Are You a One-Sided or Two-Sided Player?

This post was published 3 years ago, however, I recently created a video version for the media library and wanted to share this with you.

Ever wonder why your racquet head is worn only on one side of the frame (usually at 10:00 for righties and 2:00 for lefties)? Low backhand volleys typically cause this, and you’re probably a one-sided player.

Ever wonder why your strings seem to break more frequently than other players? It’s mainly attributed to excessive spin on forehands and serves, and you’re probably a one-sided player.

What is the Difference Between One-Sided and Two-Sided Players?

If you are the type of player who is comfortable holding either side of the racquet grip and play, you are a two-sided player. That means you could twirl your grip in your hand, and then hold whichever side of the grip ends up in the palm of your hand and hit.

However, if you are the type of player that always holds the racquet grip the same way, you are a one-sided player.

The 3 Types of One-Sided Player

Do you judge by how it feels?

This is the most common. You typically hold your racquet based on how the grip feels in your hand (due to the overlap). This will cause excessive wear on one side of the head and one side of the string bed.

The remedy? Each time you re-grip your racquet, start wrapping your grip from the opposite side of the butt cap. Rotate this every time. You will then be able to grip your racquet the same way you usually would and allow for more balanced wear on the head.

Unfortunately, it won’t extend the life of your strings since you’ll still be hitting forehands and serves on the same side of the string bed, which does tend to cause the most wear compared to other shots.

What about Strings?

You are the type of player who aligns the racquet based on the stencil.

The remedy? You can even out the wear on the head by stenciling the strings the opposite way each time you restring. Unfortunately, this technique will not extend the life of your strings, since you’ll still be hitting forehands and serves on the same side of the string bed.

Are you looking at the Frame?

You are the type of player who looks at something on your frame (logo, graphics, or sticker) before serving or returning.

The remedy? You could change the location of a label if that’s what you’re using as your guide.

Unfortunately, you can’t do anything about the cosmetics on your frame. There is no remedy in this instance.

What is the take-away?

To summarize, two-sided players have more even wear and tear on their racquet heads. They also have more even wear on their strings, which extends the life of the strings, resulting in less frequent restringing.

One-sided players tend to wear down their racquet heads unevenly and restring more often.

To eliminate wear on the top of your racquet head and extend the life of your strings, you would need to become a two-sided player.

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