If you're a beginner, you should play with a racquet that's light enough so it's easy to swing and powerful enough so it adds giddyup to your game. My advice:
Go with a racquet that weighs between 9 and 10 ounces, has an oversize head measuring at least 100 square inches (which will give you more power and improve your chances of making good contact with the ball), and has a beam width (the thickness of the frame) that's at least 25 millimeters thick. A "wide" beam makes the frame stiff and therefore more powerful.
If you're an advanced player and can generate your own juice on the court, it's a different story. You're looking for more control, and you can get it with a racquet that's heavier (over 10.5 ounces) and has a smaller head and thinner beam.
If you're an intermediate, try a racquet that offers a blend of power and control, falling between the heavy, thin-beamed control racquets and the lighter and bigger power sticks. "For most levels of play, you need a racquet that isn't too powerful and yet isn't all about control," says Bruce Levine, TENNIS Magazine's racquet advisor, "because power won't mean a thing if you can't keep the ball in the court, and all the control in the world does you no good if you can't get enough gas on your shots."
If you're a beginner, you should play with a racquet that's light enough so it's easy to swing and powerful enough so it adds giddyup to your game. My advice:
ReplyDeleteGo with a racquet that weighs between 9 and 10 ounces, has an oversize head measuring at least 100 square inches (which will give you more power and improve your chances of making good contact with the ball), and has a beam width (the thickness of the frame) that's at least 25 millimeters thick. A "wide" beam makes the frame stiff and therefore more powerful.
If you're an advanced player and can generate your own juice on the court, it's a different story. You're looking for more control, and you can get it with a racquet that's heavier (over 10.5 ounces) and has a smaller head and thinner beam.
If you're an intermediate, try a racquet that offers a blend of power and control, falling between the heavy, thin-beamed control racquets and the lighter and bigger power sticks. "For most levels of play, you need a racquet that isn't too powerful and yet isn't all about control," says Bruce Levine, TENNIS Magazine's racquet advisor, "because power won't mean a thing if you can't keep the ball in the court, and all the control in the world does you no good if you can't get enough gas on your shots."