Tennis Accessories Guide – What Do You Need for Playing Tennis

When was the last time you kept yourself from doing something because you “just didn’t have the right equipment”? You probably hear this kind of excuse more often than not – Jim won’t be joining the gym this year because he has no workout gear; Janice can’t go jogging because she has no jogging shoes, and your best friend can’t come to play tennis with you because they don’t have the right tennis accessories.

Some sports simply need the right kind of gear if you are going to participate in them safely. While many require lots of money and quite a bit of planning, tennis isn’t one of those sports. All you really need to start playing tennis are:

• A tennis racket
• A tennis court with a regulation net
• The right tennis shoe
• An opponent

Of course, the better you get at the game, the more invested you are and the more equipment you will need. However, those aren’t problems you need to worry about as a beginner.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the must-have tennis accessories for beginners and advanced players alike.

Must-Have Tennis Accessories for Beginners

Here is a list of some of the accessories you simply must have to enjoy a game of tennis:

1. Tennis Racket

WILSON Adult Recreational Tennis Rackets

• Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 Adult Recreational Tennis Racket – Grip Size 4 – 4 1/2″, Black/White/Green
• Power frame for players with short, compact swings
• Hammer Technology creates a larger sweet spot for more power and forgiveness
• Perimeter Weighting System improves torsional stability
• Head-heavy balance increases stability and momentum in a lighter frame

Simply put, your game of tennis isn’t going to be possible with a tennis racket. As far as essential tennis accessories go, this one is up there with having the will to play tennis, to begin with.

Of course, there are many different types of tennis rackets available, and choosing one right off the bat isn’t going to be entirely easy.

The simplest approach would be to go with a “functional” one for a start. As an adult, something like the Wilson Adult Recreational Tennis Racket will work perfectly fine until you find your specific preference.

There are options here; you can either hire a tennis racket from the club in which you are playing, this gives you a chance to try out a few different types before settling on one.

Or you could buy one straight away. The beauty of it all is that most adult rackets like the one mentioned above aren’t that expensive. You could then try it out for a little while as you research the different available options that might align with your tennis game.

2. Tennis Balls

GAMMA Bag of Pressureless Tennis Balls

• PRESSURELESS BALLS-MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE: Our Tennis ball bucket contains pressureless tennis balls that won’t lose any pressure over time, providing you with maximum performance and durability, unlike standard gas pressured balls.
• IDEAL FOR TENNIS PRACTICE: Pressureless tennis balls are highly popular among teaching pros & tutors, as well as avid players as they are highly durable, can be used in all kinds of lessons & practice. Plus, they’re ideal to use with throwing machines!
• HIGH CONSISTENCY ON ALL COURT TYPES: The versatility of pressureless balls allows them to be used on any court, hard or soft, without issue. They are ideal for teaching and will allow you to enjoy your tennis sessions on any clay or cement court.
• REUSABLE TENNIS BALL BAG: The reusable bag will come in very handy when you want to carry your tennis balls anywhere, in any court.
• THE IDEAL SPORTS GIFT: Our bag of tennis balls can be a great gateway to tennis for any family, a great tool for a pro tennis teacher, the ideal way to have fun anywhere and even play with your dog or pets!

While it’s true that you can do with just one tennis ball, the truth is that you are probably going to need quite a few to be safe.

This is especially true if you aren’t going to be using ball-boys (which you aren’t considering if you are starting), as well as the fact that you are probably going to run through a few of these balls as you try to learn the game.

Tennis balls are just as essential an accessory as a tennis racket.

3. Tennis Racket Strings

Solinco Heaven Strings Hyper-G Tennis String Set

• Massive Spin from a square shaped co-poly
• Crisp and medium firm
• Permits hard hits with no loss of control
• Ball Explods off strings with high spin

Now we are getting towards the “important but not entirely essential at first” side of things. The first thing you should know is that the tennis racket you buy began losing string tension the moment it left the assembly line at the stringing machine. This means that it’s only a matter of time before you need to restring your racket.

For beginners, this could take months, and you might not even notice that your tennis racket needs restringing anyway.

The kind of tension your tennis racket strings hold greatly determines your performance on the tennis court, especially when it comes to hitting the ball. Now and again, you will need tennis strings to replace the worn-out ones on your racket.

4. Tennis Shoes and Clothes

Kaopabolo Women Man Tennis Walking Shoes

• Fly woven upper/Elastic MD Sole
• Stretch breathable mesh upper expand with your foot when you walk. More comfortable closely fit to help you reduce irritation.
• Lightweight Walking Shoes: Only weighs about 0.8 lb each pair gym shoes .The soft sole is made from durable and MD outsole, which provides the user with the enough buffer between feet and ground.
• Suitable for golf, daily walking, casual, outdoor, sports, tourism, camping, horse riding, driving, walking and etc.Perfect choice to pair with any sport or causal assemble.
• Contact Anytime: Please contact us firstly if you are unsatisfied with our products. No matter refund or sending new shoes for replace.

Yes, you could play tennis in a pair of old shorts and a t-shirt if you want, which means you don’t have to spend money on new tennis attire.

However, if you want to look nice, like you know what you are doing, then you might want to invest a bit of money in a tennis skirt or skort and a tennis top for ladies and a pair of tennis shorts for men. These clothes, albeit optional, are designed to be breathable and make you look like you belong.

Tennis shoes, on the other hand, are not optional. You need the right kind of shoes for both comfort and safety.  The right kind of tennis shoes are usually lightweight, so you can sprint across the tennis court quite easily, stretch so they can take the sudden movements you will have to make, and breathable so your feet don’t sweat too much.

You will also need to find a court with a regulation net and a buddy to play with or a coach to get you started.

Tennis Equipment and Training Aids

Now that we have covered the essential tennis accessories, let’s look at some that might not be what you need at first but are important to have if you are going to enjoy your tennis game.

These don’t fall under the “essential accessories” list but are necessary for an avid tennis player. These include:

• Sweat Bands: These not only look cool, but they can help you remain cool when playing in hot environments by keeping the sweat off your face and eyes.
• Tennis Grips: These qualify as “vanity accessories” even though they are quite necessary. Vanity mostly because your tennis racket will come with its own grip (more often than not, made of leather). However, if you find this uncomfortable or begin to wear thin, you can add another grip called an overgrip to make you more comfortable.
• Sunscreen: Depending on whether you are playing in an indoor or outdoor court, you might need a sunscreen. Typically, tennis matches last for hours, and being out in the sun that long can wreak havoc on anyone’s skin.
• Tennis Bag: you may also want to consider purchasing a tennis bag, so you have a good place to organize and store all your new tennis gear.

These are just some of the important tennis accessories you will need when starting in this wonderful sport.