Fiend at Court Unplugged
Finding the perfect gift for a tennis player is a paradox. On the one hand, the equipment and attire required to play tennis are seemingly perfect candidate gifts. At the same time, tennis players are very likely to have very exacting preferences for the equipment that they use. Successfully gifting tennis equipment requires a commitment to finding out those details.
This post provides suggestions for gifting tennis specific equipment to the player in your life. It also provides some guidance on the gift-giving thought process in this area. I am providing some example links to products in this post. However, for the most part you are probably going to have to do your own detective work to precisely determine what to buy.
Tennis Balls
Tennis balls are one of the safest choices of a gift for a tennis player. It is always my default suggestion when people ask me for suggestions on what to give a tennis player. Everyone needs balls and they wear out. Most serious tennis players pop open a fresh can every time they play.
I have found that there is frequently some resistance to the suggestion of tennis balls as a gift. I guess that tennis balls can kind of seem like a cheapskate option to people who are outside of the tennis culture. While a single can of balls is certainly relatively inexpensive, a full case is more substantial. The glorious thing about tennis balls as a gift is that it is completely scalable to the nominal price of items usually exchanged.
While tennis players tend to have a brand preference, this is one of those areas where there is some flexibility. Players are likely to encounter a wide variety of ball manufacturers in tournament and league play. Consequently they should be willing to play with almost any brand of ball. As long as you stick to the major labels, you basically can’t go wrong.
 | Penn Championship Tennis Balls – Extra Duty Felt Pressurized Tennis Balls – 24 Cans, 72 Balls |
 | Wilson Us Open Extra Duty Balls 24 Can |
Tennis Ball Hopper
If the tennis player in your life maintains a hopper of balls for practicing serves or drilling, then there is a possibility that they might appreciate a high quality portable tennis ball cart. This is one of those gifts where you need to ask some questions to determine if this is the case.
If the giftee is using a 5 gallon project bucket to carry their balls out to the court — something that I did for many years — chance are they will love a ball hopper cart. If a person has never kept a hopper of balls for themselves, they probably should start that practice. It may be just the prompt that they need to invest a little more time working on their serve… as all players should.
Tennis Clothing
Unless you receive a very specific hint along the lines of “I need a black Nike Skirt in a certain size..” I would probably steer most people away from tennis clothing as a gift option. The simple fact of the matter is that the fit of various tennis clothing brands varies widely. Some players simply cannot wear certain brands due to the way they are cut. Tennis clothing as a gift is fraught with peril.
A possible exception to this rule is for players who are relatively new to the sport and still in the process of building out a tennis wardrobe. More experienced tennis players are likely to already have most everything they need anyway. Additionally, gaps in the players wardrobe are likely to reflect narrowly specific needs.
For a player that professes a need for tennis tennis clothing — and doesn’t provide very detailed hints — a gift card is almost always the safest option. Tennis Express, Tennis Warehouse, or Midwest Sports are all three excellent options for tennis gift cards. Additionally, the purchasing power of your dollars will generally go much further for the player during the post Christmas clearance sales.
Tennis Shoes
This may seem counterintuitive after steering gift givers away from clothing, but tennis shoes are one of those consumable items that tennis players go through at an astonishing rate. This is another of those situations where the brand really matters as well as the obvious size considerations. If you know those two basic pieces of data, then you pretty much can’t go wrong.
As a bonus, when you sneak into their closet to sleuth out the preferred brand and size, you are likely to be reminded that they could also probably use some sneaker balls. You can throw those in to properly reflect the thoughtful gift giver that you are.
 | K-Swiss Bigshot Light 3 Womens Tennis Shoe (Coral Blush/White, 7.5) |
 | Knixmax Sneaker Deodorizer Balls, Shoes Gym Bags Lockers Air Fresheners Tennis 1 Pair |
Tennis Strings
Strings are another consumable item that a tennis player can always use. This is another situation where you will need to do some investigation to determine exactly what string a player prefers. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to elicit that detail by simply asking. A serious player will regale you with excruciating detail about their preferences.
If you ask a player what type string they prefer — and they genuinely don’t know — then you can probably safely pivot the question to what color and buy them a general purpose poly.
Last Christmas my family panicked when it became apparent that I had received multiple sets of the string I use in my racquets. As it turns out, I gave everybody the exact same hint. As I am rolling into the Thanksgiving holidays this year, I am limping along on the last sets of strings that I received last Christmas.
 | RPM Blast Black 17g Strings |
 | Babolat RPM Team Tennis String (16G Pink) |
 | Luxilon ALU Power 125 20 Year Anniversary Tennis String |
 | Yonex Poly Tour Fire 16L 125 Tennis Racquet String Red |
Tennis Racquets
Tennis Racquets are another tricky area in terms of gifting. Player selection of a racquet typically follows several session of playing with a “demo” model. There is really no way to gift a new model of racquet to a tennis player as a complete surprise.
One area where there might be some wiggle room when gifting racquets is with respect to the number of racquets that the tennis player currently carries in their bag. Most players carry at least two. My preferred number is three. Strings break and it is always good to have a backup or two.
If your player is carrying two racquets in the bag — and those racquets are different models — then there is a strong possibility that they would really appreciate having a duplicate of the racquet that they consider to be primary. You just need to make sure you correctly figure out which one is in active use.
You also need to make absolutely sure you get the correct grip size. The vast majority of players use 4⅜, but sometimes there is variation. This is another of those “don’t guess, ask” details.
The only specific racquet recommendation that I will make is for a beginner who has never played before. In that case, I highly recommend the Head Ti.S6 model. It is a relatively lightweight frame with a large hitting area which is perfect for players who are learning to make contact with the ball. As a bonus, this racquet typically comes pre-string which cuts down on the decision making process.
 | HEAD Ti.S6 Strung Tennis Racquet (4-3/8), Strung |
 | HEAD Titanium Ti S6 Extended/Oversized 16×19 Tennis Racquet (4 3/8″ Grip) Starter Set |
Tennis Gift Crate
Yesterday’s post contained a long list of stocking stuffers that are generally good for all tennis players. If you are truly stymied, one option would be to assemble a gift crate with a handful of those items. To take that idea to the next level, the crate could be topped off with a gift card from one of the major online tennis retailers. (Tennis Express, Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports) That is a pretty safe way to give a gift that reflects the appropriate degree of thoughtfulness and consideration.
Coming Tomorrow
The special holiday shopping edition of Fiend at Court Unplugged will wrap up tomorrow recommendations for non-tennis specific technical gear.
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Those of us who own independent pro shops would appreciate local support this holiday season. We have a knowledgeable staff and offer services such as a racquet selection lesson to help players find the right equipment. Thanks!