Best Beginner Tennis Racket | Easy Buying Guide 2024
Head TI S6 is the best beginner tennis racket, whether you are just stepping into a tennis game, or you are an adult or a female player, it serves all. The Racket comes with a bigger head size, lightweight frame, low budget, and a good size that is easily handleable for beginners.
We know beginners have a lot of concerns when they choose a tennis racket. What should be the head size, racket length, weight grip size, string material, and pattern, thinking all of this alone is overwhelming. So choose from our tested and tried best beginners tennis racket and read the key factors before buying too.
Though all of these factors matter, the deciding factors are your age, goal, skill level, and purpose in choosing a racket. I recommend Wilson Tour Slam if you are an adult and need to learn and improve your tennis game rapidly. But, don’t let yourself worry as we are here to bring top recommendations with respect to your needs, age, skill level, and goals. Also, the buyer’s guide will help you decide on your own.
Use the following factors as a rule of thumb before choosing a beginner’s racket.
Beginner rackets come with larger head sizes, usually ranging from 100 to 115 sq inches. It helps you have a larger sweet spot with more forgiveness to your shots.
Going for heavy racket weight might be difficult for a beginner. Because you need more control than power to start your game. So choose a racket with lightweight ranging from 9 to 12 oz.
When you are starting your game, you can choose any brand of trust. As all the brands make rackets for all skill levels, so choose one that matches your requirements.
Our Quick Picks
| Sr # | Brand | Best For | Age Group | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HEAD Ti.S6 Tennis Racquet | Best Budget & Best Overall | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 2 | Babolat Pure Drive 110 | Intermediate & Power | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 3 | Wilson Clash 108 | Comfort & Improvement | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 4 | Wilson Tour Slam | Best Cheap | Kids | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 5 | Head Boom Team | Control & Comfort | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 6 | Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 | Lightweight & Swinging | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 7 | Babolat Boost Drive W | High School Players | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
| 8 | HEAD Graphene XT Radical S | For Female Beginners | Adult | CHECK PRICE AMAZON |
Our Selection Process
You don’t need to spend your money and time to come up with the best racket you need. We have an experience of twenty years, of playing, coaching, testing, reviewing, and recommending tennis rackets in our personal tennis academy and online. All these rackets are personally tested and chosen for your quick selection. So go through these reviews and choose one that fits your needs.
Our List of Best Beginner Tennis Rackets 2024
1. HEAD Ti.S6 Tennis Racquet – Best Overall Beginner Racket
4.7
Specifications:
When you start playing tennis, budget is the main consideration as you are a newbie and don’t want to invest too much in the gear. This tennis racket is best for newbies under a $100 price tag. The racket feels light yet strong in your hands because of its composite material, made of titanium and graphite.
We really liked its quality, value, comfort on hands, power, and durability while playing as a newbie. The balanced weight and larger head size help you play powerful shots to control the Racket and avoid tennis elbow. I personally like its larger area 16×19 with a frame size of 115 sq inches, making it perfect for the best topspin tennis racket.
You can not only enjoy this higher-value racket but also give gifts to your kids, fellows, or anyone who is just starting to play tennis. The Racket is best for newbies, and the entry skill level players but it isn’t recommended for advanced players because of its larger size and less power.
2. Babolat Pure Drive 110 – Best Beginner Tennis Racquet For Power
4.1
Specifications:
Not all players like slow shots even when they start. A racket with power is their top choice and the Babolat Pure Drive 110 is such a powerful racket for beginners and intermediate players.
What sets this racket apart from others is its larger sweet spot, and head size of 110 sq inches. The combination of a good string pattern and a wide frame helps you play powerful shots.
Among all other rackets, this racket is a wonderful gear to start with and can go along with you as you learn the skill and become an intermediate player. The performance on the court is amazing with a light and powerful feel.
3. Wilson Clash 108 – Best Comfortable Racket For Beginners
5.0
Specifications:
Many people start tennis as a hobby, while some as a profession. If you are a serious player and want to turn your passion into a profession, choose this racket for beginners to intermediate players.
This best tennis racquet for beginner to intermediate comes with a 108 sq inches head offering a bigger sweet spot that helps beginners to learn fast. The Racket is lightweight and easy on the hands and the length of an extra 25 inches adds power to your serves and groundstrokes.
Also, you can learn how to topspin with this beginner’s racket and still improve your game until you become an intermediate player. From a budget standpoint, yes it is expensive but it’s worth buying in terms of power, comfort, and the value it offers.
4. Wilson Tour Slam – Best Cheap Racquet for Beginners
4.6
Specifications:
If you need the cheapest value-added racket for a one-time event, we recommend having Wilson Tour Slam because it’s under $50 price. If you compare its price with the value it offers, you will love its comfort, stability, power, and grip. The best part is its composite material which is easy on your hands to play powerful shots.
Let’s discuss some structural benefits it offers. The racket comes with a 110 sq inches oversized head that offers you a larger sweet spot even on your loosely played shots. Also, it has shock absorber pads at the throat that give you vibration control and provide comfort while swinging.
The racket is light on your hands, absorbs vibrations, and offers power and stability with its AirLite Alloy construction and V-Matrix technology for large sweet spots. Why do I like it? It is extremely user-friendly from the budget, features, and usage point of view. It’s a good choice for beginners’ level performance but not for advanced-skill players or professionals.
5. Head Boom Team – Best Beginners Tennis Racket for Control
4.6
Specifications:
Head Boom is a name of quality and reliance on sports gear. I wanted to test this racket and got amazing results. First of all, it is an entry-level racket that is great for athletic or physically strong players.
You get a racket that helps you improve your skill as you grow but an intermediate player needs an advanced racket so keep it only at beginners’ level.
If you want to know how it feels on your hands, let me explain my experience. I liked its 102 sq inches head size and light weight which was easy on my hands. The 10.2-ounce frame lets you swing the handle with power and control helping in playing topspin.
Overall rating is good for this racket and users like it for its larger head size, easy to handle, and 16×19 string pattern that helps you advance in your game. We Highly recommend this racket for athletic players and physically strong beginners with good hand-to-eye coordination.
6. Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 – Best Lightweight Racquet For Beginners
4.7
Specifications:
Line of Hammer racket series is for those beginners who want a balance of power and control at the same time. You can start your tennis career with this racket as it is easy on the hands, lighter feel, and acts as the best gear in your starting days.
Why do we like it and what are its structural features in your favor, here is the detail. The Racket has a head size of 110 sq inches, slightly larger with a 9 oz weight, a good racket for beginners. It comes with a tighter string pattern 18×20 giving powerful shots on the court.
When I grabbed this racket in my hand, the perforated grip felt so strong and easy to handle that certainly improved my grip and control of the racket. Also, the perforated grip is designed to help the moisture absorb resulting in great power and control.
7. Babolat Boost Drive W – Great for High School Players
5.0
Specifications:
Babolat is a name of trust and reliance in sports gear and Boost Drive W is no different in terms of budget, value, and versatility it offers. It’s the best budget racket for high school players who need to learn and improve the game within no time.
Let me discuss the structural benefits it gives. It comes with a 105 sq inches head size that helps you play volley, and doubles and is best for beginners. You get a good level of spin, swing, and power with this racket which is a perfect blend for a newbie.
Though the racket is quite light on hands with a weight of 9.6 oz, serious players may feel it fragile but I found it best for beginners to low intermediate players. Even if you are not a regular player and looking for a recreational racket, you can choose this without a second thought.
8. HEAD Graphene XT Radical S – Best Budget Racket For Female Beginners
4.7
Specifications:
As female players need a beginner’s racket that is easy on the hands, lightweight, and comes with an inexpensive price, we recommend HEAD Graphene XT Radical D. The Racket is famous for its value-packed features with low price among all female players.
The Racket is equally balanced for its lightweight, large head size and power for fast swing. Moreover, the forgiveness along the radical line makes it the most wanted gear for beginner women. If you are choosing a racket for doubles, this must be your go-to racket.
I recommend this racket to my female tennis players or anyone who is new to the game or stepping into the game after a certain period of time. This racket is easy on your arms and wrist, lightweight, and offers a larger head size for larger sweet spots. It offers you a perfect balance of price, value, and versatility.
How To Choose The Best Tennis Racquets For Beginners
If you are a beginner looking for a tennis racket, remember there’s no perfect racket that suits everyone’s needs and requirements. You need to know your goals and objectives because in the start your primary focus is the control over your racket. So a powerful racket comes with less control and vice versa.
Key Factors to Determine the Right Racquet for A Beginner
Weight and head size are the major factors that determine a racket’s performance for a beginner. Before deciding on a racket ask yourself.
- Age: What is your age or are you going to buy a racket for a beginner, kid, or an adult? Even if you are a female player, our recommendations are different for men.
- Power or Control: Do you need more power or looking for a racket with batter control? Power rackets are those with larger head sizes and control rackets are smaller in overall size.
- Skill Level: If you are a beginner, larger head-size rackets should be your priority. However athletic players may have small rackets as their hand and eye coordination is great and can handle small rackets.
Asking these questions to yourself can help you choose a beginner’s racket for yourself. My advice is to know the difference between beginner vs Advanced rackets so that you can have a better idea of your own choice.
Difference Between Beginner vs Advanced Tennis Racket
- Head Size – Beginner rackets have larger head sizes to help you have larger sweet spots and forgiveness. On the other hand, advanced rackets are compact and smaller in size.
- Weight – It might seem obvious to you and it is true that beginners need a lightweight racket as it gives them more power but less control. Advanced players need more control, so they use heavy rackets.
- Budget – Another obvious factor is the budget. When you are starting tennis as a beginner, choose a Budget-friendly racket and keep on changing your racket as you improve your skill. After you become an advanced player, you can choose an expensive and high-end racket.
- String Material – There isn’t any need to invest in expensive string materials as beginner rackets come with synthetic string material that works great for newbies. Most rackets come pre-strung, but if one does not, ask your seller to string it as per manufacturer recommendations.
- Grip Size – The grip is the bottom of your racket that you hold in your hand. Most of the Racket come with varying grip sizes ranging from 4 to 5 with fractions like 4 ½, 4 ¾, or 4 ⅝. Beginners can choose a grip size according to the size of their hand or consult the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Racket Length – All the best junior tennis rackets come with a racket length of up to 21 inches. After that start the racket up to 27 inches in length for adults. It might go up to 28 inches but a fit, healthy adult is fine with 27 inches length of handle.
Role of Racket Parts in Tennis Performance For A Beginner
As a newbie, you must know what are the parts of a tennis racket and what role they play in your performance.
- Head Size – The main part of a racket is its head, the oval-shaped upper portion of the racket that holds the string. It is used to play shots. Choosing a racket with a larger head size is advised for beginners.
- Handle – The bottom part of a racket that players hold to play a shot is called the Handle.
- Grip – Another extra material that attaches to the handle is known as a grip. It provides grip to your hand making you capable of holding the racket.
- Throat – The throat is a triangular joint that connects the head with the handle.
- Frame – It makes the head and throat. The overall wise portion is the frame of the racket. Remember it doesn’t include the handle.
- String – The wires in the head of the racket are called strings. They come into direct contact with the ball. You can see all of the parts in the following diagram.
How To Choose Racket Haed Size For Beginners
Choosing the right racket strongly depends upon the skill level and hand-to-eye coordination of the player. Usually, beginners need a larger head size over 100 sq inches. A larger head size is also good at giving power. So beginners can control the racket, play the shots, and can experience more power.
Most beginners have poor hand-to-eye coordination and they don’t hit the ball from the center of the racket. So an oversized head offers more forgiveness and a larger sweet spot to beginner players. This removes the precision requirement of your contact area of the ball and you can still play your shots without missing out.
The tennis rackets for power also have larger frames, helping beginners learn and improve their skills. On the contrary, advanced players have more control over their shots. They can play well in the same spot and precisely hit the ball. So they can play with a small head-size racket, with less forgiveness and a smaller sweet spot.
Beginners Rackets For Serniors: Large Head Size Rackets Offering More Power, Forgiveness, And Larger Sweet Spot
Remember a thumb rule, larger head size, good power forgiveness, and sweet spot. Whether you are in your 60s or 70s, we recommend a racket with a head size of more than 110 sq inches and the lightest weight. You can choose our top recommendation as the best senior tennis racket for beginners because of its 115 sq inches head size and 9 oz weight.
- Best Beginner Racket for Seniors: HEAD Ti.S6 Tennis Racquet
Beginners Racket for Athletes: Small Head Size Rackets Offer More Control and Maneuverability
But if you are physically fit, an athletic person, or already into sports, you don’t need to go for the larger head-size racket. Choose a small head size that will ultimately offer you more control and you can plug and play with it to get a balance or power, spin, and control.
- Best Beginner Tennis Racket for Athelets: HEAD Graphene XT Radical S Tennis Racket
How To Choose the Right Racket Weight For Beginners
Naturally, a beginner needs a lighter racket that is easier on his hand, does not feel heavy, and helps in swinging better. While a heavy racket may add weight and slow the speed of a newbie player. A beginner does not need power as he wants to control the racket first. So lighter rackets provide more control that helps a player easily play.
On the other hand, heavy rackets add weight to the racket resulting in power. They absorb more energy and help advanced players play faster shots with more accuracy and control.
Key Note: Beginners should have as light rackets as possible, around 10-11 oz.
Lighter Rackets Are Recommended for Seniors or Physically Inactive Players As beginners
Lightweight rackets are recommended for seniors or adult players who are not physically active and just starting the game. Having a racket weighing between 9 oz to 10.5 will help you generate more control and power without being heavy on your arm and wrist.
- Best Lightweight Racket For Beginners: Wilson Hyper Hammer
Heavier Rackets Are Best For Young, Physically Strong, Athletic Beginners
For younger, stronger, and physically fit beginner players or athletic individuals, we recommend a heavier racket as it helps you practice the power more precisely. You can control a heavy racket, it does not feel tiring on your hands enabling you to play shots faster and with power.
- Best beginner racket for stability for Young Adults: Wilson Clash 108
How To Choose The Right Grip Size For Beginner Tennis Players
Normally available grip sizes usually range from 4’ to 5 ‘. In some other places other than the US, you might have grip sizes from 0 to 5. But you can see the comparison chart that what 0 grip size means.
In this selection process, we will consider the regular grip size that starts from 4 inches.
The tennis rackets come in grip sizes ranging from 4 inches to 5 inches as shown in the table.
These all are grip sizes depending upon the size of your hand.
Choose a bigger grip for big hands or a smaller near to 4 or 4 ¼ if your hands are small.
Once you choose a grip size, you can see what size suits you the best for future reference.
If you mistakenly choose a small grip size, you can use overgrips next to your grip as shown in the picture.
- 4 ¼ (2) grip size is usually for women and 4 ⅜ (3)
- grip size is for men with the exceptions of the hit and trail method.
- Players with topspin should go for smaller grip sizes.
- Use overgrips if you have chosen a small grip size, and use your current grip as a reference next time you buy a grip.
How To Choose The String Type And Tension For Beginner Players
When you start playing tennis as a beginner, getting too techy might not help you. Instead, we recommend you use synthetic gut string type with a string tension around 55 to 60 lbs.
Choose inexpensive string materials when you are just starting out as expensive string materials are of no use. Once you improve your skill, you can upgrade your racket and the string type accordingly.
- Go for Synthetic Gut Material (10-pound range or 55 to 60 pounds)
- Choose a string tension around 55 to 60 lbs.
- Keep the tension loose to avoid tennis elbow injuries.
Remember a loosely strung racket helps you have more swing and control, while a tightly strung racket gives you power with less sweet spot.
How To Choose The Price Of A Tennis Racket For Beginners
Choose a racket with the minimum budget at the start of your tennis career. It will help you have plug-and-play until you settle on a racket that suits you. Sending too much in the early stages may make you tight on your budget taking away the spirit of playing the game. This is how we have created a list of these rackets according to the budget.
- Wilson Tour Slam is the best cheap racket for beginners.
- Head Ti S6 is our top recommendation and it is also listed as the best racket under $100.
- Wilson Hyper Hammer falls under the category of best tennis racket under $100-$150.
- Babolat Pure Drive 100 and Wilson Clash 108 are our recommendations if you and the best high-quality rackets for beginners.
As an approximation choose a racket:
- With a $150 budget if you are a serious player.
- Under $100 if you are just a beginner or playing occasionally.
How to Transition From Beginners to Intermediate Tennis Racket
After learning tennis and using a beginner racket, a point comes where you need to transition from beginner to intermediate rackets. You must look for a tennis racket that should offer you more power and control, is heavy in weight, and small head size. As you improve in your games, the transition to intermediate rackets becomes easier and more obvious.
Conclusion:
After reading our list of best beginner tennis rackets, buying guide, and the important factors you must have come to a decision point. But our overall top recommendation is the Head Ti S6 Tennis Racquet which offers you a blend of balance, control, power, large head size, lighter weight, and budget-friendliness.
I know with so many options and factors to consider, one still feels confused a the point of selection. Here is a quick recommendation list that may make your selection process easy.
- Best Tennis Rackets For Beginner Adults
If you are a beginner adult, choose a racket with a large head size of 100 sq inches or above and weight under 11 oz giving you more sweet spot and forgiveness.
- Best Low-Cost Racket For Beginner Adults: Head Ti S6
- Best High End Racket For Beginner Adults: Wilson Clash 108
- Best Tennis Racket For Female Beginners
Naturally female players are good at control and need power with their rackets. Choosing a racket with less weight under 10 oz and a large head size near or above 105 sq inches helps them have a powerful archer. Look at the following rackets for a quick selection.
- Overall Best Tennis Racket For Female Beginners: Babolat Pure Drive 100
- Best Budget Tennis Racket For Female Beginners: Head Ti S6
- Best Tennis Racquet For Beginner to Intermediate Players
If you are a serious tennis player and need a racket that helps you improve your game, you need a racket which is bulky and still offers large sweet spot. Our recommendation is to choose between 100-105 square inches.
- Best Tennis Racket for beginner to intermediate player: Head Boom Team
FAQS:
How do I choose tennis racquet for a beginner?
Choose a tenis racquet with an oversized head usually ranging from 100 sq inches to 110 sq inches or above and light weight frame.
Does string material matter for a beginner racket?
No, it does not really matter. Go with a string that originally cones with a beginner racket and it will be sufficient for you.
What should be the weight of a tennis racket for a beginner?
For the weight of a beginner racket, only one rule exists, the lighter, the better.
