Tennis rackets, normally spelled "racquets," come in a variety of weights, lengths, stiffness ratings and head sizes, all designed to help particular types of players. Before attempting to choose a racket that's right for you, it's important to know what type of player you are---this will allow you to find the type of racket that has been made specifically for your type of game.
Manufacturer's divide adult rackets into three categories: Game Improvement (for beginners and advance beginners); Tweener (for intermediate and advanced recreational players); and Player's (for professional, collegiate and highly-ranked juniors).
Game Improvement Rackets
Game Improvement rackets are made for beginners, advanced beginners and some seniors. They feature larger head sizes, stiffer frames, longer lengths and lighter overall weights, with more weight toward the head of the rackets.
The larger head sizes provide a larger "sweet spot," which provides more control on off-center shots. Rackets with larger head sizes tend to weigh more and decrease racket head speed. Stiffer rackets are favored by lower-level players who aren't able to generate much power. Longer rackets provide slightly more reach and better serve performance.
Look for rackets with head sizes between 107 to 135 square inches if you are in this category.
Tweener Rackets
Tweener rackets are made for intermediate-level and more competitive players who are not highly ranked. They add more weight to the frame, decrease the head size and shift the weight more toward the center of the frame, while keeping the extended length found in Game Improvement rackets.
These types of rackets provide players who do not mis-hit balls as frequently the opportunity to use frames which provide more maneuverability without losing many of the control and power benefits of beginner rackets.
Look for rackets with heads sizes between 95 to 102 square inches if you are in this category.
Player's Rackets
Player's rackets are the lightest frames, with the smallest head sizes, the most flexibility and shortest length.
Professional, collegiate and highly ranked juniors who are able to generate a lot of power with their strokes prefer more flexible rackets, which they feel give them more control. Since top players do not mis-hit the ball frequently, they prefer rackets with smaller head sizes which do not require them to sacrifice racket head speed.
Look for rackets with heads sizes between 85 to 98 square inches if you are in this category.
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