Your friends have been bugging you to take up tennis for some time now. Maybe you've never played. Maybe you played years ago. Either way, the racquet sitting in the back of your closet is an antique and you know it. So now you want to know what are the best racquets made for tennis beginners.

Starting this game is a blast. Learning the game. Learning to hit the ball. Getting some exercise. The good news is if you are a beginner, you have lots of choices in a racquet.

Start by understanding what's important in a starter racquet. Then we'll list our specific recommendations for racquets for beginners.

Some may be confused about what size tennis racquet do I need? A standard tennis racquet has a surface area for the strings somewhere in the range of 90-97 square inches.

Oversized racquets are usually defined as anything over 105 square inches. Between 97 and 105 square inches, racquets are generally referred to as "mid-plus" or "MP."

A new player will want a larger head size. Let's face it, you're going to have some balls clang off the frame. A larger size will give you a better chance at hitting the strings.

A bigger head will also give you a bigger sweet spot. A sweet spot is that area, typically in or near the middle of the string pattern, that gives you the most power and control with the least vibration.

Less vibration means it is more arm friendly. And that is good for beginners and intermediate players alike.

On the list below, you will see many of the racquet names have "lite" in the title. That is not just for marketing. That tells you something.

A Beginner tennis racquet should be a bit lighter. This will make it easier to swing the racquet when learning the game.

No, it won't generate power like other racquets but that can come later. Lighter weight equipment is simply easier to learn to use.

These racquets will have their center of gravity closer to the grip than the head. This is what beginners should use as they are easier to swing. But they are not the best at generating power.

These are the power players. The beginner to intermediate level player will struggle to swing these racquets.

With the center of gravity closer to the top of the head than to the grip, it takes experience to use these racquets well. The power these racquets create is difficult to control and are not the ideal option for someone learning the game.

A racquet sometimes comes pre strung so the decision is make for you. A racquet that comes prestrung will save you money, but these strings will need to be replaced after a month or two after you start to play tennis.

If your racquet comes without strings, a low cost synthetic gut (or syn gut) is all you need.

The string pattern is not important to you at this stage. Your stringing pro will know what to do for your racquet.

See our Guide for determining the right size for your hand. This isn't hard, but it is important to get right. Beginners just learning the game should learn to grip the racquet correctly and getting the size right is part of the process.

Listed by manufacturer in no particular order.

Made famous by Rafa Nadal, this racquet is modeled after, but not the same as his major championship winning racquet. Just as his game uses heavy topspin, the Pure Aero is noted for its ability to create spin for the newer player.

As the lightest model in the Babolat line, the Pure Drive is made for the novice player. They have added much of their latest technology to the Babolat Pure Drive, making it fun to launch balls off their tennis strings. Power seems to come naturally even for beginners with the Pure Drive.

The entire Clash lineup has been a huge success for the company. This one is their lightest and deserves all the attention it gets. This mid-sized Clash allows the novice to feel in control as they hit all kinds of shots - even with some power. It comes in a slightly heavier Lite too.

This is the oversized version of the Clash. For an oversized, the Clash 108 is surprisingly maneuverable for a racket with a larger sized head. While good for any age, seniors taking up the game should take a long look at the Clash 108 racquet.

This guy named Roger Federer seems to have good luck playing with this brand. You will too.

This mid-sizer is a great racquet for anyone just getting started. Even youngsters will see the benefit of Head technology in helping with both power and spin.

Their unique Graphene material is found in almost all their racquets. There is also a regular size version of this in the lighter weight.

With an endorsement from Novak Djokovic, it is hard to ignore this brand.

Imagine all the great technology Head brings to the game. Now put it all into an oversized racket. For the person trying to learn, this model combines the best with the size needed by many.

Put a decent set of Syn gut strings into this equipment and you will be good to go even as you improve toward intermediate status.

Here is a great racquet you can grow with. While at the light end of the EZONE racquet line up, the EZONE still has plenty of power to play with for the somewhat more advanced beginner or younger intermediate.

The unique shape helps the sweet spot to be bigger than most and has nice power for a head light racquet. Tennis racquets like this are a worthwhile investment.

Here is your value buy in the category. Since it comes pre-strung you can same money and still have a high quality oversize to get you started. Especially good for Junior High and High School young players.

Want pink instead? They make one in this color scheme too!

Tennisracquets.com is your one stop shop. In addition to the starter racquet of your dreams, you can shop for shoes, sunglasses and a bag to carry it all.

Have questions? See our Learning Center for all kinds of helpful advice. Doing your homework will help you in the decision making process. And don't forget about our stellar customer service team. They are standing by waiting for your call.