10 Practical (Yet Quality) Tennis
Gifts Guys Will Love
10 Practical (Yet Quality) Tennis Gifts Guys Will Love
It’s gift-giving time, and you have the task of shopping for the man who loves tennis, yet it seems he has everything.
Every guy is different, but one thing is certain: we like quality tennis gifts we can use and that have a purpose.
If you’re not a tennis fan or you don’t have experience in this area, that’s completely okay because I’m here to help, and I’ve taken the guesswork out of finding the perfect gift.
In addition to providing you with a list of practical gifts for guys, I’ll run you through how to determine which is best for that specific tennis player on your list.
Finding The Perfect Gift
The goal here is to ensure you get the perfect gift for any occasion, including Father’s Day, birthdays, or Christmas, without needing to know too much about the sport.
To start, you’ll want to do a little reconnaissance and learn a few minor details about their current tennis gear.
Without being too conspicuous, find out what the tennis player on your shopping list already has. Chances are, they already have what they need to play the game, but that doesn’t mean they’re in love with their current tennis gear.
Maybe their tennis bag is outdated, or their shoes are wearing and starting to fall apart. Look for the little details.
Often, men enjoy gifts that they can use – functional items. If it’s going to improve their skills or make their time on the court a little more enjoyable, it’s safe to assume that they’re going to love it.
While you're here, I wanted to let you know I recently published a gentle 10-minute dynamic tennis warmup that I think you'd enjoy. It's perfect for priming your body before playing to reduce injury and enhance your performance on the court.
You can check out the videos here. If it's not your thing, I totally get it, but my readers have asked me for it, so I thought you'd enjoy it, too.
Enjoy the rest of the article!
My 10 Favorite Gifts
Here’s a breakdown of my top 10 tennis gift ideas for men.
Geau Sport Axiom Racquet Bag
If they’ve got a tennis bag, but it’s tattered and dated, or they don’t have an official racquet bag, and they’re using an old backpack to carry all their gear onto the court, this could be the perfect gift.
This isn’t just a single racquet bag; it’s designed to easily hold up to nine, making it a perfect tennis gift for the serious player. Since most tennis players don’t own nine racquets, they can use this additional storage space for all their extra tennis gear.
Here are a few features that I love about this bag:
- Clean design with minimal branding
- Excellent storage capacity
- Creative organizational features
- Generous ventilated shoe compartment
- Premium durable materials
- Practical upright free-standing design
- Useful hanging hook for fence
Of course, the Geau Sport Axiom Racquet bag is as stylish as it is versatile and functional.
Whether the player in your life is a beginner or a veteran with years of experience, it’s hard to go wrong with a tennis bag. Especially one that has all the bells and whistles.
Gamma Progression ST II Stringing Machine
Stringing machines are an excellent gift for serious tennis players who require frequent string replacement and love to fine-tune their racquets.
While there’s no doubt that a stringing machine is a luxury for most players, they’re also incredibly practical. Here are three great reasons to invest in a stringer as a gift:
- Save time: by not having to drop off and pick up his racquet for restringing
- Save money: by avoiding the service fee that comes with a fresh string job
- Performance: he’ll be able to more readily try out new strings and various tensions to fine-tune performance and know that he always has a consistent string job
I’ve been using a Gamma Progression stringing machine for years, strung hundreds of racquets, and it’s still in great shape. My favorite time to string racquets is while watching tennis or listening to one of my favorite podcasts.
In college, it was also a useful skill-set to have. I could keep my strings fresh and help my teammates out, restring their racquets and earning a few bucks a pop in the process.
The one thing to keep in mind is whether stringing will feel like a burden or not. For starters, there’s a learning curve. Beyond that, some players will feel like restringing is a burden and would rather drop it off and have someone else do it.
With that in mind, be sure to get a feel for whether he’d enjoy the idea. Assuming that’s the case, if you’re in a position to spring for a stringing machine, there aren’t many better gifts you can buy.
Silver Tennis Cufflinks
If inspecting the details on stringing machines or selecting the perfect racquet bag isn’t up your alley, that’s okay: I completely get it.
You can go with something tennis-themed that still serves a purpose, and in this case, it’s making him look sharp in his dress attire.
These cufflinks are subtle elements of their evening attire that allow them to show off a bit of personality. As an added benefit, the entire design is brass and plated with steel – free of nickel, cadmium, and lead to avoid skin irritation.
Honey Bear, the makers of these, even offer a 90-day money-back satisfaction guarantee to ensure the gift hits the mark.
These cufflinks would work as a gift for an anniversary or serve as a thoughtful novelty tennis gift for him.
Swing Vision Tennis App
There is a wide range of apps for tennis. However, few hold a candle to the power of Swing Vision, which automatically tracks a player’s matches to provide AI-driven highlights, detailed stats and scoring, and line-calling functionality.
Currently available for iPhones, the app is easy to set up and use, bringing pro-level tracking and analysis to the masses.
Winning Ugly by Brad Gilbert
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s on my list of best tennis books for a reason. This book is a must-read regardless of the player’s current skill level.
It’s not just a simple overview; it’s in-depth, practical information that helps a player understand opportunities for increasing the likelihood of winning a match.
One of my favorite parts about the book is that it’s incredibly actionable, and most of his strategies and tactics can be used without even having to step foot on a court.
If you’re not familiar with Brad, he was a top 5 tennis player who consistently outclassed players with significantly more natural talent than him, and with his book, he can help you do the same. These days, Brad is a popular commentator for the ATP tour.
Newer players will benefit from Winning Ugly, but even seasoned tennis players with years of experience have something to learn from Brad Gilbert’s advice.
Sursip Insulated Gallon Water Bottle
It gets hot out there. The tennis court can be unforgiving; unfortunately, bringing a plastic one-gallon jug doesn’t cut it. This gallon water bottle is far more practical due to its temperature control.
The Sursip water bottle keeps any drink cold for hours, whether in the shade or direct sun. One gallon is plenty to get through an entire match without running dry. I can’t underscore the importance of hydration enough for a player to perform at the top of their game.
Players who find water too bland can pour or mix in their favorite drink to keep it cold.
Sursip makes this one-gallon stainless steel water bottle with triple insulation and a vacuum seal. Its durable handle makes it easy to carry, and its screw top and large opening make cleaning it a breeze – it even comes with a handy scrub brush to get the job done.
Give the gift of hydration with this rugged water bottle.
Gamma Pressureless Tennis Ball Bucket
What’s the big deal with pressureless tennis balls? They’re great for practice and reduce the cost of continually replacing pressurized tennis balls.
Pressurized tennis balls are more common and standard for match play, but their lifespan is surprisingly short. During the French Open, it’s estimated that 50,000 tennis balls are used as the pros swap them out after the first seven games and then after every nine games.
Pressureless tennis balls, on the other hand, can last for months without requiring replacement. In fact, most players will find the performance of pressureless tennis balls improves after they break in from playing with them for an hour or so.
If the person in your life is a casual player or weekend warrior who complains about continually having to pay for and replace their tennis balls, these can serve as a great gift.
Gexco Tennis Ball Saver
Well, speaking of pressurized tennis balls, this is designed to save them.
If they exclusively play with pressurized tennis balls, chances are they’re going through a lot of them. Again, they don’t have the longest lifespan.
Gexco made this handy little wonder to preserve them in a vacuum-sealed canister. This inexpensive tennis gift is ultralight, portable, and easily fits into their racket bag.
Players who are serious about tennis will spend a few hundred a year on pressurized tennis balls. What’s a better gift than giving someone the ability to save their hard-earned money?
This ball saver isn’t a one-off item that gets used and then tossed; they can use this tennis ball saver for years to come, so it serves as an excellent investment.
TennisCompanion Vibration Dampeners
Vibration dampeners are small rubber racquet add-ons that reduce the ping noise that you might be familiar with when a tennis ball comes in contact with the strings of a racquet.
There isn’t any evidence to support these reduce shock to a player’s arm, but they’ll most enhance the sound and feel of a racquet, which many players prefer.
This pack comes with four, so even if the player in your life has multiple tennis racquets, you’ll have them covered.
It’s a practical gift, and each dampener is set to last for years. Made of highly durable rubber, they’ll retain their function as they’re continually installed and removed for players that restring frequently.
Hammer Crown Frescobol Paddle Ball Set
Tennis is a fun sport; there’s no doubt about that. However, imagine how much fun it would be if the man in your life could bring his passion for racquet sports to the beach.
With that Hammer Crown Fescobol Paddle Set, you can make it a reality and ensure he hits the beach in style with this beautiful set of two wooden paddles made from pine, Sapele, and beach wood.
Each paddle weighs 11-13 ounces, which is reasonable considering its wood construction. Plus, they’re 7.5 inches shorter than your standard tennis racquet, so they’re highly maneuverable.
What I love most about this gift is that beach paddles aren’t something most players will have on their wishlist. However, they’ll love this unique gift if they enjoy tennis, the beach, or downtime at a local park.
Personalized Gifts
Here are two ideas that are both thoughtful and functional.
Custom Wilson Racquet
If you’re after something more customized, I have a few fresh gift ideas up my sleeve.
One tennis gift that I love is a custom Wilson racket. Wilson is one of the most popular tennis brands out there, and currently, they allow you to customize five different models, including the Pro Staff, Clash, Burn, Blade, and Ultra.
Customization of racquets includes the color of the frame, decals, bumper and grommets, Wilson logo, grip size, color, and a personalized message within the throat.
Nike by You Shoes
It’s hard to go wrong with gifting a player a new pair of kicks, but you can take your gift up a notch with custom Nike by You shoes.
Here, you don’t need much more than their favorite colors, what shoe size they wear, and a bit of creativity. The entire Nike By You lineup is designed to be the ultimate way to enjoy comfortable, athletic footwear.
As of writing, their tennis shoes are unavailable for customization, but I expect this to be on the horizon. For now, a stylish pair of lifestyle shoes will have to do the trick. My favorites include the Nike Air Max 90 and Air Force 1 Mid.
The level of customization is unreal, and you can have a ton of fun creating your design. If you’re looking for some hints, do a quick search for men’s lifestyle shoes on Pinterest to get some ideas.
A New Racquet Or Strings
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention giving a tennis racquet or strings as a potential gift idea.
While they may not be the most creative gift, they’re both practical, worthwhile and a relatively safe choice. Check out My guides on the best racquets and tennis strings to point yourself in the right direction.
Wrapping Up
How well do you know the tennis player on your list? If you can, take some time to learn about their gear and preferences, which will go a long way to finding the perfect gift.
Hopefully, my list helps you find the perfect gift for any occasion. Have any other ideas for gifts not on my list? I’d love to hear in the comments below. When the time comes, be sure to check out my tennis gifts for women, too.
5-Point Friday
A brief recap of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about in tennis.
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