Before a match starts, you are allowed to examine your opponent’s racket. Some of your opponents will use surfaces that you might not be used to playing, such as long or short pips, or antispin. Many players immediately begin grumbling about it, either out loud or in their minds. Either way, you’ve just brought your game down a notch. Examine and think about the opponent’s racket only tactically, and stay positive. If you aren’t used to a surface, the worst thing you want to do is lower your confidence even more by going negative! Just think about what you have to do against that surface. Play into the surface early on and try to get used to it. Remember, if the surface truly were an advantage, the majority of players would be using it and if they are not, that means there is a built-in disadvantage to the surface. Find it and exploit it.