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Although it doesn’t do all the work, the racket is an important part of the tennis game. Choosing a new one is not something to be taken lightly and many parameters have to be taken into consideration to select the racket that will suit your expectations. There are as many different tennis rackets as there are player profiles : from the young tennis player who chooses his first adult frame, to the first series player, to the great beginner… everyone’s expectations are very different.

Are you looking for a forgiving racket ? Flexible? Stable ? Powerful ? Favoring spin ? If you probably have an idea of what you want, we’ll give you the information you need to make your choice right ! With this guide, we hope to help you choose the perfect racket for you by explaining the different criteria.

Our tennis rackets

YOUR LEVEL OF PRACTICE



JUNIOR

The requirements for juniors will be different depending on their age and level of practice. Junior racket sizes are expressed in inches and each size corresponds to an age range. As with beginners, children who are just beginning to play will benefit from a lightweight racket with a large head to help them get a feel of the ball. An aluminum or composite racket will suit most children. For juniors who are improving or playing in competitions, a graphite racquet will allow them to pursue their progression.

Our junior rackets

 

ADULT BEGINNERS OR OCCASIONAL PLAYERS

For a beginner player, the main feature that will be sought is maneuverability. A lightweight racket (255-275g depending on the player’s size) with a large head (645cm² or more) will provide plenty of forgiveness and will forgive decentering errors. A racket with an aluminum or composite frame will be sufficient for the occasional player. For the beginner player, a graphite frame is best for maximum comfort, fun and performance.

Our beginner rackets

 

INTERMEDIATE OR REGULAR PLAYER (ONCE A WEEK)

An intermediate player will be looking for maneuverability but also other characteristics specific to their game such as power, control and spin. He will be looking for intermediate weight rackets (between 275 and 295g depending on size). A medium sized head (630 and 645 cm²) will be suitable for more precision. A racket with a graphite frame is also recommended : this light material will allow to develop more power than a composite or aluminum frame.

Our intermediate rackets

ADVANCED OR INTENSIVE PLAYER (2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK)

An experienced player will try to develop a maximum of power and precision in his game. He will therefore be more interested in heavy rackets (weight over 295g) with a head adapted to his style of play, which will allow him to develop powerful and precise strokes. As for the composition of the frame, an intensive or experienced player should choose a graphite racquet for better performance and more power.

Our expert rackets

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TENNIS RACKET

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

SIZE OF THE HANDLE

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

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

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

In our experience, too many players have a handle that is too thick and unsuitable. Having a handle that is too thick unconsciously forces you to hold the racket tighter, causing additional strain on your wrists and forearms.

If you don’t know what size handle to choose, choose a smaller handle. You can always add an overgrip or opt for a handle enlarger.

WEIGHT

The weight of a tennis racket varies from 250 to 350 grams without string. Its weight is always indicated unstrung, once the stringing is added, it is usually necessary to add 15 grams more. Today, thanks to the extremely high performance and light materials used in the manufacture of tennis rackets, rackets can be light, stiff and tolerant at the same time.

The weight given to them will therefore mainly influence the feelings in the game. A light racket will allow for better maneuverability, while a heavy racket will allow for more power and comfort. The heavier the racket, the more it will also filter out vibrations at ball impact. We therefore recommend the installation of an anti-vibration device for all rackets weighing less than 300g in order to keep the maximum comfort for your arm. We consider a polyvalent racket to be around 300 grams (unstrung).

HEAD SIZE

The equation is simple, the larger the head you choose, the more power and tolerance you will gain. Conversely, a smaller headsize will give you more control, but will be more challenging.

A player looking for power will opt for a large head racket to generate ball speed more easily. A player with a very powerful nature will opt for small heads to gain precision in his game. Rackets with a 645cm² headsize are considered very polyvalent.

BALANCE

Racket balance is a value measured between the base of the handle and the balance point of a racket, usually located at the midpoint of the tennis racket’s length. A racket with a balance point closer to the handle will give you more control and maneuverability. A racket with a balance point further away (more head balance) will provide you more power. A racket with a high head balance will also tire the arm more easily. The balance of your racket can also be modified by distributing weight in strategic locations (lead strips on the frame, weight in the handle…).

 

PROFILE

The profile of a tennis racket refers to the width of its frame. The thinner the frame profile, the more control, feel and precision you will gain. Conversely, the thicker the frame profile, the more power you will gain.

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

RIGIDITY

The rigidity index of a tennis racket is expressed in Ra (Rahmen index) . This is strongly influenced by the profile of the racket’s frame (i.e. its thickness) as well as the materials used in its manufacturing. A more rigid racket will give you more power while a soft racket will offer more control to players already powerful by nature. Note that soft 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 rigid rackets more comfortable.

STRINGING PATTERN

A racket’s string pattern is the number of vertical strings and the number of horizontal strings the racket has.

- A racket with 16 vertical strings will offer more spin and power ;
- A racket with 18 vertical strings will offer more control and precision.

Note that an open string pattern (e.g. 16×18) will wear out the string more quickly than a dense string pattern (e.g. 18×20).

RACKET BRANDS AND THEIR RANGES

You now know how to choose a tennis racket by knowing the characteristics that influence its in-game behavior. Each brand of racket has a different range of products that are distinguished by their game orientation (control, power, spin, versatility…) and a different cosmetic. Each range is then broken down according to the weight of the rackets. Thus you will generally find an ultra light model of about 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, beginners or players looking for a very flexible racket), a classic model of 29 to 305 grams which will be the most versatile of the range and thin and a tour model of more than 310 grams (for experienced competitors). Some brands or lines of rackets can also respond to the specific needs of a minority of players. This is the case of the Pro Kennex rackets, which are primarily oriented towards comfort in order to limit the risk of injury (tennis elbow).

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

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

Our tennis rackets

OUR TENNIS GUIDES