Gear guide
A simple, honest starting point for kitting yourself out — rackets, strings, shoes, clothing, bags, balls, grips, bottles, practice kit and the little extras, in plain English. Every pick shows the real product, a budget-to-premium price tier, and five places to buy or compare prices.
Rackets
Nine frames covering every style, level and budget.
Pure Aero
The go-to spin machine. Its stiff, aerodynamic frame launches heavy topspin — the racket behind a generation of baseline bullies.
Pro Staff 97 v14
A control-first classic with a thin beam and gorgeous feel. Rewards clean technique and precise, flat hitting rather than free power.
Speed MP
The all-court all-rounder. Balanced, manoeuvrable and forgiving — comfortable at the baseline and quick at the net.
Pure Drive
The most popular club racket in the world. Effortless power and a big sweet spot make it an easy, confidence-building frame.
EZONE 98
A famously comfortable frame with a soft, arm-friendly feel and surprising pop. A great pick if your elbow or wrist gets sore.
Blade 98 v9
A players’ favourite for flat, precise hitting. Flexible and stable, it turns clean ball-striking into pin-point placement.
Radical MP
A control racket with a softer, comfortable feel. Precise and manoeuvrable without the harshness of a stiff frame — an easy one to live with.
Pure Strike 98
A crisp, connected frame for flat, attacking hitters. Enough control to swing hard with confidence and take the ball on early.
Ti.S6
A super-light, extra-long beginner frame that hands you easy power for very little effort. The classic first racket for new and returning players.
Strings
The biggest upgrade after the racket itself — and the cheapest way to change how it plays.
ALU Power 125
The gold-standard co-poly: tour-level control, spin and durability for big hitters. If you break strings or swing fast, start here.
RPM Blast
The spin string behind a generation of heavy topspin. A slick, firm co-poly that bites the ball and lets the strings snap back.
NXT Power
A soft multifilament that plays close to natural gut — comfortable and arm-friendly. The go-to if a stiff poly leaves your elbow sore.
Hyper-G
A cult-favourite spin poly that punches well above its price. A soft, grippy string that suits aggressive baseliners on a budget.
VS Touch Natural Gut
The most comfortable, most powerful string there is — real natural gut. Expensive and less durable, but nothing feels better on the arm.
Shoes
The most important buy in tennis — the right shoe saves your knees and ankles.
Air Zoom Vapor 12
A fast, low-profile speed shoe with Zoom Air heel cushioning and a grippy herringbone outsole for quick hard-court movement.
Gel-Resolution X
A supportive, stable baseline shoe with GEL cushioning and a tough outsole built for grinding out long hard-court rallies.
Barricade 13
A durable, stable all-court shoe with Torsion support built for aggressive, hard-hitting baseliners who wear shoes out fast.
Fresh Foam X Lav v2
A cushioned, supportive shoe with Fresh Foam X underfoot and a durable outsole — comfort that locks in aggressive movers.
Hypercourt Express 2
A comfortable, no-break-in all-court shoe with plush cushioning and a roomy fit — strong value for recreational players.
Rush Pro 4.5
A balanced all-court shoe with responsive cushioning and a grippy Duralast outsole — Wilson’s stable, durable flagship.
Jet Mach 3 Clay
A light, fast clay-court shoe with a full herringbone sole that bites into the dirt and sheds it, so you can slide and recover with control.
Revolt Pro 4.5
A comfortable, hard-wearing all-court shoe at a friendly price — a sensible first proper tennis shoe for club and social players.
Clothing
Light, sweat-wicking kit that moves with you.
Court Advantage Top
A sweat-wicking Dri-FIT knit top with a slightly longer back hem for coverage and clean on-court styling.
Gameset Ergo 5" Short
A lightweight AEROREADY 5-inch short with an ergonomic cut and stretch for free movement through rallies.
Gameset Dress
A breathable Climacool tennis dress with built-in shorts and a flattering athletic fit for court sessions.
Core Raglan Polo
A quick-drying polo with a ribbed collar, three-button placket and raglan sleeves for full swing range.
Women's Club Skirt
A lightweight AEROREADY tennis skirt with built-in shorts and a ball pocket — a breathable, no-fuss staple for match days.
Women's Play Tank
A soft, sweat-wicking racerback tank cut for a full range of motion at the shoulder — cool and unrestrictive in the heat.
Women's Club Skort
A skort in a fresh colourway with an inner short for coverage and confidence — a lively alternative to a plain white skirt.
Bags
Carry your rackets, shoes and kit the tidy way.
Pure Aero 6-Pack
An insulated six-racket thermal bag with padded straps and accessory pockets in signature Pure Aero styling.
Tour Ultra Backpack
A two-racket tennis backpack with a padded laptop sleeve, ventilated shoe pocket and ergonomic straps.
Pro X Duffel L
A large duffle holding up to 12 rackets, with a CCT+ thermal compartment and an integrated shoe tunnel.
Pro Backpack M
A sleek two-racket backpack with a dedicated shoe compartment and padded straps — tidy enough to double as your everyday bag.
RF Tournament 15-Pack
A full tournament racket bag that swallows up to 15 frames across thermal compartments — the one for players who travel with a full kit.
Balls
Match the ball to your surface and budget.
US Open
Durable, consistent and made for hard courts. The most recognisable can in the game and a safe all-round choice.
Wimbledon
The official Wimbledon ball. A lively, quality ball that suits grass and fast conditions.
ATP
The official ball of the ATP Tour — a true, all-surface ball that plays the way the pros’ do.
Championship
The best-value practice ball. Cheap enough to buy by the case for hitting sessions and ball-machine work.
Fort All Court
A long-lasting, consistent club ball that holds its bounce and pressure well — a reliable everyday choice, sold by the case for value.
Find your grip size
Hold the racket as if to shake hands. You want a finger’s width of space between your fingertips and the base of your palm. Too small and the racket twists; too big and your wrist can’t work freely.
Adult grips run L0–L4 (4" to 4⅜"). Most men use L2/L3, most women L1/L2. Unsure? Size down — an overgrip adds about ⅟₁₆" and lets you fine-tune the feel.
Grips & overgrips
The cheapest upgrade in tennis — a fresh grip transforms how the racket feels.
Grip Original
The legendary dry overgrip. Feels tacky-free and gets grippier as your hands sweat — a must if you play in the heat.
Pro Overgrip
The most popular overgrip on tour. Thin, tacky and comfortable — wrap a fresh one over your base grip every few sessions.
Hydrosorb Grip
A cushioned base grip that soaks up shock and sweat. Swap it in when your original grip goes hard and slippery.
Syntec Pro Grip
A firmer, tacky base grip that gives a more connected, direct feel through the handle.
Super Grap
A thin, tacky overgrip loved for its soft feel and colour range. A comfortable, grippy alternative to the Wilson Pro if you like a little cushion.
Water bottles
Stay hydrated between changeovers.
Series 2 500ml
A vacuum-insulated stainless-steel bottle that keeps drinks cold for hours, with a leakproof screw cap.
Podium Chill 21oz
A squeezable insulated bottle with a self-sealing Jet Valve for fast, one-handed sips between points.
Traveller 0.6L
A lightweight recycled-aluminium bottle with a leakproof screw cap — tough and easy to carry in a kit bag.
Practice & training
Off-court kit that makes you better between lessons.
Ballport Deluxe
A 80-ball hopper on legs: scoop balls up by rolling it over them, then feed straight from the basket. Saves your back on practice days.
Agility Cones (set)
A set of low disc cones for footwork ladders, split-step drills and spacing targets. The cheapest way to sharpen movement on your own.
Phenom Two
The big splurge: a programmable ball machine that feeds oscillating, spin-varied shots so you can drill on your own for hours. Rentable at many clubs before you buy.
Accessories
Dampeners, wristbands and a cap for the sun.
Pro Feel Dampener
A vibration dampener that fits between the strings to cut string ping and soften shock to the arm.
5" Wristbands (pair)
A pair of terry-cloth wristbands that soak up sweat and keep your grip dry through long rallies.
Rafa Club Hat
An adjustable Dri-FIT cap with a sweat-wicking band and a pre-curved brim for sunny courts.
Product photos are the real current models, from the brands and specialist tennis retailers. Prices are rough UK “from” guides and change often — the tier badge (Budget / Mid-range / Premium) is relative to each category. Each “where to buy” link opens that retailer’s search results for the model: Amazon, eBay, the tennis specialists Tennis-Point and Tennis Warehouse, or a Google Shopping price comparison across every other seller. TopSpin is a demo site and isn’t paid to recommend any of these — they’re simply solid, popular choices.