Equipment
The simplicity of the equipment needed for playing tennis is an ease. Beginners need only a racket and tennis balls.
1) The Racket:
Including the jeu de paume and the first 100 years of the modern game, the rackets were made of wood and their strings were of animal gut. There was one standard size for the rackets.
It was not until 20th century when the first metal rackets were produced. The metal was a composite of carbon graphite, ceramics and titanium. These materials were effective in the production of over-sized rackets, which were also stronger. Meanwhile, technology made it possible to use synthetic strings, which resulted in increased durability of the rackets.
Many racket brands exist, but Wilson, Head and Babolat are the most common ones.
According to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) guidelines, the rackets must follow this format:
Including the jeu de paume and the first 100 years of the modern game, the rackets were made of wood and their strings were of animal gut. There was one standard size for the rackets.
It was not until 20th century when the first metal rackets were produced. The metal was a composite of carbon graphite, ceramics and titanium. These materials were effective in the production of over-sized rackets, which were also stronger. Meanwhile, technology made it possible to use synthetic strings, which resulted in increased durability of the rackets.
Many racket brands exist, but Wilson, Head and Babolat are the most common ones.
According to the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) guidelines, the rackets must follow this format:
- A tennis racket should include a handle that is also known as the grip, an elliptical frame (the head), strings and a throat which joins them.
- The hitting area, composed of the strings, should be flat and generally uniform.
- The frame of the racket should not be more than 73.7 cm (29.0 inches) in length and 31.7 cm (12.5 inches) in width.
- Any energy sources that may affect the performance of the racket or any kind of communication to instruct the player during the match cannot be built into the racquets.
2) The Ball:
Until 20th century, the tennis balls used to be white. To increase the visibility, other colors are now being used, such as the yellow tennis balls. Tennis balls should also follow the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) guidelines about certain criteria for size, weight, deformation and bouncing. Please look at the table below for the rules: |