Given the high-stakes, action-packed nature of tennis, the importance of finding the right racket can’t be understated. While, of course, your equipment won’t overhaul your game entirely, as ability and practice are still essential to success, considering the variables of racket-related elements can assist in raising performance and enhancing on-court self-belief. So, let’s take a look at some factors to consider when seeking to find the right tennis racket.
Consider Your Strength
For those who are just getting into tennis, taking into account personal strength can aid players in finding and purchasing a racket that best suits their level of physicality. Typically, modern-day variants of the equipment are either created with narrow or wide frames.
Crucially, depending on personal strength, selecting the wrong option can hinder performance levels. According to Tennishead, a wider-framed racket will give shots more power than the alternate narrow option. Generally, professional players, such as Rafael Nadal, who is 7/2 to win the 2020 US Open with tennis betting as of May 28th, will opt for narrow-framed rackets as they’re able to generate most of the shot power themselves.
As every aspiring tennis player will have different body types and thus possess varying degrees of strength, it’s important to tailor your equipment to your own individual capabilities. Crucially, this is useful because it could be the difference in shots landing in the net or beyond the line at the opposite end of the court. Generally, however, most new players typically need a wide-frame racket to assist them in generating more power.
Don’t Overlook Racket Length and Head Size
Importantly, finding the right tennis racket is something that will vary from one person to another. Because of that, there are a number of fundamentals that need to be taken into consideration. Within modern-day tennis, the standard length for a racket is 27 inches, but both longer and shorter options are available. Again, this variable can have an impact on both development and performance. One of the main benefits of a longer racket, for example, is that it allows for more reach and additional power. However, with that, players may find themselves generating higher, less-controlled swings, as per an article by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Furthermore, the size of the racket head is also a factor that should be also be considered prior to purchasing the most vital piece of equipment. Again, whether or not a player will need a small or large-headed racket will depend on their power, as a bigger option will generate a more significant trampolining effect, resulting in more hard-hitting shots.
Moreover, depending on the rapidness of progression, players may decide to alter their preferred head size as they continue to improve aspects of their game. Most noticeably, Roger Federer switched to a large-headed racket towards the latter stages of his career in an attempt to get more power in his backhand shots.
Be True to Yourself in What You Need from a Racket
Ultimately, the most effective way to ensure continued progression while on the court is through accepting that elements of your game won’t be at their desired level straight away. Crucially, this is where a racket can help to make the difference. Given that most players develop their power over time, acknowledging that, to start with, you may need some support from your equipment in generating hard-hitting shots will be pivotal to long-term player progression.
