Your First Racquet

Do You Need to Buy the Most Expensive Racquet?

Getting your first racquet can be a bit nerve-wracking. You want to find a racquet that’s right for you, meets your budget, and puts you on the path for enjoying your sport. Here are some quick tips for taking this first important step.

1. Don’t actually buy your racquet until you’re ready. You can often borrow demonstration or “loaner” racquets to get a feel for how they hit. This hands-on experience is invaluable. Contact your professional or the local racquet sports store to see whether they offer this opportunity.

2. Do your research. By talking with your playing friends and local pros, you can get the benefit of their personal experience. The Internet is also a great source of information, as many racquet sports supply companies have excellent web sites, with full descriptions of their racquets. With a bit of extra effort, you can find comparative reviews of racquets for your racquet sport.

3. Remember that the best racquet is relative. The best racquet for you is not the best racquet for everyone, and what works for a tour player is typically not what a beginner needs. As you learn about your strengths as a player, you will gain a sense of whether you want a racquet that maximizes power or one that offers more control, whether you want a heavy racquet or a light one, and how you prefer the racquet to balance in your hand (i.e., one with a head that is light or a head that is heavy).

4. Get a racquet with the right size grip. The connection between your hand and your racquet is very important. If you buy a racquet with a grip that’s too small, you can always add a thicker grip, or an overgrip. If you buy one that’s too large, you’ve got a tougher situation as “shaving down” the racquet handle can be a challenge.

5. Get good strings. Beginner’s racquets often come pre-strung, and they may have been sitting in a store for a long time. That’s not ideal. For best results with your new racquet, have it strung freshly with good strings at time of purchase.

6. Be wary of the latest model and the latest innovation. Racquet companies are always thinking up ways to improve their models, but they don’t always get it right the first time. Real technological and design breakthroughs are rare, so don’t count on there being tremendous competitive value in being an “early adopter” in your racquet sport.