Racquet and String Terminology

Strung Weight

This is the weight of the racquet with strings installed, also referred to as playing weight. When all other specifications are the same a heavier racquet will be more powerful provided the player's swing speed can maintain the same acceleration. However, if you play an aggressive, spin heavy baseline style of play, a heavier racquet may not increase your power due to the increased difficulty the weight would create. Your style of play and fitness will help determine what weight range you can play with. Nadal and Federer play with very different swing styles and therefore play with very different weight racquets. Despite Nadal being physically larger and assumedly stronger, he actually uses the lighter racquet.

Tips

• A heavier racquet will generate more power provided you have the same swing speed.
• Heavier racquets tend to be more stable at the point of contact (this is a generalisation, as balance and swingweight affect stability).
• Lighter racquets will be more manoeuvrable due to decreased force required for movement (this is a generalisation, as balance and swingweight affect manoeuvrability).
• Reducing weight is basically impossible, but adding weight is quite simple.
• Strength, swing speed and swing style are important to consider when looking at the weight of a racquet.

Grip Size

Grip size is the measurement around the circumference of the handle. The average size for a male is a 4-3/8 and the average for a female is a 4-1/4.

More information can be found here.

Swingweight

This is arguably the most important specification when it comes to the overall performance of a racquet and its 'feel'. It combines the weight, balance, length and the force required to accelerate the racquet and is commonly used as an indicator of feel, power and manoeuvrability. It is measured in kg/cm^2 (sometimes referred to as swingweight units) and is an excellent starting point for assessing a racquet. A racquet with a higher swingweight has more power than a lower swingweight when they are swung at the same speed and all other specifications are the same. However it will require more force (effort) to get the racquet to swing at that speed. If you cannot get to the same racquet swing speed the racquet will lose substantial power.

Tips

• It is almost impossible to lower a racquet's swingweight. Hence erring on the lower side and then building it up is often a wise idea.
• Play style is an important consideration to your swingweight.
• Swing length is also important to consider. A short stroke with a head heavy, high swingweight racquet will generate lots of power. A longer stroke with the same racquet may not yield more power as you need to maintain consistent acceleration for a longer swing line.
• With equal racquets in every specification, equal swing speeds the following can be determined:
• Lower swingweight racquets will accelerate faster, have higher overall racquet head speed but will also generate more shock.
• Higher swingweight racquets accelerate slower, lower racquet head speed but are more solid behind the ball.
• Lower swingweight racquets will be less powerful.
• Higher swingweight racquets will be more powerful.

Balance

This is the point of the racquet's center of gravity - when balanced across a thin edge the racquet will be perfectly balanced, essentially hovering on both sides. The point is measured from the buttcap vertically through the frame. It is often referred to in cm, mm or points. One point equals 1/8 of an inch. A 3pt Head light racquet means the balance point is 3/8 inch from the center of length, closer towards the handle. If the racquet was 3pt head heavy then the balance point would move a 3/8 inch in the opposite direction.

Balance is a very important consideration in racquet manoeuvrability and affects swingweight. Typically, heavier racquets will have a head light balance to help compensate for the weight and increase the racquets manoeuvrability.

Tips

• Always keep in mind racquet length. Points are a great way of comparing balance on racquets of different length.
• Keep in mind your swing style. A long swing, with high spin generation may find a head heavy racquet very difficult to manoeuver.

Stiffness/Flex

The stiffness of a racquet greatly impacts its perception of comfort and power for a player. Stiffer frames are more powerful as the racquet will not bend as much at the point of contact and therefore loses less energy from the acceleration of the player's swing. Contrastingly, a more flexible (softer) frame will bend more at the point of contact and absorbs more energy from your swing but increases control.

Tips

• Stiffer racquets will pass more vibration through to the player and therefore softer racquets will absorb more vibration and be more comfortable.
• Stiffer racquets will generate more power and therefore softer racquets are less powerful.
• Switching to a softer frame will not inherently give you more control. If you can generate controlled power in your swing then you may find the racquet does the opposite of what you want.
• Stiffer racquets play more consistently over the entire face of the racquet.

Length

This is the length of the racquet from the buttcap to the tip of the racquet frame. The standard adult tennis racquet is 27 inches, however, racquets are available in different lengths and range from 27-29 inches. Longer racquets will generate more power as the sweet spot of the racquet has moved further away, generating more rotational power from your swing. A longer racquet will also have a slightly higher swingweight and therefore will be more difficult to swing. Also the increased length makes the racquet a little less manoeuvrable than a shorter racquet.

Tips

• A longer racquet will be more powerful than a shorter racquet (all other specifications being the same).
• A longer racquet will have a higher swingweight and will require slightly more force to maintain swing speed.
• A longer racquet is slightly less manoeuvrable.