Tennis is an incredible sport, whether you’re playing professionally or just for fun as a hobby, you can benefit greatly from having a quality racket that works well with your playing style. Like with a lot of sports equipment, there’s no right or wrong answer when buying a tennis racket. It is a combination of factors and most importantly, comfort. Here are some beginner tips for purchasing a tennis racket that suits you best!
Choose the Right Head Size for your Racket
Typically, beginners play better with larger head sizes on their rackets primarily because they are more forgiving. It’s difficult to enjoy the game if you find yourself missing too many shots outright. Being able to at least consistently return shots and enjoy a good volley are the beginning stages of appreciating a sport.
Professionals tend to enjoy racket that are smaller than what is best for beginners because of the added precision that having a smaller head can provide their technique. It’s very simple, bigger rackets are easier to use and much more readily provide power. Head size and power are related as—all things considered equal, a bigger racket will likely be heavier to some degree but will offer a larger zone of power (which is commonly near the neck of the racket). As a player becomes more skilled, their form and power transfer will improve which will enable them to get similar power output out of a smaller, more maneuverable racket if they prefer.
What is the Ideal Length for a Tennis Racket?
There is no ideal length for a tennis racket, it will depend entirely on the player and a good player can make use of many different types of rackets. However, most rackets will range from 27-29 inches in their lengths.
Tennis is a wonderful sport full of nuance, and racket length impacts many of those nuances such as power, spin, maneuverability. However, the most important thing for players of all skill levels is reach. With exception to children, racket length is a matter of preference (children are still growing, so length is important). Unsurprisingly, many rackets range from 27-29 as we mentioned—with the legal tournament maximum being 29 inches.
For the vast majority of adults regardless of height, it is recommended that you try a racket that is 27 inches in length. Players who are on the shorter side can benefit from an extended length racket which are typically half an inch longer. They can be extended to be longer than that, however, going up to 28 or 29 inches.
What Grip Size Should my Tennis Racket Be?
Grip size is an important factor that many beginners do not consider because they haven’t been playing the sport long enough to encounter troubles related to grip size. Tennis is a very forearm and shoulder dominant sport. If you are using a grip size that is too small, you will be on your way to experiencing RSI (repetitive strain injury) in your wrist and elbow. When the grip is too small, you have to hold the racket too tight which contributes to unnecessary fatigue in your muscles. If the grip is too large then you will have difficulties making wrist movements for technique.
For small hands that are anywhere from 4 to 4-1/4 inches, a size 0-2 will be sufficient depending on where you are in that spectrum.
Medium sized hands are from 4-3/8 inches to 4-1/2 inches and a size 3 or 4 should do.
For Large hands 4-5/8 inches to 4-3/4 inches will translate to about size 5 or 6.
Naturally, there are many variances in the dimensions of people’s hands and it’s important to try out a few different sizes to see what you are most comfortable with.
Tennis Rackets for Beginners Online
There are many other factors that go into choosing a racket—especially if you are skewing towards intermediate or professional level of play. However, for beginners, these factors tend to be the most important as they have immediate impact on play as well as level of comfort while playing.
At Clarke Distributing, we want you to always be satisfied with your purchase because we love tennis and it warms us to be able to sell phenomenal equipment at an affordable price. If you have any questions about your order or about any of our items, please do not hesitate to contact us at (800)-777-3444!