Help! I'm New to Tennis and Need to Buy a Racquet

How difficult could this be? A tennis racquet is a tennis racquet, right? Wrong. This is the most important piece of equipment you'll need when you start to play tennis. With the many types available, how do you choose? I'm here to help. Typically a beginning player will want to choose what's called a "game improvement" or "power" racquet.

The "game improvement" or "power" type has an oversized or super-oversized head. The head is the oval part with the strings. This is the part you'll use to hit the ball. The typical game improvement or power racquet has a head of at least 100 square inches. This gives the beginning player plenty of area to connect with the ball. This type is lightweight - usually weighing only 8 to 9 1/2 ounces unstrung. Most game improvement or power tennis racquets come factory strung - so you won't have to worry about doing any stringing.

The lighter weight is better for beginners to prevent arm fatigue. Racquet length for this type is usually 27" to 29," making it easier to hit ground strokes. This type is best suited for beginning players with shorter, slower swings, who haven't developed a lot of power on their own yet. They will rely on the racquet for the power.

Another thing you'll want to consider is the grip size. The best way to know your grip size is simply to hold a few racquets to see what size feels most comfortable. If you try a couple of different sizes and find that your comfort level falls between two sizes -- choose the smaller size. You can always add grip tape to a grip that's too small.

Although some of the old, vintage racquets have a lot of charm, they will not help your game at all. So, if your parents or grandparents have an old one lying around the house they want to give you, kindly decline the offer. The heads are too small and obsolete (only 80 square inches), and the wooden frame will send shock waves through your arm. Buy one made from contemporary materials -preferably with graphite to cut down on the vibration and shock to your arm.

There are many manufacturers who make a quality game improvement or power tennis racquet. Some of the best choices are Babolat, Head, Prince, Volkl, and Wilson. Whichever one you decide to go with, make sure it feels comfortable in your hand. Swing it a dozen or so times to see if it's too heavy for your arm. You don't have to break the bank to get a good one that will bring you years of enjoyment. But, you don't want to skimp either. A quality mid-priced racquet will help you get your tennis game off to a great start.