HELP US DESIGN A BETTER TENNIS BAG

Jtennis

New User
Alright so I'm doing a project for a tech class and it involves researching a problem and developing a solution. For our project we decided to try and design an improved tennis bag (if that's possible). If anyone could answer these questions it would greatly help us in developing our solution. If things go well we could use some of your input and keep you updated on our progress and hopefully the final product.

1. Do you use a separate tennis bag specifically to carry your racket? If not, what do you carry your racket in primarily?






2. If you use a specific bag, holder, or case what are the primary downfalls in its design? If you don’t have a bag, what would you look for in a bag as a new consumer?






3. What are common items that you bring to matches or feel are most helpful?
 
1. No, Racquets are in my tennis bag

2. I use a 12 racquet bag because I like the extra room. Downside is I usually carry 4 racquets at the most and tennis bags are generally designed around the racquet. So, well over half my bag i use for clothes, shoes, gear, etc is really designed for a racquet. It would almost be better if it was a hybrid of a tennis bag and back pack.

3. Gear- 4 racquets, string, over grips, shoes, sandals, extra clothes, sun block, water bottle, massage stick, deodorant, wristbands, grip lotion, hat, maybe a few other misc items
 
1. No
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2. My favorite bag has a stand on the bottom. It stands up like a golf bag.
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3. I too use a 12R bag. I carry 8 racquets (2x 4 different frames), shoes in shoe bag, 2 extra shirts, shorts, laundry bag, overgrips, towels, PROMiXX, water bottle.
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WisconsinPlayer

Professional
1. No, Racquets are in my tennis bag

2. I use a 12 racquet bag
Very left compartment (Heat/cool protection): I use this for 3-4 racquets and maybe a pack of strings
Middle Compartment: For towels, drinks. shoes, money, ball cans, hat, etc. It would be nice if this area was separated with dividers so everything didnt mix together and it would be easier to organize.
Right Compartment: I put clothes, grips, lotions, anything clean in here, it would be nice if this compartment had cool/heat protection as well so I could use it for drinks instead of the middle one.

3. Gear- 3-4 racquets, string, over grips, shoes, extra clothes, sun block, water bottles, string clipper, deodorant, wristbands, grip lotion, hat, ball cans, sunglasses, towels
 

scf

Semi-Pro
1. I carry racquets in my tennis backpack

2. I would like it to be larger. It's not that large (Babolat Aero VS Stars And Stripes) and shoes compartment actually consumes space of the main compartment. What I DO LIKE (and this was the important point in this backpack choice) is that it has a laptop compartment. Such a requirement might sound strange, but usually I play tennis right after work and I don't want to use separate bags for tennis items and laptop and other casual life stuff.

3. 2 racquets, overgrips, tennis shoes, tennis clothes, sometimes water (always during summer), sometimes a towel, sometimes balls, some food (bananas etc). For full day tournaments: thermos of tea, extra food and water/energy drink. A laptop on work days.
 

EaglesTennis

New User
I carry my racquets in the bag.

Also I use two different bags. Head tour team series for practice, Babolat Pure Aero 12 pack bag for tournaments.

5.0 College player. I use the backpack because carrying it to practice across campus is easier, and most of my stuff is in my locker, and i shouldnt need more than 3 frames for practice. 12 pack bag for tournaments and dual matches because it can hold all the towels, bottles, extra uniforms, resistance bands and wristbands, slides, and hats.

Only major downfall that I see in the backpack is the racquet compartment isnt climate controlled (the silver lining inside most big bags). And for the 12 pack the side compartments can fit 3 frames, but its hard to zip over the handles.

in my bag at least for a minimum practice is.

3 racquets, advil, mental notes, overgrips, scissors, jump rope, serving rope, wristbands, hat, pencils, deoderant, dampeners, towels, extra shirt and shorts, travel roller bar/stick, resistance band, tennis shoes, two bottles, slides
 
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Deleted member 742196

Guest
I really like this thread and can only hope that somehow whatever's discussed ends up becoming a final product. My biggest gripe with tennis is that the bags are absolutely crap for travel. Really, if you have to get on a flight for a holiday/vacation/business trip etc, its impossible not to carry a separate tennis bag for the rackets.

I would LOVE:

  • Proper luggage bag [4 wheels Tumi or Remova type] bag that had a compartment for 2 standard 27" rackets.
  • Proper luggage bag had a compartment for my tennis shoes.
  • Accompanying sac for day trips to the courts.

You see all sorts of awesome luggage for golf, how is it possible that we don't have any decent luggage? Honestly the crap out there is either too unsightly, or totally unfunctional for travel. The bags we're limited to mostly are specifically for use to/from tennis courts, I don't need to cart a 6 or 9 or 12 racket bag to the court, a gym sac with my 2 rackets are fine. But unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any really well designed luggage for flights, so I have no choice but to carry a 6 bag thing for my two rackets while travelling.
 

mmk

Hall of Fame
1 - Racquets in my 6 racquet Pacific Basalt-X bag
2 - The only problem with my bag is that it is being used by someone who isn't very good
3 - Besides the climate-controlled racquet pockets on each side, there is a roughly racquetball-racquet sized side pocket in which I keep my keys, wallet, phone, TE strap, tissues, and other small stuff. The big center portion has room for two ASO ankle braces, two knee braces, a 20 oz bottle, a pair of pants/sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a can or two of balls, and a bunch of other stuff. I play indoors in the cold months, and having room for the pants & sweatshirt was the main reason for going with a big bag.

If you're doing a requirements analysis, I'd list the following:
  • Durability (tough material, good zippers, etc.)
  • Comfortability (e.g., padded shoulder straps)
  • Room for really large racquet heads and extended length racquets
  • Climate control
  • Separate compartments for non-racquet large and small items
 

Booger

Hall of Fame
Cool project. Keep us updated.

1. I carry a tennis bag with 2-4 racquets, like most players.

2. Downfalls -
  1. UGLY - 99% of tennis bags look like motocross gear or running shoes. I want a more understated design.
  2. Not enough interior pockets. I carry a lot of crap and most of it ends up collecting in a large pile like in grandma's purse. It'd be great to have lots of little pockets to keep organized.
  3. Only 1 insulated compartment
3. 2 cans of balls, grips, energy bars, wallet/keys/phone, 2 water bottles, hat, etc.
 
1. Do you use a separate tennis bag specifically to carry your racket? If not, what do you carry your racket in primarily?
- I do use my tennis bag to carry my raquets. But I have two, a big 12pack-like for days when I'd be out on the court for the whole day. So I can have a change of clothes and etc if necessary.
- Otherwise, for a 2hour practice, just a backpack.

2. If you use a specific bag, holder, or case what are the primary downfalls in its design? If you don’t have a bag, what would you look for in a bag as a new consumer?
- Currently using last generation's Wilson RF Elite 12pack bag. Biggest gripe is the length of the bag, it's almost JUST right for a racquet. But because of that, quick grab and shoving racquets into the compartment can be bit of a pain. Also, the square-ish design is extremely bulky. Damn near impossible to close a door with smacking it against something.
- I'd like my next bag to be slightly lengthier to address the issue above. Most importantly though, I would like my next bag to have more individual compartments. A bag with several large compartments make getting quick grab items such as keys, wallet, phone, and etc. a pain. I hate having to slush my hand around the compartment just to get a small item like my keys.
- Also, a cooler-like compartment for water. I like to keep my water separate from everything else because there's always a chance of leakage.

3. What are common items that you bring to matches or feel are most helpful?
- Extra grips
- Sunscreen
- Change of clothes
 

Jtennis

New User
Thank you everyone, this is all great input and we will try to incorporate as much of this as possible into our final product.
 
Thank you everyone, this is all great input and we will try to incorporate as much of this as possible into our final product.

Also, accessories and "quick-grab" pockets/compartments should be on the outside! Not inside like all these manufacturers are doing.

I'm sure considerable market research into internalizing accessory pockets, mostly for aesthetics probably. But I'm sorry, when you have to dig out all of your crap, and slush your hands around inside a huge compartment to gain access to your keys and stuff, there's nothing "quick" about that.

Also, most of the time, if you have to open up your main compartment, that means you'd have to put the bag down. Again, nothing "quick" about that.
 

Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
The length is important to me. I hate forcing rackets into a bag that they fit but the zipper doesn't go far enough. I always go for the longest bag I can get.

This is my biggest gripe too... so I went with a backpack, but I prefer my sticks to be totally enclosed, not sticking out the top.

Other gripe is most of the bags for 6 or more racquets have all the extra pockets and stuff. Many of us only bring 2 sticks, so only need a 2/3 stick bag, but still want the extra pockets and insulators and such.
 
Oh I forgot something....
Big want... DETACHABLE shoulder straps! Nothing worse than having to put your bag down so it is laying on the straps.
 

swizzy

Hall of Fame
take a look at the nike court tech 1 tennis backpack... make it with one interior zippered compartment in the main section... probably on the bottom where there is a 6 inch recessed section below the zipper.. this compartment should be rigid so it would give the bag even more structure.. better yet, make this "lunchbox type compartment" removable. the bag is just about perfect as is.. just would be nice to have a sealable pouch to keep items isolated inside the center compartment. this bag holds 8 rackets max. and that is fine for 95% of us. the bottom should also be made with more rubber since it spends much of its time sitting on it's bottom. a built in hook for hanging on a fence would be nice as well. i altered my bag with all the above features... and i love it. i had a zippered bag that my ryobi cordless drill kit came in.. fits perfectly in the area i mentioned. added a nice hook and beefed up the underside with more rigid rubber in the front adjacent to the rubber feet it comes with so the bottom doesn't get torn up.. still looks brand new despite being a year old and used 4 times a week
 

shamaho

Professional
My biggest problem with tennis bags is their screeming colours and logos... yuck ! I don't get paid to advertise for them, I already paid them to use their stuff...

Tecnifibre had a Pro collection where the logo was small and acceptable in an almost all black bag - great!
Nike now has that subdued black on gray or something like that which I love except for their steep price... Iwon't be paying that amount of money for a colour scheme...

Other than those two models (one of which is gone)... all others are trying to outscream the competition...
 

Noah Swift

Rookie
  1. I carry my rackets in my Pure Aero 12 racket bag.
  2. I wish the rackets were a bit more protected, maybe a more rigid shell around the outsides.
  3. Usually I have two rackets, sunscreen, headbands, wristbands, my shoes, a jacket, a pullover, a water bottle, a jump rope, balls, and my uniform(on match days).
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Hard-top racket-shaped box for travel which can hold up to 4 rackets and has a single opening with TSA lock. No need for space to carry shoes, balls etc which can be placed with other luggage.
 

loosegroove

Hall of Fame
A bag that can act as a bench. You know, so I can have my bag on a bench and don't have people asking me to put the bag on the ground. If you know what I mean...... ;)

If your bag is a bench, and people put their bags on benches, then you're just asking for people to put their bags on top of yours?
 
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Chadillac

Guest
Dont make the inside bottom black, after being in the bright sun i cant find anything.

All my stuff is in my bag.

Old wilson 12 pack. Rackets / stuff holder / rackets / thin carry section. I like the little pockets on the outside of other bags. Can put your phone, keys in other stuff. Maybe 8*8 (would have to measure)

Rackets, towels, shirts, socks, umbrella, grip tape, other tape and a few braces and straps.

Has to have backpack straps, love those things
 

srvnvly

Hall of Fame
1. Do you use a separate tennis bag specifically to carry your racket? If not, what do you carry your racket in primarily? No, I buy the largest tennis bag I can - currently a Wilson 15-pack bag - to fit all of my stuff, including tennis racquets.

2. If you use a specific bag, holder, or case what are the primary downfalls in its design? If you don’t have a bag, what would you look for in a bag as a new consumer? Primary downfalls are cheap zippers/zippers getting getting stuck on the bag material. Also, carrying straps should go on the bottom of the bag, not the top.

3. What are common items that you bring to matches or feel are most helpful? Extra clothing and shoes (in winter, I will wear one pair to the court, then switch to a pair I have in my bag for actual play), extra racquets, overgrips, athletic tape and bandaids; I have multiple string sets in case I need to drop off all my racquets with a stringer; multiple cans of tennis balls.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
All in all I think bags are fine they way they are with the exception that some have shoulder straps on the bottom, which causes them to get filthy on clay or dirty hard courts. Shoulder straps on top solve this issue, but the straps can get in the way of getting into the bag. A minor quibble, though.
 

Alien

Hall of Fame
Some futuristic ideas:

So many pockets I often forget to close them all and then some stuff is on the floor. Very dangerous with phones and wallets. A kind of alarm if a zipper is not closed and I am putting it over my shoulders?

A special exterior pocket for phone and/or wallet?

Keys as well, I never know where I left it. Or shades, I left it where? Any help to organise it and know where is what?

Clay makes all of them dirty, any way to avoid it?

Straps: they should losen automatically when I leave it in the bench, but then automatically tighten once it is back on my back.

Some alarm if I leave overnight my dirty clothes in the special bag inside without emptying it.

Special straps for bottles? I leave them inside and then not that easy to find them (again).

I use three racquets. I usually put them in one of the side sections. Now, I always check the wrong one. Perhaps a number #1 and #2 on each, then learn I always use the 1.
 

Jtennis

New User
Great stuff everybody. Keep it up. We are now looking up how to approach the sewing aspect of making this bag and are hoping to take a regular bag and making the necessary alterations to make our prototype due to the fact that none of us has the skill to make a bag from scratch.
 

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
1 big compartment for sticks. 2 or 3 largish compartments for shirts, socks, etc., 6 or 8 or 10 smallish outside compartments for accessories, medical kit, grip tapes, writs bands etc., keys wallet phone compartment separate.
attachment for external clip for a mesh bag for wet clothes EXTERNAL so it will dry out.

straps for backpack style carrying.

wheels nice but not essential.

outside compartments could have clear plastic so you can see what is inside. at the very least "foil" or red or some lighter color, never black.
 
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Deleted member 742196

Guest
This is my biggest gripe too... so I went with a backpack, but I prefer my sticks to be totally enclosed, not sticking out the top.

Other gripe is most of the bags for 6 or more racquets have all the extra pockets and stuff. Many of us only bring 2 sticks, so only need a 2/3 stick bag, but still want the extra pockets and insulators and such.

Totally agree with this. I hate the fact that there's really nothing for the 1-3 Tennis Racket traveller. Is a 2 racket comprehensive bag really that small of a market segment; I would actually think it's the biggest segment, few rec players I know bring a full 12 Bag for an hour or so of tennis. It's only pros and coaches that bring the huge bloody bags.

Backpacks are the worst designed honestly. Someone mentioned above, most of them are these horrible yellow or some neon funky colour.
 

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
loose-ish outside mesh pocket big enough for 1 pair shoes. could be an optional clip on if needed thing (dont always change shoes after play, esp if on a hard court)
 

11FlipRasta

New User
Alright so I'm doing a project for a tech class and it involves researching a problem and developing a solution. For our project we decided to try and design an improved tennis bag (if that's possible). If anyone could answer these questions it would greatly help us in developing our solution. If things go well we could use some of your input and keep you updated on our progress and hopefully the final product.

1. Do you use a separate tennis bag specifically to carry your racket? If not, what do you carry your racket in primarily?

No. 12-Racket Bag.

2. If you use a specific bag, holder, or case what are the primary downfalls in its design? If you don’t have a bag, what would you look for in a bag as a new consumer?

Perhaps dividers for each racket similiar to an accordian file, this will prevent rackets from rubbing up against each other causing scratches on the frame.

3. What are common items that you bring to matches or feel are most helpful?

Wraps, towels, keys, wallet, water bottles, tennis balls, clothes, shoes. And I'm partial to "back-pack" designs.
 
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SpinToWin

Talk Tennis Guru
1. Do you use a separate tennis bag specifically to carry your racket? If not, what do you carry your racket in primarily?

No, I use a 12 pack racquet bag from Wilson for all my tennis needs.

2. If you use a specific bag, holder, or case what are the primary downfalls in its design? If you don’t have a bag, what would you look for in a bag as a new consumer?

As others have mentioned, the main downfall of most racquet bags is a lack of separated main compartments for different usages. I'll have shoes, water, a change of clothes, wrist bands, etc. in the main compartment, which makes finding things quite annoying (as well as making things in the main compartment moe around when I'm on the move. Additionally, the practical needs of these things differ (clothes and shoe compartments should in some way be designed to resist odors I think, whereas beverage compartments should remain cool).

Another thing is that I'd like a hidden pocket within the compartments of the racquet bag, I'd feel safer if I could put my valuables into something like that.

Not all racquet bags have hard/rigid outer shells. Bags without them suck. The bag needs to be entirely full to keep its form, and if it's not full, then you can forget strapping the bag on your back (the bag keeps moving sideways and doesn't sit right).

I've heard from others with Babolat bags that plus length racquets don't fit (well), that should be important.

The holster length adjustment can be a bit of a pain to get right depending on the model. A better design should certainly be possible.

3. What are common items that you bring to matches or feel are most helpful?

Towels, wristbands, change of clothes, shoes, water, overgrips, balls, valuables (wallets, keys, cellphone), etc.
 

toby55555

Hall of Fame
Currently use a Tecnifibre ATP bag, older model with no thermal compartment.
I carry 4 rackets, towel, water, various support bandages just in case, first aid kit, sunshades, wallet, phone, iPad, can of balls and grips.

I would like accessory compartment to include sealed sub compartments, Velcro,or zipped
Strong zips a must.
 

WisconsinPlayer

Professional
Great stuff everybody. Keep it up. We are now looking up how to approach the sewing aspect of making this bag and are hoping to take a regular bag and making the necessary alterations to make our prototype due to the fact that none of us has the skill to make a bag from scratch.
When will we get to see it?
 

Jtennis

New User
When will we get to see it?
We have layout drawings of the components and we plan on adding them to an existing bag so that the quality will be decent. We are currently trying to refresh our sewing skills so that we can actually put it together well. Once we get our hands on a sewing machine we will be going fast so you can expect to see our finished product soon.
 

geubes

Rookie
There is a UK firm (WAAAAY overpriced, more for fashion) that tried something like this as a kickstarter https://www.epiruslondon.com/ some nice design and functional compartment layouts, if money were no option, I would have one for sure!

Thinking outside the box, why not come up with a modular design? Something like, you buy the outer-skin and then can fill it with different options for a modular layout (might be difficult to get rigidity in the bag, maybe some central spines). But then people could put in a 2-3-6 racket compartment, then an assortment of smaller zipped compartments order larger compartments for whatever they want.

Then I can use the same bag for different occasions and take out / replace the modules I don't need for that day, leave them at home and replace with more suitable.

I have both a backpack, a 6 racket and ALWAYS a bin liner to go over the bag when it rains. 95% of the time its just a backpack, 2 rackets, water, balls, sun glasses, hat, overgrips, towel. The rest starts on me from leaving the house. If I need to change / go from work, ill take the 6 racket bag and transfer the above plus clothes.
 

gdeangel

Rookie
It sounds like your well into your design phase, but I just read your post and it got em thinking... I use a traditional 3 compartment (2 insulated, 1 not) bag that I usually stuff with 2-3 rackets for play, and when it's in my garage it holds all 6 of my racquets. It has a shoe compartment which I never use because it's impossible to clean, poorly ventilated (or I'd probably store my tennis shoes in there). There is also an outside compartment for cell phone / i pod / etc. I have a couple towels, a tape measure (for checking net height), and some overgrip stuffed in there.

Basically the bag is my locker, and when I need to take it to play, I either end up grabbing a racquet out of it and go hit, or dump all the extra stuff out and take my gear if it's something where I'm likely to want more than just my racquet and the shoes on my feet, which is actually kinda rare for me. I'd say a lot of the guys I play with are like that -- show up with racquet in hand -- and way more of the women I play with actually bring the giant bag with them to the court, even through they also just play with one racquet.

I think the modular idea is great, so you can lock everything into your bag and basically have the complete locker set up for keeping everything in one place in the garage, but then detach the "minimalist player" part to grab and go.

In that vein, the most efficient bag I've used was actually for my daughter when she first started playing. It wasn't even a tennis bag - just a drawstring top canvas back pack (see example pic 1 A). It cost me < $15. I've seen one woman carry her gear in a similar setup using a fancy leather purse with the drawstring top to carry two racquets, tennis shoes and what a change of clothes (see pic 1B). I think leather or canvas gives enough padding to keep the racquet from getting chipped, but I wouldn't use nylon, which is what most of the drawstring equipment bags are made of (pic 1C). I've seen a lot of zipped racquet backpacks where the racquet sits on the outside (see example pic 2). That seems like a pain to get at the stuff that's in the backpack, and a good way to crack the yoke. I also bought her a typical racquet backpack (example 3) which she never uses because it only hold one racquet and she wants a backup racquet at every match.

Now I consider myself something of a bag nerd, by virtue of having bought what feels like a warehouse full of equipment bags for my kids various activities -- soccer bags, swim bags, softball bags, hockey bags, ski bags (both boot bags and board bags -- see example 4) and of course tennis bags.

I think a really neat design that I've never seen would be to make a mega-size 12 racquet bag on skate wheels, like a hockey bag or a snowboard bag, and have a sling strap also (because it should still be "light" enough to carry. Insulated compartments, separate shoe compartment with lots of ventilation, and then attached to the front of it, one of those 2-racquet grab and go rucksack bags that is also a backpack. That rucksack bag should hold 2-3 racquets, space to toss towels, overgrip and other tennis provisions in the main compartment, and also have an outside sleeve pocket to hold cell-phone, ear-buds, a few papers, etc. Also a handle on top to grip it by when lifting off the ground, and an elastic mesh side sleeve to hold a water bottle.

example 1A (like this,but with a drawstring top):
images


example 1B (not a tennis bag, but can be used as one - stands up on it's own nicely):
images


exmaple 1C (the cost cutting answer to racquet covers - include a "bag"):
images




example 2 (what is protecting the yoke of this racquet?):
images


example 3 (this could be attached as a module to a bigger bag like example 4):
images


example 4 (a good "locker" bag setup - shoes on top, insulated racquet sleeves accessed through the side, and the rest of the main area for towels, grip tape, clothes, etc ):
images
 
  1. No, Racquets are in my tennis bag
  2. I use a 12 racket bag. What I like these bags to have: Non black interior. Black interior makes it hard to see what is inside the bag. It should keep shape when nothing is inside it. I don't want any zip to touch the ground. Enough small spaces for things like mobile phone, keys, wallet, over-grips. Preferably a single big handle (Wilson bags don't have this, not absolutely necessary I must admit). High quality zips.
  3. Towel, bottle(s) with water, multiple rackets, cap, slippers / non-tennis shoes, tennis shoes, clothes.
 
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Mongolmike

Hall of Fame
THis thread has been pretty quite for awhile. How about an update, Jtennis.

Well, in post #34 he mentioned "once they get a sewing machine"... so... don't hold your breathe. Now I HOPE they are talking industrial type sewing machine, but still, nothing mass produced is going to be happening ANYTIME soon, that is clear.

I like the outreach for input and hope some of the big bag producers see this and take heed.
 

Sixpointone

Professional
Hi Jtennis,

I wanted to bump this thread to see if you might have an update on your project that greatly interests me.

Best,
John
 

stapletonj

Hall of Fame
bag really needs to have a mesh compartment where the mesh is exposed to outside air, perfect for putting sweaty shirts, so some drying can occur before getting home and throwing them in the laundry.

shoe pockets? meh. of course, you could make the "shoe pocket" exposed to outside air mesh and a little bigger and that would do the job!
 
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