New Tennis Racquet

nipps

Hi, i'm planning on treating myself to a new tennis racquet for christmas as the one i'm using at the moment is too old. i'm in my early 20s and have played seasonally since i was 9 so i'm handy enough.

my problem is i dont know where to start in choosing a racquet.

i know different types of racquets suit different playing styles. so what would be the best way to find out which one will suit me?

thanks for your help:)

Supertoucher

There's essentially a lot of factors involved in choosing a racket, such as swing speed, pace you play at, general ability, preferred weight, preferred balance, striking accuracy (and resultant head size) etc etc etc. If you could provide a better insight, this would help.

For instance, I play a pacey game with a pretty big swing, playing with a fair bit of spin as I'm often struggling to keep the ball in. Not so bad with mis-hits, so I currently play with a 95-98Sq in head size, but a full control racket (Babolat Pure Storm Tour) that offers next to no power.

Ultimately the sensible person would try several racquets from several manufacturers before buying. Fitzwilliam allowed a friend to do a "try before you buy" scenario upon putting down a full price deposit, so this may well be a good approach.

Some pointers:

Price - Expensive racket does not mean best racket. Some of the most expensive rackets out there are essentially designed for veterans, with big head sizes and technology to generate power from slow, weak strokes. Most people will look for "tour" or "improver" rackets. I personally would never spend less than 80 Euro on a racket. One racket I'm looking at currently is nearly double that.

Head size - Bigger head size along with making it easier to hit the ball - generally equals a bigger sweet spot. However, I've always felt that smaller rackets have a more potent (but smaller) sweet spot and thus feel a lot nicer when you nail a shot at the expense of some mis-hits.

Weight/Balance - this is usually related to your playing style. Heavier, head heavy rackets tend to be more control oriented. You may find a more medium balanced racket easier to hit.

Brand - Tough one - People swear by brands and often play with a single brand for most of their lives. I started on Wilson, and am currently on Babolat for no discernably good reason other than fancying a change - this is mainly personal preference.

Strings/Tension - This is something that is very underated but very important. Usually a new racket is strung with a "nothing-special" string at a medium tension. Don't worry too much about this initially - it's something you can experiment with at a later date.

Bottom line - decide where you sit in terms of the factors I outlined in my first paragraph. Put these into the "racket selectors" that most major manufacturers have on their sites. Note down some rackets which fall into the recommended category, head to Fitzwilliam/rackets.ie and field test a few.

Remember that trialling several rackets in close succession will affect your game - go for a gut instinct of "what feels good" and what you feel you could build on should you buy.

Good luck!

nipps

thanks for taking the time to write that supertoucher. i too would play with a quick enough tempo. i rely on the accuracy of my shots rather than blasting them, but i'm trying to add more power. i have a big enough swing and use topspin mostly and only really use backspin for dropshots. i would be quick around the court and tend to play mostly from the base line.

i think i'll make a trip down to fitzwilliam and talk to them there. i suppose the best way to decide will be to try out a few different ones and like you said whatever feels good.

CiaranS

Re buying any equipment I have to add my total recommendation for the Martyn Evans shop in Fitzwilliam Tennis Club. Went there today to have my old racquet re-strung and a new grip put on. Following some knowledgeable questions from Will, I ended up walking out with a much better model. This was a 2nd hand racquet in perfect condition. Did a trade-in so ended up only paying €20 in total. The new one had just been re-strung and had a new grip on it so it was a brilliant deal. Fair play to them.