Tennis backpack vs the regular one

A

aadi007

Rookie
Hi,

I am planning to buy a tennis bag or backpack.
I am more inclined towards a backpack as it seems more compact and convenient. Also, a backpack can be used for other purpose as well.

I am trying to understand what's the big difference between a normal backpack and a tennis backpack apart from may be the separate shoe compartment. I carry only 2 rackets and I was able to accomodate them along with bottle, towels, wristbands and ball cans in a regular backpack. The rackets didn't seem very secure though and I am not happy with the zippers scratching the handle of the racket. But, it seems to be that the same issue is there with tennis backpacks as well.

Am I missing something?
 
R

Rentaroo

New User
I don't think you're missing anything. I used a laptop backpack for a couple months, then purchased the TW backpack for $10.00. It's very nice and the price is perfect.
 
A

aadi007

Rookie
Rentaroo said:
I don't think you're missing anything. I used a laptop backpack for a couple months, then purchased the TW backpack for $10.00. It's very nice and the price is perfect.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Do you notice any significant different between the TW backpack and the laptop one?
 
L

LapsedNoob

Professional
If you aren't limiting yourself to a tennis backpack you can go as large or as small as your needs require.

There's a teen who plays at the local park who simply uses a Nike drawstring sack to bring shoes, balls, and one racquet to practice.
 
A

aadi007

Rookie
^^
Agreed. I think the tennis bag is more of a 'show-off' thing.. unless you are a pro or travelling a lot playing tournaments.

You need towel, balls, water , bands/ cap? along with a racket or 2 when you go out to play. All these can be easily accommodated in a decent sized backpack or other sorts of bags which you might be already having. Don't see any need to buy another backpack for tennis only.

Also, the cheap tennis backpacks are likely to have inferior quality than the laptop backpacks you already have.
Plus, some of them don't even have a proper bottle holder.

For pros or semi-pros who are competing regularly, it makes a lot of sense to buy a kit bag exclusively for tennis.
 
Last edited:
tennis4me

tennis4me

Hall of Fame
I used to have a tennis backpack. I retired it since it broke. Does anyone remember whether those tennis backpacks have any special zipper that will prevent it from opening (due to the racquets sliding left/right)? Is there a special zipper mechanism that locks down to prevent the zipper from opening?
 
R

Rentaroo

New User
"Thanks, Do you notice any significant different between the TW backpack and the laptop one?"

The laptop bag was made of sturdier material than the TW bag, but due to the design, I was not able to carry as much stuff.

The TW bag is very nice. There are multiple pockets for storing items of all sizes, two racquets, multiple cans of balls, towels, extra grips...

I've had mine for about a year now and it's proven durable.
 
R

Rentaroo

New User
tennis4me said:
I used to have a tennis backpack. I retired it since it broke. Does anyone remember whether those tennis backpacks have any special zipper that will prevent it from opening (due to the racquets sliding left/right)? Is there a special zipper mechanism that locks down to prevent the zipper from opening?
Click to expand...


Hello,

The TW bag has two straps that prevent the racquets from moving around. One strap is about two inches wide and goes through the throat area of both racquets, then secures to a compartment divider with Velcro. The second strap is about 1/4 inch wide and is made of elastic material. This strap has a quick release clip on one end. The strap wraps around the racquet handles and then secures with the clip. The racquets do not move when both straps are used.
 
tennis4me

tennis4me

Hall of Fame
Rentaroo said:
Hello,

The TW bag has two straps that prevent the racquets from moving around. One strap is about two inches wide and goes through the throat area of both racquets, then secures to a compartment divider with Velcro. The second strap is about 1/4 inch wide and is made of elastic material. This strap has a quick release clip on one end. The strap wraps around the racquet handles and then secures with the clip. The racquets do not move when both straps are used.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info. Looks like the TW bag may secure the racquet better not to move around. I've used a regular backpack (laptop backpack) before. The inside compartment has velcro strap in the middle, so the racquet has to be slanted to the side. The zipper moves around a lot and at some point can have large opening into the bag. i.e. not good.
 
eelhc

eelhc

Hall of Fame
aadi007 said:
^^
Agreed. I think the tennis bag is more of a 'show-off' thing.. unless you are a pro or travelling a lot playing tournaments.

You need towel, balls, water , bands/ cap? along with a racket or 2 when you go out to play. All these can be easily accommodated in a decent sized backpack or other sorts of bags which you might be already having. Don't see any need to buy another backpack for tennis only.

Also, the cheap tennis backpacks are likely to have inferior quality than the laptop backpacks you already have.
Plus, some of them don't even have a proper bottle holder.

For pros or semi-pros who are competing regularly, it makes a lot of sense to buy a kit bag exclusively for tennis.
Click to expand...

Well one has to keep their gear in something... If you have a bag that you're not using that can be re-purposed for tennis use... fine. But to make these broad statements?

  • " the tennis bag is more of a 'show-off' thing.. unless you are a pro or traveling a lot playing tournaments."
  • "For pros or semi-pros who are competing regularly, it makes a lot of sense to buy a kit bag exclusively for tennis."
I bought a thermal lined, $30 6 pack bag with a separate shoe compartment. 3 years and still going strong... probably last another 3~5 easy. I'm definately not "showing off"...

Laptop Backpacks? generally I find them too expensive for tennis use.

Of course... I could throw everything in a grocery bag and bring it to my matches too.
 
C

casaar

New User
best bet is to go to your local ross and look at the sport bags, usually there are a lot of athletic basketball bags that work fine for tennis and are fairly cheap
 
A

aadi007

Rookie
eelhc said:
Well one has to keep their gear in something... If you have a bag that you're not using that can be re-purposed for tennis use... fine. But to make these broad statements?

  • " the tennis bag is more of a 'show-off' thing.. unless you are a pro or traveling a lot playing tournaments."
  • "For pros or semi-pros who are competing regularly, it makes a lot of sense to buy a kit bag exclusively for tennis."
I bought a thermal lined, $30 6 pack bag with a separate shoe compartment. 3 years and still going strong... probably last another 3~5 easy. I'm definately not "showing off"...

Laptop Backpacks? generally I find them too expensive for tennis use.

Of course... I could throw everything in a grocery bag and bring it to my matches too.
Click to expand...

Okay, may be you need it.
Can you tell me why you need to carry all your tennis gear to the court?
Normally, people tend to have backpacks for laptop or travelling which can be used for tennis pretty easily. That was my point.
If you have to buy something new, may be a tennis backpack makes sense.

What's the use of thermal lined? To keep drinks cool?
LOL! I can use a normal bag to keep my bottle of water. I don't need fancy stuff like thermal lined.
Shoe compartment? I have heard that a lot in these forums. Why I can't just wear my tennis show and go to the courts? Tennis shoes have pretty hard soles and are durable. So what's the problem?
Unless, you are talking of special shoes which I am not aware of!

Look, my point is simple - I think it's better to focus on the game and your technique rather than stuff like bags. In these forums, people focus a lot on equipments which I feel is useless. What we need to do is put more hours on the courts. Peace out!
 
eelhc

eelhc

Hall of Fame
aadi007 said:
Okay, may be you need it.
Can you tell me why you need to carry all your tennis gear to the court?
Normally, people tend to have backpacks for laptop or travelling which can be used for tennis pretty easily. That was my point.
If you have to buy something new, may be a tennis backpack makes sense.

What's the use of thermal lined? To keep drinks cool?
LOL! I can use a normal bag to keep my bottle of water. I don't need fancy stuff like thermal lined.
Shoe compartment? I have heard that a lot in these forums. Why I can't just wear my tennis show and go to the courts? Tennis shoes have pretty hard soles and are durable. So what's the problem?
Unless, you are talking of special shoes which I am not aware of!

Look, my point is simple - I think it's better to focus on the game and your technique rather than stuff like bags. In these forums, people focus a lot on equipments which I feel is useless. What we need to do is put more hours on the courts. Peace out!
Click to expand...
I think maybe you should research and learn a few things before stating unimformed opinions.

Thermally lined compartments so the strings don't lose tension or natural gut doesn't pop while in the bag.

Separate shoe compartments so one can wear more comfortable shoes to/from matches. Tennis shoes provide cushioning and support but they aren't the most comfortable shoes. A lot of folks wear sandals or more comfortable shoes before and after the match. One can also put sweat drenched shirts and towels in the shoe compartment so it doesn't stink up everything else.

I don't carry all my tennis gear to the court but in my bag are at least 2 racquets (same racquets + strings, set up with different tension), tennis shoes, towels, overgrips, water bottle and a small first aid kit. For matches I also bring extra shirts/change of clothes, food (energy bars, banana...)... many times I'll get a quick shower after a match before drinks/food or driving home (don't like to do it sweaty and covered with har-Tru).

I could use my laptop backpack but that means I have to empty it out and put my tennis stuff in it before playing and reverse the process afterwards. If one going to have another bag for tennis, why not a tennis bag? Also, one has to store their gear somewhere at home. Also, laptop backpacks cost as much/more than tennis bags. My 6 pack bag with a thermal lined and separate shoe compartments + bunch of other pockets cost $30.

If the OP has an extra backpack to use for tennis, it'll be fine but there are a number of benefits of having a purpose built bag for tennis... and "showing off" is not high on that list for bulk of the people I play tennis with.

I guess I fall in the category that spend time thinking about tennis equipment automatically since I have a high end lockout/crank stringing machine, a bunch of frames, strings+overgrips to last several years.... and a $30 tennis bag. But this doesn't mean my game suffers because of it... and I'm well beyond the age where I'm showing off anything.
 
A

aadi007

Rookie
eelhc said:
I think maybe you should research and learn a few things before stating unimformed opinions.

Thermally lined compartments so the strings don't lose tension or natural gut doesn't pop while in the bag.

Separate shoe compartments so one can wear more comfortable shoes to/from matches. Tennis shoes provide cushioning and support but they aren't the most comfortable shoes. A lot of folks wear sandals or more comfortable shoes before and after the match. One can also put sweat drenched shirts and towels in the shoe compartment so it doesn't stink up everything else.

I don't carry all my tennis gear to the court but in my bag are at least 2 racquets (same racquets + strings, set up with different tension), tennis shoes, towels, overgrips, water bottle and a small first aid kit. For matches I also bring extra shirts/change of clothes, food (energy bars, banana...)... many times I'll get a quick shower after a match before drinks/food or driving home (don't like to do it sweaty and covered with har-Tru).

I could use my laptop backpack but that means I have to empty it out and put my tennis stuff in it before playing and reverse the process afterwards. If one going to have another bag for tennis, why not a tennis bag? Also, one has to store their gear somewhere at home. Also, laptop backpacks cost as much/more than tennis bags. My 6 pack bag with a thermal lined and separate shoe compartments + bunch of other pockets cost $30.

If the OP has an extra backpack to use for tennis, it'll be fine but there are a number of benefits of having a purpose built bag for tennis... and "showing off" is not high on that list for bulk of the people I play tennis with.

I guess I fall in the category that spend time thinking about tennis equipment automatically since I have a high end lockout/crank stringing machine, a bunch of frames, strings+overgrips to last several years.... and a $30 tennis bag. But this doesn't mean my game suffers because of it... and I'm well beyond the age where I'm showing off anything.
Click to expand...

OK, thanks for educating.

If you care about string losing tension in a normal backpack or bag and you need a thermally lined compartment to prevent that, you are definitely not the normal recreational player. Going by your gear and the attention to detail and the equipment you have, you should have been a pro or close to one. If not, huge wastage I would say :)
Tennis shoes can't be used for walking to the court - are they so uncomfortable? Are you walking miles to reach the court?
Seriously, I don't understand. I normally walk a quarter mile to the court. Never felt any problems.

As someone said, most recreational players who play well don't care about things like string losing tension in the bag :)
Focus more on your technique and less on thermally lined compartment - that's what I feel.
Some people may focus more on bags, strings, overgrips, dampeners, may be which tennis towel to use etc etc.

Anyways, I am yet to see any major benefits of using a separate tennis backpack exclusively.
I don't need a separate shoe compartment or thermally lined whatever.
I will check out if the backpacks offer a better locking mechanism for keeping the racquets secured and in place.
 
Last edited:
eelhc

eelhc

Hall of Fame
aadi007 said:
OK, thanks for educating.

If you care about string losing tension in a normal backpack or bag and you need a thermally lined compartment to prevent that, you are definitely not the normal recreational player. Going by your gear and the attention to detail and the equipment you have, you should have been a pro or close to one. If not, huge wastage I would say :)
Tennis shoes can't be used for walking to the court - are they so uncomfortable? Are you walking miles to reach the court?
Seriously, I don't understand. I normally walk a quarter mile to the court. Never felt any problems.

As someone said, most recreational players who play well don't care about things like string losing tension in the bag :)
Focus more on your technique and less on thermally lined compartment - that's what I feel.
Some people may focus more on bags, strings, overgrips, dampeners, may be which tennis towel to use etc etc.

Anyways, I am yet to see any major benefits of using a separate tennis backpack exclusively.
I don't need a separate shoe compartment or thermally lined whatever.
I will check out if the backpacks offer a better locking mechanism for keeping the racquets secured and in place.
Click to expand...
Although I've only been playing a short while, in my experience through a few years and dozens of league and USTA matches is that just about every "normal recreational player" has a bag dedicated exclusively for tennis... and I don't live in a hotbed of tennis by any means.

The string forum is one of the most active on this BB with tension maintenance a very heavily duscussed topic.

A set of natural gut strings can cost $40 or more plus the cost to string but the tension maintenance + comfort is the best so in the end it's more econmical and ideal for the recreational player. Are people too preoccupied with gear for wanting to protect and prevent their expensive string jobs from snapping?

I spend far more time, effort and money focusing on my technique than my gear. A tennis bag is one of the least expensive items of any tennis gear I own. I spend more on a single 1-1/2 hour lesson or group clinic than I did on my Tennis bag which will easily last at least 5-6 years.

If one has another bag that can be repurposed for tennis, no issue/problem. There are benefits to a purpose built tennis bag for the normal recreational player.
 
M

Maui19

Hall of Fame
aadi007 said:
Okay, may be you need it.
Can you tell me why you need to carry all your tennis gear to the court?
Normally, people tend to have backpacks for laptop or travelling which can be used for tennis pretty easily. That was my point.
If you have to buy something new, may be a tennis backpack makes sense.

What's the use of thermal lined? To keep drinks cool?
LOL! I can use a normal bag to keep my bottle of water. I don't need fancy stuff like thermal lined.
Shoe compartment? I have heard that a lot in these forums. Why I can't just wear my tennis show and go to the courts? Tennis shoes have pretty hard soles and are durable. So what's the problem?
Unless, you are talking of special shoes which I am not aware of!

Look, my point is simple - I think it's better to focus on the game and your technique rather than stuff like bags. In these forums, people focus a lot on equipments which I feel is useless. What we need to do is put more hours on the courts. Peace out!
Click to expand...

It seems silly to ask a question when you already have your mind made up about the answer.
 
millicurie999

millicurie999

Semi-Pro
aadi007 said:
The rackets didn't seem very secure though and I am not happy with the zippers scratching the handle of the racket. But, it seems to be that the same issue is there with tennis backpacks as well.

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

No to the bold part.

A properly designed tennis backpack (e.g., the older Adidas barricade backpack which I owned) has a specific compartment for racquets with a horizontal strip+buckle that goes through the throat of the racquets so that they would stay upright and not slide to the side (which would happen with a regular backpack zipper scenario as you said).
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
IF TW still has their brand packs, you owe it to yourself to buy one, or two.
I went two, the most versatile backpacks I've ever owned, with multiple pockets, solid straps, and unreal pricing.
 
S

snowpuppy

Semi-Pro
It depends on the need. If you are driving or walking to your court, your best bet is your traditional racquet bag. But if you take public transportation a lot to your courts then backpack might be better. I am the latter so I've tested a few configurations. Most of the backpacks with zippers suffer from same problem you've mentions. Backpacks with drawstring tops are actually your best bet (not those cheap ones they pretty much give out, but a legit backpack). Sad to say this design if very rare but in my experience they are very good for the job. Finally there was one backpack design from Yonex that shapes like a rectangle that covers the entire length of the racquet. I have it and love it. Sad to say they only had this on TW for a limited design and I don't know why there aren't more of this awesome design.
 
T

texacali

Rookie
I got a tennis specific backpack on an auction site, brand new with tags and it is my preferred when I am carrying only two rackets. It is a Wilson and it looks like a Tennis Channel promo piece because the logo is on the back. It has two separate head shaped zip up racket pockets with a buckle/strap that you can slip through the throats to keep them centered. For ten bucks it was a good deal.
 
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