The New Year is here and every year in January we see an uptick in new customers wanting to start playing tennis. For some, taking up tennis is part of their new year’s resolution and for others, it is a step to learning a new sport that can be played for a lifetime. The most common asked question from those beginners who walk in every January is “which racquet would be best for me?”
So I asked some of my staff at FST for their thoughts and comments in regard to a beginning tennis player selecting a new tennis racquet:
Cody Ruch – Racquet Tech says: “Selecting a new tennis racquet depends on the age, size, and level of athleticism of my customer. This is so important when trying to assess which racquet would be the best fit for the beginning player. If I am working with an adult, I try to pair them with a racquet that offers equal amounts of power and control that weighs between 270 and 300 grams depending on their physical size and strength. Each racquet brand we carry offer selection of tennis racquets that meet these requirements. Once i’ve dialed in on the racquet that feels good to my customer by just swinging it in the store, I move our discussion to the various technologies the different manufacturers offer like dampening systems, string patterns and head sizes. I try to narrow the choices to two or three then send them home with demos to try then await their feedback after they have taken them to the court and play tested them”
Gloria Mallory – Sales Associate recommends: “For adult beginners my choices are those frames that give easy access to great power and balanced control. Weight should be between 9 and 10.2oz for most adults. The Wilson Ultra 108, Wilson Triad 5 and Wilson Burn Team 100 racquets offer great versatility and easy adaptability for beginners. “
Jon Hershberger – Racquet Tech shares an important insight: “A very important item that tends to be overlooked by most beginning players buying their first performance racquet is selecting a string for their new stick. When I am helping my customer with their purchase I always spend a great deal of time educating them about strings and the critical role they play in the performance of their new racquet. I always recommend a softer, less stiff string to enhance comfort and performance. A multifilament or a synthetic gut string is always best for the beginning player to ensure maximum comfort. These type of strings will prevent any arm injury and will lessen the effort to get the ball over the net.”
At First Serve Tennis we pride ourselves in helping our customers make the best choices in selecting their gear. We look forward to helping you with all your tennis needs!
Until next time, keep swinging!
-Rich