What is a racquet made of? The critical material, since the 80s, has been graphite. The graphite has various so-called layups.
Layups reflect how the graphite is mixed with other materials. There are different graphite qualities, and high modulus graphite (HM Graphite) is what you should look for if you want to play with a high-quality racquet.
There is the grip and strings besides the graphite hairpin, which is the racquet’s raw form. The strings are either made of synthetic materials such as polyester and various polyester combinations or natural gut (cow-intestine). The natural gut string holds tension the best and offers excellent power and feel (but not as much control and spin potential as polyesters), but it is also more expensive.
Most players used to use gut in the past, but today it is mainly the top pros who mix natural gut strings with synthetic to get the right combination of qualities. Most players today use monofilament or so-called polyester strings for their control and durability properties. But multifilament strings are still popular among club players for their increased comfort and power.
The grip can be either leather or synthetic. Leather grips were the most popular, but you see mainly synthetic grips these days.
Racquet overview:
Hairpin
Grip
Strings
Grommets
Throat
Bridge
Things to consider when you buy a racquet:
Head size
Weight
Length
Balance
String pattern
Beamwidth
Stiffness
Swing weight
We’re going to go through each one.
