The mere thought of finding just the right tennis racquet can create stress in the hearts and minds of many beginners. We’re here to help you take the stress out of this experience.
By following the tips and advice in this article, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the perfect tennis racquet that will up your game even as a beginner.
Let’s begin!
To make it easier to shop for that perfect racquet, there are four key factors to keep in mind as you make your final selection.
1. Tennis Racquet Weight
It’s important to choose a racquet that’s not too heavy or too light. The right weight balance is key in the beginning.
To give you some guidelines:
Heavy Racquet – weighs more than 11 ounces (312 grams)
Mid Weight Racquet – weighs between 9.8 and 10.9 ounces (278 to 309 grams)
Superlight Racquet – weighs between 9 and 9.4 ounces (255 to 266 grams)
For beginners, our usual weight recommendation is a 9.5 to 10.2ounce range for women; 10 to 10.9 ounce range for men.
Generally speaking, heavier racquets produce more power, less torque and better control. Lighter racquets are easier to maneuver, but present challenges to match the power of a competitor who is playing with a heavy racquet.
2. Tennis Racquet Head Size
If you have really good hand/eye coordination, you can get away with a racquet with a smaller head size.
For beginners, it’s probably better to go with a racquet with a larger head size, which is more forgiving when trying to make consistent connection with the ball.
3. Tennis Racquet Grip Size and Grip
The grip size of a tennis racquet is measured by the overall thickness of the handle.
A racquet with the correct grip size will not only better your performance on the court but give you a far more comfortable experience.
Much like you wouldn’t learn to ride on a bike that’s way too big for you, the same principle applies to the grip of your racquet. If your grip is too big, itrequires you to exert more strength to hold on to and try to maneuver the racquet. This results in less than stellar matches, in addition to potential injuries to your hands, wrists and arms.
Racquet sizes range from 4” (or 101.6 mm), typically used for smaller adults or juniors, to 4-3/4” (123 mm) for adults.
Easy to maneuver and comfort are the keys to choosing the right grip size of the racquet. If in between two sizes, opt for the smaller grip size to avoid dealing with the extra energy and strength the bigger grip sizes require.
Grip size directly effects the grip, or the way you hold the racquet. There are various grips (or angles at which you hold the racquet) which result in different strokes that affect how well you hit and control the ball.
Especially for a beginner with much to learn about different grips and the results you get from each one, you can now begin to see how important it is to choose the right tennis racquet.
4. Balance and Quality
Another thing to avoid ispurchasing an inexpensive tennis racquet at a discount retailer like WalMart. This equipment is not recommended because it becomes obsolete very quickly, may cause preventable injuries and just doesn’t have anywhere near the quality you need.
With these generic, inexpensive models, it’s difficult to choose a racquet with the appropriate weight, which will negatively impact your stroke and control you have over the ball.
You really don’t want to start off with a racquet that’s either too heavy or too light, especially when youare just getting a “feel” for the game.
Our Tips
While it’s true that certain racquets are better suited for certain playing styles, comfort is usually king.
As a beginner, keep in mind that you don’t have a lot of experience at this stage and want the best possible racquet for the best possible performance right from the get-go. Factor in your physical attributes (hand/grip size) and your level of hand/eye coordination.
If you really feel lost, shop for your racquet at a specialty store or pro shop where you can ask questions. Many of these shops encourage an in-store demo of the racquet or even allow you to take it home for a few days to determine if the racquet is a good match for you.
When you reach the level where you are getting serious about the sport, it’s thetime to get the input of a professional to move up to the right racquet.
Recommendations
Once you start shopping around for a good racquet, you’ll quickly discover how overwhelming it is when you see how many options and brands there are to pick from.
Take heart. Once you whittle the list down based on your personal level of expertise, physical size and the above four key factors, it will take most of that stress away.
Whether you shop on-line (check out Amazon) or a pro shop or specialty store, you’ll be better equipped to make a sound decision and know the questions to ask the sales consultant.
We have found that for newbies, a Wilson racquet works best. One of the best features of Wilson racquetsis the selection of larger head sizes, which is very helpful for beginners.
Wilson racquets do a nice job of balancing all the overall factors and specifications you need to learn the sport.
If you are smitten by the racquet of a tennis pro you’ve admired on TV, hold off on the investment. Until you become more experienced, you’ll need to work up to these types of racquets.
Once you develop a real feel for the game, the skill and experience, you can always move up to a more customized racquet.
The most important thing is to choose a racquet that feels comfortable to you and enables you to learn and master the proper grip, form and strokes.
Choosing the right racquet also helps to prevent potential injuries (blisters), muscle strain and cramps in the hands, wrists, forearms and elbows.
If you keep the above four factors in mind while choosing a tennis racquet, you’ll already have a big advantage over your competition!