The balance of a tennis racket is classified into three different categories. They are head light, head heavy and evenly balanced. A head light racket will have more weight in the handle of the racket than the head. This makes head light rackets easier to swing and easier to manoeuvre. These rackets are generally preferred by net players and players who like to hit with a lot of spin. A head heavy racket has more weight in its head than its handle. This makes a head heavy racket more stable and a little more powerful than a head light racket. These types of rackets are generally preferred by a baseline player who likes to hit with a lot of power. An evenly balanced racket has its weight evenly distributed throughout the whole frame. This racket is typically preferred by a player who will play at both the net and the baseline.
The head size of a tennis racket affects the size of its sweet-spot. The sweetspot is the area of the racket face where the ball will feel best and perform the way it's supposed to when you hit it. The larger the head size on a racket, the larger the sweet spot. There are three basic types of head sizes. Midsize is the smallest of the three groups. These rackets range anywhere from 80 - 95 square inches and have the smallest sweetspots. They will typically also have the most control but the least amount of power. Midplus is the next biggest group. These rackets range in size from 96 - 105 square inches and have a medium size sweetspot. These rackets are generally a good balance of power and control. The largest size group is called Oversize and has a head size of 106 + square inches. These rackets have the largest sweetspot and are the easiest to hit. They will also tend to have the most power with the least amount of control. The pictures below show the relative size of the sweetspots for each size group.
The stiffer a racket is the more power it will provide for you. Conversely, the more flexible a racket - more control it will have. This is because the more a racket flexes the more energy it will absorb and the less energy will go into the ball, giving you less power and keeping the ball on the strings of the racket longer. This will then make it easier to place the ball where you want it. However, this also means that while a stiffer racket will provide a more powerful shot, it will not absorb as much energy and may transfer shock into your arm.
The weight of a tennis racket will affect its stability. Generally, the heavier a racket is the more stable it will be. Weight is also a good indication of power level. The lighter a racket, less power it will usually have, but more manoeuvrable it will be. Conversely, the heavier a racket, the more control it will usually have.
Yes, the longer a person's swing is the more controlling racket they will generally want. This is because the longer a swing is, the more power it will generate. Therefore, a person with a long swing does not need the racket to generate a lot of power for them. If a person has a shorter swing, it will be harder for them to generate a lot of their own power. A person with a shorter swing then tends to like a more powerful racket because it will provide them with a stronger shot for a shorter swing.
Note: Not everyone with a long swing has a naturally powerful stroke. If a person has a long swing but doesn't swing the racket very fast, they usually will tend like a racket with a little more power.
The price of a racket is generally determined by the material used to make it. The more powerful rackets tend to be more expensive because they use a lighter weight material such us carbon fibre and etc. While the lighter weight materials are still very strong, they tend to cost more. This makes the racket itself more expensive.
How a material responds to a shot will also determine the cost of a racket. The more racket flexes and returns to its original shape after a striking a ball, the more expensive it will generally be. This is because the material used to create the racket is typically of a higher grade and will be able to absorb more energy and not break down.
If a racket comes unstrung, racket stringing job will cost nothing. Additionally you need to buy just strings of your choice. If you want to change strings on your racket then stringing job will cost 150 kr (price included VAT) plus string.
A string's power comes from its flexibility. The softer and more flexible a string is, the more powerful it will be. This is because the string will flex and spring back faster, providing a catapult effect that will launch the ball off the racket with greater speed.
Conversely, a stiffer string will provide more control than power. This is because a stiffer string will not flex as much. This makes the ball stay on the string for a longer period of time, providing more control for the shot.
The gauge of a string is a measure of how thick it is. The larger the gauge number, the thinner a string is. The three most common gauges are 15L, 16, and 17. The chart below shows string gauges and diameters in millimetres. 16 is a medium thickness and is the most commonly used. The thicker a string is the more durable it will be, however, a thicker string will also be the least playable and the hardest to generate spin with. On the other hand, a thinner string will be more playable, and easier to generate spin with by allowing the strings to embed into the ball more. It will also be less durable than a thicker string.
There are 4 main materials used in stringing manufacturing: nylon, natural gut, polyester and Kevlar. Also there composite strings - a combination of different materials blended together in an attempt to bring out the best features of each.
Nylon - synthetic gut or nylon? Truth be told, synthetic gut is nylon. In fact, most of today's "performance synthetics" are constructed of nylon, albeit a higher grade than basic nylon string. Today's manufacturing processes produce nylon strings (or synthetic gut, if you insist) that provide a good combination of playability and durability. In the old days (wood racquet era), any self-respecting player used natural gut. Nylon was so bad that only beginners used the stuff. Today, 98% of non-professional players use nylon strings. It's that much better.
Natural Gut - the ultimate in playability and feel. Often overlooked due to it's cost, natural gut is the best choice for players with arm problems or those who simply want the best. Formerly, the number one choice of ATP and WTA tour players. Now used more in hybrids, combining polyester mains with natural gut crosses. Natural gut string offers maximum feel and control due to it's low dynamic stiffness, which provides better ball "pocketing", and a slight texture that provides more ball grab for enhanced spin.
Polyester - a very durable string designed for string breakers - not much power or feel. Polyester strings became very popular with ATP players, because it provides added durability, doesn't move and "deadens" the stringbed. While this isn't a desirable feature for most recreational players, it is for many of today's ATP and (some) WTA players. They're bigger, stronger, swing faster and use more powerful rackets than players from the past. Often used in hybrids, combining polyester mains with softer synthetic or natural gut crosses. This offers the durability benefits of polyester, while reducing the stiff, dead feel. Also easier to string than 100% polyester. Not recommended for beginning players or players with arm injuries.
Kevlar - The most durable string available. Kevlar is very stiff and strings up very tight. Therefore, it is usually combined with nylon to reduce the string bed stiffness (Kevlar main strings, nylon cross strings). Still, Kevlar hybrids are the least powerful and least comfortable strings currently available. Players trying kevlar hybrids for the first time (from nylon strings) are recommended to reduce tension by 10% to compensate for the added stiffness. Not recommended for beginners or players with arm injuries.
A monofilament string is a string with a solid core. These strings are typically less flexible and tend to have more control. A multifilament string has a multiple string core. These strings are typically more flexible and will have more power. Multifilament strings will also absorb more shock than a monofilament string. Examples of each are shown below.
String tension is very important in determining how a racket will play. The lower the tension on a string, the more power and the less control it will provide for you. This is because a string pulled at a lower tension will flex more, creating a catapult effect that will launch the ball off the strings at a faster speed. Conversely, the higher tension on a string, the more control and the less power it will provide for you. This is because with a higher tension, the string will not flex as much. This makes the ball stay on the string for a longer period of time, making it easier for the player to place the ball where he or she wants it.
String tension will also affect how long the strings will last. A string under higher tension will last longer than one at a lower tension. This is because a higher string tension will allow for less flex in the strings. The more flex there is in the strings, the faster they will wear down. So while a lower tension will provide more power, it will also cause the string to wear down faster.
Yes, there are certain strings that are longer lasting than others. There are actually two types of durability when it comes to a tennis string. The first type is how durable a string is in regards to breaking. Certain strings are made for players who break strings very quickly. These strings tend to be very stiff and not very shock absorbent. These are generally made of polyester, aramid, kevlar, or some other break resistant material.
The second type is how durable a string is in regards to holding its tension. After a string is played with a few times it will start to loose its tension. This will decrease the amount of spring back the string will have, which will in turn start to decrease the amount of power the string will generate for you. The best strings for holding their tension are natural gut strings and polyester strings have the biggest tension lost.
A racket with an open string pattern will generally provide a player with more spin and power. The racket will be powerful because there is less force to hold the strings in place allowing them to flex more. This will provide a catapult effect that will push the ball off the strings faster. An open string pattern will provide more spin because the wider the strings are apart, the more grab they will have on the ball. A racket with an open string pattern will also cause the strings to break faster than a dense string pattern. Since there is less force holding the strings in place, the strings will move around more and tend to cut each other. This will eventually cause them to break.
A racket with a dense string pattern will provide more control and will help the string in the racket to last longer. This is because there is more force holding the strings in the racket and they will not flex as much. This causes the ball to stay on the strings for a longer period of time, giving you more control. Also, since there is more force holding the strings in place, they will not move around as much and cut each other as an open string pattern racket.
The reason some strings have texture is to provide more spin. A string with texture will grab or "bite" the ball making it easier to apply topspin or backspin. However, textured strings also tend to break down a little faster since the roughness of the string will cause it to cut into itself more than a non-textured string.
Yes, certain strings are designed to absorb more shock and feel better on the arm than others. Generally, a multifilament string will be softer and easier on the arm than a monofilament string. However, the softer strings will wear down and break faster than other strings and may have to be re-strung more often.
A hybrid stringing job is when two different strings are used in one racket. One set of strings is used for the main strings (the vertical strings) and one set is used for the cross strings (the horizontal strings). Generally a hybrid will consist of a stiffer, more durable string on the mains and a softer, more playable string on the crosses. This type of stringing will allow for a good balance of softness and control as well as increased durability.
Some performance rackets come unstrung and all recreational and some performance rackets come pre-strung in the factory. All specifications are written on products description
The sizes are the thickness of the handle of the racket and range from 1-6. Grip 0 is the smallest and grip 6 is the largest. The chart below correlates European and US grip sizes.
Grip size on tennis racquets range from 1 - 6 (4 1/8 ? 4 5/8 inches). Junior rackets have 0 (4 inches) grip size. The chart below correlates European and US grip sizes. This is a measure of the circumference of the rackets grip. Your grip size is determined by placing your index finger in the space between the tips of your fingers and your palm when gripping a racket (Generally about one and a half cm of space). Whichever size provides the best fit for your index finger is the grip size you should use.
If you don't have a racket handy, you can also measure your grip size using a ruler. With your hand open and fingers extended close together, align the ruler with the bottom lateral crease of your palm and measure to the tip of your ring finger. The chart bellow shows grip size in mm.
Having the right grip size is very important because if the grip is too big or too small, you may end up gripping the racquet too hard which could give you tennis elbow.
Keep in mind, it's easier to increase handle size on most rackets. In fact, the majority of today's lightweight rackets' handles cannot be reduced in size. If you're between grip sizes, go with the smaller size and add an overgrip to arrive at the ideal fit. A typical overgrip will increase a grip by 0,5 size of your grip (additional weight 7-8 grams). You can also increase grip size using a heat-shrink sleeve. One small heat shrink sleeve will increase grip size by 0,5 size (additional weight 7-8 grams) and one big heat shrink sleeve will increase grip size by 1 size (additional weight 14-16 grams). Both methods will increase overall racket weight slightly (7-16 grams) but the benefits of a correct grip size far "outweigh" the disadvantages of this added mass.
Note: If your chosen racket at racketshop.no is not in your desired grip size, it can be increased at racketshop.no with no additional cost just notice at comment at the checkout.
If a racket comes unstrung, racket stringing job will cost nothing. Additionally you need to buy just strings of your choice. If you want to change strings on your racket then the stringing job will cost 150 kr (price is included VAT) plus string.
More and more all levels of players benefitting from customizing their rackets to improve performance. From matching rackets to increasing overall weight, increasing torsional stability, raising the racket's sweetspot or counter-balancing a head-heavy racket to make it head-light.
To increase racket's weight is simple by adding lead tape on racket frame. Most popular place to add weight is on 3 and 9 o'clock positions of racket head because it maximizes stability.
If you want to change your racket's balance to head heavy or head light you just need to add respectively weight on racket head or on the handle.
In most cases customizing your racket's weight and balance is a reversible procedure - if you don't like it, you can simply remove the lead tape that you added. This makes it possible to experiment with different amounts and placements of lead tape to find the "spec" that is just right for your game.
First, you cannot (without drastic measures) lower a racket's swingweight. That is why it is best to buy a racket that is lighter than you will ultimately play with, because just about all customizations, whether they be for balance, swingweight, or twistweight, will increase the weight of the racquet. You increase swingweight by adding lead tape anywhere along the length of the racquet, on either side of the pivot point. The pivot point is typically considered to be 10 cm up from the buttcap, under the knuckle of your first finger, but it can be a different distance from the butt cap if you grasp the racket farther up on the racket or farther down toward the butt cap. The farther away from the pivot point you add the lead tape, the more the swingweight will increase. Or conversely, the farther away from the axis you add weight, the less you have to add to achieve any desired increase. The 3 and 9 o'clock positions (usually the widest points on the head) are the most popular positions to add weight because that will also maximize twistweight (stability).
Some performance rackets come unstrung and all recreational and some performance rackets come pre-strung in the factory. All specifications are written on products description
If a racket comes unstrung, racket stringing job will cost nothing. Additionally you need to buy just strings of your choice. If you want to change strings on your racket then the stringing job will cost 150 kr (price included VAT) plus string.
The head size of a tennis racket affects the size of its sweet-spot. The sweetspot is the area of the racket face where the ball will feel best and perform the way it's supposed to when you hit it. The larger the head size on a racket, the larger the sweet spot. There are three basic types of head sizes. Midsize is the smallest of the three groups. These rackets range anywhere from 80 - 95 square inches and have the smallest sweetspots. They will typically also have the most control but the least amount of power. Midplus is the next biggest group. These rackets range in size from 96 - 105 square inches and have a medium size sweetspot. These rackets are generally a good balance of power and control. The largest size group is called Oversize and has a head size of 106 + square inches. These rackets have the largest sweetspot and are the easiest to hit. They will also tend to have the most power with the least amount of control. The pictures below show the relative size of the sweetspots for each size group.
