Tennis rackets can be compared in a number of ways, including by their manufacturing techniques, playing characteristics and suitability for playing styles. Because most of these comparisons revolve around physics and the effect of force, mass and acceleration on the interaction between a racket and ball, comparisons can be fairly easy and accurate to make.
Head Sizes
Tennis rackets come in a variety of head sizes, from small (85 to 98 square inches) to large (107 to 135 square inches). Larger head sizes offer a larger sweet spot for lower-level players who hit the ball off-center more often. The larger head size adds more weight to the racket, making it slower to swing, decreasing acceleration. Better players use smaller head sizes, since they do not need the larger hitting area to help with mishits.
Weight
Rackets range in weight from 8 1/2 to 13 or more oz. The heavier weight adds more mass to the racket, creating more force at impact. Lower-level players prefer a lighter racket to make up for their inability to swing a heavier racket quickly.
Stiffness
A stiffer racket deforms less when it strikes an incoming tennis ball, sending more power back into the ball. This stiffness results in a loss of ball control, so higher-level players who are able to generate racket head speed with their larger, stronger muscles, use more flexible rackets to maintain ball control.
Balance
In addition to overall weight, rackets have their weight distributed from the head to the handle specifically to create different playing characteristics. More weight in the head of a racket increases the size of the sweet spot, while more weight toward the handle makes the racket more maneuverable.
Length
The standard racket length for decades was 26 inches. During the 1980s, manufacturers added 1 1/2 inches to provide more momentum and more acceleration for lower-level players. Today, most beginner to intermediate rackets are 27 1/2 inches long.
Player Type
Rackets are made in three different categories: Game Improvement (GI), Tweener and Player's. GI rackets are lighter, have larger, heavier heads, are stiffer and longer. Tweener rackets are the same length as GI rackets but have slightly smaller heads, less overall weight and are balanced with the weight toward the middle of the racket. Player's rackets are made for advance players, and are heavier, more flexible, shorter and have smaller heads with more weight toward the handle.
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