Week 9 - ITF W25 - Tucuman, Argentina Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 9 - ITF W25 - Tucuman, Argentina Clay

emmsie69 · Top national player

Surely some adjustment can be made to the grip to enable her to actually hold it comfortably. Changing the lower part of the racket for Fran is no different to players having TUEs

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
Surely some adjustment can be made to the grip to enable her to actually hold it comfortably. Changing the lower part of the racket for Fran is no different to players having TUEs

According to an old Express article:

"Jones, who underwent multiple surgeries as a child, has three fingers and a thumb on each hand plays with a specially modified Wilson racquet."

Don't know what the modifcation is, but it obviously helps

I don't think it's actually 'comfortable' though - as said, she says that she has to grip it extra hard, which exerts so much pressure, but I'm not sure there's any way round that.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Coup Droit wrote:
emmsie69 wrote:
Surely some adjustment can be made to the grip to enable her to actually hold it comfortably. Changing the lower part of the racket for Fran is no different to players having TUEs
According to an old Express article:
"Jones, who underwent multiple surgeries as a child, has three fingers and a thumb on each hand plays with a specially modified Wilson racquet."
Don't know what the modifcation is, but it obviously helps
I don't think it's actually 'comfortable' though - as said, she says that she has to grip it extra hard, which exerts so much pressure, but I'm not sure there's any way round that.

I think if someone took the time then they could come up with something better for her. There is so much progress being made with adaptions for sports people. As you said, when you see her in person you can see that it's not a case of a normal sized hand missing 2 fingers but an entirely different shaped hand that would need a specific grip shape to accommodate it. A challenge for someone.

Peter too · Tennis legend

If allowed by the rules, some sort of rigid glove permanently attached to the racket handle should solve the problem, unless she needs to change her grip for different shots.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

But exactly, you do need to change your grip all the time (grom serve, to forehand, to backhand)
And you also must not ruin the 'feel' of the rackat in the hand, or you'd never be able to slice or cover the ball

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 3rd of March 2023 07:22:18 PM

Lambda · Challenger level

I listened back to the controlling the controllables podcast she did as I know they discussed it. She said then that she pays with a very different racket to others. Wilson do their best to adapt to her she says. She has the grip shaved down and she plays with a light racket of about 282 g.