Tennis
rackets is the most important equipment in the game of tennis or lawn
tennis. A good tennis racquet is a life long investment and you should
take care of a lot of points before buying one. We have covered some
valuable topics to help you to buy the best racquet suiting your need
and style of play.
- Racket length: The standard size
of a racquet is 27 inch. Though the permissible range of racket
length for tournament play is 27-29 inches.
- Head size: The head size of a
racket provides the power and control to hit the ball. Larger head
size racquets allow more power, provide larger hitting area, and
more space of sweet spot than smaller ones. The most common head
sizes range between 95-110 square inches.
- Weight & Balance: These two
factors mostly affect the feel of holding a racket. Usually a
heavier racket is more powerful, stable, and transmits less shock
than lighter ones. On the other hand, a lighter racket can be swung
faster. Earlier rackets average weight was 12-13 ounces and had
balanced light head. After some time the average weight reduced to
10-11 ounces and have head-heavy balance. It was done to increase
maneuverability without sacrificing the power.
- Frame Stiffness: Stiffness of a racquet affects power, control, and comfort of your play. Stiffer rackets don't deviate too much during hitting, so they waste lesser energy in compare to flexible rackets. On the other hand, a more stiff racket will transmit more shock to your wrist, arm, and shoulder than medium stiff rackets.
The materials used in manufacturing a tennis racket have taken a changeover since its origin.
Materials used earlier
- Previously, rackets frames were usually made of wood. Wooden
racquets had smaller head and shorter string.
- These rackets have leather-wrapped handles and the strings were
made of animal intestine known as natural gut strings.
- Wood is still used for real tennis racquets.
- In 1970s the traditional wooden frame started to be replaced
with metal frames. Various materials have been used since then such
as graphite, aluminum,steel, carbon fiber, titanium, ceramics or
alloys.
- Now-a-days graphite is mixed with materials such as boron and
titanium to produce even stronger, and lighter, rackets. These
rackets are light weight and offer more flexibility
- The latest rackets are made from graphite composite that
includes fiberglass, titanium, Kevlar. They offer more flexibility.
- Rackets made of aluminum are inexpensive and tends to vibrate more than other tennis racquet materials. They deliver more impact to the arm of players.
Selecting a perfect tennis racket is a challenging job, but we will make it easy for you with some very important buying tips. Whether you are buying a racquet for kids, youth, or adults it will be better to match the skill level of player who want to use it.
Tennis rackets for children
Children of different ages require rackets of different length. We have brought some guide to you:
| Children Age | Racket Length |
| 4-6 years | 21 inch |
| 5-8 years | 23-25 inch |
| 8-11 years | 25-26 inch |
| Older | 27-29 inch |
Tennis racquets for beginner adult players
- Players who need more power or have short swing need stiff power
tennis rackets. These racquets are either balanced or slightly head
heavy.
- Length of these rackets measure between 27-29 inch ? Weight of
these rackets are 8-9.5 ounces.
- They have an over sized head of at least 100 square inches. Oversize rackets have a larger sweet spot and generate power.
Professional tennis players generally prefer more flexible 'control tennis rackets'. These players have a long swing and produce a lot of power.
- Length of these rackets 27 inch is the standard size. Also come
in extended 29 inch length.
- Weight of these rackets lie between 11.5 and 13 ounces.
- These racquets have more weight in handle and grip, which help to absorb more shock than lighter rackets. These rackets are preferred who put a lot of power behind their shots.
- Avoid exposing your racket to extreme cold or heat. Don't leave
it in your car in summer or winter because a hot car can soften the
graphite frame.
- Avoid abrading the racquet while picking up lower balls.
- Keep your racquet away from sun when not in use.
- Don't throw or bang your racket.
- Put protective layers of tape over those areas which are scraped
while picking up low balls.
- As soon as you think that tour grip gets slippery, replace it with a new one. A worn out grip is responsible for racket breakage. It may harm other players or spectators.
