Article of sports equipment that needs to be strung

RACKET

This handheld item is essential in tennis or badminton and often features an oval head with a tightly woven mesh. You might hear a sharp thwack when it connects with the ball.

This clue points to a piece of sports gear that requires strings to function properly. A racket, used in tennis, badminton, or squash, has a frame with tightly woven strings to hit the ball or shuttlecock. The word "strung" hints at this key feature, making it a straightforward definition without hidden wordplay.