Tennis Shoes Purchase and Feet Anatomy

While you are a talented tennis player and you doing well on any type of court, your tennis shoes might play an equally critical role in winning you crucial matches. Many professional tennis players will tell you that tennis is all about maintaining your balance while you swing.

A good pair of tennis shoes will help you strike a perfect balance between the control of your shots and power. Hence, you should buy tennis footwear that perfectly matches not only with the anatomy of your feet but also with the surface you play on. That is why professional players use different tennis shoes on different tennis court surfaces such as hard, clay, grass and carpet.

Buying the right tennis footwear is crucial to your winning games. Ill-fitting shoes can result in blisters and even ankle & knee pain. Worst of all, they will fail you in your game. Hence, follow these tips on how to buy your tennis footwear which will be in sync of your feet and help you play your best tennis.

Know Your Foot Type:

You can visit a podiatrist to know your feet type or figure it out yourself at home too. For instance, if the impression of wet feet shows a crescent-shaped foot print with little of no footmark made by your arch, you have a supinated foot. Usually, your shoes tend to wear down faster on the lateral side than your big toe. Moreover, supinated feet are wider and require tennis shoes that offer additional room in the forefoot and toe box. Additionally, you should look for tennis footwear that can provide extra cushioning to compensate for the high arches.

You have pronated feet if your foot impression shows that it`s completely filled in. Due to your flat foot, your shoes tend to wear out before the lateral part. You tennis footwear should give you extra support. Find a pair that has additional stability on the medial side or go for shoes with a mid-cut model.

You have neutral feet if your footprint impression shows a moderate amount or arch. This is most versatile and ergonomically efficient toot type. This being the most coveted foot type, you can play tennis in almost any shoes.

Understand The Shoes Anatomy:

After knowing your foot type, try to understand the footwear`s anatomy. Try different pairs to see that you feel comfortable at the upper against the top of your foot. Also, make sure your shoes have a durable toecap especially if you tend to drag your toe while you serve. Moreover, you should put special emphasis on extra material along the medial portion of the upper if you have a habit of hitting your forehand from an open stance.

While checking the insole of your tennis shoes, make sure it provides extra cushioning as it is the part where foot rests on. If you are one of those players who are fiercely aggressive on court and give their shoes a good pounding, the midsole of your tennis shoes will wear down faster and you will soon feel the need chuck out those pair and go for a new pair of tennis shoes.

The outsole affects the traction especially when you play on the clay or hard court. Those who play mostly on the hard court should look for tennis shoes with outsoles with a wide variation in the design to get the best traction.

Weigh You Options:

Ideally, you would like your tennis shoes to be as light as possible. However, tennis footwear is usually heavier than other running shoes for the simple reason that tennis shoes have extra cushions and durable outsoles that add to the weight of tennis footwear. Buy two different pairs - one with a lighter weight and the other with a heaver weight. Practice with the heavier weight so that when you play real matches with the lighter tennis shoes, you will feel more comfortable to zip around the court.

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil