Tennis Racquets
Tennis racquets  have come a long way from the heavy wooden models of yesteryear. Today's racquets combine high-tech materials and innovative engineering to produce a strong, lightweight, high-quality product. Shopping for one can be confusing. Fear not, this guide will help.
Tennis Racquet Terminology
When you are shopping for tennis racquets there are a few terms you will run into that may need defining. - Balance: measure of weight distribution in a racquet from the butt end to the top. Head light and head heavy are standard descriptions of a racquets balance. This balance will affect the measure of racquet maneuverability.
- Beam Width: width of the racquet head as viewed from the side. The wider the beam, the more powerful the frame.
- Butt Cap: seals the end of your handle.
- Damping: refers to the vibration or shock damping. Some manufacturers produce racquets with handle systems that reduce the shock level before they reach the player's hand.
- Elasticity: ability of a string to return to it's original position after ball contact. Material, construction and tension all affect this.
- Grommet Strip: the strip of plastic containing small tubes that run through the frame's string holes. The plastic protects the strings from rubbing against the frame metal.
- Handle Pallet: the material attached to the shaft to form an octagonal shape.
- Head: the strings and the part of the frame that encloses them.
- Head Size: the measurement of the racquet's string area, which is usually measured in square inches.
- Hybrid Strings: a combination of any two string types (one for the mains, one for the crosses).
- Resilience: like elasticity, it's a term used to describe string responsiveness.
- Rollers: tiny pulleys used in place of grommets where strings pass through the frame. They allow strings to move freely around the string-frame intersection so that when a ball hits a string, more of the impact force is distributed to neighboring strings.
- Shaft:the part that extends from the butt cap through the handle to the throat.
- Stationary Weight: the overall weight of the racquet (not factoring in balance). Racquets are about 7 to 12 ounces.
- Sweet Spot: the best area of the string bed that produces the best combination of feel and power.
- Throat: the part of the frame that extends from the shaft to the head. It is usually triangular, branching into a Y shape from the shaft.
Things to Consider
Power or Control
One of the first considerations should be whether you want more power, control or a combination of the two.
- Beginners should play with a racquet that's light enough to swing easily, but with enough weight to provide some power. A racquet with an oversize head that weighs between 9 and 10 ounces will give these players more power and more surface area to make good contact with the ball. A good head size measures around 107 to 110 square inches. A thicker frame (around 25 mm) will also add stiffness and power.
- Intermediate players should look for something in the middle: not too powerful, yet not all about control.
- Advanced players who don't have issues generating power can get away with a smaller, heavier racquet that will provide more control. Look for a racquet with a thinner frame that weighs more than 10.5 ounces.
Light vs. Heavy Racquets- Lighter racquets offer greater maneuverability making them easier to swing and more suitable for aggressive play, especially around the net.
- Lighter racquets generate less power by themselves, meaning you must swing faster and more efficiently to generate power.
- A light, head-weighted racquet can generate sufficient power without compromising your swing.
- Lighter racquets demand greater accuracy on impact, which makes it more difficult for beginners.
- Lighter racquets tend to be more expensive than heavy racquets.
- Heavier racquets generate more power and are easier to control.
Balance
How to figure out if you want head-weighted or handle-weighted Racquets: - Most racquets are either head-weighted, handle-weighted or evenly balanced.
- To check a frame's balance, measure it lengthwise and balance it at its exact center.
- Head-heavy racquets give more power, but are less maneuverable around the net, so players who situate themselves mainly at the baseline tend to prefer head-heavy frames.
- Head-light racquets are easier to maneuver at the net, but won't deliver the power of head-heavy frames when you hit from the baseline.
- Serve-and-volleyers, all-court players and advanced players who take full swings generally like head-light racquets.
- Evenly balanced frames offer a blend of power from the baseline and maneuverability at the net. They usually appeal to all-court players.
Flexibility
Do you want Stiff or Flexible? - Stiff racquets bend and torque less.
- Stiff racquets are usually more powerful. A flexible racquet requires the player produce more power.
- Stiff racquets are usually more accurate due to reduced flex on impact providing a more consistent result.
- Flexible racquets are more comfortable because they produce less shock. This helps to avoid tennis elbow problems.
Racquet Head Shape and Size- Greater hitting area means there is a greater margin for error.
- Oversize racquets offer a larger sweet spot. This means more power, but less control.
- Mid-size and small-size racquets have a medium sweetspot and power with very good control.
Durability/Racquet Material - Racquets are made with a number of composite materials. Most of this has little effect on the racquet's performance.
- High-end racquets are now typically constructed of Titanium and carbon.
- Aluminum is very often used for lower-priced racquets, as it is cheap and durable. However, it lacks the playability of other materials.
Open or Dense String Pattern- An open string pattern has more space between the strings allowing you to put more spin on the ball.
- Dense string patterns will give you less spin, but more overall control at directing shots.
- See our buying guide to stringing here.
Top Picks
Below are some well-reviewed models, suggested at About.com, Men.Style.com and ConsumerSearch.com (more picks at each site).
Video Review
Major Manufacturers
External Links
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Wilson nSix-One 95, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince Hornet Hybrid, Dunlop M-Fil 500, Head Flexpoint 4
