Sporting Goods near Mountain View, CA

“This is THE Bay Area one stop shop for all things tennis. You’ll be hard pressed to find many brick n mortar stores that continue to thrive for well over FIVE DECADES. How? By providing customers with exceptional service. They employ a knowledgeable and courteous staff who, by and large, have worked for the Swetka family for many years. Some as long as 20+! Not only are the staff well versed, by all accounts they all play/have played at high levels so one feels confident in the knowledge they provide. You feel assured that you’re being tended to by an enthusiast of the game. You’re made to feel welcomed, as they offer to assist you within minutes of entering and that they are ready to assist you when called upon.
At the helm still is John Swetka, son of famed Bay Area tennis legend Alex Swetka, who founded the store alongside his wife Sally. In addition, longstanding business partner Ken Arnold as well as Master Racket Technician Jim Miller continue to serve as the foundation of the shop. Even with the recent merger with online giant Tennis Warehouse, the longstanding sales team has, by and large remained intact.
Not only do they have an exceptional selection of products including equipment, apparel, and footwear, they also provide a full array of tennis services including stringing, racket customization, as well as their time tested demo program. Looking to purchase the right racket but are unsure of what’s out there? Which would best suite my tastes & needs? Their demo program allows you to playtest a whole host of top brand frames within a 3 month window, 1 demo per week. If within that 3 month period you’ve come to select the racket and strings to purchase, the initial demo payment is applied towards the purchase! Amazing to this day. Swetka’s is, in short, the very definition of a tennis sport specialty store.
That all being said, I was genuinely perplexed to read the negative review posted just prior to mine. To the person who posted it, I do have some questions. Based on your review, it would appear that you participated in their demo program. I’ll assume whomever signed you up explained how their program works, how many demos you could take out and for how long you could keep them per checkout. This as well as other pertinent conditions and/or restrictions correct? If yes, did you understand the scope of their program and if not, did you ask for clarification? In addition, I’m curious as to how exactly did they “bully you” into trying sale priced rackets? You also made mention of your long commute to/from the shop. If this was such a hardship for you, knowing you had to return weekly in order to participate and exchange their demos, how is the shop in any way being somehow held accountable for this? Did you have a reasonable expectation that they would somehow agree to alter their demo policies just for you? As for the racket in question, was it available in your grip size at the time of your inquiry? Did you check to see how many remained? Did you ask a salesperson to place one on hold for you? I’m unclear as to why you hadn’t done so if you were leaning towards it as your final selection. Did any sales staff or manager discuss this with you? Did anyone offer any alternate solutions? It would seem that there was a bit of miscommunication or general lack thereof. From my perspective, you agreed upon the conditions of their program. Im having a hard time believing someone bullied or coerced you into opening your wallet and paying their demo fee & signing up. Some clarification would be helpful.”

“I have very problematic feet. The owner of the Fleet Feet store in Menlo Park kindly helped me and was fantastic. He really knows his merchandise and spent so much time with me, finding the shoes and insoles that were “just right” for me. He was very patient and kind. You couldn’t ask for better customer service. Their prices are reasonable and Fleet Feet’s return policy can’t be beat as well. I honestly don’t know why anyone would shop anywhere other than Fleet Feet for active wear shoes.”

“Stopped into the store while in town on vacation. Steph was able to help me pick out items to help me stay on track while still enjoying my vacation. The store has great variety and Steph was a pleasure to deal with!”

“Amazing store. You walk in and they are friendly and helpful, do a full scan, run test, sole test, etc all free of charge, let you try on whatever you want with expert guidance, and are super helpful on finding products without being pushy.One saleswoman, Genesis, was particularly amazing. I needed new road-running shoes, and she took me through all the tests, was unbelievably friendly and professional, suggested the shoes I would need and what might be better or worse for me, and pointed out various things about my running style, feet, etc. All super fast and super fun. She then helped me try on all the different shoes she suggested (she can carry five+ boxes at once... wow), and was just the right amount of helpful, stepping away when I needed time to try them out, and coming back (almost psychically) when I wanted advice or had questions. I ended up getting shoes and soles and would easily pay more than what I did for them. I even bought the store membership (I never do this) because of how clearly Genesis made it out to be helpful to me.Overall, wonderful store with a great philosophy, and absolutely one of the best salespeople I've talked to (Genesis). I went on a run afterwards with my new shoes and my half-marathon time went down by a staggering 40 minutes from 2:36 to 1:58.”

“We bought our son a new skateboard here a few weeks back. This place has an amazing selection of boards, tracks, wheels, etc, but more importantly is run by people who *know* skateboarding, are patient in offering advice and just really nice to deal with (even to people who know nothing about skateboarding). Great store, great people - highly recommend.”

“Best shop for running gear ever. I visited 6 months ago when I first started running. Chris let me try a bunch of different brands and pointed out why my right leg was hurting. I was told my problem could be fixed by a $19 massage ball. Here I am today, after putting 500 km in my Pegasus 39, running in good form and with no more pain, thanks to my newly purchased shoes. 1000% satisfied. These guys are true professionals.”

“This location is always well-stocked and the staff is super chill and knowledgeable. Last time I came in, Nick was very accommodating in spite of them being understaffed and got me into a sweet snowboard setup.”

“Ordered some Scala Women's Visors, for my Mom, from Redwood Trading Post recently. They had the best price I could find online $25 vs $28-$32, but that wasn't the only great part of the transaction. Since they didn't have the colors desired, it was mentioned that they would be ordering more in a couple weeks/month and that they would be in touch when they got them in. Everyone I spoke with was very nice and happy to help, which is appreciated when you get good service! We just received the visors, ordered 4 in different colors.
Mom is very happy! Much Appreciated Team !!!”

“I went in for cleats and they were very helpful. I have feet that are tough to fit, and I've been searching for years for a pair that don't cause toe pain and blisters. They provided great recommendations and were very patient while I tried on lots of pairs. Hope the ones I bought will work out for me.”

“The staff are great but the check out is very slow and long lines I am surprised that I have not write any review for sports basement. Great sports and outdoor shop at discounted prices. The staff are amazing and they are always there to help.”

“10 out of 5-stars! The staff is very knowledgeable and passionate about cycling. They give no-nonsense honest advice with pros and cons without trying to push a particular sale.My brother who lives abroad needed a new road bike. Colin gave good advice and possible upgrade options including what bike travel bag we should get. Chris did an awesome job with the fitting based on your preferences. Finally, a staff member (sorry forgot his name) helped us in getting the bike ready in the travel bag. 200% recommended!”

“Amazing customer service!! All staff very knowledgeable of their products. 2 staff personally helped size our feet. Very fast, excellent and helpful service!! And the most comfortable steel-toe shoes I've ever worn!! (Compared to industry-leading brands like Wolverines) also they are PFAs-free! (Chemical free!!)”

“What an amazing company! I took in my 97 year old client last week to have a zipper on a jacket repaired. The turn around time for a repair was 12 weeks OR they offered him a new jacket! They didn't have the exact style of his very old light weight fleece and instead he picked out a much more expensive reversible fleece/ jacket AND it was all at no cost to him!!! My client was so excited and is now planning all the places we can go in his new jacket.The prices at Patagonia may seem a bit high to some, but I'd argue that the quality and customer service make it 100% worth it! Also- I almost forgot to mention that my clients old jacket will get donated somewhere by Patagonia and will not end up in a dump or the ocean. Love this!”

“I went in not that long ago for a lesson by Terry, he is a very nice instructor and he even helped me get more skills. I have been going for lessons since 2016!! The quality of the products are great.”

“Friendly, large selection of tennis items and a knowledgeable owner. I've been coming here for years and won't go anywhere else because I'm treated well and the prices are good.”

“Quite possibly the best buying experience I have ever had. I first walked in here recently to find my wedding suit - Jim was the first person to come up to me and led me to this beautiful blue suit. After viewing a few others I knew the first suit he picked was perfect for me. That day I didn't buy that suit because I wanted to see what alternatives were out there. There's a lot of good suit places in San Jose, but nothing quite like Eli Thomas.. Jim and his staff were so friendly and attentive and know exactly how your suit should look. I ended up coming back to see if I can order that exact suit, which at the time wasn't in my size. To my amazement Jim had the right sized suit ordered, shortly after my first visit, and it arrived the time I came in. Jim is a very confident sales man, and rightfully so.. it shows in the level of rapport and trust. Highly recommend buying your next suit from this store - my suit looks excellent!”

“The person in the front desk at the Menlo location this Sunday was really great! We didn't reserve a court and he found an empty court for us. He also explained everything clearly to us and had a great attitude.”

“Staff are friendly. Courts are nicely kept. Drop in charges are very reasonable. I have not taken any lessons there but I heard from friends that their coaches are very good too.”

“Cashier was nice and helpful. Adidas socks were cheaper here than sports basement and I got a discount as a member of a soccer team. I bought a Nike ball for my son and it was the same price as amazon. They had everything my son needed”

“I collect tons of Marvel and Star Wars cards. This store has so many fun products and the staff is incredible. I highly recommend this card shop and will be returning. Happy hunting folks!”

“My favorite store to shop for Pants, shirts, wallets, Stanley Coffee mug. They also have some odd items such as a spoon, fork & knife contraption that is very useful when you need one if you didn’t get any utensils with your food order at some fast food places.
Very friendly Staff always very helpful!”

“I am so impressed by how the owner of this store takes care of her customers. She spent a lot of time with my boys to explain them why certain strings are better for them and how to select tennis equipment according to individual needs. We were visiting from SLC, utah and stumbled upon this store and left with an amazing experience. She gave my boys a crazy deal on tennis bag and I am grateful for such kind people who are not just about business and money but experience and teaching. Highly recommend this place.”

“Vuori is one of luxury activewears competing with other two brands in Stanford shopping center. Cannot say whose product quality is the best, but definitely Vuori’s sales associate is on the top in terms of customer services.I visited Vuori several times. The staff is always friendly, showed willing to help, but not aggressive and pushy. One of the recent visits, I tried to find an item that’s sold out from online. I showed the item to one of the staff Noah. There was no inventory at store as expected. However, Noah was going beyond and called both Santana Row and SF stores. Eventually I am able to get the item which I didn’t hold much hope before visiting. Kudos Noah!Afterall, Vuori’s DreamKnits is super comfortable and definitely will go back to purchase more”

“I'm not a 49ers fan but I will say that I really like the store. If anyone gets the chance to be in California and close to the 49ers stadium. Go to the store.”

“My mother and I went in on Friday evening to purchase footwear and we were rung up by Pawel. He was very personable and struck up good conversation while ringing us up. He’s a perfect example of great customer service!”

“All the clothes have an amazing material and they never shrink! I've washed my fleece jacket a bunch of times and the material stays soft! (wash on cold and dry regularly)”

“I'm very impressed. They have jackets and shirts and pants and even some shoes but mainly bag, bags, and more bags. They have a wall full of Kanken bags in every color, it looks like a giant watercolor palette.I picked out the bag I wanted, the Raven 28, in a few minutes and then looked at all the other little bags they have - they have a lot!Prices are .... well I'd say it's Santana Row but the prices are the same as they are online. And Fjallraven is "buy it for life" stuff.Service was tip-top and the people working there were very pleasant. I'd give them 6 stars if I could.”

“I have had a very positive experience with Big 5 in Menlo Park. My sons play various sports and we have consistently purchased their shoes and other sports items from Big 5. They not only have very courteous and helpful staff, they also have a quite reasonable return policy. In contrast, our experience at Dick's Sporting Goods was the opposite. Their customer service was literally nonexistent. This store is a real gem and I highly recommend shopping here!”

“I enjoyed shopping at this Yeti store, great variety of high quality products! So many beautiful colors to choose from. The staffs here are very friendly to talk to.”

“Norm was very nice and knowledgeable. He helped us to find the right trophy for our event and he engraved just in one day!It was rewarding to know we supported a local business with our purchase.”