Racket advice

How to choose your tennis racket?

Are you looking for a forgiving racket? Maneuverable? Stable? Powerful? Favoring spin? If you surely have an idea of what you want, we give you the keys to refine your choice! With this guide, we hope to guide your choice towards the ideal racket for you by explaining the different criteria.

How to choose your tennis racket?
Expert guide Selection advice
Equipment

Your level of play

Although it doesn't do all the work, the racket is an essential element in playing tennis. Choosing a new one is not something to be taken lightly, and many parameters need to be considered to find the frame that will suit your expectations. There are as many different tennis rackets as there are player profiles: from the young tennis player choosing their first adult frame, to the top-ranked player, to the complete beginner... everyone's expectations are very different.

Beginner child

The needs for juniors will be different depending on their age and level of practice. Junior racket sizes are expressed in inches and each corresponds to an age group. As for beginner players, children starting out will benefit greatly from a light racket with a large head size, which will allow them to better apprehend the ball. An aluminum or composite racket will suit most children. For juniors in advanced training or playing in competition, a graphite racket can allow them to continue to progress. To find out more about junior rackets, do not hesitate to consult our guide on choosing a tennis racket for children.

Beginner or occasional adult

For a beginner player, the main characteristic sought will be maneuverability. They will therefore benefit greatly from finding a light racket (between 255 and 275g depending on their build), equipped with a large head size (645cm² or more) which will provide a lot of tolerance and forgive off-center hits. A racket with an aluminum or composite frame will be sufficient for occasional players. For the beginner player, a graphite frame is preferable to maximize comfort, enjoyment, and performance. You will also find our selection of women's rackets.

Intermediate or regular player (1x per week)

An intermediate player will look for maneuverability but also other characteristics specific to their game such as power, control, or spin. They can opt for rackets with an intermediate weight (between 275 and 295g depending on their build). A medium head size (630 and 645 cm²) will suit them to gain precision. A racket with a graphite frame is also preferable: this lightweight material will allow them to develop more power than a composite or aluminum frame.

Advanced or intensive player (2/3x per week)

An advanced player will seek to develop maximum power and precision in their game. They will therefore benefit greatly from opting for heavy rackets (weight over 295g) with a head size adapted to their playing style, allowing them to develop powerful and precise shots. For the frame composition, an intensive or advanced player will benefit greatly from choosing a graphite racket to achieve better performance and more power.

Making the right choice

Tennis racket selection criteria

Discover all the criteria that differentiate tennis rackets from each other and that can help you find the model best suited to your needs.

The grip size

Selecting the correct grip size for your racket is very important. There are 6 grip sizes (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), with 0 being the smallest grip and 5 the thickest:

- size 0 will suit children under 11 years old;
- sizes 1 and 2 will suit women and teenagers;
- sizes 2 and 3 will suit most men;
- sizes 4 and 5 will be for men with large hands.

To find your grip size, hold your racket grip with your whole hand: the space between your middle finger and the palm of your hand should be between 5mm and 1cm.

From experience, we encounter far too many players who have a grip that is too thick and ill-suited. Having a grip that is too thick unconsciously forces you to hold the racket more firmly, causing additional tension in your wrists and forearms.

If you don't know which grip size to choose, opt for a smaller grip. You can always add an overgrip or choose a grip enlarger. To learn more, consult our guide on choosing the grip size for your tennis racket.

The weight

The weight of a tennis racket varies from 250 to 350 grams unstrung. Their weight is always indicated unstrung; once the stringing is added, you generally need to add an additional 15 grams. Today, thanks to the extremely high-performance and lightweight materials used in the manufacturing of tennis rackets, rackets can be light, rigid, and forgiving all at once.

The weight given to them will therefore primarily influence the feel during play. A light racket will promote maneuverability, while a heavy racket will allow for more power and comfort. The heavier the racket, the more it will also filter vibrations upon ball impact. We therefore recommend the installation of a vibration dampener for all rackets under 300g to maintain maximum comfort for your arm. A versatile racket is considered to be around 300 grams (unstrung racket). If you want more information on the weight to choose for your racket, do not hesitate to consult our guide on tennis racket weight.

The head size

The equation is simple: the more you opt for a large head size, the more power and forgiveness you will gain. Conversely, a smaller head size will give you more control, but will be more demanding.

A player seeking power will therefore lean towards rackets with a large head size to generate ball speed more easily. A naturally powerful player will opt for smaller head sizes to gain precision in their game. Rackets with a head size of 645cm² are considered to offer great versatility.

The balance

The balance of the racket is a value measured between the base of the grip and the balance point of a racket, generally located at the midpoint of the tennis racket. A racket with a balance point closer to the grip will offer you more control and maneuverability. A more distant balance (head-heavy racket) will provide you with more power. A strongly head-heavy racket will also tire the arm more easily. The balance of your racket can also be modified by distributing mass in strategic places (lead tape on the frame, weight in the grip, etc.).

The racket beam width

The beam width of a tennis racket corresponds to the width of its frame. The thinner the frame's beam, the more control, feel, and precision you will gain. Conversely, the greater the thickness of the frame's beam, the more power you will gain.

A thin beam is considered to be around 20mm, and the average is around 24mm. The most powerful racket models have a beam that can reach 30mm or more, thus allowing people who struggle to generate power (senior players, for example) to find it even with a short swing.

The stiffness

The stiffness index of a tennis racket is expressed in Ra (Rahmen index). This is strongly influenced by the racket's frame profile (i.e., its thickness) as well as the materials used in its manufacturing. A stiffer racket will give you more power, while a flexible racket will offer more control to naturally powerful players. It should be noted that flexible rackets are more comfortable for the arm; however, modern technologies (CounterVail / Free Flex / Feel Flex from Wilson or Graphene 360+ from Head) can also make stiff rackets more comfortable.

The string pattern

A racket's string pattern corresponds to the number of mains (vertical strings) and the number of crosses (horizontal strings) that the racket has.

- A racket with 16 mains will offer more spin, forgiveness, and power;
- A racket with 18 mains will offer more control and precision.

Note that an open string pattern (16x18 for example) will wear out the stringing faster than a dense string pattern (18x20 for example).

Racket brands and their ranges

You now know how to choose a tennis racket by understanding the characteristics that influence its performance in play. For each racket brand, you will find ranges that are distinguished by a playing orientation (control, power, spin, versatility…) and a distinct cosmetic. Each range is then broken down according to the weight of the rackets. Thus, you will generally find an ultra-light model of approximately 255 to 265 grams (ideal for young players looking for a first adult frame), a light model of 270 to 280 grams (ideal for women, absolute beginners or players looking for a very maneuverable racket), a classic model of 29 to 305 grams which will be the most versatile in the range and finally a tour model of over 310 grams (for seasoned competitors). Certain racket brands or ranges can also meet the specific needs of a minority of players. This is notably the case for Pro Kennex rackets, focused on comfort above all to limit the risk of injuries (tennis elbow).

We therefore offer a non-exhaustive classification of the main existing brands and their ranges that can guide you in your choice. Of course, hitting sensations can vary from one brand to another depending on the technologies and innovations present, but this table can serve as a basis for comparison.

Ready to take action?

Now that you know more, discover our wide selection of frames for all types of players. Use the filters (based on weight, string pattern, etc.) to get a selection that matches your search.

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