Tennis Racket Reviews – Match Your Racket To Your Ability

We all know how frustrating it is to buy a racket and find it wasn’t what we hoped it would be.

I believe it is best to match people with rackets as opposed to matching people with brands or their favorite tennis players.

After all, what is good for Roger Federer is not necessarily going to be good for every male tennis player, despite how tempting it may be to buy the racket that your idol uses and promotes on the television. For a lot of players it just won’t be the right racket and you will have ended up wasting your money.

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Proper racket selection depends on narrowing down your choice of tennis racket reviews by considering things like head size, weight, skill level and resultant attributes like maneuverability, feel and power.

Included below are some general recommendations based on your skill level, game style and probably subsequent strengths and weaknesses.

You are generally classified as an adult beginner tennis player if you weigh in at around the 100 lb. mark. If you are not around that weight then you are obviously still a kid and should pick up a good kids racket!

In general as a beginner it would make sense to choose something that is more forgiving of mistakes – that is, a large surface area and sweet spot with decent control to maximize the power and direction of the ball.

Having said that, more athletically strong or fit beginners might like to consider an intermediate racket that has a better balance of power and control.

You also want to avoid opting for beginner tennis rackets that favor either side of the spectrum. That is, you don’t want an extremely heavy racket with a equally extremely light head, nor do you want an extremely light overall racket that is very powerful. These are intended for advanced players and occasional players respectively.

Recommended beginner tennis rackets

• Head Liquidmetal 4 – perfect for beginners and from a recognized and respected brand. If you are going to start somewhere you may aswell start there, this racket has numerous positive testimonials and it is universally acclaimed.
• Head Liquidmetal 8 – also great for beginners but perhaps more weighted towards those tennis players that have been playing the game for a while and are outgrowing their current racket.
• Head Metallix 6 – a bit more expensive at around $100 but definitely worth the price, it’s lightweight, has a large sweet spot and it looks good!

As you progress through the tennis ranks, you will probably want a racket that has more control and more feel.

Many players in this category will read through tennis racket reviews and choose a racket that will help them improve a particular aspect of their game – they tend to be more head heavy than beginner rackets and also slightly longer.

Recommended intermediate tennis player rackets

• Babolat Pure Drive GT – this racket has great feel and it performs surprisingly well for backhands, slices and volleys. There is also excellent vibration control and with a tight string pattern the Pure Drive GT will realize its full potential as an outstanding racket.
• Wilson nCode nTour two – a well balanced racket that offers great value for money but does come a little stiff out of the box. It has since been surpassed by the K factor line but this great is still a great pickup and can be found easily online.
• Dunlop Biomimetic – a versatile, all-court racket that has carbon in the frame to minimize harsh vibrations and improve feel. This is a flexible, light-weight stick but it will set you back around $150-$200.

Advanced rackets are obviously going to be used by professionals or serious amateurs. They have smaller heads and are heavier and more flexible overall. Power output as a result is generally less than in beginner or advanced rackets – so if you can’t quite generate the bulk of your own power yet then please don’t consider buying a racket from this category until you have developed that strength.

Many of the Babolat tennis rackets are great for late-intermediate to advanced level tennis players, as as some Wilson tennis rackets like the Wilson BLX Six One Tour.

Recommended advanced (player) tennis rackets

• Dunlop Aerogel 4D 200 – has lots of different technology to give you that balanced blend of control and power. It also adds extra stability to important areas of the racket without sacrificing factors like control.
• Prince EXO3 95 – this was the racket of choice for Gael Monfils. This is a precision racket that pretty much gives you the best of both worlds. You will experience superb levels of control, power and feel all in the one motion.  Great in all areas of the court and highly recommended for 4.5+ players looking for something new.
• Head Youtek Speed Pro – another highly versatile racket that allows you to play aggressively from any area of the court. This is thanks in part to the round shape of the head and the relatively thin frame that surrounds it. You can be confident of approaching the ball at an attacking angle and it working out for you.

Hopefully this has given you a bit of an idea and a starting point for your next purchase. While I do not personally own all of the rackets that have been reviewed, I do aim to provide detailed and helpful tennis racket reviews and research each racket like I am the one who is going to buy it.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me here. Alternatively you can read information relating to the ATP tour and tennis in general or stay up to date with how your favorite players are going and what gear they are using.

Thanks for having a look around and best of luck!

photo credit #96