We’re back again answering some of your tennis questions! Whether you’re looking for gear recommendations, or tips to improve your technique, our experts are here to help.
Head on over to the “Ask an Expert” form to send in your query!
To the questions we received this week, here’s what the Tennis Express experts had to say:
1. What’s the Best ball machine for an intermediate player that has spin, oscillation and a remote around $1000?
– Ken VanCamp
Finding a good ball machine can be very difficult especially since they all seem to be the same. Most ball machines that are battery powered and an oscillation feature will cost a little bit more, while plug in ball machines will be slightly less. Here are some of our recommendations though for the price point and features you’re looking for.
For more insight on ball machines, click here.
2. I play with the Head Graphene Instinct MP and currently have Luxilon strings at 51 pounds, but it’s too stiff. If I add Natural Gut to the mains and Luxilon to the crosses what is the best recommended tension?
– Abby
Most Luxilon strings are going to be on the firmer side so lowering the tension will help. Also note that most polyester strings are not going to give you extra spin or power unless you string them 10-15% lower than the recommend range. In example instead of 51 lbs, try at 47 or 46 lbs.
You can certainly try hybrid stringing to minimize some of the firmness on the string bed. If you do put Natural Gut in the mains and Luxilon in the crosses, we would recommend starting at 53 lbs for the natural gut and 49 lbs for the polyester. Natural Gut in the mains will give you a significant increase in power and feel.
That’s all for today, but we’ll see you next Friday for our Live Q&A session. We’ll be featuring a special guest so stay tuned for more details. Feel free to keep submitting your questions to our “Ask an Expert” form and well get back to as quickly as possible. Thanks for sharing!
Expert Playtester Chris Virk-Brown:
Chris currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is USPTA Certified and is an active USTA League and Tournament player at the 4.5+ level.
For More:
Subscribe for More!
We send periodic updates detailing our recent posts.
