Gearing up for tennis in the techno-era
From space-aged textiles to digital coaching gizmos, sports are getting technical and tennis is no exception. As the French Open gets underway, we spoke with former pro circuit player Todd Hiscox, now the head tennis professional at the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts who gives us the scoop on how to gear up for the game.
"The racket has come a long way in a short time," says Hiscox, adding that the transition from wood to metal and finally to graphite has narrowed the size of the grip down to 4 ¼ inches for men who once preferred to use a racket of 4 5/8 inches.
It may seem small but the change has made rackets more forgiving, according to Hiscox, who says Babolat sets the example with their rackets, which he estimates to give his own play between 20 and 30 percent more power.
Maximizing topspin
As grip narrows, racket head size is swelling, says Hiscox, comparing the 85 square inch Wilson ProStaff Original, used by Pete Sampras who retired in 2002 to those that can exceed 100 square inches nowadays.
Led by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the trend of increasing head size has resulted in more topspin -- the speed of the ball as it spins in the air after impact with the racket -- due to a wider string pattern in which the squares are larger.
"I can't think of a single player in the top 20 who hasn't switched to the larger head size, although Roger Federer held on to the smaller one for a long time," says Hiscox.
Sticking with the smaller racket heads in the 85 square inch range offers the advantage of a more controlled feel, although the racket could seem considerably less responsive to a club player, according to Hiscox.
Technology that creates athletes, not couch potatoes
Asked about digital electronics that come built-in to rackets such as the Play Pure Drive model from Babolat ($399) and the new Smart Tennis Sensor from Sony ($175), Hiscox admits to not being as interested as the juniors he coaches, "it comes naturally to the iPad generation," he says.
The technology that's really changing the sport, he says, is that which gives players increased power, for it's requiring them to run farther than ever before, using more than ever the area behind the baseline on a grand slam court.
"Running out of the court space in attempts to chase down a drop shot or an angled passing shot or overhead has become commonplace," says Hiscox, "In the 80s, only a small number of players would adapt to this game style."
Increased dynamism in the game has created a demand for more responsive shoes, according to Hiscox, who says that while the classic, flat-soled tennis shoe is becoming lighter, he expects the evolution would continue.
"New Balance and Asics could be the ones to look for," says Hiscox, "you need to be able to move left and right without catching an edge yet the shoe must allow sliding and pivoting."
