Best Tennis Rackets For Advanced Players

Now, as an advanced player, you will probably have a good idea of the type of racket you are after.

We expect you’re a player with a big game, that likes to strike the ball cleanly and dominate points when you can.

That is, looking for a control-oriented racket, that will give you decent pop, whilst maintaining stability and control as you start ramping up your game.

There are a few factors to consider when looking at the best rackets for advanced players.

We understand this can be a difficult and drawn out process, which is why we’ve put together this guide to help you pick the best racket for you.

Here at Thetennisbros.com, we have reviewed hundreds of individual rackets, so be sure to check out our more in-depth reviews for a more detailed insight.

What you should be looking for in a racket

The best tennis rackets for advanced players should cater to those who can generate their own power and have solid technical foundations.

Therefore, you’re unlikely to need a ton of additional power from your racket.

Although generating easy power is always a plus point for any racket, many modern rackets, especially when equipped with the right string set-up, will give a decent level of power (even those more oriented towards controlling the ball).

Therefore as a player who uses their body to take full swings at the ball, who is looking to control shots on the stretch and needs a racket to feel solid in pressurized situations, you’ll be looking for a that will help you control the ball with pin-point accuracy.

Of course, it is also important for your racket to generate good spin and power, however, there are a few important specifications that will determine how much of these are produced.

Weight

The weight of your racket is one of the most important considerations to make when choosing a new tennis racket.

Whilst a lighter racket will be more maneuverable, a heavier racket will give you more stability, control, power and plow through on your shots.

Of course, the weight of the racket you choose will depend on your strength, fitness levels, playing ability and simply personal preference, however most advanced players will be looking for a racket above 300g.

Most rackets in this sector tend to range from 300g to 330g, with some going up as high as 340g.

It is therefore especially important to trial the racket or rackets you are considering, as using a racket that is too heavy can cause injury.

Head Size

As an advanced player, you’ll need a racket that will help you control the ball when hitting aggressively with full swings.

A racket with a smaller head size will help with this, as it offers a more direct feel to the ball and helps you place the ball exactly where you want to.

With that being said, almost all of the advanced or performance rackets will be under 100sq in, with the majority balling between 95 and 100sq in.

Some rackets may be even smaller than this, but these tend to be reserved for the more old school player that is used to a very small racket.

The sweet spot in this sector tends to be between 95 and 98sq in. But of course it is worth trying a few different rackets in this range to see which head size fits best for your game.

Balance

The balance of a racket will determine how it feels to swing. This is an important factor that is often overlooked by players, but is very influential to how the racket feels and it’s playing characteristics.

A head light racket tends to favour a net rusher. This is because with more weight in the grip, the racket will feel lighter to swing and be more maneuverable.

Most smaller head size, heavier rackets from the 1990s would favour a headlight set up, as serve and volleying was so much more prevalent.

Whereas a head heavy racket would tend to favour a big hitting baseline player. This is because the racket will feel more weighty, like a sledgehammer.

This helps add power to your shots as the racket will act as a heavy pendulum at the end of your arm.

Many advanced players will add weight to their rackets to increase stability and stiffness to help improve playability.

Most performance rackets will favour a more balanced set up, with more control oriented rackets tending towards a headlight set up.

Whereas power orientated rackets will tend towards a head heavy weighting.

So, if you are a serve and volley player, or like to get to the net as much as possible then a headlight would best suit your game.

Whereas if you like to dominate from the baseline and club winners, then a head heavy racket is the one for you.

String Pattern

String patterns will also play into the feel of a racket. A denser string pattern will offer more stability and a solid feel, whilst helping you flatten out the ball.

These string patterns are ‘closed’ and tend to be an 18×20 pattern.

Whereas a more open string pattern, generally around 16×19, will offer increased spin and a more lively feel.

When it comes to string pattern, it is really worth testing a racket out to see which feels best for you.

Feel is a difficult thing to gauge objectively, so understanding which string pattern is right for you is a key part of choosing the perfect racket.

Stiffness

The stiffness of a racket also plays into its overall feel and performance. Racket stiffness reflects how much it will flex at contact with the ball.

Racket stiffness is measured between 50 and 70RA, so the lower the rating the more flexible the racket will be.

A stiffer frame will offer you more power, due to more energy being conserved in the racket at the point of contact with the ball.

Stiffer rackets also offer more stability and a consistent contact.

However, you may find that this could cause strain on your arm if you are not used to playing with a stiff racket.

On the other hand, many players prefer a more flexible racket due to the plush feel. They like the softer feel that helps control volleys and touch shots.

Overall a stiffer racket will offer a more crisp, precise feel on the ball, whereas a flexible racket will be easier on the arm and help you caress the ball.

Our Best Rackets for Advanced Players

We appreciate that there is a vast array of different rackets suitable for the advanced tennis player.

The number of factors when choosing a stick can make this an overwhelming process.

So whilst we aren’t big fans of structured lists here at Thetennisbros.com, especially with such a personal subject as picking the right tennis racket.

However, we have selected some of the best tennis rackets for advanced players below, to give you some inspiration.

Whilst the following rackets vary in weight, head size, string pattern, stiffness and balance, they are all geared towards a performance player that is looking for more control and stability.

With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best options for advanced players.