Mother's Day Tennis Gifts - On Sale No Less

Racquets
Head Flexpoint 10 - An oversize, power-oriented racquet. Offers a very powerful feel thanks to its 31mm width beam. Also, slightly lighter than the other FlexPoint frames. Best suited for players with shorter, compact strokes looking for power. Recommended for the 1.5-2.5 NTRP level players. Liquidmetal Technology: Liquidmetal material is applied to four strategic areas of the racquet's head and it is the only material that utilizes all the energy your swing generates. No energy is lost on ball impact due to its liquid atomic structure. Hole+Dimple=Flexpoint: These two precisely engineered holes, positioned at 3 and 9 o'clock on the racquet head, work together to bring power in control. The dimple is engineered to create flexibility by reducing beam height by a maximum of 25%. The hole reduces sectional stiffness up to 50%. The hole and dimple allow a player to harness maximum power and control it.

Dunlop M Fil Lady - A lightweight and maneuverable racquet engineered with the female player in mind. The M-FiL Lady features a stiff racquet hoop for power and stability, while the proven ISIS handle system protects the player from racquet shock and vibration. Ideally suited for players with moderate, powerful strokes. Recommended for the 3.0-4.5. ISIS: (Impact Shock Isolation System), in the racquet handle, dampens frame vibration and helps protect the arm from tennis elbow. Includes racquet and matching sling-pack racquet bag. Racquet bag features a single racquet-specific pouch and a main compartment that can be used for an additional racquet or gear and accessories

Apparel


Balle de Match Women's Mandy Tech Top CLOSEOUT
Balle de Match Women's Desire Swing Skirt CLOSEOUT

Sergio Tacchini Women's Oralee Racer Tank w/ Interior Bra
Sergio Tacchini Women's Ondina Skirt w/ Interior shorts

And if all else fails, just get her a gift certificate - always a little less personal of course, but it ensures your mom gets what she really wants.

It's a Spring String Thing

Spring is in the air, we're all getting the kinks worked out of our games (unless you were good and played a lot indoors), which means our frequency of playing is increasing. More playing equals more broken strings, so you better stock up now. Here are some great options:

Dunlop
Dunlop Explosive Polyester 16g
Dunlop Explosive Polyester 17g

Fischer
Fischer Poly Pro 17g
Klip Atomic (Kevlar) 16g Reel (330 ft/100 m)
Klip Hardcore 16Lg
Klip KBoom 16g
Klip Kicker 17g

Prince
Prince Syn Gut Original 16g
Prince Syn Gut with Duraflex 17g Reel
Prince Lightning XX 16g Reel

Technifibre
Tecnifibre NRG2 17g Reel
Tecnifibre Pro Red Code 16g
Tecnifibre Polyspin 16g

Dunlop & Fischer Tennis Backpacks

Sometimes you need a bag that can carry your racquet and a change of clothes, but you don't want a big duffel. These backpacks will do the trick, they look great and since they're from Dunlop and Fischer, you know they're well-made.

Dunlop Aeorgel Backpack
Used by the Dunlop Tour Team players - great for a few racquets, books, footwear, or clothes. Its very durable racquet pocket will hold one racquet. The branding is in line with the Dunlop G-Series racquet line. It measures 11" x 19.5" x 12", there is a large main compartment, two accessory pockets and an Integrated shoe/wet pocket

Fischer Magnetic Thermobag Backpack
Perfect for a few racquets, books, footwear, or clothes. This very durable racquet pocket will hold up to 2 racquets. It measures 21" x 8" x 14", has 2 large main and 1 racket compartment, a mobile phone pouch, Integrated rain protection, 3D mesh material back padding, padded shoulder straps and a reflective stripe.

Finally pro-quality tennis bags from Head, Wilson, Prince & Dunlop

Tennis Magazine alerted us to a tidbit of information we did not know but wish we had. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, but for many years the racquet companies would provide the pros bags that were made with more durable, thicker materials than the retail counterparts you and I would buy. In other words, the bags would look the same but they would not be the same quality.

The good news, there are four bags that break this tradition, providing the regular tennis player the same quality as the pros.

Dunlop Aerogel 6-pack Thermo Bag
- Two zippered main compartments for racquet storage or to keep clothes separate from equipment
- Adjustable backpack straps and padded handle for easy carrying
- Thermo technology to protect contents from heat
- Accessories pocket to hold cell phone, keys, and wallet
- Check out the Dunlop 2007 Aerogel Collection 6-Pack Thermo Tennis Bag

Head Extreme Supercombi Bag
- Holds up to 12 racquets
- Has CCT (Climate Control Technology) which helps protect racquets from heat
- Accessory compartment with mp3 player and cell phone holder, key hook, and head phone outlet
- Double shoulder straps that allows bag to be carried from either side as a backpack
- Extra long shoulder pads and padded carry handle for comfort
- Separate toiletries and shoe bags
- Check out the Head Extreme Supercombi

Prince Team Collection 12 Pack Bag
- Three padded main compartments hold up to 12 racquets
- Ventilated mini compartment for wet storage
- Easily accessible ventilated shoe compartment
- Padded shoulder strap and carry handle
- Padded backpack shoulder straps
- Thermo lining in two compartments to protect racquets
- Exterior accessory pocket for valuables
- Check out the Prince 2005 Team Collection 12-Pack Tennis Bag

Wilson [K] Pro Tour Traveler
- Large luggage style travel bag to take on trips to tournaments
- Heavy-duty trolley system to wheel the bag around
- Multiple compartments for separating clothes and equipment
- Fully zippered mesh dividers make it easy to keep everything in order
- Oversize shoe compartment
- Extra-large, reinforced full wrap straps
- Handle on each end for convenient carry
- Small side accessories compartment
- Oversize main zipper with cover flap
- Check out the Wilson K Pro Tour Traveler Tennis Bag

Vintage Tennis Friday - Evonne Goolagong gets No. 1 ranking after 30 years!

Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player, and one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s. She won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles (four Australian Open, two Wimbledon and one French Open), six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles. But she hadn't been given the #1 ranking back in the day. But that travesty is finally over.

Goolagong swung a classic Dunlop wooden racquet. While we couldn't find the vintage articles, you can check out Dunlop Tennis Products here.

Here's the full article:

SUNRISE BEACH, Australia (AP) -Evonne Goolagong finally made it to No. 1, although the honor was 30 years late in coming.

The Australian tennis star was told by the WTA Tour that she should have been top-ranked for a two-week period in 1976. That was a stretch in which she was in the middle of winning six tournaments, including the Australian Open and the season-ending Virginia Slims Championship.

But when some tournament records were transferred to a computer in 1976, all of Goolagong's points were not entered and she never received the top ranking, the WTA said.

The WTA has amended its records, making Goolagong the 16th No. 1 player since the introduction of tour computer rankings in 1975.

Two weeks ago, the 56-year-old Goolagong received a trophy from the WTA that is now displayed in her oceanside home.

``I'm very proud of the achievement,'' Goolagong told The Associated Press. ``I was on a roll for that stretch in 1976. It was a great surprise to hear after all these years.''

A recent search of the rankings archive in St. Petersburg, Fla., found several paper records were missing between April and July 1976.

Rankings were calculated twice weekly until 1990 - they are done weekly now - and it was discovered Goolagong overtook Chris Evert by 0.8 points after the Aussie's victory in the Virginia Slims in Los Angeles in late April 1976, before Evert regained the crown May 10.

``Unfortunately our record-keeping wasn't perfect in those early days of women's tennis and our ranking system was viewed as a means of just accepting tournament entries,'' WTA Tour chief executive and chairman Larry Scott said.

``It wasn't until the early 1980s that the media and players started to pay attention to the changes in the rankings during the year as opposed to only the end-of-season rankings.''

Goolagong reached the finals of 16 of 24 Grand Slam singles tournaments from 1971 to 1976, winning five of them. She won Wimbledon titles nine years apart - in 1971 and 1980 - to equal Bill Tilden's mark for having the longest gaps between championships at the All-England Club. She has seven Grand Slam singles titles overall.

Goolagong retired in 1985 and lived in the United States - at Hilton Head, S.C., and Naples, Fla. - until moving back to Australia in 1992.

Now, Goolagong is frequently seen power walking in the streets around her Sunrise Beach home north of Brisbane. She and husband Roger Cawley organize tennis camps for Aboriginal youths. During next month's Australian Open, 15 young athletes from across Australia will be flown in for a camp outside Melbourne.

Source: Associated Press

Dunlop, Fischer, Head, Technifibre & Volkl - All for $129.99

Five great racquets...five great brands...one great price. All of these terrific sticks are on sale for $129.99.

Dunlop M Fil 200
Ideally suited for players with aggressive, long strokes.
Recommended for the 5.0-7.0 NTRP level players. This racquet has Dunlop's M-Fil (Multi Filiament) Technology. Which to the technologically challenged includes: Carbon, S-Fibre and Magnesium are combined into the hitting zone of the racquet head to enhance the touch and feel of the racquet where and when you need it most = at the moment of ball contact.

Fischer GDS Vision
Best suited for players with shorter, compact strokes looking for power. Recommended for the 3.0-4.5 NTRP level players. The latest technology in vibration control! A specially calculated matrix structure harmonizes irregular vibration patterns and converts excess energy into higher velocity rebounds. The feedback in these rackets is unprecedented and tuned to perfection.

Head Flexpoint 4
Ideally suited for players with moderate, powerful strokes. Recommended for the 3.0-4.5 NTRP level players. Head's Liquidmetal material is applied to four strategic areas of the racquet’s head and it is the only material that utilizes all the energy your swing generates. No energy is lost on ball impact due to its liquid atomic structure.



Tecnifibre T Fight 315
Ideally suited for players with aggressive, long strokes. Recommended for the 4.5+ NTRP level players. Technifibre's Texalium technology, developed by Hexcel, is primarily used in the aircraft and spacecraft industries. This composite fiber with its specific weave pattern creates strength while being lightweight. Tecnifibre achieves desired benefits bt using Texalium reinforcements at key positions on the tennis racquet frame.

Volkl Tour 10 Gen II Mid Plus
Ideally suited for players with aggressive, long strokes.
Recommended for the 5.0-7.0 NTRP level players. The dense string pattern in the racquet's sweetspot ensures that power is controllable. Balls hit outside the sweetspot maintain optimal power and comfort thanks to the more open string bed. It also includes a two part racquet shaft and TechnoGel surrounded by EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate). This is visible technology you can actually see through the butt cap of the racquet. Designed to dampen vibration without sacrificing touch.

Dunlop M-Fil 300

Dunlop...the brand of McEnroe and Graf...but also a brand I remember as being really f-ing heavy...like a club. Not so with the newest installment of the M-Fil series, first seen in 2005 when Dunlop came back on the racket scene. If I were to describe this in one word, it would be "value." The stick is only 100 bucks, which these days is cheap. Especially if you consider the quality construction (its made of carbon, t-fiber and tungsten steel). It sports a 98 sq. inch head (on the smaller side), and is 10.3 ounces (pretty light). So for the intermediate to advanced players, this looks pretty solid.

Dunlop M Fil 300

Visit Dunlop Sports

Thanks to Best Life magazine for help with some of these details.

Closeout Deals on Racquets

I came across a site called TennisBoom.com, and right now they're having a closeout sale on a lot of racquets. Here's a sampling. I'm not sure what the inventory is on these so I'd move quickly b/c these are pretty great prices. Many of these are oversized heads, but many are not if that's not your cup of tea.

Note: WATR has no affiliation with TennisBoom.com

Dunlop 1000G I.C.E. Tennis Racquet; Suggested: $250.00; Their price: $69.99

Wilson H Rival 96 Tennis Racket; Suggested: $149.99; Their price: $79.95

Head Ti S6 Original Tennis Racquet; Suggested: $250.00; Their price: $89.99

Prince Thunder Rip Oversize Tennis Racquet; Suggested: $210.00; Their price: $79.99