What racquet is best? - Steve Landon
What Length?
Tennis racquets generally come in one length for adults and that’s 27 inches.
Longer frames do occasionally get made with the goal of generating more power than 27 inch frames (racquet speed, weigh etc all being even) but they will be harder to maneuver. Once in a while a racquet company might make a 27.5, 28 or even 28.5 inch frame but these are very rare and really only seen on the US market.
Junior Racquets
Junior racquets generally start at 17 inches long for very small children and then increase in size to 19, 21, 23, 25 and finally 26 inch racquets. The height and the physical strength of the child will dictate the length of the racquet required, so you should really ask an expert or a coach to recommend the correct length.
Generally 17, 19, 21 and 23 inch racquets are all made of aluminum and are very similar in weight, balance and head size (good luck telling this to your 9 year old who picks up the one with the same paint job as Rafael Nadal’s).
25 and 26 inch racquets can be aluminum but some (you’ll notice a jump in price) are made of graphite composite materials and give similar characteristics to pro players racquets. If your child is playing multiple times a week and is looking at playing match tennis they will need to use one of these racquets to be able to generate the power needed to compete with players of a similar level.
Head Sizes
Oversized and super oversized (102 + square inch head size)
Generally speaking the larger the head size, the better it is for a beginner or club low level player. The reason for this is simple, the larger the head size the bigger the “sweet spot” on a racquet (the sweet spot refers to the ideal place to strike the ball on the strings). So why don’t all players use racquets with large heads? Well some do. Andre Agassi used a very large head size and Serena Williams uses one of the largest racquets of any player on the women’s tour.
The problem with a large head is that it can make the racquet very unstable, causing the head to twist on hits that aren’t exactly centered. The higher the racquet speed/incoming ball speed combination, the worse the twisting will be. This is also dependent on the weight of the frame as well, but it means that players with fast swings have less control with large head sized racquets.
Midsized (80-95 square inch head size)
Think Roger Federer from 2005! This is a very small head size and is designed for class 1 or above level players. The small head size is usually combined with a very heavy frame and a head heavy balance. If you never mis-hit the ball and have won matches on the WTA or ATP tour then this could be for you.
This head size is perfect if don’t need much help with generating power or hitting the sweetspot and all you are really looking for with this frame is control. That said, even Roger traded in his 90 square inch frame a few years ago and went to a midplus so…….. probably best to put it back on the shelf.
Midplus (95-102 square inch head)
After Goldilocks had tried the oversized frame and found it too awkward and she had got tennis elbow from trying to play with Steffi Graf’s mid sized racquet from 1992 she decided on a midplus.
Mid plus racquets make up the bulk of racquets used by class 4 and higher level players. They are a mix of larger sweet spot and stable frames that can generate a bit of extra power for you. They have larger heads than the midsized frames but still small enough to be fairly stable on slightly off centered hits.
Your next problem is that there are so many midplus frames you need to find a weight and balance that’s suits your level, game-style and physical abilities.
Weight and balance
Racquets will range from 250grams to 330 grams and the match up is fairly simple. You should find the heaviest racquet that you can comfortably swing in order to maximise power.
Often a light frame will also have a large headsize and a heavier frame will have a mid sized or mid plus sized head.
Two factors that will need to be considered when choosing a weight are, your own playing style, and balance point of the frame. Players who volley a lot, (including doubles players) and need to improvise short, quick shots often choose a lighter frame where as players who stay behind the baseline and have long swings on ground strokes (forehand and backhands) often choose heavier frames.
Balance point
Weight is important when considering a racquet but equally important is the balance point. Simply put, the balance point is where the weight is distributed along the length of a racquet frame, either towards the head (HH head heavy) or (HL head light).
A head light racquet might be used by a doubles player wanting to maneuver the racquet quickly. A head heavy racquet might be the choice of a baseliner who wants to take big swings at most shots.
In general a head heavy racquet will be harder to get moving than a head light racquet. This can still be the case even if the overall weight of the head heavy racquet is less than a simliar headlight racquet. In this case we need to use a different measurement called swing weight.
Swing Weight
Swing weight is an equation that’s represents how a racquet “feels” when you swing it. It takes in to consideration both weight and balance point. Most modern racquets will now write the swing weight on the frame along with overall weight and balance point.
In order to measure swing weight you need to have a diagnostics machine but it is possible to customize your existing frame to your exact needs with lead tape, a bit of trial and error and a head coach with some free time.
After some trial and error Roger Federer found the correct racquet
Frame shape and material
The wider the frame is the stiffer that frame will be. This means that on contact the frame will flex less and Generate more power.
A thinner beam will flex more and waste more energy, meaning less power. It is a common myth that a “catapult” type effect occurs with a flexible frame.
The materials used in racquet frames will also dictate the “stiffness” of a frame. Most Adult sized racquet above 80 euro are some combination of graphite composite which has a very good power to weight ratio. The only other material used is the cheaper aluminum frames which are much heavier and tend to dent or become misshapen over time causing a change in sweet spot area and power consistency across the string bed.
Another factor is power output from a frame is how much the frame tapers at the throat (the triangle between the handle and the head). The thinner the throat the more flexible the frame will be.
Summary
Still here? Ok lets get down to what to ask for if you want to but a new racquet for yourself (we haven’t talked about strings yet by the way).
Here’s my general recommendations on the type of racquet required at each level of club tennis:
BEGINNERS - super oversized head, 250-270 grams, Head light, wide beam frame
CLASS 7,6 - Oversized head, 260-280 grams, headlight or even balanced frame, mid or wide body frame.
Class 5,4 - Mid plus head, 270-290 grams, even balance, mid width frame or wide body for extra power
CLASS 3,2 - Mid Plus head, 280-305 grams, even or head heavy, mid to thin beam frame
CLASS 1 + Knock yourself out but probably red is a good idea
Stan Wawrinka testing the stiffness of his frame at the French open