Beginning tennis players lack the power and precision in their strokes that come with the hand-eye coordination and stroke technique honed by hours of practice. Racket manufacturers have addressed this by using manufacturing techniques and a knowledge of physics to create high-tech rackets for low-skill players.
Frame Stiffness
Stiffer rackets provide more power and more stability on off-center shots, so beginner rackets, also called Game Improvement (GI) rackets, are stiffer. Stiffer rackets result in more impact shock and can aggravate, but not cause, tennis elbow in players who frequently miss hit the ball. If that is a problem for you, talk to your stringer about a thinner gauge string or looser tension.
Head Size
The larger the head size, the more hitting area and larger sweet spot you will have, so buy a racket with a larger head size. GI rackets have head sizes that range from 107 to 135 square inches.
Weight
You'll lose speed with a larger head size, so manufacturers have decreased the weight in beginner rackets to help players increase swing speed. Professionals are able to better accelerate heavier rackets, which can weight more than 13 oz. Look for a racket in the 8- to 9.5-oz. range. A head-heavy racket increases the sweet spot. In order to provide this benefit without increasing the racket's weight, manufacturers learned they could take weight out of the handle, creating an overall lighter, but head-heavy racket.
Length
The longer the racket, the longer the end will take to get to the ball, allowing more acceleration to occur. For this reason, manufacturers added 1.5 inches to standard rackets during the 1980s. The standard size for a beginner racket today (as of 2010) is 27.5 inches.
Strings
Looser strings provide more power, while tighter strings provide more control. A thinner gauge string is more flexible, provides more spin, more power and breaks more frequently. Thicker strings last longer and offer more control, and are recommended for beginners. New players are better off with a racket strung with 15- or 16-gauge strings, strung at the low end of the racket's recommended tension range.
Member Comments