Welcome back everyone. We hope you have all had a wonderful summer and are enjoying the SHR website as much as we are.
At SHR we believe that preparation is key to being able to get the most out of your game. There’s nothing worse than looking down and seeing a worn-out overgrip mid-match and having no replacement in your tennis bag. So, we have taken it upon ourselves to put together this list of the top 10 items you should be carrying in your tennis bag. You can thank us later ☺
- Spare tennis rackets
There’s nothing worse than a broken string interrupting a match. In our experience 2 spare rackets is plenty (unless you happen to be having a very unlucky day). The best news is that with our reduced prices buying these extra rackets has never been more affordable. Take a look at our wide variety of rackets from the top brands and never let a broken string force you to forfeit a match again.
- Snacks
If the 5 hour matches at Wimbledon this summer are anything to go by you’ll know that tennis matches can often go on for a while. To get the best out of your game it’s important to boost your energy levels throughout. Some of our favourite snacks to carry include bananas and peanut butter or you could take a leaf out of Djokovic’s book and try some dates. When thinking about the food to pack it’s recommended to choose foods that will give you big boosts of energy without impacting your blood sugar levels. This will give you a slower burn of energy as opposed to a momentary rush.
- Water
Keeping hydrated is essential to keeping on top form whilst playing. Unfortunately, we can’t all have mini fridges on court like the tennis starts to keep our drinks cool so stainless steel bottles are a fantastic option for keeping your water cool whilst out in the sun and what’s more you’ll be reducing your plastic consumption too!
Top tip: if you fancy something sweet try coconut water. It’s packed full of electrolytes to replenish those that you lose when you sweat.
- Skipping rope/resistance band
If you can’t get access to a gym before you play a skipping rope or resistance band is a fantastic way to fire up your muscles to prevent injury. Skipping torches calories and will get your blood pumping after a long day at the office. A few minutes of skipping followed by some squats with a resistance band and you’ll be good to go.
- Towel
At SHR we think if you’re not sweating you’re not working hard enough so everyone should need a towel. In our experience microfiber towels are the best as they’re nice and light and dry quickly.
- Tennis hat
An all year round essential in our book. Even in the winter the sun’s rays glaring into your eyes can be an annoyance on court so a hat can come in very handy. It will also do the obvious and protect your skin from the sun.
- Wet bag
What’s the point of having a bag within a bag you might say but this will come in handy when it comes to washing your kit post game and you can use anything as simple as a supermarket plastic bag. Tossing your dirty clothes/towels in this bag not only keeps them separate from any clean kit in your bag but should help to keep your bag smelling much fresher. When it’s time to wash your clothes, you’ll know exactly what’s dirty and what isn’t.
- Tennis balls
Again, might seem an obvious one but we’re sure many of you will have been in that situation where you arrive at your practise and look at your fellow players dumfounded as you all turn to each other and say ‘I thought you were bringing the balls!’
- Sunscreen
Another indispensable item for your bag. Even in the winter those pesky UV rays can turn you a lovely shade of lobster red so make sure you are always protected. There are some fantastic sun screens on the market nowadays that are sweat proof and won’t leave you a greasy mess so make sure you lather up!
- First aid kit
Injuries happen to the best of us and it’s always best to be as prepared as possible so that something as mundane as a blister doesn’t force you to stop playing or interrupt your match too much. Top items to include are plasters, a couple of ice packs and some bandages as well as any kinesiology tape or braces you might use.
Oh, we almost forgot to mention! We have a lovely range of tennis bags on our website so take a look under our accessories section and save yourself the £60 that you would have to fork out on a new bag.
Happy shopping!
SHR Team