Following up on the very popular article “The Best Tennis Racket for Intermediate Players” here is my most recent take on the subject of so called “tweener rackets”. I hope to be able to shed some light on good options for people who have stepped up from beginner level rackets and want to take the next step and find the best tennis racket for improving their game.
Racket technology is taking great strides and there are loads of very good tennis rackets coming out these days. That’s why it’s important to really do your research and preferably test the racket you’re interested in before buying. I’ve bought rackets on a whim, but only after reading reviews and really making sure that the specifications of that particular racket suits my game.
There are some basics you should know about tennis rackets before you look into buying one.
Head size is measured in square inches and the bigger the head, the more power you get. One great choice if you’re looking for a very powerful racket with a forgiving head (allows you to hit the ball off-center and still get a decent shot) is the bestseller Head Liquid Metal 8. It has a massive head-size in 112 square inches (over a 100 sq inches it’s called an oversized head) and uses a damping system called No Shox which reduces racket vibrations by 27%. This is definitely a great option for you who’s looking for power and doesn’t always strike the ball in the middle of the racket.
If you’re into big head sizes there’s another interesting option on the market, the Head Graphene Speed PVR, with the giant headsize of 115 sq. inches. I haven’t tested this myself, but the new Head Graphene series seems to be an excellent choice for players looking for power and manoeuvrability. Besides, the cosmetics are a great and you’ll feel like Novak Djokovic swinging that nice black and white stick. Read more about the Graphene technology on Head’s official website.
If you for example prefer Wilson racquets from Head racquets (different grip shape and feel) I’d definitely check out the new Steam series from Wilson.
These racquets are really good to produce plenty of spin so soon you’ll be hooking top-spin shots into the corners like Rafa Nadal. There are different sizes and specifications of the Wilson Steam Series to choose from, 96, 99, 99S, 100 and 105. For players looking for power, the bigger headsize the more you get, for players who are a bit more advanced and better with controlling the ball, I think 99 could be a good compromise.
Talking about Nadal, there are always good things to be said about the Babolat Aeropro series. You should try these rackets. They’re not everybody’s favorite, but you might find your lifelong racket companion in them, because they’re very good in general.
I will keep updating this post, so come back soon.
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