A Detailed Tennis Saber Review

Tennis has come a long way, from wooden frames to graphite rackets that vary in shapes and sizes. And that is indeed what we’re covering today. It is no other than the Functional Tennis Saber, created by Functional Tennis.

This racket acts as a training aid that will help you boost your coordination skills and footwork. It utilises a 37-square-inch racket head that pushes you to focus on tracking the ball, work your feet and execute a clean groundstroke, all whilst hitting the ball cleanly off the racket.

The purpose is very similar to that of the tennis pointer, a wooden spoon that fine-tunes groundstrokes. But, how is the Saber more effective than the Tennis Pointer?

Here’s my personal opinion: For €149.95, the Tennis Saber is a training aid that is well worth the investment. The 800+ 5-star reviews back this statement. It is very effective in what it does and if used well, it can seriously help you improve your consistency on the tennis court. Do give it a try, and even if you find it difficult at first, don’t let it discourage you.

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Without further ado, let’s jump into the racket’s specifications

Tennis Saber Specifications

This tool comes in 3 different variations. It has the Mid, the Lite and the Junior rackets. All are constructed using the same formula of mixed composites of carbon fibre and fibreglass, making the racket feel sturdy yet not too heavy.

Here are the stats of the 3 versions, side by side.

	Mid	Lite	Junior
Material	Material – Mixed composites of Carbon Fibre and FibreGlass
Strung Weight	312 grams	277 grams	252 grams (unconfirmed)
Unstrung Weight	300 grams	265 grams	240 grams
Grip Size	2 = 4” 1/4	1 = 4” 1/8	0 = 4”
Stringing Pattern	12 x 12	12 x 12	12 x 12
Beam Size	22mm	22mm	22mm
String Tension	13.5 KG / 30 lbs	13.5 KG / 30 lbs	13.5 KG / 30 lbs

As one can notice, the Mid Saber is the one that most tennis players will opt for. It is the heaviest, or rather as heavy as a 37-square-inch racket can be. One can put on some lead tape to play with the weight, but be careful how you approach this method. The Lite is ideal for female tennis players or teenagers who are seeking to further develop their skills. The Junior Saber is aimed at children, as reflected by the grip size and weight. Do note that the junior’s racket version is a couple of inches shorter than the normal version, given the fact that it is aimed at children.

What I like about Functional Tennis’ Saber is the fact that they kept in mind the importance of the grip. With this aid, you are free to play your normal shots without having to adjust your style or grip. This means you can practise with it whilst holding it with your comfortable semi-western grip, spinning the ball as you go. This is not as easy to do with the Tennis Pointer. Moreover, given that this training racket comes in different grip sizes, many players can comfortably use it.

How to use the Tennis Saber

The way I see it, the sky is the limit with the Tennis Saber training instrument.

You can use it at the start of every match. All it takes is just 10 minutes to get in the zone and hit strokes cleanly. You can do this practice drill with your hitting partner or coach as part of your warm-up routine before you step onto the court.

Moreover, you can even have practice sessions with it. Here are my suggestions on a number of drills that are viable options to train with the Saber:

Wide Ball Defense

Setup: Have a coach or partner feed wide balls to either side.
Drill: Focus on returning these wide balls with depth, aiming to push your opponent back into a neutral position. Practice hitting these returns on the run, staying balanced, and recovering quickly to the centre of the court.
Focus: Speed, balance, and recovery

Deep and Short Drill

Setup: Your partner or coach alternates feeding deep and short balls.
Drill: For the deep balls, practice hitting high, deep shots to regain court positioning. For short balls, practice attacking with control, aiming for angles or placing the ball deep again to push your opponent back.
Focus: Adapting to different ball heights and lengths, decision-making

Consistent Rallying

Setup: Start a rally with your hitting partner or coach. This can be down the centre or cross-court rallies.
Drill: Keep the ball going whilst aiming to hit deep balls, preferably, clearing the net by a racket’s length and hitting balls deep enough to not invite pressure. Deep balls tend to be around a racket’s length from the doubles alley or the baseline. You can set up cones to act as targets by the baseline, or else set up a mini net in the service box, prompting you to play deep and clear both nets.
Focus: Puts emphasis on footwork and consistency skills.

There are more of these drills in my other blogs, particularly in my blog where I do a technical analysis of the counterpunching profile.

Is it worth the investment?

Here’s the Guide My Tennis review.

For €149.95, the Tennis Saber is a training aid that is well worth the investment. The 800+ 5-star reviews back this statement. It is very effective in what it does and if used well, it can seriously help you improve your consistency on the tennis court. I know that it needs some getting used to but do give it a try. If you find it difficult at first, don’t let it discourage you.

If you’re still not believing me, the reviews left by some high-profile figures should do the trick.

“The Saber is a terrific tool for technique work in all areas of your game” – Joel Myers, Coach.

“An excellent warm-up tool! Perfect for what it should do which is really help you work on your game.” – Jonas, Tennis Nerd.