This article will look at the 5 Most Common Mistakes recreational players make when Buying a Tennis Racket so you can hopefully avoid making those same mistakes yourself.
5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying a Tennis Racket
1. Buying a Racket Endorsed by Your Favourite Player
This is the number one mistake I see recreational players make as they want to emulate their favorite pro so they go out and buy whatever frame that player is endorsing without considering whether it is a good fit for their game or not.
The frames endorsed by the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic are way too heavy for most beginner players to use effectively and are best avoided until you are at the intermediate to advanced level.
The weight of these rackets can also lead to arm and shoulder issues e.g. lateral epicondylitis.
This is especially true of the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph (endorsed by Roger Federer) as it weighs around 356g strung, which is far too heavy for beginners to intermediate players to play with.
If you are just starting out then I would recommend that you go for a frame that will help you generate some free power and is more forgiving on off-center shots e.g. Wilson Clash 100L.
Tip: In terms of weight, I would recommend that beginners stick to frames that weigh less than 300g strung.
2. Buying a racket with the wrong grip size for your hand
The wrong grip size is another common mistake I see recreational players make.
However, it is an understandable mistake for beginners to make as it probably wasn’t the first thing I thought about when buying my first racket.
However, if you buy a racket with a grip that is too big or too small for your hand then this can lead to issues like lateral epicondylitis, so it is important that you pick a racket with a grip that suits you.
You can find out more on how to measure the grip size by checking out this Grip Sizes Guide.
Tip: If you find that you are in between two grip sizes, then it is better to go for the smaller grip size as it is much easier to increase the grip size using an overgrip than it is to decrease the grip size.
3. Not Considering Your String Setup
If you ask most recreational players what their string setup is, they will look at you with a blank look on their faces as they have no idea what kind of strings they have because they just went along with whatever the guy in their local tennis pro shop suggested, but having the correct string setup can make a big difference.
I have often played with a racket with one set of strings and absolutely loved playing with it, and other times I have played with the exact same frame but with a different string setup and have found the frame nearly unplayable so it is important that you have a string setup that you are comfortable with.
There is a mountain of stringing options out there so you will have to do some research to find out what strings suit your game best.
Tip: You can check out my article on the Best Wilson Strings and our guide on Restringing Rackets to get a better idea of what strings to go for.
4. Not Getting a Demo
As rackets can be a substantial purchase that can cost you well over $200, I am surprised by how often people do not take advantage of demo programs run by the likes of Tennis Warehouse and Tennis Express.
It is quite easy to be taken in by the hype around a new racket technology so demoing a racket can help you decide whether changing rackets is worth the money.
I know there is the extra hassle with returning the demo rackets but I definitely think it will save you money in the long wrong as you will avoid purchasing rackets that are completely wrong for your game.
5. Buying Based on Price
Tennis is an expensive sport so I can understand why some recreational players might opt for a cheaper racket but often cheaper rackets or used rackets will have poor control and come with a poor string setup that can lead to arm/elbow issues down the road.