Tennis rackets
With the right tennis racket, you hit every ball. Want to buy a new tennis racket? Then read here what to pay attention to when you buy one.
Framelength for adults
Adult tennis rackets have a standard length of between 68.5 and 69 cm. This is also called the frame length. A racket that is larger than 69 cm is called a longbody. These have a length up to 73 cm. This gives you a larger range and you can serve harder, but you are less manoeuvrable.
Framelength for children
With children's tennis rackets, the frame length is different. With the following steps you will know if you have chosen a racket with the right length:
- Leave your child standing upright.
- He/she grabs the tennis racket with the forehand grip.
- The arm should hang down relaxed.
- When the tennis racket touches the knuckle of the ankle, you have the right frame length.
Or use the following size chart:
Age | Length | Racketlength |
4 - 5 year | 90 - 100 cm | 46 cm |
5 - 6 year | 100 - 110 cm | 49 cm |
6 - 7 year | 110 - 120 cm | 53 cm |
7 - 9 year | 120 - 130 cm | 58 cm |
9 - 12 year | 130 - 140 cm | 63 cm |
12 - 13 year | 140 - 150 cm | 66 cm |
< 14 year | < 150 cm | 68 cm |
Grip size
The grip size indicates the thickness of the handle of the tennis racket. In Europe we keep grip size 0 to 5. In the USA they use grip size 4 inch to 4 5/8 inch. To determine the correct grip size you need to measure the length from the top of your ring finger to the second hand line. This length then corresponds to an ideal grip size.
Circumference | 100-102 mm | 103-105 mm | 106-108 mm | 109-111 mm | 112-114 mm | 115-117 mm |
EU-size | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
USA-size | 4 | 4 1/8 | 4 2/8 of 4 1/4 | 4 3/8 | 4 4/8 of 41/2 | 4 5/8 |
Sheet size
The surface of the string bed is also called the leaf size. With a larger string bed it is easier to hit the ball on the sweetspot. The sweetspot is the ideal point on the racket to hit the ball. A larger blade also gives you more power and clout, but a smaller blade gives you more ball control.
The weight
The weight of the tennis racket affects batting power, power and ball control. A heavy tennis racket gives you more ball control, while a light racket gives you more clout and power.
< 220 grams: extremelu light
220 – 239 grams: very light
240 – 259 grams: light
260 – 279 grams: quite light
280 – 299 grams: standard weight
300 – 319 grams: heavy
> 300 grams: very heavy
Balance sheet point
The balance point can be in three places: above, in the middle or near the handle. This is also called top weight, equally balanced and handle weight. When the balance point is at the top of the racket you have more clout and power. When the balance point is near the handle, you have more ball control. An even balanced tennis racket is the most all-round type of racket.