Sean Hodkin on racquets, the Futures Tour and hitting with Novak at Wimbledon

In this episode, tennis pro Sean Hodkin shares insights on adapting to different court conditions, the nuances of the one-handed backhand, and the intricacies of racket selection and testing. Sean also talks candidly about his tennis journey, experiences at Wimbledon, and mental strategies for competition. This episode offers valuable tips for players looking to improve their game and understand professional routines. It is a must-listen for racquet nerds and tennis lovers alike.

I sat down with Steve Bellamy to discuss the future of tennis and his new sport, which he claims will do a lot for tennis...TYPTI. TYPTI is growing fast in the US and allows a full tennis swing and style of play...on a pickleball court. Read more about TYPTI and get the gear so you can try it for yourself.

Henrik Wallensten and I followed our yearly tradition of spending a few days at the Swedish Open (where we also end up playing/training daily). We enjoyed the tennis and had some gear stuff to discuss, but also came up with some ideas on how to save doubles and talk about the current state of Swedish tennis. The pod was recorded in a car, and you can watch some footage on YouTube. Sorry for the sound quality, but had to filter out the road noise! 

Tim Puttock is back on the podcast to talk about the new Prince Tours and some other products in the pipeline at Prince. We also get into common misconceptions around tennis equipment and how we can get more people to play and stay in the sport for longer. Check out our review of the new Prince Tour racquets on YouTube. Or read about them on Tennisnerd.net

Max Bauer is the Senior Global Product Manager for HEAD Tennis Racquets. He sat down with me to talk about the intense release schedule of 2026, of the new HEAD Booms and how AI helped in the design process, and we also get into the new HEAD Squared, which is a completely new racquet outside the other franchises. We also get into how difficult it is to get pro players to switch to a new racquet and much more.

Nikola Aracic from the popular YouTube channel, Intuitive Tennis, is back on the channel to talk racquets, tennis news, predictions and the Australian Open. Nikola is always insightful and opinionated and makes for a good listen! I hope you like it.

Davis Cup stringer and gear expert, Henrik Wallensten, is back to talk about gear. We summarize the year a bit, talk about the new Yonex VCOREs and his latest switch ot the Speed. He also gives his opinions about the new Adidas Barricade 14.  

Switching to a new racquet comes with its own set of mental and technical hurdles. My friend and excellent tennis player, Daniel Rutkowski, and I discuss the process of going from a more classical control racquet to a more modern, powerful racquet. You can also find our conversation in video format on our YouTube channel. If you like to see more discussions like this, please comment below.

Rubin Statham’s story reads like a classic tennis hustle: a decade-plus on the road representing New Zealand in the Davis Cup, grinding out Challengers, then channeling all that lived pain (and string bills!) into a product players actually need. He retired in December and is now full-time at the helm of Pro Stringer - portable, pro-grade stringing machines you’ve likely seen popping up in player lounges and, yes, even on trains.

Petros Tsitsipas has spent most of his career carving out a place on the doubles tour, often alongside his brother Stefanos, but in recent months, he has been shifting his focus back to singles. I recently had the chance to sit down with him for a long conversation about life on tour, the unique dynamic of playing with siblings, the changing nature of doubles, and, of course, his gear.