Do you need to find the right racquet for your game? Hopefully, this page can help you. We also offer personal racquet advice in your inbox.
There are a lot of different variables around tennis racquets and strings. Understanding the basics will make it easier for you to find the right racquet for your game. Remember that a racquet is a highly personal thing and not something you can copy from the pros. You need to play with what works for you. I cannot stress that enough.
Why Your Racquet and Strings Matter
What can the right racquet and string do for your game?
- A better connection the ball
- Improved confidence in your gear and your game
- Less risk of injuries such as tennis elbow, wrist pain, and shoulder problems
- And ultimately make you enjoy tennis more
What can do the wrong racquet and string do for your game
- Make you feel disconnected and unsure
- Increase the risk of injury
- And ultimately make you feel less good about playing tennis
Things you need to consider when buying a tennis racquet
There are plenty of things you need to consider when you’re buying a new tennis racquet. Let’s list the most important ones.
Your game:
You need to have a good understanding of who you are as a tennis player to choose the right racquet.
- Your level of play
- Your age and physical ability
- Your playing style
There is some info about identifying your playing tennis level in this post.
(Filling in the form on the racquet and string advice page is a good start.)
The racquet:
These factors influence playability, power level, comfort, feel, spin, control, stability, sweet spot, maneuverability and more.
- Head size
- Weight
- Length
- Balance
- Beamwidth
- Stringing pattern
- Stiffness
- Swingweight
- Twistweight
- Grip size
- Grip shape
- Materials (this is called layup)
The Best Tennis Racquets Right Now
Here is a detailed post on how to choose a racquet
The strings:
The choice of strings plays a huge part in how a racquet plays.
- Type (multifilament, gut, synthetic gut or monofilament (poly)
- Gauge (string thickness ranging from 1.10 mm to 1.40 mm)
- String tension
Read more about strings in this post.
Top Ten Tennis Strings Right Now.
Customization:
There are also ways you can customize your racquet to play differently. Such as:
- Adding lead tape to various positions
- Placing silicone or blue-tack inside the handle
- Modifying the grip shape and/or size
- Replacing the grommets
Here is an article on how to customize a racquet
Summary and further reading
It is a lot to take in when you just want to play your best tennis. Luckily, there is plenty of content on Tennisnerd covering these topics. There is an online book coming soon as well, which will cover all of these topics in one place. Please subscribe to our newsletter to find out when the book is out. For more detailed info, you can check out “The School of Tennis Racquets” on our Patreon page where you can dive into more detail about racquets and strings.
If you want more detailed information about specific racquets, read and watch our racquet reviews here.
Do you need more info about tennis strings, you find out more here.
If you know what you want, please consider buying tennis gear from one of our affiliates and a small commission goes to us.
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Is there anything specific you struggle with or you want to know? Please comment below.