The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Buying a Tennis Racket

What Do You Need from a Tennis Racket?

It might seem like an obvious question to be asking yourself, but you can rest assured that not enough people ever ask themselves this question before heading out to buy a tennis racket.

It is human nature to choose something due to reasons that might not necessarily produce the best results. For instance, a colourful and beautifully designed racket may entice you to purchase it and your brain may block out the potential downsides to the racket since the voice that’s stronger in your head is the one that loves the look.

So, here is a comprehensive list of the things you need to look out for when choosing a tennis racket to buy, As a side point it may interest you to see tennis fencing.

Body Size and Strength

Some rackets are better suited for different sizes and strengths of tennis players. If you are a naturally strong person, for instance, you will need to use a racket that doesn’t necessarily add too much power to your game and gives you more control. On the other hand, you may feel that you require help to produce more power.

You will generally find that the wider the racket’s frame, the more power it is likely to give you. If you get the opportunity to look closely at the professionals playing on TV, you will quickly notice that their rackets are usually not very wide. The reason for this is that they are powerful players who can easily generate their own power without having to rely on their racket to help them.

When talking about the width of the frame, what we are generally referring to is the throat of the tennis racket that begins at the handle’s apex and is divided into two sections that extend outward on both sides of the racket. The throat is the part that imparts the most effect on the ball after hitting it. So, a wider frame at the throat is generally likely to give more power than a narrower framed throat.

Besides your own strength, it is also important to consider your height. Taller players generally have longer arms, which translates to a longer swing that in turn generates more speed and power. If you are a shorter player, you will likely have a shorter swing that’s less powerful. However, that isn’t always the case since there are plenty of shorter players who are capable of hitting a very hardball. All we are offering here is some general advice and you need to think carefully about your body prior to making these decisions.

Your Type of Swing

You will basically have a slow, average, or fast speed wing. Any decent tennis player or tennis coach should be able to look at your swing and tell whether it is slow, fast, or average. A faster swing often generates more power compared to a slower swing, in which case you need to buy a less powerful racket since your fast swing will add power for you. You would also want more control from the racket, which means that a narrower frame will most likely be the right option for you.