Racket Guide

Choosing the right racket can seem a little daunting. With so many different models available it can seem very difficult to decide on what racket to buy..

At Racketcity we offer simple and impartial advice to all customers that are able to come into our store or even email us. We try and help all those that come into our store by advising on the characteristics of each racket and how that suits your style of play. We have a large selection of rackets ranging from those that offer extreme control the maximum power levels. Don't worry, we will galdly explain everything to you and help you to make a choice that you feel comfortable with.

For those shopping online we have compiled some notes below that will help you with your decision.

First of all you should note that there are different types of racket, such as power rackets and control rackets. Just to explain what the different types of racket are and can do:

Power Rackets - fast speed off the racket, which helps players that are not able to hit the ball as hard as they would like to. The racket will help to generate some extra power for them and therefore make it that much easier to hit the ball over the net and get you that winning shot.

Control Racket - slow speed off the racket. These rackets are good for players who do hit the ball hard and so need to bring some control to the ball and help to ensure that it stays within the lines on the court and in the position they want it to.

Power/Control rackets - offer you a balance of both.

How much do you want to spend on your racket We have rackets available in a variety of price ranges and to suit all types of players from under £20 to over £160.

Is the weight of the racket important to you...generally power rackets tend to be lighter and control rackets tend to be heavier.

What makes a Power Racket ?
Head Size - the bigger the head size the more powerful the racket...but also as there is a larger hitting area this will also make the racket more forgiving. What this basically means is that when you mis-hit a shot, you will get less vibration within the racket .

Thickness of the frame/beam - the thicker the frame, the more powerful the racket will be.

Weight of the racket - light rackets (225g to 280g) are generally more powerful. Medium power rackets are generally 280g to 300g. Heavy rackets (300 to 340g) are generally control rackets.

If you take a big swing and hit the ball hard yourself, or you are an accomplished player, you should opt for a control racket.

If you have a shorter swing and you need help in hitting the ball, or if you want a very comfortable, easy to use racket, choose a power racket .

If you are a reasonable player and you need a good mixture of power and control, go for something in between.

Please remember we can advise on all of the above either when you visit us or on the phone.

A Power Racket would be good for… the majority of club or recreational players who may or may not hit the ball reasonably hard or for those who want an ultra-light racket that is easy to use and play with.
It may sound like power rackets are so easy to use that they are suitable for everyone…however, you may be a beginner or a recreational player who is still able to hit the ball hard in which case a power racket would probably not be suitable for you so in this case you would be better off with the 'mid' category.

A power/control racket would be good for… the majority of club and recreational players who hit the ball reasonably well.

Advanced players who need some touch and feel from the racket when they play but who also like a bit of power from the racket as well.

Beginners who want an in between type of racket. That is not too difficult to use, is fairly forgiving but ast the same time is not too powerful.

Mid standard Juniors who need a bit of help at hitting the ball as they have not yet developed full strokes and need some more power.

A control racket would be good for… advanced grade players . They are also suitable for harder hitting mid-standard players who have problems in keeping the ball in play and therefore need that element of control brought into their game.

Advanced juniors or potentially good juniors....these rackets encourage the development of full flowing strokes.

Racket Stringing - all rackets have a specified string tension range , so they rackets are likely to be strung at the middle of the range , but will probably have lost 2-3 lbs since then as well. The tighter the strings, the more control. The looser the strings, the more power.

Therefore , you can alter the playing characteristics of a racket by having it strung either very tight or very loose.

You may like a particular racket for its lightness or vibration dampening qualities , but it may be too powerful for you . You can go some way towards dampening the power by stringing it at the top of its recommended range. Obviously you have to be careful with this as very tight strings would also impact on your arm.

Grip sizes… a rough and ready way of telling which grip size you should go for is to hold a racket in your normal forehand grip...you should be able to squeeze a finger in which touches both the end of your fingers and your palm.

GRIP 1 is 4 1/8 inches
GRIP 2 is 4 1/4 inches
GRIP 3 is 4 3/8 inches
GRIP 4 is 4 1/2 inches
GRIP 5 is 4 5/8 inches

Most juniors...go for grip 1 or 2.
Most women...go for grip 1, 2 or 3.
Most men...go for grip 3 or 4.
And…Grip 5 for a really big hand. If you need bigger than a Grip 5, we can adapt the racket for you and create a Grip 6.