While head sizes are going up to increase forgiveness, the racquet weights are going down to increase maneuverability. Gone are the days when most racquets were heavy and had a small head size. It’s science, really. A larger frame allows more stability and a smaller frame needs more weight to offer decent stability and power.
The less weight, the more weight you need in the head for the racquet to play somewhat stable. The more weight, the more weight you need in the handle for the racquet to be somewhat maneuverable. That is called racquet balance. What is more important than weight is something called swing weight. The swing weight reflects how heavy the racquet is to swing, which is really a key factor of a tennis racquet. Yet, it is rarely mentioned in tennis racquet advertising. I think this is something that needs to change.
Critical data when selecting a racquet
You need to understand a few different weights when it comes to tennis racquets:
Unstrung static weight: What the racquet weighs without strings. Strings usually add 15-20 grams depending on the weight/thickness of the string. The average weight these days is about 300 grams unstrung.
Strung static weight: The weight with strings. The most common strung weight is around 320 grams.
It’s sometimes difficult to categorize racquet weight per category of player, but there are some general guidelines.
Racquet weight per player level
This is very approximate and based on personal preferences and playing style, but I think many players use racquets that are too heavy. Before someone comments, “But we used wooden 380g racquets in the 80s?” Tennis is different these days and the modern game is faster and requires more assistance from the racquet. Thanks to modern techniques and polyester strings, it’s possible for even intermediate players to achieve good velocity and spin from their strokes.
Beginners: 260-280 grams unstrung
Intermediate: 285-305 grams unstrung
Advanced: 300-320 grams unstrung
This is not so scientific, but what I’ve seen from experience. I think the swing weight is more important and related to level than the racquet weight. You can use the Tennis Warehouse Racquetfinder to sort racquets based on weight.
