How do you demo a tennis racquet?

The question of how do you demo a tennis racquet, might not be on every tennis player’s mind. But it’s still important since many give up on a new racquet after only one hour of play. Here are some pointers on how you demo a tennis racquet.

How do you demo a tennis racquet? Well, you take it out to the court. And you do that multiple times if you can, despite how poor the racquet might feel the first time around. It takes some time for your body and game to adjust to a new racquet. So give it some time preferably a couple of sessions (4-5 hours total court time), before you make up your mind.

It’s always fun to demo a tennis racquet. Some shops lets you do it for free, some online shops let you demo a couple at a time for a small fee. Maybe you have the opportunity to borrow a racquet from a friend? There are many ways to get your hands on a new racquet without buying one. If you can’t give it more than an hour, it’s going to be tough to properly evaluate how the racquet plays for you.

How do you demo a racquet? Test different setups

If you get a demo from a shop it’s usually with a used string setup that might not be idea for that racquet. There is in fact a high likelihood that the poly string in the racquet has gone dead. This is why it makes sense to restring the racquet if possible. Pairing a racquet with the right string might sometimes be an issue so go with your favorite string that you already know well.

If there is something off with the racquet, it’s a good idea to customize it. If you lack stability, try adding some lead tape at 3 and 9. Is the balance off (if you don’t already have one, make sure to get or make a balance board/beam, worth every penny, why not make it more head light by adding some lead on the handle? If you feel the racquet lacks some power you can always try to either string it lower or by adding some lead tape at 12 o’ clock.

How do you demo a racquet? Beware of falling in love.

Have you ever tried a new racquet and felt like: “this is the one! This is the racquet I’ve been waiting for my whole tennis life.” This is usually a fleeting emotion so beware of trusting it too much. Having a brief love affair with a racquet is quiet common and sometimes ends up with a player stocking up with 2-3 more of the same racquet. Only to later realize that it was not to be. Play with a racquet enough to see both the good and bad. Make sure the good outweighs the bad when it comes to the results it brings to your game. Then you can buy more, if you want.

I’ve written about the racquet honeymoon period before here and I’ve learned the hard way to take my time before I open the wallet and start filling my bags with pro player amounts of matched racquets. Don’t fall into this trap.

How do you demo a racquet? A summary.

As you can see there are a few things to think about when you demo a new racquet. Here is a brief summary:

• Give it time (if possible 4-5 hours at least)
• Try it with different string setups
• Beware of the honeymoon period
• Play against different opponents
• Don’t just play points, practice with it
• Try adding lead tape or changing grip to work better for you

Good luck!

Do you do these things when you demo a new racquet? Do you have any other tips you like to share? Please comment below.

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