This article is intended for any beginner who would use an adult tennis racquet. Most players who weigh at least 85 pounds should use an adult racquet, but see this article on buying a junior racquet if you are not sure.

Beginner, "Tweener," or Advanced?

Racquet reviews often classify racquets in one of these categories, which are useful indicators, but some beginners might be happiest with a "tweener" (intermediate) racquet. A racquet rated for beginners tends to be very powerful, and a strong, athletic beginner might find it hard to control.

The two types of racquet that at least 90% of beginners should not consider are the extremes of the racquet power spectrum:

    * a heavy, head-light, low-powered racquet intended for an advanced player.
    * an extremely light (under 9.5 ounces, strung) and powerful racquet, which is only suitable for a small minority of players who don’t play often and lack the strength to generate a powerful swing.

This leaves a huge selection still available. Here are your key considerations:

Price and Material

If price is a concern, you’re in luck. You can buy an entirely adequate beginner racquet for less than $30; less than $20 if you shop around. It will be made of aluminum and come pre-strung, usually with just a cover for the head.

Aluminum is too flexible for a player who hits hard and needs a predictable response, but that usually describes a fairly accomplished player. If you anticipate that you will advance quickly, you might want to consider a graphite racquet, for which prices start at around $70 and go up to almost $300.

See Tennis on the Cheap for more on how to buy an inexpensive racquet.

Power

The main factors that govern the power of a racquet are head size, frame flexibility, and string tension. An inexpensive racquet will come pre-strung at the middle of its tension range, and you should probably choose mid-range for your first custom stringing, too. That leaves head size and flexibility to consider.

A larger head gives you more power and a larger sweet spot, but less control. Most racquets come in one of three basic sizes: A midsize has a hitting area of 85-95 square inches, mid-plus 95-105 square inches, and oversize greater than 105 square inches. If your athletic ability is above average, choose mid-plus; otherwise, choose an oversize up to 115 square inches. Anything larger will be so powerful, it will discourage you from taking a real swing at the ball, because when you do, you’ll too often hit long. A few pros use oversize racquets, but they’re most commonly designed for beginners. Midsize and mid-plus are usually preferred by intermediate and advanced players.

For a beginner, flexibility won’t make as big a difference as head size. A more flexible racquet gives you somewhat less power and slightly less control, but until you start hitting hard and trying to place the ball within a few feet of a target, you probably won’t notice. All aluminum racquets are somewhat flexible, but graphite racquets range from flexible to extremely stiff. Generally, the thicker the profile, the stiffer the frame, but the frame materials and construction matter, too. If you’re going to spend the money for graphite, a moderately stiff to stiff frame is probably your best bet.

Length

The standard length for an adult racquet is 27 inches. Anything shorter is meant for a junior. Racquets longer than 27 inches emerged several years ago, intended to give players more reach and leverage. The merits of extra-long racquets are hotly debated, with greater serving power argued as the main advantage and reduced maneuverability the main criticism. If you’re not very tall, an extra inch of racquet can enhance your serve, and it won’t feel unwieldy, but don’t make length your main consideration. Between 27 and 28 inches, the difference won’t be crucial. Any length above 28 inches is probably unwise for a first racquet.

Weight

If a racquet is too light, too much of the shock of its collision with the ball gets transmitted to your arm. If we were all strong enough, we’d be best off with racquets weighing 14 ounces or more, but even 12 ounces can feel pretty heavy to a beginner. A weight between 10 and 11.5 ounces should be a good choice for a beginner, and many players will stay in the that range throughout their development.

Balance

Balance describes whether the weight of the racquet is distributed more toward the head (head-heavy) or the butt (head-light). Which is better is a matter of some debate. Many advanced players prefer heavy racquets that are balanced head-light to improve maneuverability, but these racquets have less stability than racquets with more head weight. Your beginner racquet should probably have a balance within three points (3/8") of even either way.

Gimmicks

Whatever it is, you probably don’t need it, and you might not even want it. Racquets have gotten too good. People are enjoying them for too long. The racquet industry sometimes struggles to find something new to drive sales. Avoid anything exotic for your first racquet. Let more experienced players sort out what is and isn’t a good idea. If a racquet has some built-in shock absorption with an impressive name (most do), that’s fine, but watch out for new stringing systems, head shapes, and extreme balance points.

Play-testing

It’s hard for a beginner to give a racquet a reliable play test, but you can compare a handful of racquets, looking for the following:

    * Does the racquet feel solid on impact with the ball?
    * Are there any annoying sounds or vibrations?
    * Does it feel too heavy on serve and overhead motions?
    * Does one racquet feel more maneuverable than another?
    * Which racquet seems to hit the ball deep for you, but not out?

If you’re buying a sub-$30 aluminum racquet, play-testing probably won’t be an option unless you can borrow one from a friend, but if you’re buying a graphite racquet from a pro shop, you should be able to try it out first.

You are in love with the game of tennis and can not get enough of it. Starting off in school learning to play on basic gym equipment was the beginning-then in college you made sure that you took tennis as your required physical education classes.

The time has now come for you to get your own personal equipment and you want to get a tennis racket of your very own. To make a personal statement to everyone that you have come of age, are serious about this sport, and want to compete with your friends evenings and weekends.

What type of tennis racket are you going to purchase? They vary in length, weight, and head size, and you will need to figure out which one is the best for you. Think back to your beginnings playing this sport-what did you like or dislike about the different tennis rackets you used. This can be a starting point to begin narrowing down your choices.

A very important component for the tennis racket is the head size as the power behind your swings is directly affected. A larger head will give you with more power than a small head and also provides you with a larger hitting area making it a little easier to hit the ball. Generally speaking, a smaller racket head appeals to more accomplished players seeking more control, while larger rackets appeal to beginning and intermediate players seeking more power and a larger head.

They range in length from 27-29 inches with most people selecting the 27 inch ones. However, a longer handle provides more reach on ground strokes, adds leverage on serves, and slightly more power, than one with a standard length.

The weight has also been reduced making them lighter and easier to hold.
If you have friends or co-workers that also play, ask them about the type they use and why. They will enjoy talking to you about the sport and in providing you with information and advise. And, there is nothing more flattering than to ask someone for their opinion on a topic that they really enjoy and believe that they are an expert in.

Some of these people might even loan you some of their equipment so that you can try it out and find out whether or not you like it. No matter what your preference for a tennis racket is, you have to find the best one that meets your needs. This may even mean renting them and testing them out for a few games. This is probably the best way to have an opportunity to use many different types, styles, models and different manufacturers without spending a lot of money on ones that will just end up collecting dust in the closet.

Get out and play every weekend. The exercise is good, you will meet new people, and be out in the fresh air. This is much better than spending your weekend sitting in front of the television or going to the office to catch up on work.

Enjoy yourself, life is too short.

The grip you choose to use in your tennis game will also decide what type of game you will ultimately play. Following is a simple guide to determine which grip to use and with which shots they work best with.

The Eastern Grip is popular with beginners and is commonly used with forehands because of its comfort. The grip is pretty universal and can also be used to hit backhands, serves and volleys. Hold the racket in front of you in your left hand (or right hand if you’re a left-handed player). Rotate the racket so that the face (strings) of the racket is perpendicular to the ground. Lay the palm of your free hand flat on the face of the racket.

 Move your palm toward your body, down the shaft of the racket, until it hits the end of the handle. Wrap your fingers around the handle and space them slightly apart. Your thumb and forefinger should lay almost directly on top of the handle, forming a V which points toward your right shoulder (toward your left shoulder if you’re left-handed). Your thumb should lie across the top of the handle.

Continental Grip Instructions The continental grip is generally used by more advanced players especially when serving and volleying. Grab your racket and hold it in an Eastern grip.

Ease your grip and turn the racket with your left hand (or right hand if you’re a left-handed player). Turn the racket until it is perpendicular to the ground, or pointing to the "12 o’clock" position. Then, if you are right-handed, turn the racket to about the "1 o’clock" position. If you are left-handed, turn the racket to the "11 o’clock" position. Wrap your fingers around the handle and space them slightly apart. The V formed by the thumb and forefinger should point toward you, and the thumb should lie along the length of the handle. The bottom knuckle of your index finger should lie right on top of the racket.

Western Grip The Western grip is excellent in forehand play but feels awkward for beginners, especially when used for backhands, serves and volleys. Advanced players often use it to enhance their forehand play. Again, start by holding the racket with an eastern grip. Relax your grip and turn the racket counterclockwise until the top of the racket points toward the "11 o’clock" position. Left-handed players should turn the racket clockwise to the "1 o’clock" position. Wrap your fingers around the handle and space them apart slightly. The V formation should point to your right (or left), and your thumb should lie across the top of the handle.

Lower string tensions generate more power (providing string movement does not occur).
Higher string tensions generate more ball control (for experienced players).
A longer string (or string plane area) produces more power.
Decreased string density (fewer strings) generates more power.
Thinner string generates more power.*
More elastic strings generate more power. (Generally, what will produce more power will also absorb more shock load at impact.)
Softer strings, or strings with a softer coating, tend to vibrate less.
Thinner strings tend to produce more spin.
Decreased string density (fewer strings) generates more spin.
The more elastic the string, the more tension loss in the racquet after the string job.

Tweener Rackets
When thinking about how to choose a tennis racquet a popular option is the tweener racket. Tweener Rackets are for intermediates are designed for players who hit with enough pace and placement to want good control, but don’t mind some modest power contribution from the racquet. Rackets designed for players between the intermediate and advanced levels are often called "tweener rackets." Tweener and intermediate rackets tend to be somewhat lighter in the 9.5-11 ounces range, stiffer, and less head-light, with larger heads (95-102 square inches) than advanced racquets.

Babolat Pure Drive Roddick Plus Racquets

In an update to the immensely popular Pure Drive, Babolat introduces the Andy Roddick signature racquets. Stiffer and heavier than the regular Pure Drive, the Pure Drive Roddick offers a tad more power and improved stability. This is the standard length version of Roddick’s racquet – Roddick actually plays with the Plus (27.5) inch long version. Designed around the actual weight of Andy Roddick’s racquet, the Pure Drive Roddick swings with noticeably more heft than the regular Pure Drive and offers a solid feel at impact. In true Pure Drive tradition, spin potential is impressive and players with aggressive swings will love the response off the stringbed. We found some added weight to groundstrokes, making both topspin and slice shots more penetrating. At net the Pure Drive Roddick retains a maneuverable feel, while offering some added punch and a crisp yet solid feel. We found some nice weight, plenty of pace and ample access to spin on serves. Our testers found some added kick on spin serves and a firm response that offered accurate targeting. Best suited to players at the 4.0+ level seeking a racquet that offers some solid punch from all areas of the court.
Headsize = 100 sq inches
Length = 27 inches
Weight = 11.7 oz

Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet Racquets

Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet Racquets
The tradition of the Prince Hornet continues with the O3 Hornet Hybrid racquets. Offering noticeably more power and a more dampened and comfort oriented response, the O3 Hybrid Hornets set themselves apart from their Triple Threat predecessors. The "Hybrid" in the O3 Hybrid Hornet name refers to the combination of existing Prince grommet technologies with Prince’s O Ports at the 12 & 6 o’clock racquet head positions.

Wilson nTour Two Midplus 105
A great intermediate doubles stick and ideal for players looking for access to power and spin from all areas of the court. Players at the 3.5 level and above will find maneuverability and plenty of power for attacking play with this racquet. We found this one to play very similar to the nTour 105, but with a more dampened and solid feel on all shots. At 105 square inches, this racquet is still a Midplus (Oversize designation is for 106 sq. in. and up), but it offers the playability of an Oversize – larger sweetspot and more power. A versatile racquet from all areas of the court, the nTour Two 105 offers controllable power for both flat and spin hitting. We especially liked this one on those tough mid-court volleys where the light weight and adequate power level helped make it possible to hit deep and penetrating volleys. Only a moderate swing speed is required to find plenty of pop on serves and groundstrokes.

Head Flexpoint 4 Racquets
The Flexpoint 4 won Editor’s Choice in Tennis Magazine. It offers a great mix of power and control. Flexpoint racquets have specifically engineered holes at 3 and 9 o’clock to increase frame flexibility at those points. This new ‘flexpoint’ allows the racquet to cup the ball resulting in greater control, feel, and a larger sweetspot.

The Head Swing Style Rating for this racquet is S4. Head Recommends that this racquet be strung by a USRSA Certified Stringer.

Headsize: 107 sq. inches / 690 sq. cm.
Weight: 10.3oz / 292g strung
Length: 27.3 inches