Buying a Tennis Racket

What to know before you shop

Tennis rackets are often classified, plainly enough, as "beginner," "intermediate," or "advanced." Some beginners, though, might be more comfortable with an intermediate racket, as beginner rackets are usually quite powerful and an athletic beginner could find such a racket difficult to control.

You should be able to purchase a decent first-time racket for under $30. The racket will most likely be made of aluminum, will be pre-strung, and will come with a head cover only. If you think you may progress quickly, you should consider buying a graphite racket (around $70), as aluminum is far too flexible for players who hit hard and want a predictable response.

String tension, head size, and frame flexibility are all important factors when considering which racket to buy. Most inexpensive rackets come pre-strung at the middle of their tension range, and all rackets come in one of three sizes: "mid-size" (with a hitting area of 85 to 95 square inches), "mid-plus" (with a hitting area of 95 to 105 square inches), and "over-size" (with a hitting area of more then 105 square inches). A larger head provides more power and a larger sweet spot but less control. Some pros use over-size rackets. Most intermediate and advanced players use mid-size or mid-plus rackets.

Extremely flexible rackets offer less power and less control. Aluminum rackets are quite flexible, while graphite rackets run the gamut from very flexible to very stiff. If you decide to spend more and buy a graphite racket, a frame somewhere in the range of slightly stiff to stiff is what you want.