2015

The racquets allow shorter, more compact shots, and this is helpful particularly with mid-court shots (doubles, service returns, approach shots, volleys).

One negative with racquet technology is that the added pace they yield causes the player to have to move more quickly, more often, more awkwardly; thus causing more injury. Therefore, the role of conditioning and the necessity for good trainers and rehab have exploded.

Parity, too, caused much more intense effort at the elite levels (junior champions, college players, and certainly at the professional level).

We used to stress accuracy first, power later. I’m not sure it’s bad advice now to train talented kids to hit it hard, hit for the lines, and damn the torpedoes.