Buying the right tennis racket might not matter for those who play for fun and play very rarely. But the purchase of a suitable tennis racket will be highly critical for professional players.

Different skill levels

Tennis rackets are manufactured according to different skill levels. Ranging from beginners to professionals their features are highly distinguishable for those who know what they are buying.

Aluminum rackets

Low powered and head-light, heavy rackets manufactured for advanced players are not meant for beginners. Beginner rackets can cost around $20-$30. This tennis racket would be available in aluminum, would have a head cover and would be pre-strung.

Graphite rackets

A graphite tennis racket would cost a little more and is meant for a more advanced stage than beginners where aluminum wouldn’t provide the firmness such a player would require.

Tennis racket features

Features in a tennis racket that determine its power are its sting tension, head size and its frame flexibility.

Head sizes

Low cost rackets would be pre-strung. Larger the head, stronger will the tennis racket be. But this would mean lesser control. The head sizes come in 3 ranges: midsize having 85-96 sq inch hitting area, mid plus with a hitting area of 95-105 sq inch and oversize with more than 105 sq inch of hitting area. If you are an above average player opt for a mid plus.

In case you are beginner flexibility isn’t such a big issue as compared to the power you might be looking for in head sizes. More the flexibility a tennis racket offers, lesser the control and power until you get accustomed to hitting hard.

Aluminum rackets have the edge of added flexibility which a graphite tennis racket mostly lacks. Since aluminum rackets are much thinner in profile therefore they are much more flexible to maneuver.

Professional players would ideally buy a tennis racket that a heavier having weight between 11.5-13+ ounces. These rackets have heads that are smaller, thinner and have flexible beams. This leads to a racket with a lesser power for easy maneuverability. This is a suitable tennis racket for professionals who want to put in power according to their moves and need a focus on control the racket provides them. Larger the head greater the hitting area a tennis racket offers and sweet spot.

Length

Greater length gives more ground stroke reach. A tennis racket that’s longer than standard rackets is lighter in weight to give more ease of movements.

For more power in hitting you need to choose a tennis racket that’s heavier. It gives more stability in movements. A lighter racket can be swung faster than a heavier one. Tennis rackets that are heavy in weight but have a light head are a choice of professionals.

Racket stiffness

If you choose to buy a stiff tennis racket then you must know that it will be less flexible and would take up lesser ball energy. Flexibility of a racket affects how much energy of the ball it takes up. More flexibility would mean more energy it depletes.

Flexibility of a tennis racket also determines the control level. An advanced level player putting more of his power would prefer a racket that’s flexible and can be swung faster. A beginner on the other hand would like to get a stiffer racket that offers more control.

So which ever skill level you have reached will determine your choice of a tennis racket.