Racquet Selection

Selecting a Junior Racquet for 12 Years Old and Under

Instructional Video | Buying a tennis racquet for a child age 12 years old and under is relatively easy and straightforward. It's all about age and the length of the racquet. The standard guidelines are listed below, but you should adjust for additional factors, such as child height, physical strength and playing experience. Choose a size up or two if a child height is taller than his/her average age group, or has exceptionally high physical strength. For example, if an 8-year-old is the size of an average 10-year-old, choose for a 10-year-old. The list assumes a beginner player. An experienced player will often do best with a size or two larger than stated. Most modern junior racquet are extremely light and are well suited for their age groups.

Age: Racquet Length

0-4: 19"
4-6: 21"
7-8: 23"
9-10: 25"
10-12: 26"
12 up: adult size 27" and up

There are overlaps in the above list at ages 4, 10, and 12. At these ages, either size is equally likely to be suitable, but as a general rule, when in doubt, go with the bigger racquet.  If a junior is just barely big enough for an adult racquet, he's probably better off with a standard 27" racquet. See our next instructional video for tips on buying an adult size racquet.

Juniors can outgrow racquets quickly, but it helps a lot that junior racquets tend to be inexpensive. Very nice junior racquets at sports shop these days will run roughly $20 to $50, and some of the $10 racquets at the big discount chains are quite good, too. However, when you look at the least expensive racquets, one crude test is to bang the strings on the butt of your hand to get a feel for their solidity. Avoid racquets that seem lighter or more flexible than the others in the bottom end of the price range.

How to Buy a Tennis Racquet for 12 Years Old and Older

Instructional Video | Adult Sized Racquet 27" and Longer

Beginner to Novice

Juniors usually are able to handle adult sized racquets when they are about 10-12 year old. As a general principle, a junior should use as long a racquet as one can comfortably handle. This will encourage the development of smooth strokes that utilize good weight transfer and larger muscles. Too small a racquet encourages excessive wrist and elbow action, which, in the long run, will harm both tennis strokes and arm. When a junior weighs at least 38.5kg (85 pounds) or so, it is usually time for an adult racquet. Most adult racquets are 27-28" long, but racquets up to 32" are available. However, lengths greater than 29" are illegal in most competition.

Racquets that are lighter than 283.5g (10 ounces) will become too small a multiple of the weight of the ball. An average 12-years-old hit quite comfortably with 283.5-326g (10-11.5 ounces) racquet. Even with an on-court racquet demo, most beginners won't have enough feel for tennis strokes to be able to make a firm decision to go with the right weight or size of the racquet. Here is a simple test that may help. As in a serving motion, hold the racquet behind the body until the racquet head touches the lower back and the arm is bend at the elbow beside the head. Raise the racquet overhead, as in serving, but with a slow swing. This is where you will feel if it is too heavy.

Intermediate to Advanced

Buying a racquet for a beginner is not the same as for someone who is more experience. There are many factors to consider: stringing pattern (for more power and spin), stringing tensions (control versus power), head-light or head-heavy (for net-play maneuverability versus baseline solid feel), head sizes (oversize versus mid-size), thickness, racquet compositions (materials), racquet stiffness, and the list goes on. Before you factor in these considerations, you have to determine the type of tennis player you are or want to be: serve-and-volleyer, baseliner, or all-court.

Baseliners typically have to hit more strokes to win each point, so minimizing the shock and torsion that occurs on each hit is especially important. Weight generally reduces shock. Weight distributed toward the racquet head tends to add stability and a more solid feel, but it also limits maneuverability. Denser string patterns add comfort but might reduce spin very slightly. For players who rarely venture to the net, instead grinding points out from the baseline, comfort is worth the costs.

Serve-and-Volleyers will try to end points quickly at the net. A head-light racquet will add greatly to its maneuverability at the net where quick racquet response is needed. But this will lessen the racquet's resistance to the torsion created by off-centre hits. A higher strung strings tension will generate more ball control.

All-Court Players favour both the back court as well as the net. Therefore an ideal racquet has enough mass to minimize shock on long, powerful groundstrokes while offering enough maneuverability for quick adjustments at the net. If a racquet that's evenly balanced or only slightly head-light is maneuverable enough for you, it will protect your arm better, all other factors being equal, than one that's more head-light.

When you are ready to buy a racquet to compliment or improve your tennis game, check out the online tennis racquet reviews. Likewise demo a racquet or two from the local sport shop before buying. You may also want to try out some of your friends' racquets to see if there is one to fit you better.

The big discount chains always have several models under $20. If you just hit around casually now and then, you probably don't need anything more, but if you're serious about becoming a better player, you'll probably want to invest at least $80, more likely over $120. If you have a racquet in mind, check out the online store such as Tennis Warehouse for a cheaper pricing.

Grip Size

The grip size is always stated in inches (e.g. 4-1/8", 4-1/4") and can be found printed on the side of the racquet above the handle. An easy rule of thumb is to hold the racquet in your hitting hand and slide the index finger of the other hand in between the tips of your fingers and the based of your palm. If there is not enough room for your finger, the grip is too small, and vice versa, lots of extra room means the grip is too large. If your grip falls in between sizes, a slightly larger grip is better than one which is slightly smaller. However, go with an 1/8" smaller grip size if you plan to wrap your racquet handle with a grip tape for improved playing comfort.  (Note: do not add too many overwraps as it will round off the bevel edges on the handle.)

Taking Care of Your Racquet and Strings

It is very important not to leave your tennis racquets in the car during a hot sunny day. Synthetic strings begin to lose tension at about 43 degrees C (110 degrees F). On a sunny, 32 degrees C (90 degrees F) day, the temperature inside your car can soar to as much as 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) which is hot enough to even soften the resins in a frame and distort the racquet.

Racquet strings tension will dissipate over time. You will find you no longer have the kind of ball control you had months ago. A helpful rule of thumb is to string your racquet as many times in a year as you play in a week. So if you play three times a week, your racquet should be strung a least three times a year whether the string breaks or not.

I've listed two sets of facts about racquets and strings. These information are available from the United States Racquet Stringers Association.

10 Facts about Racquets

These facts are presented as generalities. While a stiffer frame generates more power, a stiff frame badly strung may generate less power than a more flexible frame properly strung for power players. While a heavier frame generates more power, it can also decrease maneuverability.

1. A heavier frame generates more power.
2. A heavier frame vibrates less.
3. A heavier frame has a larger sweetspot.
4. A stiffer frame generates more power.
5. A stiffer frame has a larger sweetspot.
6. A stiffer frame transmits more of the shock load to the arm than a more flexible frame.
7. A stiffer frame provides a more uniform ball response across the entire string plane.
8. A larger frame generates more power.
9. A larger frame is more resistant to twisting.
10. A larger frame has a larger sweetspot

9 Basic Facts about Strings

1. Lower string tensions generate more power (providing string movement does not occur).
2. Higher string tensions generate more ball control (for experienced players).
3. A longer string length (or string plane area) produces more power.
4. Decreased string density (fewer strings) generates more power.
5. Thinner string generates more power (Wilson's research for their Sweetspot string disputes this theory).
6. More elastic strings generate more power (generally, what will produce more power will also absorb more shock load at impact).
7. Softer strings, or strings with a softer coating, tend to vibrate less.
8. Thinner strings tend to produce more spin.
9. Decreased string density (fewer strings) generates more spin.