5 Tips to Choose The Best Tennis Racquet For Beginners
If you are new to the game of tennis, you probably want to pick out your own racquet to bring with you to your next lesson or match. As a beginner player, here are a few tips to help you pick out the best racquet to get you started in your tennis career.
1. Head Size: Bigger Frame Means Better Ball Contact
A larger head size is recommended for beginners. This head size directly translates to a larger “sweet spot” on the strings. Until your skills develop more fully, you will appreciate the forgiving nature of a larger racquet head size with more square inches of strings in comparison to the smaller frames with fewer square inches of strings that you will see most pros use. The larger head size will make it easier to hit the ball. A head size can vary and they will impact the type of racquet you select. Look at head sizes first.
2. Head Heavy vs. Head Light Tennis Racquets
When selecting the right tennis racquet, there is a question of racquet balance.
- Head Heavy Tennis Racquets – This means the tennis racquet has its weight somewhat tilted toward the top of the racquet. For intermediate players or advanced players this might generate more power.
- Head Light Racquets – If the weight of the racquet is more toward the grip it is head light. This should help with control for beginner players. Power is slightly compromised for better control.
When trying to find the best tennis racquet for beginner adults, there is need for both power and control. Finding a tennis racquet with a good balance is a wise course.
3. Overall Weight: Bigger is Not Necessarily Better
On the flip side, a larger racquet doesn’t have to equal more racquet weight. In fact, it shouldn’t. Most beginners should aim for a lighter racquet that is less than 11 ounces. Simply put, a lighter racquet is easier to play the game with. Once you have built up the specific muscles needed for a powerful swing, you might choose to increase the overall weight of the racquet accordingly.
The materials in a frame will influence weight. For someone new to the game, the frame material is only important insofar as how durable it is. Racquets use aluminum, graphite, fiberglass and other materials. A brand new tennis player will not need the most expensive frame to get the ball on the strings.
4. Don’t Over Do Tennis Racquet Grip Size
While grip size is somewhat a matter of preference rather than skill, if you are a newer player, then you might not know what your preference is just yet. Check out this video for a some great tips on choosing the proper grip size.
When ordering your first racquet, you should err on the small size for the grip. If it turns out to feel too small for your liking, you can always add layers of overgrip to increase the size. However, if you order a grip too large, there is nothing to be done but deal with it or purchase a new tennis racquet.
5. Go Easy with String Tension
When it comes to tennis strings tension, the best advice is to leave it to the experts. Have your racquet strung with a relatively inexpensive string and request the tension to match the manufacturers recommendation. For beginners, getting the ball to strike the strings comes first.
6. Pre-Strung Racquets for Beginners
Many, if not most beginners, will buy a pre-trung racquet. This is a real money saver and a good idea. However, a racquet that is purchased “pre-strung” should have the strings replaced in a few months. Racquet manufacturers do not intend these strings to last for very long. Restringing your racquet with an inexpensive set of synthetic gut strings are well worth the cost to improve a players’ performance. A larger head does not impact the price of strings.
7. How Often to Re-String Your Racquet?
If you are playing about once-per-week, you should restring your racquet at least annually. Every six months if playing two or more times a week. Advanced players get new strings frequently to maintain power and spin. Your stringing professional will know how to install the strings in your tennis racquet. Don’t let terms like “open string pattern” confuse you. There is no need to make things too complicated for your first racquet.
Shopping for Racquets
The right racquet will help you hit the ball and make you a better player sooner. Tennisracquets.com will help you purchase the racquet you need play the game of tennis! You can shop for racquets through our online pro shop. There are plenty of articles and information on this site to help you navigate the world of tennis.
