I spend most of my week around competitive junior and college players, and the single most common mistake I see isn't technique — it's equipment setup.

A few things I'd tell any player upgrading their gear this season:

String tension is personal, not universal. A racquet strung at 55 lbs feels completely different at 60. Most players never re-test tension after their game changes (more topspin, bigger swings, etc). If you haven't restrung in the last 3 months of hard play, your "bad day" might just be dead strings.

Grip size matters more than people think. Too big and you lose racquet head speed on serves. Too small and you get more arm fatigue over a 3-set match. If you're between sizes, go smaller and build up with an overgrip — it's cheap to adjust, expensive to guess wrong.

Overgrips are not optional for competitive play. Sweat changes your grip mid-match more than any technical flaw. Fresh overgrip every match if you can — it's the $3 fix nobody budgets for.

We started Baseline Tennis Co. because too much "tennis gear" online is either mass-market beginner stuff or pro gear with zero guidance on setup. If you're a junior or college player gearing up for the season, happy to help you think through tension/grip/string choices even if you don't buy from us.