Best Tennis Racquets in the UK

What Features to Compare

Well, where to start? Probably, from the Main Characteristics. After all, they are not called "main" for nothing. So, what's there?

• Grip size. There is a system for specifying the grip size of a tennis racquet. The grip size is usually specified in inches and/or by a special designation consisting of letter G (stands for grip) and a number from 0 to 5 (rarely 6) where each unit represents one-eighth of an inch; G0 is the smallest and G5 is the largest grip. To know your personal grip size without having to visit a tennis store, measure the length from the bottom lateral crease of your palm to the tip of your ring finger when your palm is open and the fingers are extended close together. The sizes go like this: G1 — 4⅛", G2 — 4¼", G3 — 4⅜", G4 — 4½", G5 — 4⅝". If your precise grip size is in-between two measures, buy the racquet with a smaller one. Remember — you can make the grip larger with tape, but you can't make it smaller.
• Racquet Length. An adult of average height will need a 685–686 mm long racquet, mostly. The larger racquets are also available but they might be better suited for professional players who need more power. For a non-specialist, it might be challenging to use a long tennis racquet. That being said, the length largely depends on the player's height. If the player's height is 1 meter or less, the best racquet will probably be the one that is 480 mm long. 100–116 cm height calls for a 533 mm racquet, a 584 mm one is better for 119–135 cm height, 137–150 cm players need a 660 mm racquet, and for a person over 150 cm — a general 685 mm and longer ones will be perfect. That's about it.
• Racquet Weight. The heavier the racquet, the more powerful the shot. But at the same time, it is harder to control a heavy one. You may miss the court boundaries and get your ball into out. If you lack confidence in your control skills, we recommend you to buy a racquet below 275 grammes so that to not overstrain your wrist.
• Racquet Stiffness. The more stiff the racquet is, the less impact energy it absorbs. Therefore, more flexible racquets return shots with less power than the stiffer ones.
• Balance. Now this is important. The racquet can be either evenly-balanced, head-heavy, or head-light (also called grip-heavy). To see which yours is, place it horizontally on your outstretched pointer around the middle of the length. If it balances just right, it means your racquet is evenly balanced. If it tilts to one of the sides, it is heavy on the side it tilts. There is a difference in performance between these types. Head-heavy racquets tend to have more power and they seem heavier when you hold them. And head-light ones are better with shot control and easier to manoeuvre. Think about what you prefer and then buy.

Head and Stringing Pattern

The head sizes have their categorization too: Midsize — 452–574 cm², Midplus (or Mid-over) — 580–677 cm², Oversize — 710–742 cm², and SuperOversize — 748–871 cm². If you (or the person you are buying a tennis racquet for) only start your journey to a marvellous tennis player, it is recommended to purchase a racquet of at least 645 cm² as it will help you learn control without burdening your wrist all that much. There is a very special zone in the middle of the racquet's hitting area, called the Sweet Spot. When you hit the ball in this spot, you have more power in the shot with less effort applied. The bigger the head, the bigger the spot, and the more "forgiving" the racquet. Also, while we are talking about the head, we need to mention the frame thickness. It usually varies from 18 to 30 mm, and the meaning is the following: the thicker beam provides more power, the thinner one grants you additional control.

The string pattern of the racquet represents the number of main and cross strings. More "open" pattern with fewer strings will offer less stiffness to the stringing than the "dense" (or "closed") one, making it more loose. Loose stringing creates more spin and rebound, again making the shot more powerful. Dense stringing is better for controlled shots.

Material

In the past, the racquets were made of wood, but today you will find those only in museums or up in the attic of your great-grandparents' house. Up-to-date tennis racquets are made of modern materials. Aluminum ones are probably the cheapest tennis racquets. They are pretty lightweight, too. But they can bend with time. However, they are good for complete beginners as their first racquets. Hyper Carbon racquets are a creation of Wilson and NASA, made of the "space age material" you can find in the aerospace industry. The manufacturer claims it to be stronger and stiffer yet much lighter. Sometimes, they seem too light even, huh. Graphite is the most widespread material among today's tennis racquet manufacturers, it adds to the power without adding weight. Titanium is often compared to graphite and often combined with it to create more reliable and durable tennis racquets. Fibreglass is used as an additional material, it adds to flexibility and enhances feel. Composite materials are made to combine the best features of each material. And, finally, ceramics. You will have to try a bit hard to find ceramics racquets today, they are hardly used. Why? Well, they are stiff, yes, but also heavy and fragile.

As you can see, all the differences, in the end, come to this: do you want a powerful tennis racquet or the one with more control? Or maybe you'd like to try and find the happy medium? That's up to you to decide, we've done what we could. Hopefully, this review helps. Now please proceed to the 5 best tennis racquets we have found, there is a chance you will find the one you've been looking for all this time. Have a nice play.