Gear & Rules of Tennis

Tennis gear includes rackets, balls, clothing, shoes, and accessories. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) sets specific standards and rules for rackets and balls. Rules regarding clothing and shoes are only enforced at the professional level and at some private clubs.

  1. Necessary Equipment

    • The racket should have the correct size grip, head size, and weight. Tennis-specific shoes are important as they provide good support for the side-to-side, up-and-back, and quick starting and stopping movements. Running shoes and cross-trainers should be avoided. Fresh tennis balls should be used because old tennis balls do not have a consistent bounce. Playing with "dead" balls adversely affects your timing and your strokes.

    Optional Gear

    • Many tennis players have a racket bag to carry their rackets and other accessories. Bags may look like a backpack or have the shape of a racket. Some are designed to hold one racket, while others hold as many as six. Some players use an over-grip, or long stretch of thin material, for a better grip on the handle of the racket. To protect against the sun, players carry sunscreen, visors, hats, and sunglasses. Other optional gear may include towels, wrist bands, head bands, or vibration dampeners, small devices that attach to the strings of the racquet meant to decrease vibration to the player's hand and arm.

    Ball and Racket Rules

    • According to ITF rules, the tennis ball must have a felt cover and be either white or yellow in color. The ball must be 2.57 to 2.70 inches in diameter and weigh 1.975 to 2.095 ounces. The rules state that a tennis racket cannot be longer than 29 inches, the width of the frame cannot be larger than 12-1/2 inches and the hitting surface cannot be larger than 15-1/2 inches in length and 11-1/2 inches in width. There can only be one string plane in the racket and if vibration dampeners are used, they must be placed outside the playing surface.

    Clothing Rules

    • At the professional level, there are clothing rules regarding manufacturer's logos and sponsor patches. These must be a certain size and must be located in specific areas on the article of clothing. There are specific requirements for the shoes worn by professionals when playing on grass and clay courts. At the local level, private tennis clubs may have specific rules regarding clothing and shoes. Men may be required to wear collared shirts and players may be required to wear tennis-specific shoes. Shoes worn at many clubs must not damage or mark the courts.