Tennis Racquet Terms

Balance: Balance is usually expressed in points and it is the longitudinal distribution of the weight of the racquet. One point equals to distance of 1/8 inch from the center towards the tip (head heavy) or towards the butt (head light). For example, 4 points head light racquet will have its center at ½ inch from the center towards the butt.
Butt: The extreme end of the racquet at the end of the handle.
Cross-section / beam width: It is the width of the racquet frame and is usually measured in millimeters. Frames with wider cross-section will be stiffer than a thinner frame.
Dampening: t is the ability of the racquet to reduce shock and vibration before it reaches the player’s hand. The factors that reduce the shock and vibration are high levels of weight, low flex levels, longer string length (larger head size), narrower beam widths, or by manufacturer- installed dampening systems like Babolat Cortex or Wilson Amplifeel technology. String vibration dampeners do not have a noticeable effect on dampening, but serve mostly to eliminate the sound vibrations of the strings.
Head Size: It refers to the strung area of the racquet and is usually expressed in sq. inches. A larger head size gives more power and has larger sweetspot, whereas a small head size has more control.
Grip Size: t is the circumference of the racquet handle. Grip sizes available are in size 4 1/8, 4 ¼, 4 3/8, 4 ½, 4 5/8. The most common grip size is 4 3/8.
Swing Weight: It indicates the amount of effort required to swing a racquet. Swingweight is a product of the weight and balance of the racquet. A racquet with higher swingweight will generally have higher power and a racquet with lesser swingweight will have lesser power.
Sweet Spot: The area of the stringbed that gives the best feel when hitting the ball and also generates more power.
Customization: educe certain playing characteristics. The most common customization is adding weight to the racquet at various points to increase power or/and stability.