Tennis Gear – Tennis Racquets

Gear, Learning Guide — By admin

While tennis racquets may look similar (okay, except for their funky colors and graphics!), they have features that lead them to play quite differently.

Racquets For Different Skill Levels

Beginner tennis racquets are typically lighter and larger with a greater surface area to strike the ball, while tennis racquets for more advanced players are typically heavier and have a smaller head.

Tennis racquets for beginning players are typically called game improvement racquets. They offer technology that helps the player with their game, offering power and a larger hitting surface. The advanced tennis player racquets are called players racquets. They offer greater stability and control and rely on the tennis player to generate the power. Tennis racquets that have characteristics between these are called tweener racquets. It is often the game improvement tennis racquets with the new technologies that tend to be the most expensive!

Major differences among tennis racquets (generally speaking)

• Head Size: A larger head offers more power and a larger sweet-spot (i.e., area where the ball can be hit most effectively, with control and the least vibration). A smaller head offers even more control, if you connect with the ball in its smaller sweetspot.
• Weight: A lighter racquet is easier to swing. However, it may not be stable against a hard-hitting opponent. A heavier racquet is more stable and offers more control and power.
• Frame Stiffness: A stiff racquet offers more power and provides more directional control. A flexible racquet offers more comfort. However, it is possible to have a flexible frame and a certain string set-up make the racquet quite powerful by providing a trampoline effect to the ball.
• Balance Point: Tennis racquets heavier at the head than the handle are called head-heavy racquets and offer more power and stability, whereas head-light racquets offer more maneuverability and therefore are better for volleying at the net.

How to Find Your Perfect Racquet

The best way to find your ideal tennis racquet is to try a lot of them. You will notice the difference. Most beginners don’t believe this until they try a few different racquets and find that there IS a difference! Some are downright awful while others suit them quite well. Most tennis shops and the good online tennis stores offer a demo policy that permits you to take out a tennis racquet for a trial run. There may be a small fee for each tennis racquet you try but you typically get that money back if you buy a racquet from the same retailer. Take advantage of the demos to see which best fits your game.

If you are learning with a tennis pro, ask him or her for recommendations. Also, ask people who have a similar game to yours. The tennis racquet you used years ago or at a less advanced level may not suit you well today. Older tennis racquets also become fatigued and weaken, which affects their playability.

Found the perfect racquet? Next up is strings.

Tags: Learning Guide, tennis gear, tennis rackets