Demo, Before You Buy, a New Tennis Racket
It’s not easy to choose a tennis racket. It’s very important to “test-drive” a potential new tennis racket the same way you’d take a car for a test-drive. Many retailers and tennis pro shops allow customers to demo rackets for free if they subsequently purchase a racket so check around your neighborhood. Depending on your skill level, you may want an oversize
racket, which is better for beginners because of the larger hitting surface, or a midsize racket which is more commonly used by players who are more advanced.
People frequently ask which brand is “better” or whether they should buy the racket that their favorite pro uses, e.g. Rafael Nadal’s Babolat frame, Novak Djokovic’s new Head racket or the Wilson frames used by Serena Williams and Venus Williams. They are all “good” rackets, but until you hit with them you won’t know which racket is best for you.
When you play with the demo rackets, try forehands, backhands, serves and also a few volleys because there can often be a big difference between the way a racket handles the volley versus a groundstroke. You also need to feel comfortable with where your hands grip the throat of the racket. Recognize that the type of string and string tension in the demo racket will affect the feel a little. All of these details will factor into whether you prefer one racket over another so take the time to research your purchase thoroughly.
People frequently ask which brand is “better” or whether they should buy the racket that their favorite pro uses, e.g. Rafael Nadal’s Babolat frame, Novak Djokovic’s new Head racket or the Wilson frames used by Serena Williams and Venus Williams. They are all “good” rackets, but until you hit with them you won’t know which racket is best for you.
When you play with the demo rackets, try forehands, backhands, serves and also a few volleys because there can often be a big difference between the way a racket handles the volley versus a groundstroke. You also need to feel comfortable with where your hands grip the throat of the racket. Recognize that the type of string and string tension in the demo racket will affect the feel a little. All of these details will factor into whether you prefer one racket over another so take the time to research your purchase thoroughly.
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