Choosing the Right Racquet For Your Child
When it comes to tennis, at least part of your child's performance is based on racquet choice.
The racquet is the tool of the trade and by tailoring it to your child's individual needs, you should see a huge increase in performance.
While many of the standard tips for choosing the right racquet apply to both juniors and seniors, there are some particular considerations to be made when selecting a junior racquet. To begin with, only browse for racquets specifically designed for children. While it may seem like a good idea to emulate a famous and successful tennis professional in their choice of racquet, this isn't actually going to improve a child's performance. A child should have a specific racquet, made with children in mind, to achieve the optimum level of performance.
Junior racquets differ from adult racquets in a variety of ways. When selecting your child's first racquet, try and look for one that is over the standard 28”. A longer racquet is ideal for development, as it provides more reach power and makes learning and performing spins easier. As your child progresses, you can move them on to more standard racquet lengths to increase power and performance – but always start at the basic level.
There is then the issue of weight. Basically, for beginners, the lighter the better. Although lightweight racquets may not produce the best shot performance, they will help conserve strength while your child learns the game. A standard adult weight of racquet is 310g, so try for something around the 280g mark to begin with. Unless your child is very small, never dip below the 270g mark as these racquets can be unstable and practically useless. When it comes to weight, the same applies as to length – begin with a large margin for error, with long and light racquets, and build up to adult sizes as your child's playing prowess grows.
Unfortunately, you may find that you are constantly needing to buy new racquets for your child. This is expensive, but necessary. As your child grows and develops, their game will change. They will find their specialist areas, their style of playing, and a racquet will be needed to cater to this.
On choosing more advanced racquets, the same basic rules apply to both junior and senior selections.
Watch your child play and assess their style, then fit a racquet around that. You should always consider the following elements when selecting a racquet: weight, balance, thickness, length and the size and shape of the racquet head.
You can also use racquet selection to help improve performance. If your child is a hard-hitting, strong player, a shorter and heavier racquet will serve their needs best. You can maximise this by also having a head measurement of between 100-105 square inches. The heavier the racquet and the smaller head size means more power and control, so gradually introduce this to your child.
It must be remembered that everyone is different. When you find the right racquet, your child will know and their game will improve. Don't change racquets just for the sake of it. As the old saying goes; if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
