Best Tennis Racquet for Beginners

As a beginner, choosing the right tennis racquet is very important.  With the right racquet, you’ll be able to get more balls over the net and into the tennis court. You will enjoy the game more and improve your game quickly.

Let’s get right to it.  Here is the list of the best tennis racquet for beginners for 2021.

Here’s a quick high-level overview of the racquets I recommend for beginners.  I have covered a wide range of racquets – from racquets for power and spin to cheap racquets to get started with the game.

Top Tennis Racquet for Beginners

Head Ti S6 – Editor’s Choice

Head Ti S6 is one of the best-selling tennis racquets in the world. This racquet has an oversized head (115 sq. in) and a heavy frame which gives you a lot of power. It is made with titanium and ultra-light graphite, which give the racquet a light feel (8.9 oz)  and allows you to maneuver around the court easily.

The affordable racquet is also extra long (27 ¾”) giving you better reach around the court and more power for your serves. It is a great racquet with a large sweet spot, open string pattern, and rigid construction that will last you for a long time. Because the racquet is lightweight and gives you a lot of power, it can cause more vibration on the wrists and elbow. Remember to get a shock absorber for this racquet.

RUNNER UP – Babolat Pure Drive 110

This great racquet from Babolat is one of the most comfortable and powerful on the market. Its generous 110 sq. in. head size provides beginner players a large margin of error ensuring optimal power even when the contact is less than perfect. The anti-twisting elliptical frame optimizes the power of the racquet.

The racquet’s extended 27.6” inch length allows you to hit the ball with extra momentum and allows for bigger serves. It is also fantastic at the net due to its outstanding maneuverability. This racquet is designed to bring you optimal control and feel with every strike of the ball. The racquet contains diamond shaped grommet holes and a more open string spacing that gives extra power and spin for your strokes.

Head Microgel Radical MP

Head Microgel Radical MP provides a good feel, power,and control. The racquet uniformly absorbs and distributes the impact load around the entire frame. It provides excellent ball control from anywhere on the court while also providing enough power to take a rip at the ball. This affordable racquet is a must-have for any beginner.

This racquet uses MicroGel material in the frame. This along with carbon composite fibers in the racquet head puts less impact on your hands as the frame absorbs the shots well. This provides for solid serves and quick touches at the net.

This racquet comes pre-strung. The stocks string will work fine for most people. If you prefer certain strings, you may have to restring the racquet with a string of your choice. Advanced players may feel that the racquet lacks power.

Head Liquidmetal 8

Head Liquidmetal 8 is lightweight racquet that has a larger sweet spot than most racquets. Liquid Metal placed at the 10, 2, 4, and 8 O’clock part of the racquet head gives the racquet control and stability. This racquet is easy to maneuver, gives a dampened feel during play, and protects your wrists.

The racquet is especially great for players with short or compact swings. It provides plenty of power for a big serve yet allows players to add more spin to their strokes. This racquet comes strung with a synthetic gut that is durable.

Prince Textreme Tour 100P Racquets

Prince Textreme Tour 100P  racquet offers the best combination of power and control with a responsive feel. It weighs 11.5 ounces and allows players to take big cuts at the ball thanks to the 18 x 20 string pattern. The dense string pattern not only allows hitting flat shots but also allows you to add spin to your shots.

This racquet integrates Textreme material directly into the shaft for added dampening and stability. Like other racquets in the Prince line, this racquet offers controllable power to select your targets on the court. This racquet allows you to easily swing through the air for power and gives a solid feel at impact.

Wilson Hyper Hammer

This popular racquet from the well known Wilson brand has a good balance of power and control. The racquet comes in two sizes. We recommend the oversized head (110 sq. in.) because it gives you a larger sweet spot. This long racquet (27.5 inches) helps players reach farther for groundstrokes, serves, and volleys.

Wilson Hammer uses Hyper Carbon material that is used in the aerospace industry along with graphite creating a material that is stronger and stiffer. The sturdy frame gives you a lot of control to place the balls anywhere on the court. This racquet has an open string pattern and gives you a lot of power while only weighing 9 oz.

Wilson Federer Racquet – Best Budget Racquet for Beginners

Wilson Federer Racquet comes in a timeless vibrant red that will spur your passion for the game. It has plenty of features that give you good power, forgiveness, and stability. The racquet comes with shock pads which help reduce vibration. The racquet provides the ability to hit with power from anywhere in the court.

This racquet’s power strings along with the 110 sq. in. oversized head provides power as well as forgiveness in case you miss the sweet spot. This racquet has a perforated grip that provides cool comfort, keeps hands free of sweat, and is ideal for long sessions of play. This racquet is reasonably priced and is a good value for beginners who want to play tennis for a little while before committing to a more expensive racquet.

Best Racquet for Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a type of tendinitis — swelling of the tendons — that causes pain in the elbow and arm. Did you know that you can still get a tennis elbow even if you’ve never been near a tennis court? Any repetitive gripping activity, especially involving the thumb and first two fingers may contribute to tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is the most common reason that people see their doctors for elbow pain. Though it can pop up in people of any age, it’s most common at about age 40.

The Yonex Ezone DR 100 – Best Racquet for Tennis Elbow

The Yonex Ezone DR 100 is the best racquet for players who suffer from tennis elbow. The racquet has a unique material, Quake Shut Gel, which is designed to filter out unwanted vibrations in the frame before they reach your hand.  This along with the racquet’s low flex rating of 59 (lower the better in this case) and low weight (11.1 oz) reduces stress on the arm. The racquet offers a good balance of power and control, with a firm and comfortable feel for all court-play.

Kids racquets 

Wilson Junior Racquet

The Wilson Junior Racquet is the best racquet to get your kid started in tennis.   The racquet comes in 4 sizes – 19 inches, 21 inches, 23 inches, and 25 inches.  The racquet is extremely lightweight and easy to swing.  Below are the age guidelines from Wilson.

19″ up to 5 years old
21″ 5-6 years old
23″ 7-8 years old
25″ 9-10 years old

How to Choose a Beginner Tennis Racquet?

Price

Beginner tennis racquets range from $50-$200. While higher-priced racquets have a lot of features, it is perfectly okay for a beginner to pick up a good quality sub-$100 racket, play for a few months or years, and upgrade to a pricier racquet when you are ready. Thankfully, there are many options to choose from.

Do not buy the $10-$20 racquets to save some money. In our experience, these racquets are not worth the hassle. These racquets usually are poorly made and will not help you improve your game.

Head Size

The head size of a tennis racquet is the area of the racquet head where the strings create the face of the racquet. It is measured in square inches. Larger racquet head sizes (106-135 sq. inch) are great for players just getting started. Beginners will benefit from the larger hitting surface area and a bigger sweet spot. Players will also be able to generate more power from the larger head size racquets.

Weight

A beginner’s racquet should also be lightweight. This will allow you to play longer without feeling discomfort and prevent injuries such as tennis elbow in the long run. A weight of 7-10 ounces is ideal for beginners. Don’t pick a racquet that is too light as this will cause your wrist to rotate too much causing injuries.

Grip Size

Picking a proper grip size is very important. Yet it is one of the most overlooked elements of a racquet. If the grip is too small, the racquet may twist in your hand. If it’s too big, it will decrease the snap on your strokes while also making it difficult to change grips. Playing with improper grip sizes can cause tennis elbow problems.

To measure the grip size, measure from the middle line in your palm to the top of your middle finger. Grip sizes vary from 4 inches to 4 ⅝ inches. This is the circumference of the handle of the racquet. It includes including any grip that is applied to the racquet.

You should also replace your grip periodically. A new, correctly wrapped gripped improves racquet control and gives a better feel.

Strings

Most beginner racquets come pre-strung. But if you get an unstrung racquet, you can choose a synthetic or natural gut. Synthetic guts offer a balance of durability and playability and is suitable for beginners. Natural gut provides a consistent feel and is more suitable for advanced players. When stringing your racquet, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.