Want to hit with more spin? Your tennis racquet can help

Wide string pattern

This is the North Star when looking to hit with added topspin. Simply put, more space between the strings lets them move—or stretch—more at contact, and consequently return more energy to the ball. There are exceptions, but most spin-friendly frames on the market today have 16x19 string patterns. This allows you to put more work on the ball, but still maintain a good measure of control.

Keep in mind that not all 16x19 frames are created equally. The new Wilson RF Collection racquets all have 16x19 string patterns, but the spacing is fairly dense in the sweet spot and widens closer to the frame. You can still apply topspin to the ball, but it’s more limited than with other 16x19 frames that have a wider spread in the center of the string bed, such as the Head Extreme.

Read more: Roger Federer unveils groundbreaking RF Collection by Wilson

The grommets in a frame like the Extreme can also play a role. When the holes are a bit bigger, or have elongated shapes, it allows the strings to move more at contact before snapping back into position. This is another asset to adding spin to the ball.

Aerodynamics

It takes swing speed to put rotation on the ball. The quicker you can whip the frame through the hitting zone, the better it will be to generate heavy topspin. This doesn’t necessarily mean a super lightweight racquet. Lower static weight certainly helps maneuverability, but if you’re a solid player you still need decent mass to produce and defend pace. For that reason, spin racquets are designed to promote faster swings with less effort.

For instance, the throat on the Babolat Pure Aero is flattened out to better cut through the air on the more vertical swings that put topspin on the ball. Similarly, the Yonex VCORE has Aero fin technology throughout the hoop to lessen wind drag on aggressive swings.

A firm hoop

Generally speaking, stiffer frames beat flexible ones when it comes to topspin. Since the head bends less at contact, the strings can move more resulting in more spin. This is especially true of models that are a bit thicker and firmer around the shoulders (2 and 10 o’clock) of the hoop. They also tend to be balanced in a way to have a bit more of its weight distributed to this part of the frame. This also amps up the power potential which will help give those spin shots added momentum.

A racquet with a layup like this really suits the low-to-high swing path required for topspin strokes. You can certainly hit topspin-laden shots with highly flexible frames, they’re just not as conducive.