Should You Have Two Tennis Rackets? (You Must Know This)

If you have played tennis for at least a while now, you may have heard that you should perhaps have two tennis rackets instead of just one. Or should you? That’s what I’m here to explain!

In this article, I will teach you whether you should have two tennis rackets or not, why would you need more than one, how many rackets professional tennis athletes have, and more! Before I’m getting ahead of myself, should you have two tennis rackets?

All tennis players should have two tennis rackets minimum. This is because you never know when you will break a string, and if it happens during a match, you can conveniently and quickly change rackets without any problems whatsoever.

So yes, you should have a second racket regardless of whether you are a total beginner or not. In fact, professional tennis players often have 3, 5, or even 10 different rackets with them! However, this isn’t only because of the risk of a broken string.

This is because of a different opponent and their different playstyles. Hence, the athletes need to have various rackets with different features to maximize their chances of winning.

Why do you need two tennis racquets?

In short, you need a second or even a third tennis racquet in case the racket’s strings snap or the racket itself gets bent. Also, at a competitive level, you would need many rackets with different features so you could adjust to your opponent’s playstyle and play better against his specific skills.

Personally, I have 3 rackets because if my first one breaks, I want to still have two more in case of the worst luck would happen, and I would break a string from two rackets within one session. Luckily, that hasn’t happened, but it’s still a possibility, and I wouldn’t want to call it a day if that would be the case.

Why do tennis players switch rackets?

Tennis players switch rackets for many reasons. The two most common reasons are string breaks or adjusting for the opponent’s playstyle with a different racket for different reasons. Professional players also switch because the string’s tension becomes looser when they hit a powerful strike.

When should I get a second tennis racket?

Generally, you should get a second tennis racket as soon as you start taking tennis seriously or that when you can afford one. Regardless of your skill level, your tennis racket can break a string at any moment, so it would be wise to get a second racket sooner or later.

How many rackets do pros carry?

Most professional tennis players carry more than 10 rackets in competitive games. They are prepared for everything, such as sudden fault in the racket, differently strung rackets for different playstyles, maintaining string tension, and possible overgrip faults.

What is the lifespan of a tennis racquet?

In short, tennis rackets usually last from 1-2 years of normal play. However, the strings need to be changed at least once a year, and the overgrip might not last as long as two years either. The frame itself lasts the longest, but constant use and re-stringing will decrease its original performance.

How often should you replace your tennis racquet?

If you play a couple of hours per time a few times a week, you should have to worry about replacing your racket in 2 years. However, it will certainly need to be re-strung at least a couple of times, and the overgrip might need to be changed as well before the frame expires.

If you have restrung your racket and still feels like it doesn’t perform well, it’s time to change the racket. Trust me; you will know when it is time if you have been playing with the same racket tens or even hundreds of times.

When it comes to re-stringing, there is a great rule of thumb to follow. You should re-string a racket as many times per year as you play per week. Thus, if you play three times per week, you should re-string your racket three times in the course of a year and so on.

Do you need an overgrip for tennis racket?

Overgrips are essential to use in a tennis racket to preserve the original grip on the racket. Also, it will enable a better and more comfortable grip for you to take from the handle; it will absorb sweat and allow you to feel confident with the grip.

Do you put overgrip over the original grip?

A tennis overgrip is placed over the original grip of the racket’s handle. This way, you can replenish the optimal feel and confidence at any time and preserve the racket’s original grip underneath. When the overgrip is worn out, you can remove it and replace it with a new one.

Learn more: Tennis Grip Vs Replacement Grip Vs Overgrip: Full Guide

How often should I change my tennis overgrip?

As a general rule, overgrips last anywhere between 1-15 3hour training sessions. Depending on the overgrips quality, assembly, and how much you sweat, the time will greatly vary. When you can feel your grip is slipping and the confidence of your hold isn’t good, you should change the overgrip.

Conclusion

All in all, you should definitely have at least two tennis rackets at all given times. It’s a real bummer if a tennis racket breaks in the middle of the awaited contest and you don’t have a replacement racket nearby. In the worst case, that would be it for the day.

Depending on your skill level, a second racket should be similar to your used one so you would feel comfortable with the second one as well. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to break your wallet to get that second one. Also, if you can’t afford one at the moment, you will do just fine with one if that’s the case.