Tennis Racket

THE HANDLE SIZE OF THE RACKET 

The handle size of the racket corresponds to its diameter. It’s important to choose the right size because if it’s too thick, it can limit wrist flexibility, hinder progress, and potentially cause elbow and wrist injuries.

On the other hand, a grip size that’s too small can also lead to muscular problems (tennis-related risks).

CHOOSING THE RACKET HANDLE SIZE

Hold the racket in your hand as you would when playing, with your hand at the end of the handle in an open position. You should have a space between your ring finger and the palm of your hand.

If your ring finger touches the palm of your hand, then the handle size is too small. Conversely, if there’s a gap and your finger is in that space, the handle size is too large. To determine the correct handle size, this gap should range between 5 mm and 1 cm, matching the width of your ring finger’s groove. If you fall between two handle sizes, it’s advisable to choose the smaller one. It’s easier to add grip thickness using an overgrip, while the opposite is difficult to achieve. A player who prefers topspin shots may opt for smaller handle sizes to facilitate wrist movement and the use of closed grips, while a player with slice shots may find a larger handle more comfortable.

DIFFERENT HANDLE SIZES 

In general, handle sizes are used as follows:

– Men: Size 4 ¼ and 4 3/8 inches

– Women: Size 4 1/8 and 4 ¼ inches

– Teenagers: Size 4 1/8 and 4 ¼ inches

– Children under 11 years: 4 inches

RACKET WEIGHT

The choice of racket weight depends on your age, physique, and skill level. Heavier rackets provide more power and better vibration absorption but can be challenging to handle. Conversely, lighter rackets offer maneuverability and control but are less powerful.

AGE AND HEIGHT 

Age and height are crucial factors in selecting the weight of your racket. Up to the age of 13, rackets range from 255 g to 275 g, depending on the player’s height. Generally, children’s rackets are lightweight, with the weight distributed towards the head for more power.

JUNIOR TENNIS RACKET SIZES 

The first criterion to consider is the height of the child. A racket that’s too large can hinder their progress, while one that’s too small can lack power.

Starting at the age of 15, we recommend rackets weighing between 285 g and 300 g as they strike a good balance between maneuverability and power. Women often prefer lighter rackets for increased maneuverability, while beginners may opt for rackets around 275 g.

SKILL LEVEL

The player’s skill level is also correlated with age and height when determining the ideal racket weight. Experienced players tend to gravitate toward heavier rackets for powerful and precise shots, while beginners benefit from lighter and more maneuverable rackets.

STRING PATTERN

The string pattern of a tennis racket refers to the arrangement of vertical and horizontal strings within the racket’s frame. It’s called “string pattern,” with vertical strings referred to as “main strings” and horizontal strings as “cross strings.” Like tension, the string pattern plays a significant role in your playing technique.

Racket Profile

Racket Stiffness

The stiffness of a tennis racket corresponds to the ability of the racket to deform during impact with the ball and is expressed in RA.

We can classify rackets according to their stiffness into 3 categories:

– Flexible rackets: stiffness < 65 RA,

– Rigid rackets: stiffness > 69 RA,

– Rackets with medium stiffness: stiffness between 65 and 69 RA.

In general, flexible rackets have fairly thin profiles and rigid rackets have thicker profiles.

Advices:

–        For beginner players: Favor a more rigid racket (stiffness close to 69 RA or more), which will provide power easily.

–        For confirmed players or playing balls too long often, choose a semi-rigid racket (65-69 RA) or flexible (less than 65 RA) that will give more control.

–        For players with arm pain: Choose a medium value to limit the risks (65-69 RA).

String Plan

The string plan of a tennis racket refers to the number of vertical and horizontal strings from one side of the frame to the other. The vertical strings are called “mains” and the horizontal strings are called “crosses.” Like tension, the string plan plays an important role in your playing technique.

String Plan Differences

The number of main and cross strings can vary from one racket to another.

The most common string plans are 16 x 19 and 18 x 20.

String plan	Level of play	Strong points	Weak points
16 x 19	Beginner, intermediate	Versatility, comfort, power	Minimum of control, fault
Open: 16 x 16, 18 x 16	Intermediate, lift	Power, ball spin	Minimum of control
Dense: 18 x 20, 18 x 19	Confirmed, flat game	Control	Loss of comfort, risks of pain