Control racquets

Players looking for control racquets feel like they don’t need any help with power and wants to feel confident that the ball goes where they hit it.

Control racquets can work for aggressive players that like to attack the ball, but equally well for defensive players that want to be precise with their passing shots. More defensive, all-court players like Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev are great at using the margins to move their opponents around and force them to make drastic decisions.

This type of player waits patiently for the opponent to either make a mistake or a move, meaning attack the ball. They are usually fast to defend and come up with a clever shot, whether it’s a lob, a passing shot, a compelling defensive slice, or something like that.

Depending on their level, they might want an increase in power (slightly weaker players) and control (slightly stronger players).

This player category usually prefers a versatile control frame, nothing that provides excessive power and spin.

What makes a control racquet different from a precision racquet? Precision racquets are more suitable for attacking players than control racquets. They are usually firmer and require players to attack the ball with every swing. I would say precision racquets are more difficult to use than modern control racquets.

I have separated control racquets in “easier to use” and “for advanced players”.

If you want to purchase any of these racquets, we would appreciate if you consider our affiliates Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe and Tennis Only.

Specifications of a modern control racquet

Head sizes: 98-100 sq in
String pattern: Slightly denser than spin players
Stiffness: Low to medium for more control (60-63 RA strung)

Here are a few recommended racquets.

Easier to use

Many of the brands offering more control-oriented 100 sq inch racquets, allowing you to get a bit more forgiveness while maintaining confidence on your shots.

HEAD Gravity Tour

The tear-drop shape head of the Gravity offers a generous sweet spot, but the 18×20 string pattern also allows for some nice control. Check out our HEAD Gravity Auxetic Review.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – HEAD Velocity 1.30 or natural gut @55 lbs (25 kg) mains, HEAD Hawk Touch 1.25 @52 lbs (23.5 kg) crosses
Control – HEAD Hawk 1.25 @51 lbs (23 kg)
Spin – HEAD Lynx Tour 1.25 @48 lbs (21.5 kg)

Prince ATS Tour 100P

Another 100 sq inch racquet with decent forgiveness and an 18×20 string pattern for control. You can check out our Prince ATS Tour 100P Racquet Review.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Prince Premier Control 1.30 @55 lbs (25 kg) mains, Prince Tour XP 1.25 @52 lbs (22.5 kg) crosses
Control – Prince Problend or Prince Diablo Prism @51 lbs (23 kg)
Spin – Prince Vortex 1.25 @50 lbs (22.5 kg)

Yonex Percept 100

The 100 sq inch Percept is the most user-friendly of this racquet line and also allows for some good spin potental. You can check out our Yonex Percept 100 Review here.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Yonex Rexis Speed or gut 1.30 mains @54 lbs (24.5 kg) / Yonex Poly Tour Strike 1.25 crosses @50 lbs (22.5 kg)
Control – Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25 @51 lbs (23 kg)
Spin – Yonex Poly Tour Rev 1.25 @47 lbs (21 kg)

Wilson Blade 100

A similarly thin beam to the Blade 98 but with a larger head size for a slight increase in power. This racquet plays stiffer than the racquets above. You can watch our Wilson Blade 100 Review here.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Wilson NXT or gut 1.30 mains @55 lbs (25 kg) / Luxilon Alu Power 1.25 crosses @51 lbs / (23 kg)
Control – Luxilon Alu Power 1.25 @52 lbs
Spin – Solinco Tour Bite 1.25 @48 lbs

Dunlop CX 400 Tour

An often overlooked racquet that offers brilliant feel and playability. A new Dunlop CX 2024 line is coming out soon. Check out my review here.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Dunlop Iconic Speed 1.30 (or natural gut) @55 lbs (25 kg) mains, Dunlop Explosive Tour 1.25 @52 lbs (23.5 kg) crosses
Control – Dunlop Explosive Speed @50 lbs (22.5 kg)
Spin – Dunlop Explosive Bite 1.25 @48 lbs (21.5 kg)

Strings:

If you’re an intermediate player, you’re probably keen on playing polyesters or hybrids. Here are some good strings and setups.

Softer polyesters (for players who want more power/spin and might be concerned with stiffness)

Solinco Hyper-G Soft 1.25 – Classic that works well in more control-oriented racquets (gets too lively in power frames). Tour Bite Soft is also a good choice, with a slightly higher stiffness.

Wilson Revolve Spin 1.25 or 1.30 (for more durability) – This string offers a nice and soft feel, but drops tension a bit too fast in more open string beds.

Volkl Cyclone Tour 1.25 – A solid and comfortable choice for control-oriented racquets.

HEAD Lynx Touch 1.25 – Extreme plush string that can be a bit too mushy for open string beds.

Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.20 yellow – Slightly stiffer than some of the ones above, but still a generally soft polyester with great performance.

Babolat RPM Power 1.25 – A softer polyester that still offers good control and spin potential. Used by Thiem for a while.

Luxilon Element 1.25 – Element is pretty comfortable, but I like it best it in a hybrid together with Alu Power 1.25 for a bit more spin and control.

You can hybrid any of these strings with a quality multifilament or gut string like:

Tecnifibre X-One Bi-Phase 1.30
Wilson NXT 1.30
Babolat XCEL 1.30
Natural gut (any brand really)
Yonex Rexis Speed

For more power, put the multi or gut in the mains, for more control, put the polyester string in the mains.

For advanced players

These racquets come in smaller head sizes and a higher weight, which requires more from the players.

Wilson Blade 98 V8

This is a legendary racquet for players looking for control. Go for the 18×20 if you’re a more advanced player (has a higher swing weight), but most players would like the extra help and spin potential from the 16×19 version. Check out my review of the Blade V8 here.

String recommendations:

Tecnifibre TF40 305g

A great racquet that provides a bit more power than the Blade, but plays similarly. The TF40 has a slightly livelier string bed, especially for the 16×19. Watch or read my review here.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Tecnifibre X-One-Bi-Phase 1.30 @56 lbs (25.5 kg) mains, Tecnifibre Black Code 1.24 @52 lbs (23.5 kg) crosses
Control – Tecnifibre Black Code 1.25 @51 lbs (darker colors are stiffer, lighter colors livelier)
Spin – Tecnifibre Razor Code 1.25 @48 lbs (21.5 kg)

Babolat Pure Strike VS

This frame is slightly heavier at 310g but is the plushest and most comfortable Babolat racquet on the market. I found this one to be more demanding than the Blade or the TF40 for example. Check out my review here.

String recommendations:

Power&feel – Babolat Xcel 1.30 @55 lbs (25 kg) mains, Babolat RPM Power 1.25 @52 lbs (22.5 kg) crosses
Control – Babolat RPM Blast 1.25 @51 lbs (23 kg)
Spin – Babolat RPM Blast Rough 1.25 @49 lbs (22 kg)

HEAD Radical MP or Pro

The MP is lighter, easier to swing and offering a tad more power/spin, while the Radical Pro is for advanced players who can deal with a higher swing weight and generate power. Stiffer feel overall than old Radicals and than both the TF40 and Blade. Watch or read my review.

String recommendations:

Yonex Percept 97D

At 320g unstrung, this one requires a stronger player, but performs with great feel and control. If you like heavier frames, this should be high on your demo list. Here is our Percept 97 Review.

String recommendations:

Dunlop CX 200

A control racquet offering great feel and having many things in common with the Blade 98. Comfortable, but not the same power level as the TF40 for example. Review.

String recommendations:

Prince ATS Tour 98

A truly versatile racquet that delivers a good balance of power and spin. More in line with the Tecnifibre TF40. My review.

String recommendations:

My personal favorites

For the easier to use category, the Dunlop CX 400 Tour is the one I had the most fun with and that I think delivered some good power while remaining relatively comfortable. However, it isn’t easy to find. Tennis Warehouse stocks a limited edition one as well as a standard, while other online retailers seem not to carry this model.

As a number two in this category, I would pick the Gravity Tour or Wilson Blade 100 V8.

For the advanced category, the Blade 98 V8 is the safest bet for most players. There is a reason you see it everywhere. But as usual, it comes down to a matter of personal taste. Overall, all the racquets above are of high quality, and it’s a matter of taste which model you go for. If you can demo the racquets before you buy, that is always the way to go.