If you're new to tennis, welcome! This guide is designed to help you choose a tennis racquet that will suit your needs, whether you are a casual player or ready to become the best player in town. This distinction is important, as is the budget you're willing to invest to get started and your personal profile.
As mentioned above, the first distinction to make is how often you play and how interested you are in playing tennis:
Casual beginner: If you are discovering tennis for the first time and are not sure if this sport is for you, it is obvious that spending on a high-end racquet is quite risky. In this case, the best option would be to get a so-called pre-strung racquet. The cheapest racquets on the market, you can find them usually between $30 and $130. These racquets have two main advantages for the casual beginner: their low price and the fact that they are already strung, which avoids the extra expense and delay of having the racquet ready to be played immediately. The disadvantages of these racquets are their lower quality materials, i.e. the use of aluminum instead of graphite, (there are alloys between these two materials, the proportion being reflected in the price) and basic strings strung at an unknown date and tension. However, the difference in quality is unlikely to be noticed by the casual beginner.
Among the racquets that fit these criteria, you can find pre-strung racquets here.
If you get hooked on tennis and want a racquet that responds better to your strokes, the next category will be your natural progression.
Invested Beginner: If you have had your first taste of tennis and want to progress in the sport or simply have the best equipment to play with, we recommend going with an unstrung frame and a string that is suitable for the game. Not only will you have access to the best possible material (graphite only) that gives the best feel and response to your shots, but these racquets can follow you for a long time. For beginner frames, prices range from $150 to $280, depending on the model and company. The two main features we look for in beginner racquets are weight and head size.
For weight, the general rule of thumb is to recommend a lightweight racquet that weighs less than 280g for two reasons: light weight allows for a faster swing and reduces the risk of injury. In the first case, a common mistake is that the player tends to produce a late swing and has to rush the ball, so a lighter racquet increases maneuverability for a faster swing. In the second case, a heavy racquet requires more effort on the arm muscles and requires a better technique, where the biomechanics of the swing are better. For a player whose technique and level is low, this pressure caused by the weight of the racquet may cause arm injuries and slow down practice.
The other characteristic, the head size, follows the same logic as the weight. For a beginner player, we look for a racquet with a head size of 100in2 or more (100in2 is considered the "middle" in terms of head size reference). A larger head size offers the advantage of a larger sweetspot, which is the optimal hitting area of a racquet, will be more comfortable and generate more power.
Most of the recommended racquets for beginners are in the power category (note that "power" racquets do not mean that they are made for players lacking power, it is rather a designation of their archetype of player, or that they win through power) or for Counterpuncher type players (see article here) since beginners often share the same characteristics, that is to say a game mainly from the back of the court, looking for long rallies and with little effect in the game.
Here are a few suggestions of racquet frames for beginners:
Babolat Pure Drive Lite
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Price: $289.95
Weight: 270g
Head size: 100in2
The Babolat Pure Drive Lite racquet is one of the most popular racquets seen in the hands of beginners as well as those looking for an excellent balance of power and stability. Very reliable from the baseline, this racquet is great for sustaining long rallies and remains an excellent long term value.
Yonex EZONE 100 SL
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Price: $279.95
Weight: 270g
Head size: 100in2
The Yonex EZONE 100 SL racquet is quite versatile for a power racquet, and its Isometric frame (which gives it the square shape) increases sweetspot by 7%. This racquet also offers the distinction, like other Yonex competition racquets, of being made in Japan and offering the highest quality construction. (Other brands are made in China).
Head Instinct Team L
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Price: $169.00
Weight: 270g
Head size: 107in2
Equipped with a larger head for better comfort, the Head Instinct Team L racquet offers excellent value, featuring the same graphite technology as the other series, Graphene360+.
Head Boom Team
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Price: $249.95
Weight: 275g
Head size: 102in2
The Head Boom Team comes from the latest serie of racquet developed by Head and notably features an expanded sweetspot, making it a safe racquet to play with while providing power and stability. In a similar style as the Wilson Clash, but with more power and less feel.
Wilson Burn 100LS
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Price: $199.00
Weight: 280g
Head size: 100in2
In the higher end of the weight zone we look for a beginner, this racquet has the distinction of being oriented toward spin, with a more opened string pattern of 16x18. This racquet will still generate plenty of power and makes it a very accessible racquet.
Wilson Clash 100 UL
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Price: $298.95
Weight: 265g
Head size: 100in2
The Wilson Clash 100 UL is certainly the most versatile racquet of the bunch, offering a little less power but compensating with a lot of feel at impact, making it very enjoyable to play. Wilson's Clash series is certainly one of the most popular on the market since its launch in 2019.
For stringing, we always recommend synthetic gut for beginners, as it is a basic, all-around versatile and inexpensive string, perfect for the first-time player. You can find them here.
For more information or to advise you on the purchase of your racquet, do not hesitate to contact us by chat, phone or write us at service@tenniszon.com.