Playing tennis in Australia is made relatively simple by the number of excellent clubs available such as Tennis World North Sydney. Most players have their own equipment such as rackets, sports shoes etc. however if you are a tourist or just trying out different rackets in order to choose one to buy, you probably need to rent one.
That is where good tennis clubs can help the visitor or member as they offer racket hire.
Choosing a Tennis Racket
With tennis rackets coming in an array of weights, sizes, styles and prices it has hardly surprising that many players get confused on which racket is the best for them. A great deal depends on your physical build and type of play you get involved in.
Beginners Rackets
Depending on your gender and age the ideal type and weight of rackets for beginners will differ. Woman and older players should look at the lighter end of the scale between 150 / 180 grams, while adult men should look to play with a heavier racket of around 170 / 200 grams.
Leaving the weight issue for a moment, all beginners should seek rackets with fairly large head sizes with a big sweet spot, this provides a greater margin for error.
How Much Should You Pay?
How much should a racket cost is bit like asking what should you pay for a pair of shoes. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the weight and balance of the racket and the price should be secondary. A really expensive racket does not necessarily mean it is good for you.
A good idea is to rent or start with a relatively cheap racket and see if you like it. Different composite makes by various manufacturers range in cost, take advice from your club pro who will give you solid advice.
Racket Strings
Most players and beginners start with the strings that come with the racket at purchase. If these strings break and need replacing, softer strings such as Synthetic Gut, Wilson Sensation and Wilson NXT are good options as they are easier on the arm and give an advantage of power. But they are not as durable as standard strings and break easily.
For the more serious player then polyester strings such as Babolat RPM, Blast, Luxilon Big Banger, Luxilon 4G and Volkl Cyclone are more suitable.
Being firmer they tend to be harder to play with so if you have shoulder or elbow problems perhaps you should not use them. A mid-way solution is to use a blended pattern is a good approach. Polyester for the vertical strings and synthetic for the horizontal ones. A rule of thumb is that if you play once a week then re-string your racket once a year. Most good clubs offer a re-stringing service.
When selecting a racket and testing a grip size, take a few air swings then if it feels comfortable and your fingers and palm are not touching, then you have found the right one.