Tennis Equipment

As well as a racquet, there are plenty of extra items you can be chucking in to your kit bag to help your game.

Sweatbands to soak up perspiration are a good idea on a hot day. A cap or visor is also sensible, especially if the sun is low.

But don't be fooled; many professionals are given headwear by their sponsors because wearing it guarantees their logo a place in the post-match interview.

Girls can choose to wear shorts or a skirt. But it hasn't always been so.

In the 1920s female tennis star Suzanne Lenglen caused a stir - just for playing without a petticoat or corsets.

Then Joan Lycett became the first woman to discard her stockings to play in bare legs and ankle socks.

For a long time tennis gear was always white.

There is logic behind this - white reflects the sun and is therefore cooler than dark colours, but in the 1980s, as competition among sportswear makers heated up, they began experimenting with all the colours, shades and patterns.

You can play tennis in any kind of trainer but if you want the best out of your feet, it is best to get shoes specially made for tennis.

They have a few special features.

Look for a shoe with a herring-bone style tread. This pattern wears slower and offers more traction than multi-purpose shoes.

Tennis balls are made up of a hollow rubber core and a wool or nylon shell known as the nap.

In tournaments they must be white or yellow in colour.

The rubber core is usually filled with pressurised air in order to make the ball bounce.

If your grip is too big you might strain your hand, too small and you might damage your hand, wrist, or elbow.

It is so important to find the right grip size. How do you do this?

The best players use strings made from animal gut, which is the lining of the intestine.

This is very expensive and factory-made racquets are fitted with a cheaper, man-made version.

Professionals liken it to the difference between a Formula One racing car and a normal vehicle.

Racquets were originally made of wood but most are now made of much stronger, lighter man-made materials such as aluminium or graphite.

The only restrictions on the racquet are its size.

It must be no longer than 29 inches (73.66cms) including the handle, or 12.5 inches (31.75cms) in width.

Racquets come in all shapes and sizes.

The standard length for an adult racquet is 27 inches. A junior should use as long a racquet as she or he can comfortably handle.

If it is too small, the player will have to use excessive wrist and elbow action - which is bad for technique and the arm.

Once a junior weighs about six stone (38 kg), they are ready for an adult racquet.

Go for a light racquet; which makes it is easy to handle.

• Frame
• Racquet head
• Strings
• The grip
• The ball