Do you know how diversified tennis equipment is?
You can be a strong boy, a tiny woman, a 7ft tall professional, or a senior with restricted mobility. And you will always find a perfectly matching racket.
The tennis industry has developed so much in 21 century that it’s probably the best time to learn and enjoy playing.
The rackets became more ‘friendly.’ It’s way easier now to control them, hit the ball, use various spins, and progress in general.
Let’s take a junior racket as an example. It’s lighter and smaller than an adult version.
It allows youths to use their full potential without a struggle. They can swing faster and move such a racket much easier than a regular one.
Using junior rackets by adults isn’t advised despite the fact it would be effortless. The proportion between muscular strength and a junior racket size is too large. The adult-produced power is not enough to control the strokes. A small frame would also transfer more vibrations into the arm.
That is why the manufacturers release tennis rackets for children, adolescents and adults. All of them were considered and adjusted to specific human abilities at different ages.
What Are The Main Differences Between Junior And Adult Tennis Rackets?
This is an interesting topic.
The adult tennis racket is longer and heavier for a simple reason. An adult is taller and stronger.
In particular, when we categorize junior tennis rackets, we speak about the length. Each length is assigned to a different age group to meet their abilities.
Meanwhile, adult rackets have two fundamental parameters to consider: the racket head and the grip size.
A bigger racket head helps beginners gain hitting skills faster. A smaller head provides more precision to professional players.
Also, the grip, unlike in children, is available here in several sizes for comfortable play.
The most common material that is used in rackets now is graphite. And I don’t speak only about professional rackets, but also about their junior equivalents and advanced kid’s rackets.
Those budget-oriented or recreational frames can also be made from aluminum or a composite of aluminum and graphite.
But graphite provides the most advanced technology, so if you plan to stick to tennis for longer, you will choose this option soon.
This will make your learning process more efficient and lower odds of injury.
Why Are Junior Tennis Rackets Worse For Adults?
Junior tennis rackets are far from being useful for adults. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be created and named for juniors.
There are two factors for junior tennis rackets being worse for adults.
The power.
With a longer lever, you can impart more force to the tennis ball. This is extremely important in professional tennis, where ball speed determines your achievements. I don’t think you can serve slower 170-180km/h and still be successful in men’s tennis.
So, you want to use this advantage and play with the longest racket possible. Although the rules limit the length of the racket to 29 inches, most of them are 27 inches long and fully satisfying for everyone.
The reach.
The regular length or adult racket allows you to reach more balls and cover nearly the entire tennis court. For sure, you wouldn’t have this luxury with a junior racket in hand.
It’s a huge advantage in offensive and defensive positions. You can contact the ball at a higher level on the serve or smash. Or approach the net for easy volleys.
Same in defense, watch Rafael Nadal running and sliding along baseline and you’ll understand how important an optimal reach is.
How To Choose The Right Junior Tennis Racket Size
When choosing a tennis racket, you must know who exactly is going to use it. There are entirely different equipment criteria and needs for juniors and adults.
To select a proper racket for a child you must consider the age and the height. Following standard recommendations will help you make the right choice. See the table below to find out more.
| Age | Height | Racket Size |
|---|---|---|
| 4> years | Under 39″ | 19 inches |
| 4-5 years | 40-44 inches | 21 inches |
| 6-8 years | 45-49 inches | 23 inches |
| 9-10 years | 50-55 inches | 25 inches |
| 10< years | 55 inches or taller | 26 inches |
Remember that one size doesn’t fit all. For example, if your son or daughter is taller than the average peer, you will have to choose a bigger racket based on height rather than age.
The racket size has to be adjusted to the kid’s current body size and strength. Don’t buy a bigger one just because they will grow up. That’s not the point.
How to select a proper racket length for children?
Place the racket aside your child with the head resting on the ground. Then ask to reach the handle, if they can’t or are forced to bend the arm, the length isn’t right.
How To Select The Correct Tennis Racket Size For Adults?
When picking a racket for beginner adults things look a bit different. Our focus should be on the head size, weight and grip.
| Adult Beginners | Head Size | Weight | Grip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | >100sq inches | 275-300g | 3-4 |
| Women | >105sq inches | 265-285g | 2-3 |
Generally, a larger head size suits novice players better because they will miss fewer balls. You should consider a minimum of 100sq inches, probably even 105sq inches at the beginning, to make the first tennis steps a piece of cake.
Then the racket weight was one of the reasons why junior rackets were invented.
I have learned tennis with a regular racket, and I still remember how much I suffered to hold it.
Lighter rackets are easy to swing and maneuver.
Yet better if their balance is shifted towards the handle. The racket head feels like a feather.
Speaking of how heavy the racket should be, you want it around 275g for women and up to 300g for men. For more experienced and visibly stronger players, these numbers will rise.
Last but not least is grip. While children have identical grip sizes, here in adults, the range goes from 0 to 6.
To determine your own, grab the racket with a forehand grip and place an index finger of the other hand between fingertips and a thumb. If there is too little or too much room, the grip is incorrect.
The most universal grip size is 2-3 for ladies and 3-4 for gentlemen.
Sometimes, you realize after hours of hitting that your grip is too small. Don’t worry. Use as many extra overgrips (Amazon) as you need to enlarge it.
Unluckily, you can’t hack your racket any way if the grip is too big.
Final Words
Everyone who plays tennis has an individual preference. This relates to brands, frame shapes, design, or even grip construction.
Despite it all, there is one common factor. The correspondence.
The racket I use corresponds to my size.
So, children use junior rackets, and adults hit with regular rackets.
It wasn’t that easy in the past, but the current generation has this privilege to learn, play, and enjoy tennis the right way.
Just make sure you take some reasonable time to select one and only racket for you.
Is your current racket matching your profile?
Have you ever played with a junior racket and noticed the difference?