Tennis guides

Guides on stringing, racquets, tension, gear and tennis in Puerto Rico, written by FDJ Tennis Academy at the Hilton Ponce.

50 guides

How often should you restring your racquetThe rule tour stringers use, why strings die even when they do not break, and the signs you are already overdue.
What tension to use in your racquetWhat actually changes between high and low tension, where your racquet's range is printed, and how to find your number without guessing.
How to choose the string for your racquetThe four string types that exist, who each one is for, and why the setup your favorite player uses is probably wrong for you.
How to choose a racquet: brands and specsWhat head size, weight, balance and string pattern actually do, and how the major brands really differ.
Tennis in Puerto Rico: the names to knowMonica Puig and the Rio gold, Gigi Fernandez's 17 Grand Slams, and the longest match in Wimbledon history. Puerto Rico's mark on world tennis.
Where to play tennis in PonceThe Hilton Ponce courts overlooking the Caribbean, what time to play to beat the heat, and what to bring to the court in southern Puerto Rico.
Polyester or multifilament: which one is for youThe string decision that most affects your game and your arm, explained without jargon, with the case for each.
What a string hybrid is and when to use onePutting two different strings in the same racquet, why half the pro tour does it, and whether it suits you.
String gauge: which number to pickWhat 16, 17 and 1.25 mm actually mean, and how thickness changes spin, feel and how long it lasts.
Six signs your string is deadHow to tell your string is finished before it snaps, and why almost everyone blames their own game instead.
Natural gut: why it costs what it costsTennis's most expensive string, what it is actually made of, why it is still the benchmark, and why almost nobody should buy it.
Caring for your racquet in a tropical climateCaribbean heat, humidity and salt take a toll on a racquet. What to do and, above all, what not to bother with.
How to find your grip sizeThe setting most players have wrong without knowing, the finger test, and why too small is a better mistake than too big.
Which racquet size your child needs by ageThe size chart by height and age, why an oversized racquet slows learning, and when to move up.
Racquet weight and balance, explainedWhy two racquets of the same weight feel different, what swingweight means, and how to choose without getting lost.
Tennis shoes: why running shoes do not workLateral movement, outsole by surface, and the most common injury from wearing the wrong shoe.
Monica Puig and the Rio 2016 goldPuerto Rico's first Olympic gold medal in history, and the run nobody saw coming.
Gigi Fernandez: 17 Grand Slam doubles titlesThe Puerto Rican who dominated women's doubles for a decade, with two Olympic golds and a Hall of Fame place.
Charlie Pasarell and the longest match at Wimbledon112 games against Pancho Gonzales in 1969, the US number one ranking, and the tournament he founded afterward.
The four Grand Slams, explainedWhat they are, how they differ, why each is played on a different surface, and what winning all four means.
Tennis court surfaces and how they change the gameHard, clay and grass: what each does to the ball, to your legs and to your style of play.
Tennis grips, explainedContinental, eastern, semi-western and western: how to hold each, what shot each one is for, and why changing grip changes your whole game.
The serve: the fundamentals almost nobody gets rightThe toss, the grip, and the one mistake that ruins more club serves than anything else.
How to prevent tennis elbowWhat it actually is, the four causes behind it, and why your string and grip are the first things to check.
How to warm up before playing tennisTen minutes that cut injuries and make you play better from the first game, and why static stretching beforehand backfires.
What age can a child start playing tennis?What to expect at each age, why starting too early with adult gear backfires, and what to look for in a program.
The forehand: how the shot is builtPreparation, contact point, and the mistake that leaves most club forehands short.
The backhand: one hand or twoThe real differences between the two backhands, which suits your case, and why the one-hander is harder on the arm.
The volley: why it is not a swing, it is a blockThe most counterintuitive shot in tennis, the grip you must use, and the mistake 90% of club players make at net.
Topspin: how it is generated and what it doesWhy topspin lets you hit hard without missing, where it actually comes from, and why it is not the wrist.
The seven most common beginner mistakesThe habits nearly everyone develops in their first months and that take a year to remove afterward.
Tennis clothing brands: what sets them apartThe major brands on tour, what each one goes for, and what actually matters in a tennis shirt beyond the logo.
What to pack in your tennis bagThe list of what you actually need, what you will forget, and what is dead weight in Puerto Rico's climate.
Vibration dampeners: do they do anything?What those little rubber pieces in the strings actually do, what they do not, and why half the tour uses them and half does not.
Starting tennis as an adultWhat is genuinely different when you start at thirty or fifty, what to prioritize, and what expectations are realistic.
The slice: the shot every player should ownWhat backspin does, when to use it, and why it is the best escape when you arrive badly to the ball.
How tennis scoring works: 15, 30, 40 and deuceThe strangest scoring system in sport, explained once and for all: games, sets, tie-breaks and why they say 'love'.
History of tennis: from jeu de paume to todayHow a game French monks played with the palm of the hand became a sport played on four continents.
Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup: tennis by nationThe two competitions where tennis stops being individual, how they work, and where Puerto Rico fits.
When should you replace your racquet?Frames do not last forever, but they are not replaced every season either. The real signals and the false ones.
Overgrip or replacement grip: which one you needThe two kinds of grip, how often to change each, and why they wear twice as fast in the Caribbean.
How to dress for tennis in the heatWhich fabrics work, why cotton is a bad idea in the tropics, and the signs the heat is winning.
Tennis clothing and gear for kidsWhat to actually buy for a child starting out, what not to spend on, and the mistake that makes kids quit.
Stringing for juniors: what string a child needsWhy polyester is a bad idea before a certain age, what tension suits small racquets, and how often to restring a child's frame.
The advantage of year-round tennis in the tropicsWhat never losing a week to weather means for a player's development, and how to actually take advantage of it.
Racquet brands, comparedWhat each manufacturer goes for, where they are more alike than they admit, and how to choose without following the logo.
Tennis accessories: which ones help and which do notWristbands, caps, glasses, socks and everything else sold around the racquet, assessed without marketing.
Puerto Rico at the Olympics and tennisWhy the island competes under its own flag, the uneven history of Olympic tennis, and the moment that changed everything in 2016.
Junior tennis in Ponce: how to startWhat a child needs to start in the south of the island, what to look for in a program, and what a realistic progression looks like.
The Hilton Ponce as a tennis venueWhere FDJ Tennis Academy trains, what it means to play at a resort facing the Caribbean, and how to get on court.