How to choose your tennis racket: our complete guide!

Lightweight rackets are ideal for beginners or players looking for more manoeuvrability. They generate faster racquet head speed and facilitate arm movements. This makes them a good choice for young players or those looking to develop a faster, more aggressive style of play.
 

• Who it’s for: Beginners, juniors or those looking for an easy-to-handle racquet.
• Advantages : Easy to handle, generates fast head speed.
• Cons: Less power, may lack stability on powerful shots.

Intermediate rackets offer an excellent compromise between power and control. They are often favoured by intermediate players looking to combine good manoeuvrability with sufficient power for intense exchanges. They are also suitable for players who want to hit heavier balls while retaining good responsiveness.
 

• Who it’s for: Intermediate to advanced players, or those looking for a balance between power and control.
• Advantages: Good balance between power and manoeuvrability.
• Drawbacks: Can be tiring to handle over long periods.

Heavy racquets are generally reserved for advanced players looking for stability and power in their shots. These racquets are often used by competitors who can control the racquet despite its greater weight. The extra weight offers more power in shots, but also requires a well-honed technique.
 

• Who it’s for: Advanced or competitive players.
• Advantages : More power and stability, ideal for hitting heavy balls.
• Disadvantages: Less manoeuvrability, more tiring over time.

Large heads are perfect for beginners or players who want more forgiveness and power in their shots. The large headsize allows for a larger sweetspot, which reduces centring errors. What’s more, these rackets offer more power because the ball stays in contact with the strings for longer.
 

• Who it’s for: Beginners or those looking for more power and forgiveness.
• Advantages : Greater tolerance to centring errors, more power.
• Disadvantages: Less precision and control.

Racquets with an intermediate headsize are ideal for intermediate to advanced level players who want a good compromise between forgiveness and control. This type of headsize provides reasonable power while maintaining good hit accuracy.
 

• Who it’s for: Intermediate and advanced players looking for a good compromise.
• Advantages : Good balance between power and precision.
• Drawbacks: Less forgiving than a wide headsize.

Smaller heads are designed for experienced players who have mastered the precision of their shots. These rackets offer superior control, but the slightest error in centring is more severely penalised. They are often chosen by players who like to dominate exchanges with well-placed shots.
 

• Who it’s for : Advanced players or those looking for maximum precision.
• Advantages : More control, greater precision.
• Disadvantages : Less forgiveness and power, requires great precision.

Head-balanced racquets have more weight in the upper section, which helps to generate more power when hitting. This type of racquet is ideal for players looking to hit heavy balls or generate a lot of speed in their shots.
 

• Who it’s for : Players looking for more power in their shots.
• Advantages: More power, more weight behind each shot.
• Drawbacks: Less manoeuvrability, more tiring over time.

Handle-balanced racketsare characterised by the weight being concentrated towards the handle, allowing for better manoeuvrability and control. These rackets are often preferred by players who like to vary their spin or have a more defensive style of play.
 

• Who it’s for: Players looking for greater control and manoeuvrability.
• Advantages: More control, easier to handle.
• Disadvantages: Less power, requires more effort to generate powerful shots.

Rigid rackets offer greater responsiveness because they deform less on impact, allowing more energy to be transferred to the ball. This makes it possible to generate more power without having to strain, but they can also cause more vibration and be less comfortable for players sensitive to injuries such as tennis elbow.
 

• Who it’s for: Players looking for more power and better responsiveness.
• Advantages: More power, quicker response to impact.
• Disadvantages: Less comfort, more vibration.

Flexible rackets are more comfortable because they absorb vibrations better, making them more suitable for players suffering from chronic pain or tennis elbow. On the other hand, they require more effort to generate power, because the deformation of the racket reduces the transfer of energy to the ball.
 

• Who it’s for: Players looking for comfort or suffering from arm pain.
• Advantages: Greater comfort, less vibration.
• Disadvantages: Less power, requires more physical effort.

An open string allows the ball to stay on the strings for longer, making it easier to generate spin, especially for players who like to add topspin to their shots. This type of string is also more powerful, as it allows greater deformation of the strings when the ball is struck.
 

• Who it’s for: Players who like to create spin and are looking for more power.
• Advantages: More spin, more power.
• Drawbacks: Less control, faster string wear.

Tighter strings offer more control and precision when hitting the ball, as the ball spends less time on the strings. This makes it an ideal choice for players who prefer precision and flat shots. However, a tight string requires more effort to generate spin and can be less powerful than an open string pattern.
 

• Who it’s for: Players looking for greater control and precision.
• Advantages: More control and precision.
• Cons: Less spin, requires more effort to generate power.