As with many things in life, buying a racquet without doing your research is not a good idea. It is likely that you will end up with something far from perfect and somewhere along the line you will be disappointed with it and wonder whether or not another purchase would have been better. This article aims to make sure that does not happen by giving some advice on all of the key components of today’s modern tennis racquets. Here are 10 questions that should help guide your thought process towards making an educated decision on which racket to buy:

1 . What style do I usually play?

Different styles require different types of racket technology. For example, groundstrokes are all about power but control is also important for both the forehand and the backhand. A defensive player needs a lighter racket that gives plenty of control, whereas an aggressive baseliner needs a much heavier racket to give them that added power. The best way to find out what style you play is by watching yourself practice or play matches several times, noting down which shots you play the most and how many winners/unforced errors you hit in each category. This should give you a good idea as to whether your game is more offensive or defensive and will allow you to make a decision on brand and type of racquet from thereon in.

2 . What string tension do I require?

This really depends on two things: players with fast but weaker hitting styles often need more string tension to be able to get the power they need, whereas players with slower hitting styles often benefit from having less tension (and therefore more control and comfort) in their rackets. A good indicator of correct tension is your coach: if you don’t know which tension to go for or if you’re buying a new racket then ask your coach for help. If you cannot find a coach then read online reviews about the racket brands and specs that interest you and see what others have had success with – it is likely that other tennis equipment retailers will recommend similar tensions so this should give you a good place to start.

3 . What balance do I require?

The distribution of weight across rackets varies greatly between different brands and models, and the balance is an important part of how a racket performs. Even slight differences in weight distribution can make a big difference to your game so it pays to do some research and find out what other people have experienced when using the racquets you are interested in before making your final decision. You can get an indication for this by looking at our reviews of rackets under different brands within our product guide but always take these suggestions with caution as they come from individual reviewers who often have very specific playing styles and may never have tried your favorite brand or model.