How to Choose a Tennis Racquet Articles | Tennis

By: Guy Starbuck

The right tools are necessary for playing a good game of tennis and your racquet is the most important aide that a tennis player has.

There are basically three categories under which a tennis racquet can belong: 

1. Power racquets - These are most suitable and considered best for beginners and mid-level intermediates.
2. Tweener racquets - Most suitable for players belonging to groups between intermediate and advanced levels.
3. Control racquets - These are exclusively made for more advanced level players.

Power racquets are considered to be ideal for people who are just beginning to play tennis or play only intermittently. These racquets feature a large head, which naturally creates a larger area for hitting. Designed for shorter and weaker strokes, the structure of the racquet is such that it yields more power. These racquets are also easy to maneuver since it carries a heavy head and thus gives better balance. All these features make a power racquet perfect for beginners helping them to play a satisfying game from the beginning.

A tweener racquet on the other hand weighs less and could carry a small or a large head, depending on the type of racquet chosen. Generally longer than power racquets, tweener racquets yield more power and offer more control over the strokes. These racquets are considered excellent for managing ground strokes.

Advanced players who have a lot of experience in playing tennis find control racquets more useful as it offers superior control as well as enhanced precision in handling strokes. They are heavy and do not yield same kind of power as other types of racquets. They also carry smaller sized heads.

Weigh, balance, frame size and length are some of the features which you need to check out while buying a tennis racquet. These features should match your body frame as well as your efficiency level in playing the game. The best persons to check out for the right type of racquet is your tennis coach or the sales person at the counter who can ably advise you the right racquet depending on your body dimensions, weight as well as your playing ability.  

Like adults, racquets for children also must carry the right type of features to enable them to play a good and comfortable game.

Follow the buying tips given below when buying a racquet for your junior:

• For children aged five years or younger and/or with a height of 3 feet 11 inches or shorter, need a junior sized racquet featuring a frame between 19 and 21 inches.
• For children aged five and six and/or have a height of 3 feet 11 inches need a light weight racquet of 7 ounces and a head size of 91 sq. in.  Grip size should run about 3 and ¾ inches.
• For children aged between 6 and 8 and/or with a height between 3 foot 11 inches and 4 foot 6 inches should use a 23-inch frame.
• Children who are over 4 foot 2 inches should use a 25 inch frame with about a 100 square inch head (or more). This size is especially good for junior players who are nearing the need for an adult size racquet, but still needs the racquet to weigh light, with good balance and maneuverability.
• 26” frame with a weight of 8 ounces is good for children 8 to 12 years of age and around 4 foot 6 to 5 feet tall.