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TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisers will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
!2010_09_03_pete2 I just saw some clips of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi at an exhibition and it appears Pete has switched to a Babolat racquet that looks like a version of the Pure Storm. I remember hearing that he enjoyed Roddick's Babolat but didn't know he made a permanent switch. Can you confirm and how does it compare to his Wilson Pro Staff?—Eshan
Sure enough, Eshan, Pistol Pete is packing the Pure Storm Tour these days, according to his personal racquet customizer and stringer, Nate Ferguson. “It’s almost his old weight and balance of a decade ago, with stationary weight of about 390 grams [13.8 ounces],” Ferguson reports. He’s also now using the hot Babolat RPM Blast polyester string that Rafael Nadal introduced at the Australian Open this year. Looks like Sampras has joined the Babolat and poly bandwagon. He used just one racquet type, the Wilson Pro Staff, and played with gut during his career.
I have been trying for several years to playtest a new racquet, but it is impossible to find a demo with anything bigger than a 4 3/8 grip, which is child-size as far as I’m concerned. I play with a 4 5/8, and could make do with a 4 1/2. Can you help me find a place where I can demo racquets with adult-size grips?—J. Chapman
It’s true that demo sizes these days are almost always 4 3/8, a reflection of how grips have shrunk since the advent of the wristy, open-stance style (Rafael Nadal, for instance, plays with a 4 1/4 twig). Skinny grips help players come over the ball, enabling them to hit with lots of topspin. But we checked with the big online retailers and found that Tennis Warehouse still carries 4 1/2 demos. We suggest you try one of those and wrap it with an overgrip to get closer to your preferred 4 5/8 without masking the touch and feel you’ll want for the playtest. A spokesman for Tennis Warehouse said to just make sure you unwrap it before you send it back. And, of course, they do have racquets for sale with 4 5/8 grips.
I am 39 years old, and play at a very high 4.0. I went to sectionals in both the men's and in 8.0 mixed, and my partner and I are the state's top-ranked 4.0 team. I play with a Yonex RQIS 2 Tour strung with 18-gauge Topspin Cyberblue in the mains and 18 gauge Hex Poly in the crosses. I hit a big first serve and a severe American twist second serve and hit with topspin on my forehand and backhand (and can slice it too). My shots are deep and hard, and I put pressure on opponents to keep up. But I want to improve the stability on my volleys, get a little touch on my shots, and see fewer of my big shots to sail off the court, while maintaining spin and velocity.—Bric
That’s quite a repertoire, Bric. But actually, if I were on the state’s top-ranked 4.0 doubles team, I wouldn’t make any major changes to my racquet and strings. But here’s a tweak you might try: Add two or three grams of lead tape to the sides at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions on the frame and see if that helps stabilize your net game and slow down your swing a little to keep your power shots in the court. Let us know how you make out.
I was playing with my 14-year-old the other day and it started to rain and my strings, Luxilon Big Banger, got a little wet. Will this affect their longevity? I am 5.0–5.5 player who breaks strings every four or five matches.—Bobby
A little rain isn’t going to hurt your strings says string adviser Bob Patterson. Not even gut is as affected by moisture as it was in the old days. Most modern gut strings have a protective outer coating.