poounds, for younger and children 48-50 pounds. Grip The grip is also an important aspect of racket selection. Sizes are from 4 one eighth to 4 and seven eighths inches. This is the circumference of the grip taken at a point two inches above the butt end of the racket. There are several ways to determine proper grip size. Possibly the simplest is to measure from the tip of your ring finger to-the second "lifetime" on the palm of your hand. This will give a good estimate of the proper grip size. However, this is subject to personal preference and other physical considerations. con-siderations. Your pro can help you select the proper size grip. Use '..id Care ' The ust and care of your racket will determine the life of the instrument. Obviously, it is wise not to throw or hammer your racket against any solid objects, such as fences, post or the court surface. Besides the damage of breaking the racket bow or the strings, it is very easy to scuff the butt end of the grip. This can quickly lead to fraying Rackets come in weights listed as light, medium or heavy. Experts are finding that nearly everyone should use a light racket - one with a weight from Wk to 13 ounces. Another important factor is the balance of the racket weight. You should select a racket that is head light, rather than head heavy. You can check your racket by placing a straight edge at its midpoint in length and balancing the racket. If the head of the racket falls then it is head heavy. Stringing The string of a racket is quite important in effecting the way it will play. String is available in gut, nylon or a variety of synthetics. syn-thetics. Most players cannot tell the difference between expensive gut and much less expensive nylon: You'll find that gut wears out much faster than nylon, is at least two to three times the cost. |