Know what you should look for when acquiring the tennis racket that best suits your physical characteristics and your type of game to get the most out of your matches or training.
Whether you have decided to start in the world of tennis and are thinking of buying a racket, or if what you are looking for is to change yours for a lifetime to improve your performance on the court of tennis, there are a number of aspects in which we must look at when choosing a tennis racket suitable for our level, type of game and physical conditions. The length of the racket, its weight, the balance, the size of the striking surface, the profile of the racket, the speed of the stroke, and the type of string and the string pattern of the same are the aspects most important to consider when choosing among the multitude of options on the market. We have to choose different tennis rackets for beginners and for intermediate and for advanced players. All rackets will be different because of the level of the player.
In case you haven’t noticed it, all these characteristics are related to two fundamental variables in tennis: the power in the hit and the control of the ball.
But getting your purchase right is not only important to get the most out of our technique and qualities, but it must be emphasized that the correct choice of tennis racket is an important factor in the prevention of sports injuries, so It is best not to take it lightly or opt only for aesthetics or price.
But without dwelling on the previous rally, we will detail one by one the factors that determine the right choice of a tennis racket:
Hitting Gesture Speed (Swing)
Striking gesture refers to the speed at which the player moves the tennis racket while executing a stroke. Thus, players with a low hitting gesture speed (slow swing) (usually novices and intermediates), players with a medium hitting gesture speed, and players with a high swing (usually advanced players) can be distinguished.
The heaviest tennis racquets with more displacement balance on the head of the racket are usually aimed at advanced players. However, players with a slower swing should use lighter rackets with a lower balance that allows them a faster movement when hitting the ball.
Tennis Racket Length
The length of the tennis racket is usually between 68 and 70 centimeters. In addition to these racquets, there are junior and mini-tennis racquets with shorter lengths that match the height of the younger ones.
In a simple and easy to understand way, we can say that the longer a tennis racket is, the more power it offers when hitting the ball, since the angular velocity it reaches is higher at the moment of hitting. On the other hand, this has a negative impact on the control of the ball, since the ideal hitting point moves away from the player’s body.
We have to bear in mind that if the player is not able to move a long racket at the same speed as a shorter one, the hitting power will be considerably reduced.
Tennis Racket Weight and Balance
This is an important factor when choosing a weight for a tennis racket, but above all, “how that weight is distributed” (balance) is what will make the difference between a power tennis racket and a power tennis racket. control. This factor is also called the ‘balance point’, which is the point at which the racket remains balanced when we hold it with two fingers by the frame or neck. Depending on where that point is, we say that it is a high-, medium-, or low-balance racket.
The more weight is transferred to the head of the tennis racket (the closest balance point to the head) the more force the stroke brings.
These tennis racquets are a bit complicated to handle, as the weight is far away from the player’s body.
If the weight of the tennis racket is shifted more towards the grip (point of balance closest to the handle) the racket gives the player more control. This type of racquet is somewhat faster to handle since its weight is close to the player’s body.
The weight of tennis rackets usually ranges from 255g –in those intended for beginner level players, with little force or with a slow hitting gesture–, to more than 300g –for rackets intended for advanced level players and with a speed in the high striking gesture.
Hitting Surface Size
This is another factor that determines whether a tennis racket is more about control or power. This measurement is expressed in cm2 and the racket head size is usually between 600 cm2 and 780 cm2.
Generally speaking, the bigger the head of a racquet, the more power it brings. We can give the example of a mini-trampoline in which a person bounces little, compared to a large trampoline in which a person would bounce much more. This will also vary depending on the tension that the player puts on the string, with a lower tension being the one that brings more power to the hit.
Tennis Racket Profile
This aspect is one of the most overlooked when choosing a tennis racket and it is also decisive to make our choice right. The profile of the tennis racket is the height of the frame of the racket. This height is generally defined in millimeters.
A lower thickness of the profile of the racket will give us greater control of the ball and a greater thickness of the profile will give us more power when hitting. Therefore, novice and intermediate players tend to use rackets with high profiles (between 22 and 28mm) and advanced players tend to choose lower profiles (between 18 and 21mm).
Racket String Pattern
The string pattern of the tennis racket refers to the number of vertical and horizontal strings that the striking surface has. In this way, you can find open string patterns (when the space between strings is greater) and closed string patterns, when the space between vertical and horizontal strings is less.
But how does this affect when choosing a tennis racket? Open string patterns provide greater punch power and spin on the ball, while tighter string patterns provide greater control.
The player has to take into account that the life of the strings (duration of the strings until they break) will be greater the tighter the string pattern of the tennis racket.
Taking into account all these factors, the tennis player must know what he wants to achieve (power, control …), what are its characteristics, and what best suits his style and technique to choose the most suitable tennis racket for his game. And remember, the most expensive is not always what is best for us, let yourself be advised by a trusted expert.