Holy Tennis Racquets Batman! Which one is right for me?
Finding the perfect tennis racquet is like eating fast food. Sure, you’ll be happy with your racquet when playing great on the court, but once that greatness stops, it’s like the following 30 minutes after devouring that big mac—you feel like crap. Do you blame the racquet when losing a tennis match? Do you blame the Big Mac for making you feel crappy after eating it? The answer should be no. You’re the only one to blame. So let’s take a few steps before that epic fail on the court where you decided to smash your racquet on the ground– and now you’ve landed on this blog post because you are in need of a new one.
There is one main question you should ask yourself prior to searching for that perfect tennis racquet– What are you looking to get out of your tennis racquet? Now this doesn’t mean “I’m looking to become a great tennis player and win more matches”. It simply means, “What element of my game could improve more with the purchase of the right tennis racquet?” There are many elements to choose from. I would break these down into 3 main categories. Power, Comfort, and Control.
Power: A powerful racquet will be easily maneuverable, offer a larger sweetspot, and provide some added reach.
Comfort: A comfortable racquet should be for the player who cares how it feels when hitting the ball. Many times comfort is very important to people with previous injuries such as tennis elbow.
Control: A racquet with control usually lacks power, but allows the player to swing more aggressively and provide the feel needed to place the ball in the court.
This week I’m going to recommend a few tennis racquets for beginners that will help you to take your game to the next level. That is, if you take a few tennis lessons for beginners first!
Beginners (NTRP 1.0 – 2.5): Beginner racquets are typically a bit larger in size and will allow players to return the ball with power. A racquet with a larger head size will be forgiving when you don’t hit the ball in the sweetspot.
Tennis Racquets for Beginners:
Power: The Babolat Overdrive 110 is a great starter racquet that generates power even with a slower swing speed. As it mentions in the title, the racquet is 110 square inches and is classified as an oversize racquet that weight 9.9 ounces strung. The ridiculously large sweet spot helps you place the ball deeper in the court with little effort involved (though you still need to move your feet and make contact with it!). The Overdrive is also a great choice for the doubles player looking to get that extra “oomf” out of their volleys and overheads. If you’re looking to add some power to your game, this racquet will do the trick. (Price: $189)
Comfort: The Wilson BLX Tempest Four is a 110 square inch racquet weighing in at 8.7 ounces (pretty lightweight). It’s ideal for the beginner seeking to place the ball deeper in the court. The open string pattern provides a very comfortable feeling when making contact with ball. The added length gives you that extra reach at the net and when serving the ball. Don’t be surprised when a bit of power comes from your next forehand with this winner! (Price: $179)
Control: The Head YOUTEK IG Speed Lite is a great racquet for players looking for more feel and control. The head size is 102 square inches and weighs 9.8 ounces. At both the net and the baseline, players will find pinpoint accuracy with this comfortable stick. Generating spin is very easy thanks to the string pattern and stringbed. This controllable tennis racquet will lead to more consistency and confidence as you run your opponent around on the court! (Price: $159.95)
For The Price: You can’t go wrong with spending $30 on a quality Wilson tennis racquet. The Wilson BLX Coral Reef is a 110 inch 9.9 oz racquet ideal for the beginner to intermediate level player. It has a large sweet spot that helps you to stay consistent from the baseline. This lightweight racquet will allow you to be agile and quick as a cat at the net. If you don’t mind the pink color, for this limited time price, the BLX Coral Reef is definitely a buy. (Price: $30)
If you’re in need of a new racquet, now would be a great time to buy. For the next few days, Tennis Warehouse has free shipping on all of their racquets! Be on the lookout for my next post on tennis racquets for adult intermediate players.
