Would tennis be more fun to watch and play if players used a smaller headed racket?
The recent men's Wimbledon final certainly wasn't a great advertisement for the game with the serve and 3rd ball dominating the rallies which is becoming more common on all surfaces, not just grass.
Martina Navratilova is certainly advocating for reducing the racket head size.
“If I was a tennis star [now], I would mandate smaller racket heads,” she said.“So there would be more emphasis on technique and it would make it a little more difficult to hit unbelievable passing shots and you can still hit a volley, but you cannot do just this off balance, just hit it as hard as you can. Technique would be more more of a premium.”
Navratilova believes the time for change in tennis is right after speaking to golf champion Rory McIlroy while at this year’s Wimbledon.
“In fact, I talked to Rory McIlroy in my first Royal Box visit here and he said, ‘What would you do?’ He said he would make golf club heads a little bit smaller because they’re so massive now. The sweet spot is so much bigger than it used to be, and so it is in tennis."
“So, I’ll make the sweet spot a little bit smaller to to put more premium on precision, taking pace off the ball, and then you will see more serve and volley, or at least people coming to the net more.”
Navratilova won several Wimbledon titles by serving and volleying, but it has died out in the last few decades due to the power and precision of the modern game.
Navratilova is not the first person in tennis to call for smaller rackets, as Uncle Toni Nadal has often tried to implement the change in the sport.
In an interview earlier this year, the legendary Spanish coach said: “A measure I’d propose to change tennis would be to play with a smaller racket."
“Today, most matches boil down to hitting as hard as possible, with no real tactic to counter it. Tennis leaders should do something to change the game. Sometimes it’s just unappealing.”
At my club in Glasgow we sometimes play a fun wooden racket event which certainly rewards the more skillful players and helps create more rallies.
If there was any chance of this idea catching on, I would think that the top players of the current world order would need to be willing to play a trial exhibition event and have it broadcast throughout the world tennis community to see if it might help create a bigger audience.Then we would also see which players are the most skillful perhaps?
In my opinion it could be very interesting at the higher end of the game — say, good county level and up — but at the low to medium end at club level I would think that modern rackets make it more fun.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter? Get out your wooden rackets and test your skills.
Ian
[email protected]
Looking forward to Sicily in September
Learn More HERE
12th to 19th September
Our next hosted week with a few available spaces is our trip to Trapani, near Palermo on the west coast of the island. We have a full programme of both tennis and padel but like all of our Tuscan Tennis Holidays there are many other reasons to join one of our trips.
In the Trapani area you can also experience the following:
1/ The island of Favignana has become an Instagram phenomenon with its amazing, crystal-clear blue waters. We visit the island on our active rest day and cycle around parts of it to see the most beautiful spots. It's only a 30 minute boat ride from Trapani.
2/ The town of Trapani itself is one of the most interesting areas of Sicily with its varied history that has left it with strong Arab and Spanish influences. Stanley Tucci visited it recently as part of his cultural and gastronomic tour of Italy. He visited a local restaurant which makes an amazing couscous dish. The variety of restaurants in the town reflects the many cultures that have dominated this region over the centuries.
3/ The nearby town of Paceco produces what is widely considered to be the best melon in Italy. This is a town where you feel like you are visiting Sicily from the Godfather movies. It has a great old-world Sicilian feel and only a 10 minute taxi drive from Trapani.
4/ The hilltop town of Erice - To visit this beautiful town you can take the cable car at the north end of Trapani. With a journey time of just 10 minutes, it offers panoramic views as well as a memorable experience. Apart from the views you can also visit the Castello di Venere which was built by the Normans.
For more information about our Trapani week or any of our holidays, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
We're happy to help you plan your next trip.
The recent men's Wimbledon final certainly wasn't a great advertisement for the game with the serve and 3rd ball dominating the rallies which is becoming more common on all surfaces, not just grass.
Martina Navratilova is certainly advocating for reducing the racket head size.
“If I was a tennis star [now], I would mandate smaller racket heads,” she said.“So there would be more emphasis on technique and it would make it a little more difficult to hit unbelievable passing shots and you can still hit a volley, but you cannot do just this off balance, just hit it as hard as you can. Technique would be more more of a premium.”
Navratilova believes the time for change in tennis is right after speaking to golf champion Rory McIlroy while at this year’s Wimbledon.
“In fact, I talked to Rory McIlroy in my first Royal Box visit here and he said, ‘What would you do?’ He said he would make golf club heads a little bit smaller because they’re so massive now. The sweet spot is so much bigger than it used to be, and so it is in tennis."
“So, I’ll make the sweet spot a little bit smaller to to put more premium on precision, taking pace off the ball, and then you will see more serve and volley, or at least people coming to the net more.”
Navratilova won several Wimbledon titles by serving and volleying, but it has died out in the last few decades due to the power and precision of the modern game.
Navratilova is not the first person in tennis to call for smaller rackets, as Uncle Toni Nadal has often tried to implement the change in the sport.
In an interview earlier this year, the legendary Spanish coach said: “A measure I’d propose to change tennis would be to play with a smaller racket."
“Today, most matches boil down to hitting as hard as possible, with no real tactic to counter it. Tennis leaders should do something to change the game. Sometimes it’s just unappealing.”
At my club in Glasgow we sometimes play a fun wooden racket event which certainly rewards the more skillful players and helps create more rallies.
If there was any chance of this idea catching on, I would think that the top players of the current world order would need to be willing to play a trial exhibition event and have it broadcast throughout the world tennis community to see if it might help create a bigger audience.Then we would also see which players are the most skillful perhaps?
In my opinion it could be very interesting at the higher end of the game — say, good county level and up — but at the low to medium end at club level I would think that modern rackets make it more fun.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter? Get out your wooden rackets and test your skills.
Ian
[email protected]
Looking forward to Sicily in September
Learn More HERE
12th to 19th September
Our next hosted week with a few available spaces is our trip to Trapani, near Palermo on the west coast of the island. We have a full programme of both tennis and padel but like all of our Tuscan Tennis Holidays there are many other reasons to join one of our trips.
In the Trapani area you can also experience the following:
1/ The island of Favignana has become an Instagram phenomenon with its amazing, crystal-clear blue waters. We visit the island on our active rest day and cycle around parts of it to see the most beautiful spots. It's only a 30 minute boat ride from Trapani.
2/ The town of Trapani itself is one of the most interesting areas of Sicily with its varied history that has left it with strong Arab and Spanish influences. Stanley Tucci visited it recently as part of his cultural and gastronomic tour of Italy. He visited a local restaurant which makes an amazing couscous dish. The variety of restaurants in the town reflects the many cultures that have dominated this region over the centuries.
3/ The nearby town of Paceco produces what is widely considered to be the best melon in Italy. This is a town where you feel like you are visiting Sicily from the Godfather movies. It has a great old-world Sicilian feel and only a 10 minute taxi drive from Trapani.
4/ The hilltop town of Erice - To visit this beautiful town you can take the cable car at the north end of Trapani. With a journey time of just 10 minutes, it offers panoramic views as well as a memorable experience. Apart from the views you can also visit the Castello di Venere which was built by the Normans.
For more information about our Trapani week or any of our holidays, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected]
We're happy to help you plan your next trip.
