"Let's face it: Tennis raquets not only show players tennis skills and style. You want to feel good with the raquet before you hold it in your hand the first time!"
We were sitting on the veranda of our tennis club watching the players on the court. My friend asked me: "What do you mean by that?"
He is playing tennis since more than twenty years and is one of the better players in the club.
"Look", I replied, "have you seen the racquet this young woman is using?" The lady was a beautiful woman in her twenties that had practised since one year. She obviously was talented. Nevertheless she used one of the high end pro raquets that really aren't meant for beginners.
Every experienced player knows that the raquet has to fit to the playing abilities of the tennis player. Nowadays a raquet is a high-tech instrument and every parameter has to be set right to help the player with his tennis.
Head size, weight, length, grip and material define a raquet. It should be customized for every player to fit his needs. Every player has a different playing style, different experience and strength Choose the right one and you can improve your playing to the next step. With the wrong racquet you have a hard time playing and won't have much fun.
Even the typical tennis injuries like tennis elbow can be caused of a raquet that doesn't fit to your needs.
Back to the young woman: We all agreed that she would do better if she used a raquet with a bigger head for she was still a beginner.
“Maybe”, I mentioned, “she didn't have good advice when she bought her raquet – OR – she simply was attracted by the design, the colours, the brand and the image of the raquet.”
If so, she's just like me. With the difference that I usually ask some experts and trainers which one was the best for me at the moment.
Stated I can choose between ten models that are the right ones for my tennis abilities at the given time, I would choose the one that “speaks” to me. I would choose the one that makes me confident and makes me feel like a winner just from the look.
Do I like the colors? Do I like the design? Is it a brand that I associate positive thoughts with?
If I feel good about it I want to play with it and – more important - I practice with it with joy.
If all my answers are “Yes” I take it in my hand. When it still feels “right” I have found my racquet.
Well, that may be a different approach and less rational but I´m convinced that a sport like tennis has a lot to do with feelings and emotions.
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not only show players tennis skills and style. 
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August, 2007