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Tennis Racquet Buying Guide

Tennis Racquets Buying Guide Header

Looking to find the tennis racquet that's perfect for you? We'll help take the guesswork out of the process! Our guide will get you started so you can spend less time researching and more time on the court.

A Guide to Buying the Right Tennis Racquet

"Already know you that which you need" - Yoda

Surely the great and powerful trainer of young Jedi, Yoda, was not referring to tennis racquets with this philosophical quote from Star Wars. But he could have.

The market for tennis racquets has never been bigger or more confusing. There are literally hundreds of racquets made of an infinite variety of materials for players of many different skill levels with many different strengths and weaknesses in their games.

Manufacturers are not out to deceive you. They are in business to sell you a racquet. They are happy if you buy their product regardless of the reason. Whether it is the size, weight, balance, the grip, the strings or even the jazzy paint job. And here is the biggest secret of all revealed here for the first time: no one has created the one perfect racquet for every consumer.

There are three important questions to answer for yourself:

1. Ability

What is your ability level?

2. Objective

What do you want the racquet to do for you?

3. Budget

What is your budget?

Now let's explore each question in detail.

A GUIDE TO BUYING THE RIGHT TENNIS RACQUET

"Already know you that which you need" - Yoda

Surely the great and powerful trainer of young Jedi, Yoda, was not referring to tennis racquets with this philosophical quote from Star Wars. But he could have.

The market for tennis racquets has never been bigger or more confusing. There are literally hundreds of racquets made of an infinite variety of materials for players of many different skill levels with many different strengths and weaknesses in their games.

Manufacturers are not out to deceive you. They are in business to sell you a racquet. They are happy if you buy their product regardless of the reason. Whether it is the size, weight, balance, the grip, the strings or even the jazzy paint job. And here is the biggest secret of all revealed here for the first time: no one has created the one perfect racquet for every consumer.

There are three important questions to answer for yourself:

1. Ability

What is your ability level?

2. Objective

What do you want the racquet to do for you?

3. Budget

What is your budget?

Now let's explore each question in detail.

A GUIDE TO BUYING THE RIGHT TENNIS RACQUET

"Already know you that which you need" - Yoda

Surely the great and powerful trainer of young Jedi, Yoda, was not referring to tennis racquets with this philosophical quote from Star Wars. But he could have.

The market for tennis racquets has never been bigger or more confusing. There are literally hundreds of racquets made of an infinite variety of materials for players of many different skill levels with many different strengths and weaknesses in their games.

Manufacturers are not out to deceive you. They are in business to sell you a racquet. They are happy if you buy their product regardless of the reason. Whether it is the size, weight, balance, the grip, the strings or even the jazzy paint job. And here is the biggest secret of all revealed here for the first time: no one has created the one perfect racquet for every consumer.

There are three important questions to answer for yourself:

1. Ability

What is your ability level?

2. Objective

What do you want the racquet to do for you?

3. Budget

What is your budget?

Now let's explore each question in detail.

Ability Level

This is very important to be honest about. Just because Rafael Nadal plays with a certain racquet, it doesn’t mean you should. A number of factors in measuring ability come into play. The USTA has one rating system. If you have such a rating and it is below 3.0, you should consider yourself a novice. 3.0-4.0 players can consider themselves to be intermediates. 4.5 and above are advanced.

This rating system is only good if you have a rating that has been tested in team or tournament play. Other factors to consider are your age, weight, general physical condition, mobility challenges, and chronic medical conditions.

Tennis Racquets Power Rating

Another way to evaluate your skill level is to rate your ability to generate power. If you are consistently hitting the ball in zones 1-3 in the diagram, you should consider a racquet that will help you generate power. Power racquets use larger head size and increased stiffness to improve energy transfer from your swing to the ball but can sacrifice control.

If you consistently hit the ball in zones 8-10, then your focus should be on racquets where control is the priority. With smaller head sizes and more flex in the frame, these racquets are designed to get your existing power directed where it will do you the most good.

If you hit into 4-7 you may benefit the most from an all-around racquet. With the ability to generate some power with control, these racquets will accentuate your strengths as a shot maker all over the court.

"Being honest about ability level is critical."

Being honest about this is critical. When you read descriptions and reviews of equipment, nothing else matters if you aren’t candid about your game. A novice player who attempts to play with an advanced player’s racquet risks injury. Racquets designed for advanced players will have a much smaller sweet spot whereas the novice is likely to make contact all over the racquet face. When that happens, vibrations on contact when occurring over and over have the potential to injure elbows, shoulders and wrists. Advanced players playing with novice racquets will not generate the power, spin or control they should expect.

Ability Level

This is very important to be honest about. Just because Rafael Nadal plays with a certain racquet, it doesn’t mean you should. A number of factors in measuring ability come into play. The USTA has one rating system. If you have such a rating and it is below 3.0, you should consider yourself a novice. 3.0-4.0 players can consider themselves to be intermediates. 4.5 and above are advanced.

This rating system is only good if you have a rating that has been tested in team or tournament play. Other factors to consider are your age, weight, general physical condition, mobility challenges, and chronic medical conditions.

Tennis Racquet Power Rating

Another way to evaluate your skill level is to rate your ability to generate power. If you are consistently hitting the ball in zones 1-3 in the diagram, you should consider a racquet that will help you generate power. Power racquets use larger head size and increased stiffness to improve energy transfer from your swing to the ball but can sacrifice control.

If you consistently hit the ball in zones 8-10, then your focus should be on racquets where control is the priority. With smaller head sizes and more flex in the frame, these racquets are designed to get your existing power directed where it will do you the most good.

If you hit into 4-7 you may benefit the most from an all-around racquet. With the ability to generate some power with control, these racquets will accentuate your strengths as a shot maker all over the court.

"Being honest about ability level is critical."

Being honest about this is critical. When you read descriptions and reviews of equipment, nothing else matters if you aren’t candid about your game. A novice player who attempts to play with an advanced player’s racquet risks injury. Racquets designed for advanced players will have a much smaller sweet spot whereas the novice is likely to make contact all over the racquet face. When that happens, vibrations on contact when occurring over and over have the potential to injure elbows, shoulders and wrists. Advanced players playing with novice racquets will not generate the power, spin or control they should expect.

Ability Level

This is very important to be honest about. Just because Rafael Nadal plays with a certain racquet, it doesn’t mean you should. A number of factors in measuring ability come into play. The USTA has one rating system. If you have such a rating and it is below 3.0, you should consider yourself a novice. 3.0-4.0 players can consider themselves to be intermediates. 4.5 and above are advanced.

This rating system is only good if you have a rating that has been tested in team or tournament play. Other factors to consider are your age, weight, general physical condition, mobility challenges, and chronic medical conditions.

Tennis Racquet Power Rating

Another way to evaluate your skill level is to rate your ability to generate power. If you are consistently hitting the ball in zones 1-3 in the diagram, you should consider a racquet that will help you generate power. Power racquets use larger head size and increased stiffness to improve energy transfer from your swing to the ball but can sacrifice control.

If you consistently hit the ball in zones 8-10, then your focus should be on racquets where control is the priority. With smaller head sizes and more flex in the frame, these racquets are designed to get your existing power directed where it will do you the most good.

If you hit into 4-7 you may benefit the most from an all-around racquet. With the ability to generate some power with control, these racquets will accentuate your strengths as a shot maker all over the court.

"Being honest about ability level is critical."

Being honest about this is critical. When you read descriptions and reviews of equipment, nothing else matters if you aren’t candid about your game. A novice player who attempts to play with an advanced player’s racquet risks injury. Racquets designed for advanced players will have a much smaller sweet spot whereas the novice is likely to make contact all over the racquet face. When that happens, vibrations on contact when occurring over and over have the potential to injure elbows, shoulders and wrists. Advanced players playing with novice racquets will not generate the power, spin or control they should expect.

Objective: What a Racquet Can Do

In general, racquets can have four possible objectives: provide control, help generate power, create spin, and manage vibration. Novice players should look for control first as this is what will get the ball over the net and inside the lines. Power for them is important as it will get the ball deeper into the court. Spin is not very important. Managing vibration is important if the player is worried about or previously had an arm injury.

Intermediates will often want power or spin as key objectives as they have already found some control in improving their games. Again, injuries will dictate if vibrations are a concern as this can often be the biggest objective for the intermediate.

"Some racquets try to do a decent job at all four objectives. But that probably means it doesn't do a great job at any of them."

Advanced players will already have power and spin skills so often control is important particularly as their games have progressed to include frequent trips to the net to hit winning volleys.

Can any racquet do it all? There are some that try to do a decent job at all four possible objectives. But that probably means it doesn’t do a great job at any of them. Many intermediates who can’t decide what they need will often buy “all court” types of racquets for this reason. The risk here is this player is reconciling themselves to the player they are today.

Objective: What a Racquet Can Do

In general, racquets can have four possible objectives: provide control, help generate power, create spin, and manage vibration. Novice players should look for control first as this is what will get the ball over the net and inside the lines. Power for them is important as it will get the ball deeper into the court. Spin is not very important. Managing vibration is important if the player is worried about or previously had an arm injury.

Intermediates will often want power or spin as key objectives as they have already found some control in improving their games. Again, injuries will dictate if vibrations are a concern as this can often be the biggest objective for the intermediate.

"Some racquets try to do a decent job at all four objectives. But that probably means it doesn't do a great job at any of them."

Advanced players will already have power and spin skills so often control is important particularly as their games have progressed to include frequent trips to the net to hit winning volleys.

Can any racquet do it all? There are some that try to do a decent job at all four possible objectives. But that probably means it doesn’t do a great job at any of them. Many intermediates who can’t decide what they need will often buy “all court” types of racquets for this reason. The risk here is this player is reconciling themselves to the player they are today.

Objective: What a Racquet Can Do

In general, racquets can have four possible objectives: provide control, help generate power, create spin, and manage vibration. Novice players should look for control first as this is what will get the ball over the net and inside the lines. Power for them is important as it will get the ball deeper into the court. Spin is not very important. Managing vibration is important if the player is worried about or previously had an arm injury.

Intermediates will often want power or spin as key objectives as they have already found some control in improving their games. Again, injuries will dictate if vibrations are a concern as this can often be the biggest objective for the intermediate.

"Some racquets try to do a decent job at all four objectives. But that probably means it doesn't do a great job at any of them."

Advanced players will already have power and spin skills so often control is important particularly as their games have progressed to include frequent trips to the net to hit winning volleys.

Can any racquet do it all? There are some that try to do a decent job at all four possible objectives. But that probably means it doesn’t do a great job at any of them. Many intermediates who can’t decide what they need will often buy “all court” types of racquets for this reason. The risk here is this player is reconciling themselves to the player they are today.

Budget

No doubt, some players look at cost first. This is a mistake. Discovering the unique characteristics of a racquet and how it can impact you is far more important. Cost can be a factor with prices starting at around $50 and ranging upto $250 with strings installed. But given that you will play with the right racquet for several years and the wrong racquet for maybe a season, paying a bit more pays off in the end.

Particularly for novices and kids, two things can be done to control costs: buy a pre-strung racquet and/or consider a quality used racquet.

Four Elements to Consider

Head Size

Increased head size means a larger sweet spot and more power - great for novices and some seniors. Anything over 106 square inches is considered oversized and may lack control for intermediates who may get best results between 95 and 106 square inches.

Basic Elements of a Tennis Racquet

Length

Longer tennis racquets improve your reach and power. A normal standard length is 27 inches. Longer may help novices and those with mobility issues.

Weight

Heavier racquets create more power but can take a toll over a long match. Lighter racquets generally weigh less than 9.5 oz. and heavy weigh in at over 11 oz. While .1 of an oz is unlikely to make a difference, bigger differences will. More experienced players benefit from somewhat heavier racquets. Often ladies racquets are a bit on the lighter side.

Balance

The heavier the head of the racquet, the more power there is but less control. Manufacturers will usually tell you if the racquet is “head heavy” or not. Novices may see some benefit from somewhat head heavy racquets but others may want to avoid this.

Four Elements to Consider

Head Size

Increased head size means a larger sweet spot and more power - great for novices and some seniors. Anything over 106 square inches is considered oversized and may lack control for intermediates who may get best results between 95 and 106 square inches.

Length

Longer tennis racquets improve your reach and power. A normal standard length is 27 inches. Longer may help novices and those with mobility issues.

Weight

Heavier racquets create more power but can take a toll over a long match. Lighter racquets generally weigh less than 9.5 oz. and heavy weigh in at over 11 oz. While .1 of an oz is unlikely to make a difference, bigger differences will. More experienced players benefit from somewhat heavier racquets. Often ladies racquets are a bit on the lighter side.

Balance

The heavier the head of the racquet, the more power there is but less control. Manufacturers will usually tell you if the racquet is “head heavy” or not. Novices may see some benefit from somewhat head heavy racquets but others may want to avoid this.

Basic Elements of a Tennis Racquet

Four Elements to Consider

Head Size

Increased head size means a larger sweet spot and more power - great for novices and some seniors. Anything over 106 square inches is considered oversized and may lack control for intermediates who may get best results between 95 and 106 square inches.

Length

Longer tennis racquets improve your reach and power. A normal standard length is 27 inches. Longer may help novices and those with mobility issues.

Weight

Heavier racquets create more power but can take a toll over a long match. Lighter racquets generally weigh less than 9.5 oz. and heavy weigh in at over 11 oz. While .1 of an oz is unlikely to make a difference, bigger differences will. More experienced players benefit from somewhat heavier racquets. Often ladies racquets are a bit on the lighter side.

Balance

The heavier the head of the racquet, the more power there is but less control. Manufacturers will usually tell you if the racquet is “head heavy” or not. Novices may see some benefit from somewhat head heavy racquets but others may want to avoid this.

Basic Elements of a Tennis Racquet

What About Grips & Strings?

Getting the right sized grip is very important. See our Guide to Finding the Proper Grip Size. Do not make the mistake of buying too big or too small. Making a mistake on this has been known to cause injury. If you are in between sizes, you are better off buying the smaller size and building up the grip with an Overgrip.

When your new racquet arrives it is a very simple process to change or modify the grip. The most important thing is to make sure it is comfortable and the market is full of options to either replace the grip or add an overgrip. See our Buying Guide for Tennis Grips to get an understanding of the options.

For strings see our Guide to Tennis Strings. Most common is synthetic gut with natural gut an expensive choice for many players. However, there are many stringing options when you buy a new racquet from Tennisracquets.com. Depending on your skill level, susceptibility to elbow and arm injuries, and perceived need for spin, control, or power, choosing an appropriate string should not be a casual decision. Also, if you are in southeast Michigan, you can bring us your existing racquet for re-stringing.

Reading the descriptions for specific racquets is a great way to get started. Tennisracquets.com is here to answer your questions. We love to help!

Ready to Find Your Perfect Racquet?