Topic 5 pieces on this page

Methodology.

Tennis string and racquet testing methodology: how we grade gear, our measurement protocols, and the lab standards behind honest reviews.

001
Playtest ·5 min · June 2026

How We Playtest Tennis Balls: The Protocol Behind the Verdict

We started with one ball, one tape measure, and a kitchen ladder. The protocol calls for dropping a ball from 254 centimeters onto a granite slab and reading the top of the rebound against a…

002
Racquets ·4 min · June 2026

How We Build a Tennis Racquet Review: The Playtest Methodology Behind the Verdict

Two frames of the same advertised model sat on the diagnostic bench last spring — a current-generation control frame and the version it replaced.

003
Methodology ·5 min · June 2026

How to Read a Tennis Shoe Review: The Hidden History of the "Court-Tested" Claim

Most of the gear writing you will read about court shoes inherited its vocabulary from a source nobody checks anymore.

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Methodology ·6 min · June 2026

How We Run a Tennis Shoe Review: The Testing Protocol Behind a Verdict You Can Trust

You are standing in a pro shop or hovering over a checkout page with a shoe that costs as much as eight sets of strings, and a question you have probably asked yourself before: how do I know the…

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Racquets ·5 min · May 2026

How We Built Our Tennis Racquet Review Protocol (And Why It Matters For Federer Fans)

One frame, one scale, one surprise The first thing we did with a brand-new Wilson Pro Staff RF97 v13 was put it on a jeweler's scale, unstrung, no overgrip, no dampener.