Here are some reminders for players for the "care and feeding" of their racquets....

1. Change your grips or over-grips often. I often see racquets that should have had a new grip installed perhaps a year or so earlier. I don't know how players can get the most out of their racquets when the grips are slippery. Today's modern PU (polyurethane foam) grips have a tacky grip and a cushion feel when new. However, it takes only a short time for some players to completely wear out the tack and flatten out the cushion feel.

2. The players of today use a "grip wrap" that he often changes between games. This grip wrap is actually a thinner version of the usual grip. By changing this grip wrap often, it is not a large expense, and will keep maximum performance in your racquet-handling.

3. Most of the new polyester strings lose tension faster than other synthetic strings. This should be considered when decisions as to restringing your racquet come up. Most stringers will tell you that your strings will not hold up for a year or longer. I recommend restringing your racquet every six months or earlier, depending on amount of play.

4. Never leave your racquets in your car. Temperatures are extreme in your car, or trunk, and the strings will lose their performance quickly in these extreme conditions.

5. If you never break your strings during play, perhaps you should check out a thinner string gauge. For instance, 16 gauge strings are used quite a bit, but now players who don't "beat up" their strings with excess topspin, for example, can choose a 17 gauge or even an 18 gauge string. (The higher the gauge, the thinner the string). Thinner strings will give greater feel, and spin for those who can appreciate it.

6. Remember that the thinner the gauge of the string, the tighter the string will be after stringing. This occurs simply because at the same pull tension as a thicker string, more stretch has been taken out of the thinner gauge string. Therefore, a general rule of @ 5 lbs pull tension reduction when stringing with a thinner string. This will give you the maximum performance improvement without taking away any of the performance characteristics that you are familiar with.

7. I don't know if you can find out whether your new polyester string is resistant to moisture and humidity, but this could be beneficial if you play in a moist, humid climate. This resistance to moisture is also beneficial in cold, dry climates where nylon or gut strings tend to dry out.