Useful Information on choosing a tennis racket. 

How to choose a tennis racket ?

information supplied by ExpertReviews on https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/sports-leisure/1414059/best-tennis-racquet

How much should I pay?

For beginners racket, we managed to find plenty of great choices under or around the £100 mark. For the improver and higher-end choices we’ll cover in this article, the prices will range anywhere from £100-£250, depending on the make and model.

It’s true that you don’t have to spend upwards of £200 to get a great racquet, but more and more racquets are creeping up to that price. Luckily, many retailers and shops have a demo system in place, so be sure to ask if you can put down a deposit and give a racquet a try before you buy.

What difference does weight make?

There are plenty of weight options out there. While many manufacturers used to split their product ranges up into male and female rackets, we’re now seeing brands like Head and Babolat produce three variations of each frame to cater to everyone. Head, for example, split their ranges into “Lite” models, MP (Mid-Plus) and Pro, with Pro being the heaviest.

We think 300g is a good sweet spot to aim for (for men and women). If you’re of a lighter build then consider a racquet under or around 280g, and if you like to crush the ball, perhaps look for something over 300g.

Will a heavier racket give me tennis elbow?

Yes, and no. Depending on your build, and most importantly, your technique, tennis elbow can come about no matter the racket you use. Although a heavier frame can produce more problems, the main stat you should look out for if you’re concerned about injuries is a racquet’s stiffness rating.

Stiffness is how flexible or rigid a frame is. We measure stiffness on the RA rating model of 0-100. Stiff rackets earn a rating of 70 and up, while more flexible frames will be below that. For the most part, a racket that is less stiff will be easier on your arm. If you’re worried about tennis elbow, we’d recommend heading to a physio, assessing your technique with video analysis or a coach and even taking a look at the grips you use for your shots. More often than not, these can fix elbow injuries more than splashing out on a different racquet can.

Which racket head size should I choose?

If you’re an improver or you’re picking tennis back up after a long break away, then you may enjoy a racquet with a larger head size; anything around 100 square inches and up will have a generous size of “sweet spot” and will increase power and margin for error.

Some advanced players might opt for racquets with head sizes under 100 square inches, as this gives them more control over the ball while decreasing the sweet spot. In all honesty, we’d recommend changing string pattern before moving down in head size, as often this gives the benefits these players are looking for without compromising on sweet spot and relying on pin-point hand-eye coordination for every single shot.

What do the grip sizes mean?

Adult racket come with a choice of grip sizes denoted by the numerals 0 to 5, while children’s grip sizes are clumsily labelled with sizes of 00, 000, 0000 and 00000. Sometimes websites say Grip 2, for example, other times G2, and you may even see L2. But fear not: what matters is that the larger the number, the bigger the circumference. Here’s a quick conversion into inches:

• 00000 is 3½in
• 0000 is 3⅝in
• 000 is 3¾in
• 00 is 3⅞in
• 0 is 4in
• 1 is 4⅛in
• 2 is 4¼in
• 3 is 4⅜in
• 4 is 4½in
• 5 is 4⅝in

You can take a rough measurement of your own hand as a guide: place a ruler flat on your palm (level with your thumb) and measure to the tip of your ring finger. However, the best way to find out is to pick up someone else’s racquet and play with it for a few minutes. The grip size is printed on the racquet’s base, so you can judge, Goldilocks style, if it’s too big, too small or just right.

Note that you should err on a smaller size if you aren’t sure, as you can always put an extra grip over the top of the existing grip.

Will my racket come with strings?

Racquets costing under £100 almost always come with factory strings, but more advanced players are better off choosing an unstrung racquet and then choosing their own string. This allows you to specify the right tension for you, and choose the precise string that you like.

Unless you have a special machine and have been taught to do it, you can’t just string racquets up yourself, so your local club or stringing service is the best place to go for advice if you’re unsure. Like the frames themselves, we’d suggest you try lots of different ones. It can give you a better frame of reference and improve things about your game you never thought could be.

Whats the difference between a tight and soft strung racket?

A tight-strung racket ( 70 and up ) will give you more control but less power 

A soft-strung racket will give you more power and improved top spin but less control ( 60lbs and lower )

What difference do the brands make?

It used to be the case that each manufacturer was the best at one specific thing. For example, Babolat has always been known for easy power and spin, and Wilson has typically been great for racquets with excellent feel. Nowadays, the biggest manufacturers have learned from one another and grown, diversifying their portfolios to cater to everyone. The racquet market has never been so diverse and exciting. Head make great all-round rackets, Wilson has a premier line of rackets, each one specialising in an important selling point, and Babolat continues to produce user-friendly frames that are excedingly popular.

You may have a favourite brand, or you may be looking to switch. What we’d recommend is trying out as many racquets as you can. Checking out our reviews is going to be useful (we hope), but nothing will provide the right frame of reference for you other than testing out different things. If your local racquet shop provides demo models, get exploring and have some fun.