LB
Anatomy of a Racquet
The terminology used to describe a tennis racquet is pretty
straightforward (see below). A player
tries to hit the ball with the sweet spot as this spot results in decreased vibration
and increased force production. 
More detailed description of racquet. Picture from: http://blog.activepepper.com/finding-the-perfect-tennis-racquet/
Racquet Variables
There are many factors to consider when choosing a tennis racquet. These include:
o
Length
o
Children play with small racquets
o
Adult racquets are approximately 27 inches long
o
Material
o
Racquets weigh between 230g unstrung and 350g
strung
o
Originally made from wood, then aluminium,
racquets today are made of composite mixes such as carbon fibre (graphite) and
boron and Kevlar.
o
Racquet head size
o
Children play with smaller, modified racquet
heads
o
The larger the head the less stiff the strings
are, increasing the speed of the ball
o
The small the head, the more control over the
ball the player has
o
Strings
o
The lower the string tension the more
flexibility/less stiffness the racquet has, this increases the speed of the
ball, but decreases control of the ball
o
The higher the string tension, the less
flexibility/more stiffness the racquet will have, resulting in more control
over the ball, but the ball tends to skim lower and slower over the net
o
The pattern of the strings can also affect the string
tension
o
Tension on the strings varies between players; males
average 230N and females 180N.
o
Vibration dampners
o
These are used reduced vibration when the ball
hits the racquet
o
Somewhat controversial, may reduce ‘feel’ of the
ball as it hits the racquet
o
Grip size
o
Influences grip strength on the racquet
o
The handle is octagonal to improve grip and
comfort in the player’s hand
How to Hold A Racquet
The three most common grips are continential, eastern and western. A player may change grips several times within a
match depending on what shot they are hitting.
Best not to follow Jimmy Connors’ example below:
Below is an illustration of 6 different grips.
