Tips for Choosing the Best Racquet to Benefit Your Playstyle

There are literally thousands of different tennis rackets to choose from, and yet it’s extremely rare for two rackets to play exactly the same. A slightly thicker beam or even an extra gram of weight can massively affect your performance on the court.

Weight and Balance

Tennis rackets weigh anywhere from 245 grams (super lightweight) to 340 grams (super heavy). Choosing something too light or too heavy for you can negatively affect your game. Worse, it might cause arm injuries.

Professional racquet stringers in sports shops usually have machines that can determine the weight, balance, and swing weight of a racket. These machines are equipped with gauges and sensors that provide accurate measurements of a racket's balance. Tennis rackets with balance points above 330mm are head-heavy. Those in the 315 to 330mm range are balanced, and those under 315mm are head light.

So which one should you choose? Head-heavy racquets are recommended for baseline players as well as beginners. Advanced players typically prefer a more balanced or head-light racquet that is more maneuverable, in general. Head-light rackets are also easier to use for net play and volleying. Head-heavy rackets, on the other hand, provide more power. They also help you hit top spin. A balanced tennis racket can provide a bit of both, and are usually preferred by base-liners at the back of the court.

The Takeaway

If you’re a beginner player and want something basic, buy a balanced racquet preferably with an oversized head. A 27-inch lightweight racquet with a head that’s at least 106 square inches is ideal. Make sure you’re the grip size suits you, too. Are you a power hitter? You might play better with a smaller-head racquet that helps to prevent you from swinging too heavy. The lighter head gives you more control.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHILE YOU CHOOSE A TENNIS RACKET

Choosing a new tennis racket can be a difficult and often, a puzzling decision for a player. There are various misconceptions floating around out there and every second person will have a different opinion on the matter. This is why, making your selection of the best tennis racket to suit your game should be based on the foundation of rock-solid physics and facts.  If you are facing a similar dilemma and would appreciate some guidance and tips, here is a list of the most relevant, scientific factors that you should keep in mind while choosing the right tennis racket for yourself.

# Your stamina and athleticism

If you have a naturally athletic body and a powerful swing, there is no need to buy an overly heavy, head-balanced racket to generate extra force on your shots. Heavier rackets tend to generate early exhaustion for players and may even contribute to issues like Tennis Elbow, shoulder injuries and more.

# Stringing pattern on the racket

The string-bed on the racket has a direct impact on the power, control and spin you will be able to generate while hitting the ball. Open stringing offers more spin and ball maneuverability, bringing an element of surprise to your shots. Dense, tight stringing on the other hand, offers more control on shots placement, making it a suitable choice for beginners.

# Beam width for powerful shots

Beam can be identified as the triangle that appears under the racket head. The bigger the width of this beam, the more power your racket will have. This can be a good option for people who do not wish to handle heavy rackets but will definitely appreciate added power in their shot swing.

# Flexibility rating of the racket

Tennis rackets are categorized in accordance with their flexibility levels, denoted by ratings from 1 to 100. Lower rating numbers are indicative of increased control and spin, but lesser power. Highly flexible rackets will generate more power, but will generate more vibrations in the racket and make it tough for the player to control shot placement.

Just keep the above factors in mind to select the best tennis racket in accordance with your needs and style of playing.