Different Types of Tennis Racquets

Introduction

Tennis as a sport has evolved over the years. Back then this was a sport all about touch and feel where players would serve and rush to volley. It has changed from being merely a touch sport anymore. Now things have varied and conditions have changed as well, which has allowed the players to evolve and adapt to the new conditions. When compared to previous era where great players like Rod Laver were all about touch and feel the game has come a long way where players like Boris Becker started the trend of hitting big serves and smashing it all the way. Then came the era of Pete Sampras, who was a big server and used the sheer strength of his shoulders.

The current era of the sport is all power and ripping balls. Shoulders play a huge role in helping the player to hit the ball as hard as possible, which in turn results in big injuries if not treated properly. Shoulder injuries are quite common in the tennis fraternity, most players hit the ball with excess power without realizing that it’s the shoulders that are taking damage. To overcome the injuries many factors come into play, one such factor is your tennis gear. The tennis gear is important and the most important of the lot is your racquet. Players who suffer from shoulder injuries generally move from heavy racquets to racquets which are shoulder friendly, which have a light swing speed etc. There are plenty of tennis racquets out there but one should have the understanding of having the right one.

Racquets are categorized into 3 groups namely -

• Power
• Control
• In-Betweeners

Power

These racquets are also known as players racquets and are the exact opposite of the racquets mentioned above.

They focus on control rather than power and make sure that there is enough precision while hitting. The reason behind this is that players have already got the required skill set. The beginners or the intermediates are not advised to use this racquet. This is used more by the seasoned or professional players.

The beginners are recommended to not opt/go for a control racquet because they don’t possess the skills or form and hence cannot use the racquet to its fullest potential.

Here are few characteristics of a control racquet

• Smaller Head Size - Lesser margin of error, one has to be very accurate with their strokes
• Standard Length - Less on grip, but gives great control while swinging because of the smaller racquet head size .
• Flexible Frame -Ball stays for a longer time on the racquet which gives the player an adequate amount of control.

Control

As the name suggests, this group of racquets is suitable for players of intermediate level or who are beginners. These types of racquets help the player to hit more aggressively without actually affecting their shoulders. The reason behind this is that many intermediate or beginners might not have had the time to work on their skills in order to generate the desired power on their own. Here are few key points to look into for a power racquet

• Oversized Head – A larger head will provide more power to the racquet and a better sweet spot which is most preferred by the beginners.
• Larger In Length - Better grip/support .
• Stiffer Frame - Better ball rebounds.
• Lighter Construction - Easy to swing and easy on arm .

In-Betweeners

This genre of racquets sits between the Power and Control racquets.

Usually players who have different skills and form can use this racquet because they have a general sweet spot. A player can get the best of both worlds without compromising one for the other. Those who are yet to figure what their game style is then this is the racquet they should look for.

Here are some key points to look into regarding an in-betweener.

• Medium size length .
• Medium size head .
• Semi stiff frame .
• Medium weight construction .