Newest tennis racquets of 2015 (& why they're so awesome)

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store Manager

The winter season has always been a busy time for racquet purchases-why you ask? It's the perfect opportunity between the busy high school, summer and USTA seasons to demo a racquet and get comfortable handling it before matches start up again. Also, there's something about the new year that always gets players in the mood for a racquet makeover-new racquet, new game? Well racquet vendors sure seem to think so too as we are now fully stocked with some of the most buzzed about racquets on the market. Here are a few we'd like to highlight which are all available to demo in-house or to purchase at www.towpathtennisshop.com!

Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro Tennis Racquet 

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in.

Length: 26.8"

Beam Width: 27/22.5/21mm

Weight Strung: 270g/(9.5 oz.)
Racquet/Player Type: Beginner-Intermediate

Color(s): Blue/Navy/Coral

Composition/Construction: Graphite/Graphene XT

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16 x 19(standard) or 16 x 16

Recommended String Tension: 48-57 lbs.

Balance: 34.5cm/(13.6 in.)

Grommet Technology: ASP (Adaptive Stringing Pattern)-Racquet comes with 16 x 16 grommets installed.

Frame Technology: Graphene XT

Grip Type: Hydrosorb Pro

Towpath Recommended String: Head Hawk Touch

What's so special about it?
The Graphene XT technology. It increases the weight in the top of the frame to the handle in order to provide better energy transfer, increased swing weight and a higher sweet spot for more power. It also features your choice of string pattern. 16x16 grommets provide more spin and power, or if you want more control and feel pop in the 16x19 grommets.

Why do we like it?
Versatility! The Head Graphene XT Instinct Rev Pro is not only lightweight with a uniquely smaller length to increase stroke speed, but this tennis racquet accommodates to your playing style by providing TWO string patterns! Its selling features make this racquet very maneuverable for beginners, intermediates and up-and-coming juniors. Try the series! Head Graphene XT Instinct S is slightly heavier with a standard length and string pattern, but is still a great option for beginner-intermediate players. The Head Graphene XT Instinct MP is slightly heavier than the Instinct S and was built with the intermediate-advanced player in mind. Did we mention it's Maria Sharapova's racquet of choice! 

Babolat Pure Drive Tennis Racquet 

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in

Length: 27"

Beam Width: 23.5/26/23mm

Weight Strung: 317.5 g/(11.2 oz)
Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced

Color(s): Black/White/Blue

Composition/Construction: Graphite 

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 16x19

Recommended String Tension: 50-59 lbs.

Balance: 32.89cm/(12.95 in)/4 points HL

Grommet Technology: Woofer

Frame Technology: GT Technology, Cortex Technology, Elliptic Geometry, FSI Technology, EVO BEAM

Grip Type: Syntec Pro

Towpath Recommended String: Babolat RPM Blast 

What's so special about it?
The higher sweet spot! Interesting fact, the Babolat Pure Drive was built based off the data racquet engineers gathered from the Babolat Play racquet, which uniquely tracks your strokes, shot power and impact location of the ball. They began to see a trend where players were hitting much higher on the sweet spot, so what did they do? Duh, raise it! They do this with FSI technology, which also gives players a more responsive contact zone.

Why do we like it?

User-friendly! The Babolat Pure Drive is one of the game's most popular tennis racquets for a reason. It's the perfect balance of power and feel for recreational and competitive players alike who want to improve consistency and depth on all shots. For a lighter more manageable feel, try the series! The Babolat Pure Drive Team and Babolat Pure Drive Lite are great for players looking for pace and spin in a lightweight package. 

Wilson Burn 100S Tennis Racquet

Specs

Headsize: 100 sq. in
Length: 27"

Beam Width: 25mm Dual Beam Width

Weight Strung: 303 g/(10.7 oz)

Racquet/Player Type: Intermediate-Advanced

Color(s): Black/Orange/Lime

Composition/Construction: Carbon Fiber, Spin Effect, X2 Shaft

String Pattern(Mains X Crosses): 18x16

Recommended String Tension: 51-61 lbs.

Balance: 33 cm/(13 in)/4 points HL

Grommet Technology: Parallel Drilling
Frame Technology: Carbon Fiber
Grip Type: Wilson Sublime

Towpath Recommended String: Wilson Revolve 

What's so special about it?
Power! Launched at the Australian Open by tennis professionals Kei Nishikori and Simona Halep, this new line of Wilson racquets is built with explosive power in mind. The Wilson Burn contains a high performance carbon fiber frame, which increases stiffness giving players immense power in their ground-strokes. It also offers a longer handle for more leverage for two-handed backhanders and those with extreme grip changes. 

Why do we like it?

Power! The Wilson Burn was designed to make an impression with base-liners in mind. Built with a bigger, more forgiving sweet spot, this racquet allows players with fast swing types to be aggressive with their shots. The Burn Spin series (100S, 100LS and 100ULS) is equipped with Spin Effect technology which allows players of all levels to produce significantly more spin without changing their swing. The Wilson Burn line will be available to demo or purchase by mid-February. 

These may be the newest racquets of 2015, but don't forget we have over 90 racquet demos for you to try here at the club ranging from Wilson, Babolat, Head, Dunlop, Gamma, Prince, Asics and Yonex. When it comes to racquet selection, speak with our knowledgeable staff about what racquet will suit your playing style best or check us out online to see what we have in stock. Happy playing!

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Why do tennis players grunt?

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Store Manager

One of the most common complaints about tennis, especially during featured tournaments like this past US Open is, “What’s with all the grunting?", "Why must they grunt so loud?”, and for non-tennis players (like my husband) who say the real reason they don’t like tennis is because, “the grunting is so incredibly distracting.”

Maria Sharapova is one of the game's most notorious
grunters. 

We get it, many a times we're complaining right alongside you. But believe it or not, tennis players don’t grunt to be annoying to their opponents or to us spectators, they grunt because they were most likely taught to. I know what you’re thinking, you mean people were taught to grunt that obnoxiously? Obviously, tennis pros like Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka take it to another level, but the primary reason why players grunt is to force them to breathe and exhale through their shot.

Imagine it’s post-season, the playoffs, the finals, whatever—this is the big match. Everyone’s eyes are on your court while you’re serving for a critical match-deciding point. Feeling a little tense? When nerves get the best of us, we instinctively hold our breath. It’s an annoying little habit that causes this chain reaction where all the sudden we’re afraid to move our feet in the fear that we might actually run into the ball, and instead of rallying with our opponent like the experienced player we all claim to be, we begin ‘patty-caking’ the ball over the net. So what does this have to do with grunting? Grunting can kick those nerves from the start! 

Instead of pleading you don’t make an error, grunting will force you to breathe (when you’re not remembering too), which calms those nerves that are inhibiting you from moving. It's just that simple! Okay it's not that simple, but it can be if it comes naturally to you. And on top of being a breathing aid, grunting can also exert maximum force in your swing. Yes it's true, look at Serena Williams! You can actually increase your core stability and strength. That should give you some confidence.

So while we recommend you give grunting a try to see if it comes naturally, the focus should be on breathing, not screaming. Grunting takes energy, so you don't want to wear yourself out by wildly shrieking during every point. And while it may be annoying to others, we commend those that do grunt because it's not easy to draw attention to yourself, and unbeknownst to everyone else you are giving yourself a big advantage.

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Pressure of being the best

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Online Shop Manager 

Flickr: Christopher Levy

With the BNP ParibasOpen in Indian Wells, CA drawing to a close, we take a look back at the draw and wonder why so many of the tour's top seeds were dropping like flies. Players such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova & Li Na had unexpected losses where we can't help but question if the pressure of always winning is taking its toll. The more we win, the more stress we add to our game. We must win because we're the stronger player. We must win because we beat this opponent in the past. We must win because it's expected of us. The pressure alone can cause such mental anguish that the match is already lost. So what can you do to relieve yourself from that self-destructive path?

It's easy to be overwhelmed by negative thoughts when things aren't going your way. The best way to remedy this is to focus on your physical actions. Make a point to move your feet, watch the ball, and breath out as you swing. Turn you attention to the next point, not the final outcome.

Talk positively to yourself. Too many times we've seen players shout out in frustration, whack their foot with their racquet, or simply remain silent in defeat. Tell yourself 'good job' or 'come on' after winning a point. And for those points you don't win, give yourself a break--you'll get the next one.

Give yourself something to look forward to after the match. What gets you into your 'happy' zone? Seeing your kids? A new episode of your favorite TV show? A win or lose milkshake? However big or small, remind yourself of the things that will help make it OK at the end of the day.

Lastly, don't put all your eggs in one basket. In other words, find another hobby to invest your self-esteem in. Tennis is supposed to be fun!

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What is shadow stroking?

Dallas Aleman | Towpath Tennis Owner | Tennis Guru

Have you watched players such as Maria Sharapova, NovakDjokovic, or Marion Bartoli shadow stroke? They step back from a point they've just played and they practice a forehand or a backhand, sometimes to an excessive amount. But does this practice of shadow stroking actually work or are they just wasting energy?

               

upmysport.com

I think for any top player, we should never assume they are simply wasting energy. What these players are actually doing is a “computer reset” for their muscles to remember a stroke they practiced hundreds of thousands a time. Tennis and stroke production comes down to a collection of movements that add up to a finished dynamic product. That product is your tennis game, so when you play every movement counts. The more times you shadow stroke your forehand for instance, the quicker it’ll be to find your groove.  When you’re confident about your strokes, you allow yourself to be loose and agile where you won’t easily fall victim to breaking down under pressure. You know exactly how you should feel on the court. There’s a reason they call it muscle memory. 

However, please note that your stroke is dynamic. There is no such thing as a ‘finished’ forehand or backhand. Your game is a never-ending experiment so when you find the right groove, try to capture it by practicing shadow stroking. The more you do it, the less likely there will be a breakdown of a shot. Remember, it was Djokovic against Federer who hit the loosest, most fantastic forehand to change the outcome of the 2011 U.S. Open finals. Now do you think shadow stroking is a waste?

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What it takes to beat the unbeatable opponent

Kristianne Bontempo | Towpath Tennis Employee | Legit Tennis Fanatic

After a week into Wimbledon, we cannot help but remark on the bizarre twist this memorable tournament has taken. Top seeds like Federer, Sharapova, and Serena Williams are dropping like flies to lower ranked players and one hit wonders. But where do these players find the belief that they can beat the unbeatable? Is it the racquet that gets you into the right mindset? The perfect outfit? A lucky ball? 

Sabine Lisicki ends Serena Williams' 34-match winning
streak to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon 2013.

Sometimes we accept it as dumb luck or an off day on the court for the top seeds, but we want to give credit to the 'longshot' winners because we know for them it was so much more. You might say the field is not even, but it's the unseeded player that has nothing to lose whereas seeded players have (in their perspective) everything to lose. The belief stems from the fact that winning isn't forever. The tide is shifting, circumstances are changes, and the will of the underdog is stronger than ever making this tournament's unbeatable pool more vulnerable.

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