Racquets

Whether new to tennis or just getting started, purchasing a new tennis racquet can be a fun and exciting experience. However, if it is your first time purchasing a racquet, it can also be a bit daunting at the same time. Let’s look at a few things that can be helpful to consider when purchasing a new tennis racquet.

Parts Of A Racquet

Undoubtedly, one of the most helpful things I can recommend for new and experienced players is learning or reviewing the essential parts of a tennis racquet. Familiarizing yourself with the various aspects of a racquet is quick and easy, and it will arm you with the basic information necessary to evaluate and purchase one.

For example, it can be helpful to understand the beam or throat of a tennis racquet, why they’re important, and, perhaps most importantly, how they impact performance.

Types of Racquets

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the parts of a racquet, reviewing the three different types of tennis racquets can be tremendously helpful to learn about their common characteristics. For example, as a beginner, you may gravitate towards power racquets, which can be an excellent choice for beginners, or fall slightly between types.

Regardless, understanding the differences can save you a lot of headaches and help put you in the fast lane to finding that perfect racquet more quickly.

Racquet Weight & Balance

As you begin evaluating tennis racquets, it can also be beneficial to familiarize yourself with racquet weight and balance. For most players, the conversation stops at whether a racquet is too heavy, which is an important consideration.

However, it’s just as important to understand how weight and the distribution of that weight impact a tennis racquet’s feel and performance.

Racquet Reviews

I love tennis racquet reviews. When you’re buying a tennis racquet, there are a ton of helpful technical specifications to consider, which can be great for comparative purposes, but they lack substance. On the other hand, an in-depth, organized, and well-thought-out tennis racquet review can give you a ton of insight into the overall performance of a racquet.

However, as much as I love racquet reviews, there’s no substitute for getting out there and hitting with a demo racquet yourself. Every player has a bias, and what works for one player or what feels great for another player is subjective, so it’s worth developing your own opinions and using reviews as a guide for the type of racquet you’re looking for.

One great benefit of demoing racquets is that you’ll likely start to find tennis racquet reviews more valuable. This is because you’ll have multiple points of reference from your first-hand experience.

Racquet Brands

With over 15 tennis racquet brands, it sometimes feels like too many options. However, the good news is that selecting a racquet brand doesn’t have to be all that complicated. The reality is that all of the top brands carry a wide range of racquets designed to meet the needs of players with a wide range of styles, levels, and preferences.

As a result, whether you pick up one of the more familiar brands such as Babolat, Wilson, Head, or Prince or you decide to go with one of the typically less familiar brands such as Volkl, Yonex, Tecnifibre or Slazenger, you’re likely to find a racquet that meets the criteria you’re looking for.

So, instead of getting hung up on the brand, pick one you feel good about and start there. If you begin to play with a particular brand’s racquets and are not finding what you like, you may want to jump to another brand. This way, you can narrow your options out of the gate but still leave yourself open to try other brands and the unique technologies they offer without getting completely hung up on the sheer number of racquets available.

Finding The Best Racquet

Before even starting, beginners often ask, “What’s the best tennis racquet?” Whether you’re just getting started or not, it’s worth noting that the very best tennis racquet is the one that meets your needs, matches your level of play, feels great in your hand,s and gives you the confidence to step out on the court and have fun. Unfortunately, what works for one player may not be great for another, so classifying a single racquet as the best would be doing players a disservice.

So, rather than going out and buying your favorite player’s racquet or the prettiest racquet on the shelf, give yourself the benefit of the doubt by reading up on tennis racquets before making your decision. Your time spent will help you find the best racquet for you, and your game will be better for it.