You need to purchase a new tennis racquet, but you are not really sure what to buy! What does head size mean, head heavy or head light, and the list goes on. I think a brief explanation is in order.

Head size correlates directly to power. The modern day racquet comes in head sizes that range from 85 – 135 square inches. Most of your players use racquets that fall somewhere in the 95 – 110 square inch range. With a larger head size you get more power, a larger hitting area and bigger sweet spot. A large head size is most often used by a beginner to intermediate player for this reason. A more accomplished player typically plays with a smaller head size because they provide more control.

The length of your racquet can vary from 27-29 inches. With a longer racquet you get more reach on your ground strokes, more leverage on your serve and a little bit more power overall. Longer racquets are lighter than the standard 27 inch because your dynamic swing weight increase with length. If you did not decrease the weight with the increase in length your racquet would feel more like an unmaneuverable club.

Ok, we have covered length and head size, now we should take a look at some more basic stuff. With a heavier racquet you will have more power and stability than you would with a lighter racquet. A lighter racquet is easier to get around allowing you to swing through the ball faster. So you are thinking, well then a lighter racquet swung faster should be able to create as much power as heavier racquet swung slowly. This has been heavily debated through the years. With Wilson’s creation of the Hammer, racquet weights have steadily decreased to below 10 oz. So you may be telling yourself that lighter, head heavier is better. That is not necessarily true. You will have to be the judge. Your point of reference should be the racquet you are currently using, is it head heavy or head light, what size head are using and what is the current weight. For me, I had to switch from a head heavy, oversized, light racquet to a heavier mid size racquet that was more balanced over all. The reason for this is because as my skills advanced, I had the ability to take a bigger cut at the ball, or generate more of my own pace, which caused me to spray the ball (long usually). With the new racquet I gained more control with my ground strokes, but it took a little getting used to at the net.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the varying weights and balances of racquets. With a head light, heavier racquet you tend to gain control and power. This racquet is often referred to as traditionally weighted and balanced, weighing in at 11-13 oz, and is most often used by the elite players.

A light weight, head heavy racquet has increased power and maneuverability. The beginner or intermediate player tends to use this racquet.

Your racquets stiffness is another factor. A stiffer racquet has less bend which technically means less energy is depleted from the ball. A flexible racquet gives you more bend which translates to depleting energy from the ball. Simply put, stiffer racquets have more power than flexible racquets.

The last thing to look at in racquets performance is your string pattern. A tennis racquet strung in an open pattern will provide more rebound than a racquet strung in a denser pattern. An open pattern does not feel as “tight” and gives you more spin, but it can also lead to more broken strings. Players looking for more control or maybe they hit hard top spin will have their racquets strung denser.

As racquets continue their evolution, I am sure your game will too. Good luck and happy hunting on finding that new tennis racquet!