7 Must-Have Accessories for Tennis Players

Tennis is one of the most popular and most beautiful sports. You don’t need much to get started. Besides the basic tennis racquet, balls and a net, you should have a few accessories that will aid your experience and your game. As you get better and better, the list of things you’ll need will probably grow and you’ll need to replace some of the items. But for starters, here are some of the things that will help you get going.

Grip Tape

A tennis racquet grip is a simple material that you add to the handle in order to increase traction, reduce blisters and absorb sweat. The other term for it is an overgrip. No matter your experience level, you’ll benefit from these high-performance tennis grips as they’re designed to provide you with a tight grip for your hand and prevent the wear of the main grip on the handle.

Overgrips are not hard to change, and many professional athletes do it several times during a match. You can use them to adjust the handle size, so if you’re between sizes, go for the smaller one and build up from there. The main reason why you should change grips is to increase traction and prevent the racquet from slipping away.

It’s a great way to prevent damage to the main grip by adding texture and tack that add a sticky feeling to your hand. Sweating can be another problem for players that play in humid environments. These overgrips will absorb any sweat and make your game easier. They also reduce blisters and injuries that can be dangerous in many situations. How often you’ll change the tennis grip depends on the weather conditions, court surface, racquet storage and racquet abuse.

One grip fits on one handle, and it’s usually enough to keep your grip tight. If you put 2-3 you might lose control over the racquet. There are many types of tennis grips on the market and the one you choose depends on your personal preferences. But the most important factors to consider are sweat absorption, durability, tackiness, thickness and texture. You may struggle in the beginning, but you’ll find the one that suits you the best. They’ll range between 0.4-2.6mm and you can combine them in different weather conditions.

Bandanas and Hats

These are great accessories when you’re playing outdoors. The sun can be very overpowering and get in your way during the match resulting in poor performance, so protecting your eyes is important. Hats and visors are great for shading and bandanas can be useful in preventing sweat from entering your eyes. Whichever you choose depends on your personal needs and preferences.

Sunglasses

Although they are not mandatory, sunglasses can significantly improve your game. They protect you against the sun while also relieving eye strain. Additionally, they protect the area around your eyes from UV rays and prevent wrinkles. Many people are unaware of how unpleasant the weather is on the court. This is why sporting eyewear can improve your performance, and sunglasses can decrease glares.

Arm Sleeve

Similar to the tennis grips, the arm sleeve helps in your performance and stability. There’s a condition called “tennis elbow” that affects the muscles and tendons of the outer forearm. It’ll appear after extensive use and can restrict your movements. This is where the arm sleeve comes to help. It applies equal pressure and varying force to the whole arm and prevents the tennis elbow from appearing.

The sleeve can also protect your skin, improve blood circulation and decrease swelling. It’ll also enhance warmth when you’re playing in colder weather conditions and reduce the chances of injuries. If you do get injured, it’ll help you recover faster and prevent any sore muscles.

Ball Clips

Professional tennis players are assisted by ball boys/girls, but amateur players don’t have that privilege and have to use ball clips. They’re small clips attached to the player’s waist and can hold extra balls. This way you won’t have to lose time and walk from one place to another to get your tennis balls.

They’re very useful when it’s raining because a wet ball can be really hard to play with. Before buying, think about how many balls you’ll be holding, what’s your budget and how skilled you are at playing. These clips need to be affordable, comfortable, durable and easy to control. There are several types of ball clips:

• Clip-on Holders;
• Waistband Holders;
• Pouch Ball Holders.

Ball Hopper

A ball hopper can be a great investment if you’re a beginner. The main reason for buying it is to pick up the speed while collecting balls all over the court. It’s a practical piece of equipment that will let you bring in a lot of balls and can be a great replacement for a tennis ball machine with its high capacity.

It’ll make practising your serve way easier and develop your skills faster without running all over the court to pick up scattered balls. Its size and weight can vary from 40-150 tennis balls and 1.5-8.3kg. Its height should be adjusted so you don’t bend and crouch when picking the balls up.

The two main materials these hoppers are made from are plastic and metal. Metal is more durable but heavier, and plastic is lighter but not so sturdy. The legs can be collapsible, and the lid keeps the balls inside in case you drop the hoop. Also, wheels can be a great extra feature so you can easily transport your hoop from one place to another.

Tennis Bag

The tennis bag is one essential accessory that you need to own. It’ll be convenient to have it from the start together with your water bottle, racquets, balls and towels. It’ll keep your things tidy and the racquets protected. You first need to decide how much space you’ll need for your belongings because there are a lot of different bag sizes with different extra spaces apart from the one meant for the racquet.

Don’t buy one that’s too tight because it can damage the racquets, or a larger one that can make a mess inside with the things scattered all over. Handy features like extra pockets in the likes of a cooler pocket to keep your drink cold or a shoe pouch could be useful. And finally, think about the carrying method. The handle needs to be adjustable and have great padding so it doesn’t hurt your shoulder.