Essential Items To Keep In Your Tennis Bag
When heading to the courts, a well-stocked tennis bag could be the difference between winning or losing your next match. While everyone has their own needs on the court, we put together a list of essential items that every player should have in their bag in order to be prepared for almost anything that happens on court.
9 essential items to always keep in your tennis bag
1. Racquets (2-4): You obviously aren't getting too far in a match without these. However, many people DON'T bring back up racquets in case something happens to the first one out of the bag. Your strings could break, the racquet could slip out of your hand and crack, your grip could get worn and slippery...if any of these things happen you should always have another racquet to pull out of the bag.
If you rarely (or never) break strings, just make sure you bring two racquets. If you break strings more often, then 3-4 racquets will do the trick. Ideally, your back up racquets should be as similar as possible to your racquet of choice.
2. Tennis balls: Be a good hitting partner and always keep some tennis balls in your bag. You don't want to be that guy or girl that depends on the other person to bring them to the courts. Also, they are very handy to have in case you have the opportunity to warm up at a tournament.
3. Water (and/or sports drink): Don't be too cool to bring hydration to the court - it's not smart. Make sure you bring plenty of water or sports drink to the court. Even mild dehydration can affect your concentration, emotions and how quickly you fatigue. More importantly, it's simply unsafe to get dehydrated during exercise.
4. Sunscreen: This is another no-brainer to bring to the court for players that play outdoors. Skin damage affects way too many tennis players, so make sure you lather up and protect yourself from the sun when you go out on court. There are some great ones that are water and sweat-resistant and also absorb into the skin quickly. Once again, don't be too cool to protect yourself from the sun.
5. Hat/Visor: A lot of tennis players say they don't like playing with hats, but I think you always have to keep a lightweight hat in your bag in case that summer sun just gets too hot and bright. This goes in the category of skin protection but it also has to do with performance. When the sun is getting in your eyes on your service toss or overheads from one side of the court, a hat can be a simple and easy solution to the problem. If you don't like hats, go with a visor! They are good to have just in case.
6. Towel: A towel is always good to have in your bag. It helps with sweat management, but there's endless other uses for it as well. What if you need to stretch out after your match on a hot court or a grassy lawn? What if you slip and fall on the clay and need to wipe yourself off? I don't think I need to explain any furtherÉcarry a towel with you in your tennis bag!
7. First aid kit (w/ ankle brace): It's always good to have some essentials in your bag - athletic tape, pre-wrap, Neosporin (or some other anti-septic cream), Ibuprofen and maybe even a pair of nail clippers. Everyone might be a little different in what else they want to bring to the court, but those essentials will cover almost anything.
Another great thing to keep is an ankle brace. In case you roll an ankle, throwing these on your injured ankle will replicate a tape job from a trainer and help you finish a match.
8. Extra overgrips (if you use them): For players that like to use overgrips, it's always good to keep a spare one or two in your bag just in case. A dirty or slippery grip can cost you during a key service game, so be sure you can replace it if you need to.
9. Extra dampeners (if you use them): Once again, this is for players that use vibration dampeners. If you make off-center contact they can come flying out pretty easily - it happens all the time. And those of you that have had that happen to you, you know they can go bouncing off in any which way and you may not be able to find it. It's always good to have a spare one or two in the bag so you don't have to be worried about it if you can't find your lost or broken one.
If you're competing in a tournament, here are a few more things you'll want to have in your bag to keep you covered and ready for anything...
10. Extra clothes/shoes (shirt, socks, jacket, flip flops, off-court shoes, etc.): This goes in the ready for anything category. It's always good to have a spare shirt and extra pair of socks in case that match goes deep into the third set. To keep your muscles warm off-court, keep a light jacket in your bag so you're not stuck stepping on the court cold and more susceptible to energy.
Also, don't get stuck in your tennis shoes all day when you're in between matches. Get a pair of flip flops or off-court shoes that you feel comfortable in so you can give your feet some reprieve between matches. It'll give your feet and tennis shoes a chance to dry out as well which helps fight the onset of those pesky blisters.
11. Warmup equipment: Once again, you don't want to step onto the court for your match with cold muscles and without being warmed up. A jumprope can help get your legs ready while a resistance band is great for warming up your arm and shoulder. A lot of players even keep a football in their bag to throw around between matches. Tossing a football around is especially good because it replicates and helps improve your service motion.
12. Extra string: It happens. Strings break, sometimes quicker than you might think. It's always good to keep an extra set or two (or maybe even a reel) of your favorite string that you can take to a local stringer to get your racquet re-strung when you're in a pinch.
13. Ice pack: Icing down sore, achy muscles and joints can greatly help your post-match recovery and prevent small injuries from becoming big. After a match. instead of having to worry about finding a bag to put ice in and figuring out how to keep it on you, get an ice bag and wrap to store in your bag so it's easy for you. If you get into the habit of icing down minor injuries after you play you'll be amazed how much it helps recovery, and keeping an ice pack and wrap in your bag just makes it easy and not a hassle.
That's it for essentials, but a couple more items that we'd suggest keeping in your bag that'll help with post-match recovery are...
14. Mini foam roller or massage roller: While we may not have the on-site masseuse that the pros do when us mere mortals play tournaments, we can replicate them with these two easy-to-travel-with items. Talk to anyone that owns them and they'll probably tell you how much they love them. Massaging your muscles can greatly help recovery after matches, and you can keep these items easily in your bag and pull them out after those long days. Learn how to use them and you'll quickly understand why so many health-conscious players swear by them!
Be prepared for your next match or tournament by bringing your 13 essentials to the court, all of which are always available at Tennis Warehouse
Essential Items To Keep In Your Tennis Bag
When heading to the courts, a well-stocked tennis bag could be the difference between winning or losing your next match. While everyone has their own needs on the court, we put together a list of essential items that every player should have in their bag in order to be prepared for almost anything that happens on court.
9 essential items to always keep in your tennis bag
1. Racquets (2-4): You obviously aren't getting too far in a match without these. However, many people DON'T bring back up racquets in case something happens to the first one out of the bag. Your strings could break, the racquet could slip out of your hand and crack, your grip could get worn and slippery...if any of these things happen you should always have another racquet to pull out of the bag.
If you rarely (or never) break strings, just make sure you bring two racquets. If you break strings more often, then 3-4 racquets will do the trick. Ideally, your back up racquets should be as similar as possible to your racquet of choice.
2. Tennis balls: Be a good hitting partner and always keep some tennis balls in your bag. You don't want to be that guy or girl that depends on the other person to bring them to the courts. Also, they are very handy to have in case you have the opportunity to warm up at a tournament.
3. Water (and/or sports drink): Don't be too cool to bring hydration to the court - it's not smart. Make sure you bring plenty of water or sports drink to the court. Even mild dehydration can affect your concentration, emotions and how quickly you fatigue. More importantly, it's simply unsafe to get dehydrated during exercise.
4. Sunscreen: This is another no-brainer to bring to the court for players that play outdoors. Skin damage affects way too many tennis players, so make sure you lather up and protect yourself from the sun when you go out on court. There are some great ones that are water and sweat-resistant and also absorb into the skin quickly. Once again, don't be too cool to protect yourself from the sun.
5. Hat/Visor: A lot of tennis players say they don't like playing with hats, but I think you always have to keep a lightweight hat in your bag in case that summer sun just gets too hot and bright. This goes in the category of skin protection but it also has to do with performance. When the sun is getting in your eyes on your service toss or overheads from one side of the court, a hat can be a simple and easy solution to the problem. If you don't like hats, go with a visor! They are good to have just in case.
6. Towel: A towel is always good to have in your bag. It helps with sweat management, but there's endless other uses for it as well. What if you need to stretch out after your match on a hot court or a grassy lawn? What if you slip and fall on the clay and need to wipe yourself off? I don't think I need to explain any furtherÉcarry a towel with you in your tennis bag!
7. First aid kit (w/ ankle brace): It's always good to have some essentials in your bag - athletic tape, pre-wrap, Neosporin (or some other anti-septic cream), Ibuprofen and maybe even a pair of nail clippers. Everyone might be a little different in what else they want to bring to the court, but those essentials will cover almost anything.
Another great thing to keep is an ankle brace. In case you roll an ankle, throwing these on your injured ankle will replicate a tape job from a trainer and help you finish a match.
8. Extra overgrips (if you use them): For players that like to use overgrips, it's always good to keep a spare one or two in your bag just in case. A dirty or slippery grip can cost you during a key service game, so be sure you can replace it if you need to.
9. Extra dampeners (if you use them): Once again, this is for players that use vibration dampeners. If you make off-center contact they can come flying out pretty easily - it happens all the time. And those of you that have had that happen to you, you know they can go bouncing off in any which way and you may not be able to find it. It's always good to have a spare one or two in the bag so you don't have to be worried about it if you can't find your lost or broken one.
If you're competing in a tournament, here are a few more things you'll want to have in your bag to keep you covered and ready for anything...
10. Extra clothes/shoes (shirt, socks, jacket, flip flops, off-court shoes, etc.): This goes in the ready for anything category. It's always good to have a spare shirt and extra pair of socks in case that match goes deep into the third set. To keep your muscles warm off-court, keep a light jacket in your bag so you're not stuck stepping on the court cold and more susceptible to energy.
Also, don't get stuck in your tennis shoes all day when you're in between matches. Get a pair of flip flops or off-court shoes that you feel comfortable in so you can give your feet some reprieve between matches. It'll give your feet and tennis shoes a chance to dry out as well which helps fight the onset of those pesky blisters.
11. Warmup equipment: Once again, you don't want to step onto the court for your match with cold muscles and without being warmed up. A jumprope can help get your legs ready while a resistance band is great for warming up your arm and shoulder. A lot of players even keep a football in their bag to throw around between matches. Tossing a football around is especially good because it replicates and helps improve your service motion.
12. Extra string: It happens. Strings break, sometimes quicker than you might think. It's always good to keep an extra set or two (or maybe even a reel) of your favorite string that you can take to a local stringer to get your racquet re-strung when you're in a pinch.
13. Ice pack: Icing down sore, achy muscles and joints can greatly help your post-match recovery and prevent small injuries from becoming big. After a match. instead of having to worry about finding a bag to put ice in and figuring out how to keep it on you, get an ice bag and wrap to store in your bag so it's easy for you. If you get into the habit of icing down minor injuries after you play you'll be amazed how much it helps recovery, and keeping an ice pack and wrap in your bag just makes it easy and not a hassle.
That's it for essentials, but a couple more items that we'd suggest keeping in your bag that'll help with post-match recovery are...
14. Mini foam roller or massage roller: While we may not have the on-site masseuse that the pros do when us mere mortals play tournaments, we can replicate them with these two easy-to-travel-with items. Talk to anyone that owns them and they'll probably tell you how much they love them. Massaging your muscles can greatly help recovery after matches, and you can keep these items easily in your bag and pull them out after those long days. Learn how to use them and you'll quickly understand why so many health-conscious players swear by them!
Be prepared for your next match or tournament by bringing your 13 essentials to the court, all of which are always available at Tennis Warehouse
Essential shoulder exercises for tennis players
How to prevent and treat common tennis injuries 
