Things to Consider Before Choosing Tennis Racket as a Beginner

Tennis rackets vary in terms of size, weight, features, and their overall look and feel, and these factors must be considered before you choose any tennis racket as a beginner. Rackets for beginners are designed with the skill level and the age of the player in mind. The ideal weight for the racket will depend on your gender and age, with lighter rackets weighing between 0.15kg and 0.18kg recommended for older players and women, and those weighing between 0.17kg and 0.2kg recommended for men. Regardless of the weight, beginners must look for rackets that have larger heads, which can be more forgiving with a bigger sweet spot. Here are more things to consider before selecting a tennis racket for beginners:

• Game improvement or power rackets – Consider tennis rackets with oversize to super-oversized heads that are about 107 to 135 square inches, but make sure they are light (i.e. eight to 9.5 ounces) and long (27 to 29 inches). These rackets are stiffer and head-heavy, so there is enough weight in the hit zone. Hence, they are ideal for players who have short and slow swings, but would like more power from their racket.

• Prices – Comparing the prices can become overwhelming when choosing a tennis racket as a beginner. Keep in mind that manufacturers may produce rackets in similar sizes and weights and comparable price points and features. To avoid confusion, decide on a budget that is based on your frequency of playing tennis. Consider a reasonably priced racket first, then upgrade as you improve your standard. Rackets that are in the $50 to $150 range may not contain dampening features and not completely made of graphite, but they should be ideal for occasional players. If you are serious about tennis and play frequently, consider rackets that are at least $150.

• Type of strings – You are most likely choosing your first tennis racket as a beginner, so it is okay to buy one that has already been strung. If the strings break, consider a softer synthetic variety, like Wilson Sensation or synthetic gut because they provide excellent feel and power, while being kind to your arm. Serious players may consider firm polyester strings like Volkl Cyclone and Babolat RPM.

• Refer to an algorithm that lets you choose the right tennis racket online – Answer a few questions and the algorithm analyzes them before recommending accurate and unbiased results on the best tennis rackets for beginners. This way, you can save a lot of time and effort, and avoid the guesswork.

Tennis 101 – How to Hit the Perfect Serve as A Beginner

Learning how to hit a perfect serve is crucial to a beginner tennis player. Tennis rackets for beginners can help you generate more power to hit the ball and send it over the net, so they have larger heads and a bigger sweet spot compared to rackets for intermediate and advanced players. However, you need to make sure that you can hit well, too. Here are some of the things you should consider to hit the perfect serve, even as a beginner:

• Make sure you have the correct stance – All strokes start from the ground up, and to hit a perfect serve, you need to stand sideways, look down, and make sure that your feet are around shoulder width apart. Turn your front foot (right for left-handed players, and left for right-handed players) to make it point towards the net.

• Toss the ball consistently – A consistent toss is key to a good serve, so practice your tossing. If you are right-handed, place the end of your racket on the ground before your left foot while the racket is pointed at one o’clock. Keep your tossing arm straight. Your shoulder should act like a hinge, so you can toss the ball up to make it land on your racket’s face. The height of your toss must be slightly higher than what you can reach with your racket at full extension. If you are left-handed, do everything aforementioned, but switch the arms and feet.

• Practice throwing the tennis ball – The way you serve a ball is considered similar to the way you throw things, except you are throwing the racket at the tennis ball. You can achieve a smoother throwing motion by taking one tennis ball for each hand and toss one at one o’clock before tossing the second ball at it. Throw the ball when the toss has reached its peak, and keep practicing until you can achieve contact multiple times.