Handle Bevels
A racquet’s handle has eight sides or bevels, which help prevent the racquet from twisting or rotating in a player’s hand. They also serve as useful guides when learning how to grip a tennis racquet.
Shaft & Throat
The shaft is the part of a tennis racquet that extends between the head and the handle, which will either have an open or closed throat.
Older wooden racquets typically feature closed throats, while virtually all modern racquets have open throats, which splits into two sections and extends outward to begin the formation of the head, as does this racquet.
The throat’s design is a primary contributor to a racquet’s flex. A “stiff” racquet will often provide less flex at the throat to help generate additional power when hitting.
Head
The head refers to the entire oval portion of the racquet, in which the strings are installed to create the hitting surface.
Head sizes can vary significantly from racquet to racquet. However, generally speaking, most head sizes will typically fall between 95 and 110 square inches. For beginner racquets, we recommend 100 square inches or greater, which allows for a higher margin of error.
Generally, the size of a racquet head has a direct influence on the overall power of a racquet. A racquet with a larger head will give a player more power, while a racquet with a smaller head will lend less power – but more control.
Rim
The rim of a tennis racquet refers more specifically to the outside edges of a racquet’s head, which you can think of like the edge of a cup.
Beam
The beam of a tennis racquet refers to its side, which may be thicker or thinker depending on the type of tennis racquet.
The beam is often an overlooked part of a racquet, which can have significant implications on overall racquet performance.
Power racquets will tend to have a wider beam, which increases the stiffness while allowing the strings to move more freely and, therefore, generating additional power.
On the other hand, control racquets typically have smaller beams, which makes for a more flexible frame while limiting string movement, resulting in added control.
You can easily compare the beams of various racquets by placing them on a table or the ground side by side, which is worth considering when purchasing a new racquet.
Grommet Strips
Around the racquet’s head, you’ll find plastic grommet strips. They are inserted through the side of the frame to protect the strings from the sharp edges of the drilled holes that allow the strings to pass through.
Grommets
The individual barrels or tunnels along the grommet strip that insert through the frame are called grommets.
Sometimes, the width or design of the grommets changes to allow or constrict the movement of the strings.
With power racquets, you’ll be more likely to find grommets that are wider, allowing for free movement of the strings, while control racquets will have narrower grommets to help constrict movement.
Bumper Guard
You’ll find a bumper guard at the top of a racquet’s head, which helps protect this area and the strings as it periodically scrapes or comes in contact with the court.
Despite their durable plastic material, bumper guards will require replacement to protect and prolong your racquet. If not replaced, the frame may be exposed and lead to a crack or premature breakage.
Strings
Tennis strings are a thin piece of material installed throughout the head of the racquet, which provides the flat trampoline-like hitting surface.
Tennis string comes in a variety of gauges, or thicknesses, and materials, and the type of string you use can have a tremendous impact on overall racquet performance.
Furthermore, the tension you string a racquet can directly impact power, control, spin, and durability.
Main Strings
The strings that run vertically within the head of a tennis racquet are the mains.
Cross Strings
The strings that run horizontally are the crosses.
Face
When woven together, tennis strings form the face of a tennis racquet.
Took my new tennis racket to be stringed and the stringer said the covers for the grommets that slide on the frame were missing –do the grommets have covers ?
Hey Laurence! Thanks so much for your question and congrats on the new tennis racquet!
This definitely sounds a bit odd, as grommets are typically inserted into the frame, so normally they won’t slide or move. However, to answer your question, grommets do not have covers. Instead, grommets at the top of the racquet head will cover the outer edge, i.e. beam, of the tennis racquet, so perhaps there was a slight miscommunication?
What would be helpful is to know the exact tennis racquet that you have. This way I can take a closer look and make sure there isn’t something I’m missing :)
I HAVE A ( HEAD INSTINCT REV RACKET ) AND THE TENSION LEVEL MAX ON THE RACKET IS 57LBS.
I’M GOING STRING IT WITH ( HEAD FXP TOUR ) FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I NEED TO STRING MY RACKET AT 62LBS ( 5LB OVER THE LIMIT )
: QUESTION
1. WILL 5LB OVER THE LIMIT DO DAMAGE TO MY RACKET
2. WHATS THE MAX LBS YOU SUGGEST I CAN OVER THE LIMIT
P.S THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GOING TO A MULITFILAMENT STRING…. ( I WAS HITTING WITH A POLY BUT NOW I’M GOING FOR A MUCH SOFTER STRING )
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP ……
Hey Trey, thanks for the questions! To start, here are some direct answers:
1.) No, at 5 lbs over the recommended limit you shouldn’t have any problems at all as long as you don’t have any structural imperfections, such as cracks or significant dings
2.) This is a little more difficult of a question to answer, but generally speaking I would not recommend going over 80 lbs on most racquets.
A little more detail…
One thing to note is that the recommended string tension is just that, recommended. Generally speaking most racquets can be comfortably strung above or below the recommended string tension. Typically the recommended string tension range is determined through extensive play-testing by actual players.
Based on feedback given by play-testers, racquet manufactures will set a “recommended” string tension range. In essence, this is the range that most players will find the racquet performs well at, however if you’d like to move up a few pounds for more control or down a few pounds for a little extra power, most modern racquets shouldn’t have any structural issues with these adjustments.
WORD OF CAUTION: Have your stringer check for any structural imperfections prior to stringing. They should be able to tell you whether or not they see any issues and if they’d be comfortable stringing at a higher tension.
As for your new string, Head FXP Tour, is a polyester monofilament with multifilament wraps. As such, this string will perform and feel similar to a pure poly, yet provide a little more forgiveness. As such, you’re likely on the right track with stringing a few pounds tighter to achieve a similar feel, but you might consider only 2-3 pounds tighter if you were using a true poly, such as Prince Tournament Poly.
If you’re up for it, you may want to check out two of our articles on the different types of strings and string tension, which provide some more detail on these two topics:
https://tenniscompanion.org/types-of-tennis-string/
https://tenniscompanion.org/tennis-string-tension/
Good luck, and feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions.