• The very first tennis ball – wood (dating back to the 1300s)
• First mass-produced tennis ball – rubber
• Today – rubber and felt

   Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

This is actually a very interesting topic. The more you research, THE MORE YOU’LL REALIZE that opinions and facts vary greatly.

However, historians believe that the original tennis ball dates back to the 1300s.

With this being 700 years ago, sadly, NO LIVING HUMAN CAN CONFIRM – none that I’m aware of anyway!

On that note, it is widely accepted that French Aristocrats started to play some form of tennis during that century.

And wooden tennis balls have been recovered by historians IN RECENT TIMES.

So if you want to be super technical, these wooden balls were the first documented tennis balls.

But in the interest of talking about tennis balls since the sport has been played BY THE MASSES, the first tennis ball would then be viewed as rubber.

I did say it was an interesting topic!

This was all made possible since a rather CREATIVE MAN by the name of Charles Goodyear developed the process of vulcanizing rubber.

That occurred around the 1840s, and some enterprising Germans started TO SELL PRESSURIZED, rubber balls. 

But by the 1880s, opportunistic businessmen were developing tennis balls with rubber and felt.

Clearly, tennis balls have gone through QUITE A CHANGE over the years.

Let’s look into this fascinating piece of history in greater detail now, shall we?

Details of how the first tennis ball came to be

Ignoring the historian’s estimate of wooden balls by the 1300s, LET’S FOCUS on the creation of the rubber tennis ball.

There simply ISN’T ENOUGH EVIDENCE or documentation to talk too much about the wooden balls used by the French Aristocrats, and I’d hate to be TOO SPECULATIVE with the information provided!

Instead, let’s take a look at specifics for the rubber tennis ball.

Charles Goodyear Vulcanization Process

Do you know of an enterprise named the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company?

You probably do – they are one of the MOST SUCCESSFUL rubber-tire producing enterprises of the last few Centuries.

This all stemmed from Charles Goodyear’s discovery of how to vulcanize rubber, an experiment that he performed in the 1840s.

He was actually a chemist who happened to stumble across this process during a series of INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.

Basically, vulcanization hardens rubber and makes it more responsive to the environment.

It also makes the rubber more:

• Resistant
• Strong, and
• Flexible.

My interpretation is that vulcanization effectively takes regular rubber and turns it into a better version.

We don’t need to get much MORE SCIENTIFIC than this for the purposes of this short read. 

And sure, this experiment wasn’t performed with the intention of making tennis balls.

But it did PAVE THE WAY for the process to be used for manufacturing balls and transforming the game of tennis as we know it.

Pressurized Rubber Balls From Germany

News of Goodyear’s process OBVIOUSLY REACHED Germany a few years later, and that’s where the first tennis ball starts to become well documented.

These rubber balls were manufactured from the late 1840s onwards, and according to reports, they were either Red or Grey with NO COVERING.

The balls were also lightly pressurized to give them BETTER RESPONSES from the court, much to the delight of tennis players of that era.

However, the development of the tennis ball obviously sent shockwaves through the tennis world.

Everyone wanted to get in ON THE ACTION, and another enterprising individual by the name of Walter Wingfield visualized the next transition.

He was a Welsh inventor, and it was Wingfield who came up WITH THE IDEA of adding flannel to the balls. 

Of course, this didn’t STAY SECRET FOR LONG, and by the 1880s, tennis balls were being sold with a felt covering.

Pressurized Rubber With the Addition of Felt/Cloth

Tennis balls were actually BEING SOLD with this recent change in England during the 1880s.

This was the case for many decades, with VERY FEW CHANGES to the design of a tennis ball up until the 1920s.

This was the decade in which the modern-day tennis ball started to really present itself. Previously, tennis balls were just ‘Lightly Pressurized’ to give them a bit of ADDED BOUNCE from the court surface. 

However, the 1920s then implemented balls that were pressurized to a significantly GREATER DEGREE.

Of course, these pressurized tennis balls were also made with cloth/felt around the outside of the ball.

This cushioned the ball regarding how IT REACTED TO THE SURFACE, the strings at the time, and it really did revolutionize the way that tennis was played. 

The modern-day tennis ball

It’s fair to say that the tennis ball has come A LONG WAY since the 1800s.

With that said, the ball has come an even longer way if we turn our attention back to the 1300s.

I’m CERTAINLY PLEASED that we don’t play with wooden or rubber balls these days, mind you!

On that note, modern-day balls use the same:

• Vulcanized Rubber,
• Felt/Cloth, and
• Pressurization Process

that came about back in the 1920s. For those that are interested, here’s how tennis balls are actually MADE TODAY:

As you can see from the video, two rubber cups are now STUCK TOGETHER to create the round ball we use today.

The process is incredibly slick too, and tennis balls are now produced in a way that allows one ball to be IDENTICAL TO THE NEXT.

Fun fact for you - there are now 200+ tennis ball variations manufactured these days.

That’s certainly a whole lot more than the singular variation produced back in the 1800s.

Tennis balls are EVEN ALTERED in terms of the:

• Thickness of Felt
• Pressure, and
• Ultimately – Cost

That’s because tennis has evolved to now be played on multiple surfaces, which has naturally demanded MORE VERSATILE tennis balls for the most optimal playing experience. 

Did you enjoy this quick read on the original tennis balls?

Do you have any other interesting historical facts to add? I’d love to hear them in the comments if so!

• Use a strong and durable tape
• Stabilise the joint & promote blood flow
• Consider a tennis elbow support product too

   Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

Tennis elbow is one of the MOST FRUSTRATING INJURIES out there.

In fact, at the time of writing, I am actually undergoing physio for this EXACTLY INJURY!

When you play your elbow hurts, of course. But away from the court, tennis elbow can actually impact daily tasks too.

This may include PICKING UP your coffee, doing some gardening, and a whole range of other tasks. But as frustrating and painful as it can be, you can help yourself by taping it correctly.

To give you an idea of how this is done, check out the video right here:

As you can see, the physio tapes the arm tightly WITH A STRONG TAPE.

And this is the overall goal of taping the elbow.

Firstly, the tape IS DESIGNED to stabilize the joint and provide added support.

But secondly, the location and techniques used for taping are actually designed to INCREASE BLOOD FLOW TOO.

I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure how this works, but I am inclined to trust the professionals!

So – I’ve listed the KEY BITS OF ADVICE about taping the elbow. But let’s get a little more specific now.

A closer review of each point

Before I get into the ins and outs of taping the elbow, let me quickly give you a great resource.

Tennis elbow can often BE HARD TO DIAGNOSE, and it is sometimes confused with other ailments.

Therefore, I highly recommend you check your symptoms here before making any kind of self-diagnosis.

If you think YOU MAY BE SUFFERING from the tennis elbow, do contact your doctor to see what the best course of action might be.

But in the meantime, should you want to continue playing, strapping the joint is a good place to start!

Use of Strong and Durable Tape

The elbow is a HIGHLY MOBILE JOINT, and when you play tennis, the pressure on the elbow is actually very high.

Of course, when you are moving around the court hitting forehands and backhands, and when serving – you are extending the arm a great deal.

This also PUTS PRESSURE on the tape you are using for your tennis elbow too.

Therefore, it’s important that you choose strong and durable tape.

My number one recommendation is always KT Tape, as it’s approved by physios and I’ve actually used it in the past.

The tape is FLEXIBLE ENOUGH that it won’t tear when extending your arm, but it’s also very strong to stabilize the joint.

Of course, you don’t have to choose this tape, but it’s certainly ONE TO CONSIDER.

And if you need a refresher on how to tape the joint, check out this physio guide.

Joint Stabilization & Better Blood Flow

I highly recommend FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF with how to apply the tape for your tennis elbow before attempting to wing it.

If you’re not sure, you can always CHECK WITH YOUR doctor or with a physio.

Alternatively, you can easily watch videos like the one shown above to GAIN AN IDEA of what to do.

That aside, the main objective of applying the tape is to ensure that your joint gets all the support it needs when playing. 

As you will see through videos and diagrams of applying the tape, IT’S IMPORTANT to strap tight around the upper forearm initially.

Unless I’m mistaken, this is WHAT PROMOTES additional blood flow to the area while stabilizing your LOWER ARM.

However, since all of the ligaments are linked in around the elbow, you may also WANT TO CONSIDER applying some tape from your outer bicep to the upper forearm too. 

Remember, stabilization and joint support are the PRIMARY OBJECTIVES HERE.

And applying the tape correctly will ensure that you can get out there and play!

Nobody wants to take time off due to injury – TRUST ME, I’ve been there.

Tennis Elbow Support Product

If you feel that taping the joint just isn’t enough, you may want to consider getting an elbow support product.

There are plenty out there these days, and if you combine taping the elbow with one of these, you should be JUST FINE.

Or at the very least, you can rest assured that you are doing everything possible to stop the pain and keep playing.

Since there are so many products out there, it can be hard to choose just one.

Personally, I prefer the smaller products that fit snugly around the forearm.

The pressure applied from the strap really does help to stop the pain, and it avoids too much restriction concerning YOUR MOVEMENT OF THE JOINT. That’s a common problem with larger tennis elbow supports!

Bonus – preventative measures for tennis elbow

If you have recently recovered from tennis elbow, or perhaps you don’t have it bad yet, you will WANT TO PAY ATTENTION to the following:

1) Smooth Out Your Technique

In my many years of coaching, I’ve found that tennis elbow is more common in those with RELATIVELY POOR TECHNIQUE.

Players that try to muscle the ball put additional stress on the elbow and this is a HEAVY CONTRIBUTOR to tennis elbow.

Therefore, I’d recommend booking yourself in with a qualified coach to see where you can improve your technique.

2) Check Your String Gauge

This has actually been the cause of my recent tennis elbow struggles.

Stupidly, I figured it would BE A GOOD IDEA to get a cheap reel of string for the winter.

I had planned to put this string in the crosses and keep my expensive string in the mains, therefore extending the life of each re-string I did.

However, without PAYING ATTENTION TO THE GUAGE, I found out that it was much thicker than what I’d normally use. 

This has caused my elbow to FLARE UP and it has been problematic for many months now – don’t make the same mistake!

Warm-up Properly

Whenever you go out there to play..

Please.

Make sure.

You warm up all of your muscles.

A few laps of the court isn’t really enough.

You must get the:

• Blood pumping
• Loosen up the muscles
• Joints with dynamic stretches, and
• Start off slow when playing

I always start out by ROLLING A FEW BALLS in the service boxes before moving back to the baseline, and I’d recommend you do the same – ESPECIALLY if you are having tennis elbow issues.

Has this article helped you regarding how to tape your elbow? Do you have anything you’d like to add? Let us know below!

• An automatic fault due to a foot stepping onto the line mid-serve
• Regularity – not overly common at the highest level
• Result – same as a regular fault

   Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

If you’ve watched a fair bit of LIVE TENNIS before, you’ve probably seen a foot fault called before.

Basically, a foot fault is called by a lines judge, specifically, the baseline judge, should a player STEP ONTO THE BASELINE in the middle of their motion.

It can happen in both men’s and women’s tennis, at any level.

In fact, the number of foot faults that go un-called at the lower levels is SURPRISINGLY HIGH, since there are no lines judges.

I’ve seen guys step a good foot into the court when hitting a serve in the past. As AMUSING AS THIS IS, it’s still technically against the rules.

Mind you, you won’t get too many sticklers for calling foot faults on their opponents outside of the professional game.

With this said, I’d like to get a little more specific regarding the ins and outs of foot faults right now. 

Some of this information you may already know, but much of it I hope is brand new!

A blow by blow of foot faults in tennis

As stressed above, foot faults can and DO HAPPEN in the professional game.

One of the most famous of them all was when Serena Williams was called for one during a huge US Open game against Kim Clijsters in 2009:

As you can see in the video, this foot fault call basically ended the match for Williams and gave Clijsters a walkthrough to the final.

This is, of course, an extreme example, but it UNDOUBTELY TRANSFORMED the match.

But let’s get specific regarding foot faults now.

Exactly how does foot fault occur

When serving in tennis, there are TWO METHODS relating to what you can do with your feet.

You can either ‘toe up’ or not.

If you toe up, this means that you bring your back leg forward to meet your front leg, and then use both together when springing up.

Some PEOPLE BELIEVE that this is better, but that’s a debate I will leave for another day.

Regarding foot faults, however, these are more common WITH PLAYERS who do toe up on their serve.

That’s because there is MORE MOVEMENT WITH THE FEET, meaning that more things can go wrong.

And by going wrong, I mean that one of the feet may then touch the baseline or run completely OVER IT.

That’s how a foot fault actually occurs!

According to the official rulebook, should any part of your body enter the court prior to the ball being struck, this would be a foot fault. 

Once you’ve hit the ball, however, you can land in the court AS FAR AS YOU LIKE. 

The Impact Foot Fault Have

If a player does perform a foot fault in a match, the impact it has IS IDENTICAL to if they have actually hit a fault.

That’s where the name comes from in the first place – foot fault.

If a player manages to step on the baseline during their first serve, the automatic fault means that they then MOVE ON to hit a second serve.

If they do this on their second serve, however, this means that they lose the point since they have then technically HIT A DOUBLE FAULT.

In terms of the impact they have in the grand scheme of things, they’re not overly influential.

That’s the case unless they occur at a MAJOR MOMENT in the match, like the example provided above in the Williams vs Clijsters game.

In cases like these, a foot fault can QUITE LITERALLY CHANGE the entire match.

Frequency In The Professional Game

Given the number of serves that are ACTUALLY HIT during the course of a tennis match, foot faults aren’t very common at all .

Sure, they do happen, but it is by means something that you can expect TO WITNESS in most matches.

In fact, if you see more than one-foot fault during a live match, you are doing well!

Ways to avoid a foot fault

Now that we’ve addressed foot faults from a definitive perspective, let’s look at how you can avoid them.

The good news is that avoiding foot faults is ACTUALLY EASIER than you might think, as detailed here.

1) Stand Further Back From The Line

Keep in mind that foot faults happen when you step over the line when serving.

Therefore, one of the BEST REMEDIES is to stand further back so that your feet are then FURTHER FROM THE LINE.

The further back you are, the LESS CHANCE you have of stepping onto the line during the middle of your motion.

But the downside of doing this is that you LOSE A FEW INCHES regarding where you contact the ball.

However, unless you are playing at a high level, you don’t need to worry too much about this. 

Consider Avoiding The ‘Toe Up’

If you currently toe up with your service motion, you might want to think about CHANGING THIS.

This is ESPECIALLY TRUE if you are being called up for foot faults during your matches.

I actually changed my service motion while in college from toeing up to not, and it HELPED MY SERVE MASSIVELY.

I didn’t do this because of foot faults, but regardless, you just never know whether THIS CHANGE MIGHT HELP YOUR SERVE in general!

Keep Your Ball Toss Closer To You

Chasing a ball toss that is TOO FAR from you is another contributor to foot faults.

Basically, when you toss the ball too far, you end up chasing it and you are more likely to drag your feet over the baseline.

If you do this, of course, this results in a foot fault.

Therefore, a good way to cure the issue is to toss the ball closer to the baseline.

It still needs to be in front of your body so that you get that forward motion, but keeping it closer should GREATLY HELP with the problem.

Have any foot fault stories you wish to share? Or have you any tips/advice to help our readers stop foot faulting that isn’t mentioned? Feel free to share your thoughts below if so.

• An error that is hit without being under any perceived pressure
• Reasons – poor form, pressure, bad footwork, threat of opponents next shot
• Examples – double fault, missed rally ball, missed mid-court ball

   Your Guide

   Gavin Davison

There are few things MORE FRUSTRATING in tennis than unforced errors. Hit too many and your opponent could win the match without needing to do too much.

As detailed above, an unforced error describes any error that has been hit without being under any pressure.

Everyone from amateurs to PROS HIT unforced errors.

But of course, professionals will hit fewer unforced errors than your average club player, IN THEORY.

In short, your goal should be to hit as few unforced errors in tennis as possible.

This means you won’t be giving your opponent too many ‘cheap points’.

Take Rafael Nadal as an example, ESPECIALLY ON CLAY. The guy barely gives you a free point, meaning that his unforced error count is typically VERY LOW.

The fact that he can get many balls back in play is also a nightmare for opponents, hence his success. 

Which other player gives opponents makes fewer points from unforced error?

Another guy who is amazing at reducing the unforced error count is Novak Djokovic.

In fact, that’s partly why he was able to beat Nadal at the 2021 French Open!

Therefore, it’s NO SUPRISE that these two are some of the best players on tour.

But are unforced errors really that easy to avoid, and what contributes to them?

Ways of hitting an unforced error

Unforced errors can be hit in ALL KINDS OF WAYS.

But regardless of how they are hit, they are always documented as AN ERROR that was hit without being under pressure.

Here are the different ways of hitting an unforced error:

Double fault

Of course, with the server starting the point in tennis, they are under NO PRESSURE at all.

The server simply tosses up the ball and hits it to kick things off.

In tennis, you get a first and a second serve. If you miss both, not only is this classed as a double fault, but it’s also classed as an unforced error.

These tend to be higher for guys who try to GO BIG on first and second serves. 

However, the double fault count can always be higher for guys when facing a great returner, as this actually CREATES PRESSURE on the quality of the serve.

Hitting the Ball Long

Keeping a good length on YOUR GROUNDSTROKES is the best way to prevent the opponent from attacking the ball.

But hitting the ball within a few inches of the baseline is difficult, EVEN FOR GREAT PLAYERS.

That’s where unforced errors can arise from hitting the ball long, as a player can simply be trying to keep a great length time and time again.

Naturally, the margin for error is VERY SMALL at the top of the game!

Hitting the Ball Wide

One of the best ways to maneuver your opponent around the court is to hit angles.

But sometimes, you might like to try and CLEAN THE LINE on a groundstroke to hit an immediate winner.

Either way, YOU’LL BE TRYING to place the ball close to the lines, which can and does result in unforced errors.

Hitting the Ball in the Net

That pesky net has a habit of getting in the way at times, right?

Then again, tennis wouldn’t be the same WITHOUT THE NET standing in the way.

Of course, hitting the ball in the net without being under any pressure goes down as an unforced error.

Guys that hit the ball very flat tend to hit unforced errors in this way, as they have very little net clearance on their groundstrokes. 

What contributes towards a higher unforced error count?

If you hit a high number of unforced errors in a game, you’re always going to be up against it.

This means you are giving your opponent MANY CHEAP POINTS.

In my experience, and from players I’ve coached over the years, there are four reasons for unforced errors:

1) Poor Footwork

Sloppy footwork results in you being in the WRONG POSITION for the shot.

If you get too close, the ball gets TOO FAR, or your contact point is off, there’s a higher chance you’ll miss the ball.

That’s why footwork is so amazingly important in tennis.

So if you’re hitting quite a few unforced errors, you’ll want to CHECK YOUR FOOTWORK!

2) Opposition Pressure

Trying to hit the ball close to the line is often a response to your opponent playing good tennis.

Especially if they are big hitters, you’ll feel MORE PRESSURE to keep them pinned back and stop them from controlling the point.

This creates a subconscious need to try and play things a LITTLE RISKIER, resulting in unforced errors.

3) Scoreboard Pressure

Nobody is immune from pressure.

Even the greats like Djokovic and Federer start to miss a few balls when they are up against it.

At big moments, you may be MORE LIKELY to hit an unforced error because you’ll get nervous, or ‘tight’ as we like to call it in tennis.

This often throws your footwork off, YOUR ARMS GETS HEAVY, and your strokes won’t be as precise or smooth. 

4) Going for Too Much

If you like to ATTACK THE BALL, this one’s for you.

When you are trying to push the opponent, hit clean winners, or just dominate the point – there is a higher chance that YOU’LL MISS.

That’s just part of the game, although if you are trying to play too risky for whatever reason, your unforced error count will certainly rise.

If this happens, you may want to rein things in a bit.

The impact that unforced errors have on a match

You’ve probably guessed that a high unforced error count is bad for your game.

More to the point, it can be CATASTROPHIC when trying to win matches.

Hit too many and your confidence will fade, your opponent will be OVERJOYED, and you’ll get incredibly frustrated.

Consistent unforced errors also means that the scoreboard will KEEP TICKING OVER in the wrong direction from your perspective too.

If you’ve been there before, I highly recommend tightening your game up a bit.

These are the things you ought to start doing:

• Play further from the lines
• Hit with less pace
• Keep your footwork intense, and
• Give the net more clearance

Incorporate these and I am pretty confident that your error count will decrease.

Have anything to add? Jump into the comments and let us know!