Tennis Racquets: Picking, Costs & The Best Options Right Now
From beginners to people who have been playing consistently for over 30 years, one of the most overwhelming things to do as a tennis player is finding a perfect racquet. Options are always great, but they can be pretty overwhelming with hundreds of models to choose from.
The good news is, the choice narrows down pretty quickly if a person understands not only their skill level, but their style of play. From there, demoing a few racquets can usually put a person in a position to pick their new weapon.
Below is a closer look at picking the right racquet, how much a new racquet costs and some of the best options out there for any skill level. Remember that these are all starting points for those people who might feel overwhelmed. Ultimately, nothing beats trying out a racquet before making a purchase.
How To Pick A Tennis Racquet
The first step to picking out a racquet is being honest about what type of player you are. In most cases, recommended racquets go by the level of player, as well as a certain style. For example, a beginner usually needs a racquet that is lightweight, easy to maneuver and has a larger head size. This all encourages more success early on, which will motivate players to continue giving the sport a try.
On the other end of the spectrum, advanced players will want a racquet that offers a good amount of precision and spin opportunities. This level of player can generate their own power fairly easily, so they don’t need something that acts like a launching pad. Instead, the focus is put in the ball in the right part of the court as often as possible.
Generally speaking, racquets fit into beginner, intermediate, and advanced player categories. Of course, that’s just the first step to narrowing everything down. After deciding on the skill level, there are five factors everyone should consider before committing to a racquet.
Weight
The weight of a racquet is pretty important to get right. Not only does it affect how a racquet plays, but it can also help prevent injuries. A racquet that is too heavy can cause arm fatigue, and a lighter racquet can also do damage since players tend to overswing.
Advanced players use heavier racquets more frequently. These players also like the fact that there is also more stability when making contact. This comes in handy in all aspects of the game, but especially at the net.
The common thought is that any beginner should start with a super light racquet. That might be the case in some instances, but those who are in good condition from working out and playing other sports shouldn’t go too light. This is just going to frustrate a beginner, because they will be spraying balls everywhere with absolutely no control. This is where it comes in handy to hold different weights in hand before making a purchase.
Roughly 300 grams seems to be the line between light and heavy racquets. Some top players on tour will go as high as 350 grams have a lot of power behind each shot. Recreation players that don’t have much strength might opt for something in the 280 gram or lower range. Those racquets offer free power to keep up in rallies. On average, women use a lighter racquet than men.
Balance
Weight and balance go hand-in-hand with a tennis racquet. A racquet might feel heavy, but it’s not always because of its overall weight. Two racquets that both weigh 300 grams can feel vastly different in real play if balanced differently.
There are head heavy options out there, but most players, regardless of level, opt for headlight or balanced racquets. It is more of a modern set up in a lot of ways, even if it doesn’t provide as much power.
A head heavy racquet puts more stress on the arm, so beginners should 100% stay away from these options. Only advanced players who have tried other racquets in the past should consider making the change.
Stiffness
Every time a person makes contact with the ball, the racquet bends at least a little bit. Stiffness measures just how much it bends. For more power, a stiffer racquet will bend less and act as a wall. A flexible racquet bends a little more and feels comfortable, and that all comes with a slight loss of power.
Most beginners tend to stay away from stiffer racquets if possible. Yes, the power is a little bit better, but most racquets can be very tough on the arm. Tennis elbow is very common with people who use stiff racquets. This is not only very painful, but can ruin a person’s opportunity to learn the game. No one wants to be in a situation where they wake up sore after playing tennis every single time.
Head Size
The head of the racquet provides the surface area for each tennis player to hit the ball. Beginner tennis players might not even realize that there is a pretty wide range of head sizes available for people who want a different experience.
A bigger head size provides a larger sweet spot, meaning a player has more margin for error. With a small head size, a tennis player needs to make pretty solid contact for the ball to go where they want it to. Otherwise, the ball will consistently spray off the racquet and go every which way.
Just a couple of decades ago, tennis racquet head sizes were pretty small overall. Even beginner tennis racquets had head sizes well below 100 in.². These days, 100 in.² is used on the pro tour.
The cut off right now seems to be right around 105 in.². Anything larger than that is for beginner or intermediate players, while competitive players go with smaller head sizes. The advantage of a smaller head size is that it is much easier to maneuver, and control of the racquet is solid as well.
String
The final main component of a tennis racquet is to take a look at the string. There is a lot that goes into the string, so some people feel overwhelmed just by this part of tennis.
When shopping for a racquet, the first important feature to consider is the string pattern. This is the most common types of string patterns.
- 16 x 18,
- 16 x 19
- 18 x 20.
If a racquet has more strings, that makes it a dense string pattern. A dense string pattern provides a little less spin on the ball and power, but it provides the best control. The ball catches more strings every single time it hits against the racquet, slowing the ball down but putting it where it needs to be.
A more open string pattern like 16 x 18 and 16 x 19 provides the opportunity for spin and power. It’s also more vulnerable to string breaks, since they are forced to do more and slide around.
At the professional level, there is no universal preference. Some professional players like all three of the main setups. Some of the disadvantages that recreational players face don’t apply to professional players, because they get their racquets restrung and adjusted to their game. For example, professional players don’t worry too much about breaking strings, because they have plenty of racquets to turn to if that happens.
Restringing
Once string pattern is decided on, now comes the most common way to tinker with a purchased racquet. The new string needs to be put in every racquet at the least every few months, and there are different string sizes, shapes, materials, and colors available. The string tension can also adjust how a racquet plays quite a bit.
The string is responsible for a lot of feel and touch when playing tennis. It’s nearly impossible for someone else to pick out the perfect string for a player, but beginners should look for a cheaper string that is relatively easy on the arm. Playing with a racquet that has a stiff polyester string in it will frustrate beginner players.
Polyester is one of the most polarizing types of strings because it offers outstanding durability, spin and more, but it’s also tough on the arm. A lot of professional players have transitioned to this type of string, and they love that extra bite they get on the ball. For casual players, they should just be a little worried about fully committing before testing it out.
Final Tips On Picking a Racquet Initially
Those are the five main aspects to consider, and it’s always encouraged to do as much research as possible online. There is a plethora of information out there, not only on this website, but on other websites as well. Read racquet reviews from real players, demo all racquets first if possible and even ask for recommendations from local players.
Remember that if a racquet feels mostly good, tinker with it to make everything fit perfectly. A small amount of added weight, different string and string tension, and more can change a racquet just enough.
Finally, players should avoid buying a racquet based mostly on liking the player who uses it in real life. A tennis player can be a huge Roger Federer fan, but he has one of the most demanding tennis racquets on tour right now. It takes a pretty advanced player to get a lot out of a racquet like that, and beginners should not even come close to it due to its small head size and general stiffness.
The Cost Of A Tennis Racquet
Not only is doing all this research for a racquet important from a playing perspective, but it also makes financial sense. When a person finally decides to put money towards a new racquet, they are usually committing at the very least, $100. Top of the line racquets cost anywhere from $200-$250. That’s not even considering buying new string and paying for the labor every so often.
Beginners who take the game even a little seriously should stay away from the extremely cheap racquets available at basic sports or general stores around the world.
These racquets usually cost under $50, and they come pre-strung. They are pretty much exclusively for players who might want to hit the ball around a few times in their life, and then forget about the tennis racquet for months at a time.
Beginners can find some pretty good deals on racquets that are either past season, or have lower technology. About $100 seems to be the starting point for a quality racquet. Beginners won’t be able to tell much of a difference in the lack of tech, and there’s always an option to move up if play progresses.
Intermediate & Advanced Racquet Cost
Intermediate and advanced tennis players should both expect to pay around $200 per racquet. It’s also recommended to have at least two different racquets once a person reaches this level, as a string can break at any time. No one wants to be caught in the middle of a match with a broken string and nowhere to go. That means the initial racquet investment will be $400-$500.
The reason why intermediate and advanced tennis racquets cost pretty much the same is that an intermediate player should have their eye on the future. It doesn’t make sense to buy a racquet that is limiting, especially if a person is on the rise as a player learning a game and playing consistently. Most people will stick with a similar racquet at the intermediate level and up if they progress.
The Cost Of Stringing
Every single time a racquet needs strung, a person must purchase a set of strings, and pay for labor. The labor is almost always the same price, but the string can vary quite a bit. A cheaper, multifilament string is usually priced at just a few dollars per set, and it lasts a decent amount of time. A player won’t get quite as much control and spin with this type of string, but people still benefit from it.
On the high end, there are expensive polyesters as well as natural guts. The price can go well above $20, and neither string is particularly all that durable. It’s still easy to snap a string, and they wear out even without breaking.
There is no super-quick way to string a racquet just yet. It still needs to be done mostly by hand, with the help of tennis stringing machines to balance the racquet and give it proper support. The labor usually cost anywhere from $15-$30, depending on where a person goes. That means restringing can sometimes go above $50 per racquet, each time.
As far as frequency goes, the common estimate has always been to take the number of times a player plays tennis per week, and use that number as the amount of times per year restringing is needed. For example, if a player plays tennis, on average, three times per week, racquets need restrung at least three times a year. That breaks down to every four months.
Best Racquet Options Right Now For All Levels
It’s hard to provide one single racquet choice for a beginner, intermediate, and advanced player, but think of it as a very basic starting point. The recommended options are all versatile racquets to do a lot of things well, while not alienating too many unique types of players.
Best Beginner Racquet: Babolat Pure Drive 110
This racquet looks very similar to the Babolat Pure Drive many professional players play with, but its oversized head is perfect for beginners. Not only does it come equipped with a large sweet spot, but it provides some very easy power for people to learn with.
Another huge advantage is that this racquet is built for beginners, but not that far off from a more advanced racquet. It’s recommended to not start with anything too basic, because the jump when a player advances might be too much. It’s important to still have a racquet that feels like one played with on tour, even when taking that very first lesson.
Most of the time, this racquet can be found for under $200. It’s available in any grip size as well, and even has some solid technology such as an internal cortex system and woofer built-in. This technology is found on the more expensive model as well, making this a very good value.
Best Intermediate Racquet: Wilson Clash 100
The Wilson Clash line came out in early 2019, and it changed the tennis world in a lot of ways. This was the first racquet from the company to use its Freeflex technology. This allows for some amazing comfort when hitting the ball, and that makes for a very solid, all-around racquet.
There aren’t many players at the highest level using the Wilson Clash, but part of that is due to the line still being so new. There is a chance that more and more players at the professional level will start using it, and junior players are already falling in love.
It still provides a good amount of power, but intermediate players should be providing some power on their own. It’s one of the best racquets out there for people who are afraid of tennis elbow, and it’s something that needs to be tested to believe in.
Other than comfort, the racquet doesn’t do anything amazingly well, but it also doesn’t do anything poorly. This makes it the perfect intermediate racquet to play and grow with.
Best Advanced Racquet: Babolat Pure Aero
This is the hardest recommendation, mostly because advanced players are very particular with their set up. What works for them might not work at all for someone else, so realize that the Babolat Pure Aero is not for everyone.
What the racquet does well is provide a good amount of power and control, and there is a ton of spin potential as well. It’s on the larger side with a 100 square inch head size, but the modern game uses larger racquets in general.
This is the racquet endorsed by Rafael Nadal, and plenty of other pros play with this racquet as well. Of course, they all get their racquets customized a bit, and those who can afford that should do the same. It takes a while to tinker with string, string tension, the potential to add lead tape for added weight, and more.
Final Thought On Tennis Racquets
There are more options than ever for tennis players to find the perfect weapon to step on the court with. It’s very tempting to do all the shopping completely online, but most will have their best experience at least trying out racquets in person first. The best deals are almost always online, but a racquet needs held and played with for most people to truly understand the differences.
It’s a little expensive to buy a racquet or two upfront, but the good news is, racquets will last a while if treated properly. Other than restringing, there aren’t many other additional costs. Make sure to treat them properly when in use, and store them in a climate-controlled area for maximum life.
