Maximize your tennis game today: How to choose your racket

In this video, we discuss oversize head rackets.

Oversize head rackets are great for beginner players looking for more margin if error at contact.

Any racket with a racket head measuring over 105 square inches would be considered an oversize head racket.

Oversize head rackets are often a bit lighter, making them a great fit for older or beginner players, not looking for heavy rackets.

Midplus tennis rackets typically have a head size ranging from 98 to 105 square inches.

They offer a balanced mix of power and control, making them a popular choice for intermediate to advanced players.

The slightly larger head size provides a bit more forgiveness on off-center hits while still allowing for precision and control, especially on groundstrokes and serves.

They tend to strike a good balance between maneuverability and stability, making them versatile for various playing styles.

Midsize tennis rackets generally have a head size ranging from 85 to 97 square inches.

These rackets are favored by advanced players who prioritize control, precision, and feel over power.

The smaller head size provides a tighter string bed, which allows for more accuracy and a greater connection to the ball, but it also requires a higher skill level to consistently hit clean shots.

While they offer less forgiveness on off-center hits, they give players the ability to shape their shots with more control and finesse.

Smaller head sizes also will be more aerodynamic, as a smaller racket will often be easier to swing quickly through the air.

Lighter tennis rackets are 250-280 grams unstrung. There are lighter rackets than 250 grams, but often they are junior or lower quality rackets.

Often, the word "team" or "lite" will be in the racket name.

Lighter rackets are a great option for beginner players, in addition to younger or older players who aren't as physically strong as other players.

Light rackets may not be as powerful as heavier rackets, but they will be much more manueverable.

A standard or midplus tennis racket is the most common weight range.

Weighing between 285-305 grams unstrung, most players could use this weight and play well.

It is ideal for intermediate and advanced players, and combines good power with good maneuverability.

A beginner, intermediate, and advanced player could all probably use this weight range.

This weight range does everything well without doing anything extreme on onse side or the other.

Heavier tennis rackets are a great fit for advanced players, usually men.

These rackets weigh more than 305 grams unstrung and offer the most power opportunity.

The downside is they can be difficult to maneuver for your average player, making them not the best fit for most players.

All tennis grip sizes start at 4 inches. They then increase by 1/8 of an inch until we get to the largest grip size, 4 5/8 inches.

We sometimes list the grip sizes by numbers, with 0 being grip size 4 inches, 1 being 1/8, 2 being 2/8 or 1/4, 3 being 3/8, 4 being 4/8 or 1/2, and 5 being 5/8.

Younger or smaller players may want to try smaller grip sizes like 1/8 or 1/4.

Adult women may do better with 1/4 or 3/8, and adult men may prefer 3/8 or 1/2. 5/8 will work for players who prefer the larger feel.

In this video, we discuss the two traditional ways of finding your right grip size.

One way we measure how long of a distance between the top of your ring finger and the bottom crease of your hand.

The other way has us hold a racket and measure the distance between your finger tips and your palm. The old rule is there should be room for one finger width when holding a racket.

However, I disagree with those traditional ways of finding the right grip size. I believe the best way to find the right grip size is to simply demo a few grip sizes and see which one feels best.

An overgrip will increase the grip size slightly.

We want a grip that we do not have to grip too tight, while also not having one too small.

The weight of a tennis racket is only part of the story.

The swingweight lets us know how heavy the racket feels when swinging.

For example, if you were to use a hammer by holding the metal end and hitting a nail with the handle, the low swingweight would prevent the hammer from working well. We want to use a hammer the right way, with the high swingweight.

A racket swingweight is measured in kg/cm^2, but it is usually just called swingweight in tennis.

Most rackets will have a swingweight of 290-340. Younger or beginnner players could use a racket in the 290-305 range. Adults, particularly men, could use a swingweight of 305 and higher.

If a racket is between 23-26 inches, it is a junior racket. Generally, kids around the age of 5-6 can use a 23 inch racket, slowly increasing the racket length until they are 10-12 and use a 26 inch racket. After 10-12 years of age, a player can use a standard length racket.

A standard length tennis racket is 27 inches long. Most rackets will be this length.

However, many rackets are plus or extended length. This means they will be between 27-28 inches long. The word "plus" will often be in the racket name.

While many players prefer the standard length racket, benefits of a racket longer than 27 inches include power and getting leverage. If you are able to maneuver a longer racket, it could offer some power and spin potential.

A standard tennis racket is 27 inches long making its halfway point 13.5 inches.

I believe it is a little easier to use the metric system when talking of balance, so we use 34.29cm as the balance.

A racket with a balance under 34cm would be considered head light. Head light rackets are great for maneuverability. They are the most common type of racket. Intermediate and advanced players usually want rackets that are a bit heavier and also head light.

Most rackets will be head light to some extent.

A racket with a balance over 34cm would be considered head heavy. Head heavy rackets will often be lighter or oversize head rackets. With lighter rackets, much of the mass will be towards the hoop/head, making them head heavy much of the time.

These measurements are done with the racket strung and no overgrip or dampener.

The thickness of a tennis racket's beam width typically ranges between 18mm to 30mm, though some rackets can go beyond this range.

Rackets with thinner beams (around 18mm to 22mm) are generally designed for players seeking more control and feel.

Rackets with wider beams (24mm to 30mm or more) are aimed at players looking for additional power and stability.

A tennis racket's stiffness refers to how resistant the frame is to bending or flexing when it makes contact with the ball. It's an important factor in determining the racket's overall feel and performance. The stiffness is typically rated on a scale called the RA cale, where higher numbers indicate a stiffer frame, and lower numbers indicate a more flexible one.

A stiffer racket transfers more energy to the ball, providing extra power but also increasing vibrations, which may lead to discomfort or arm strain for some players. A more flexible racket (RA rating of 50 to 60) offers better control, feel, and comfort, as it absorbs more of the shock from ball impact, but may require more effort to generate power. The stiffness rating can help players find the right balance between power, control, and comfort based on their playing style and preferences.

Tennis rackets often come with two different stringing patterns: 16 x 19 and 18 x 20.

16 mains and 19 crosses vs 18 mains and 20 crosses means less strings for the same racket, assuming it is the same headsize.

A racket with less strings is considered an open stringing pattern. This will help generate power.

A racket with more strings will be considered a closed stringing pattern. This will help with control, as well as durability as the strings will move less.

There are other stringing patterns, like 16 x 18, 16 x 20, 18 x 19, and others, but just remember less strings for the same surface area means more power, and more strings means more control, all else equal.