Buy the best tennis equipment

Tennis is not an easy game to play. Thankfully modern equipment is so good, you have no excuse. There is a racket type and shoe type for everyone, with a huge choice of price and styles. We are now truly spoilt. One of the problems is that there is too much choice, too precise a specification difference, and the sales assistants aren't up to date with all of the changes.
 

As I sit here today I have to report that the sports shop is dead. Recently a sports shop, part of a national chain, well situated in our local town, went bust. Admittedly all of the sports clubs in the town were doing badly. The local community was either aging, or didn't have much leisure time, or had no money. The market for sports equipment was very limited.

A smaller local family sports shop, a smaller operation, has chosen to stock only items from the clubs that are doing fairly well locally. Tennis isn't one of them.

So if you need tennis equipment you need to travel 60 kms where you'll find two big major chains. The one seems to stock fashion sportswear only. There is no identifiable tennis wear department, but they do stock the best balls (Dunlop), and have some interesting US import rackets. The other has a wide choice of tennis apparel and equipment, but is pricey. They even have their own label tennis apparel, which is half the price of Nike or adidas, but is of the same style and quality. Definitely one good reason to visit this shop.
 

The marketing behind tennis

However, I've been in this major chain shop a few times lately, a great big sports superstore in fact, and it is dead. Once again, the sports clubs in general are not doing well. We are not in a boom sports period. People may be getting lazier, but I believe that sports clubs simply are too shoddy and unprofessional.

In my tennis club I would see no reason to join, regardless to which category of player you belong. There's no one to play with, and the club has no social raison d'être either. You are just paying money to have the right to play on the courts, but you'll be lucky to play. Even with the various team sports there are declining numbers. Parents don't want to drive their children around any more. They find that sports clubs aren't organised, or good enough, so there is no point in joining, neither for their children, nor for them. Ideally a sports club, like a tennis club, should appeal to parents and children.
 

Parents choose your equipment

So now you tap in the name of a brand on the internet, say adidas tennis tops. A range of internet suppliers come up, some not even in France. The goods are coming from a long way, but the choices are fantastic, the product descriptions and presentations expert. A Nike shirt on the internet is now cheaper than the own brand shirt in the major national chain shop. If you don't buy on the internet you might be called a fool.

Internet shopping for all sorts of sports equipment is cheap, has huge choice, and is great fun. This Christmas weekend we have ordered balls (€50 saving on shop price), two ladies tennis dresses (€20 each saving on shop price), men's shorts(€10 saving on shop price), and high tech tennis shoes(€40 saving on shop price). Postage is free. If you don't like anything, which happens, you send it back, no questions asked. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. The sports shop is dead.
 

Choose your next tennis circuit from your armchair

Another problem with sports shops is you can't get the staff any more. They know nothing about tennis, and they aren't very good sales people either. The shops are difficult and expensive to get to. Maybe the buying public has become too savvy, and a shop owner simply can't win. He can't win on price and choice, that much is clear.
 

Two bits of equipment you need as a beginner are a player and a court! No more jokes. So you need to buy yourself a tennis membership. More on that on other pages.

We're concerned here with equipment, and those essentials the young player must have.
 

Become a tennis player

You first equipment will be bought for you by your parents probably. One $10 racket, any old one, a general sports bag, maybe a few balls bought from a supermarket. You use the old soccer kit you have had for a few years. Except you're not allowed to play in good clubs on tennis courts in soccer kit. I'm not sure why. Too bad.

You need to get a tennis shirt, shorts, thick tennis socks and tennis shoes. Already we're starting to talk serious investment. Dressing a player for one session at the courts can easily cost €200. By the time you're a regular player, you'll need some clothing changes so you're up to €500 already! No question, tennis is still an elite sport. These are minimum prices. I know a lot of people who spend much more.

There are scrimpers and savers on the court too, but I believe that by scrimping they are harming their tennis. Modern equipment, clothes, shoes, balls are a must to keep your standards up. Buy some good tools and life is already easier!
 

The cost of junior tennis