Tennis Gifts

Want to get a tennis gift for that beginner, advance, or professional tennis player? Tennis is a great outdoor sport because it's fun to play, easy to learn, and great exercise.

Tennis Gifts - Beginners

The best gift you can get an aspiring tennis player is (1) a good racquet, and (2) tennis lessons. It's difficult to play tennis without a decent racquet. Do not even attempt to try to take tennis lessons with a wooden racquet circa 1960. Tennis racquets have come a long way in the past decade in terms of weight, balance, and frame stiffness.

Choosing The Right Racquet

Tennis Gifts- Racquet Head Size

Power is directly related to the head size of the racquet. A larger head also provides a larger "sweet spot," which provides more forgiveness for mis-hits. Racquets with smaller head sizes offer less power, but more control (ideal for more accomplished players). Go with the larger racquet head for the beginner.

Tennis Gifts- Racquet Length

Racquet lengths can range from 27" to 29". A longer racquet provides better reach on groundstrokes, more leverage on serves, and more overall power due to increased torque. Longer racquets tend to be lighter than shorter ones, for improved maneuverability.

Tennis Gifts- Weight and Balance of a Racquet

A point of contention amongst many tennis players is that lighter heads provide improved maneuverability; heavier racquets more power. Therefore, heavier (11 to 13 ounce), head-light racquets are preferred by most players.

However, Wilson has recently introduced a lightweight racquet with a heavy head (the Hammer and Sledge designs). The advantages of this racquet type are increased maneuverability without sacrificing power. However, the reduced weight may increase the amount of shock transferred to the wrist, elbow and shoulders.

Frame Stiffness

A stiffer racquet bends less during impact with a ball, thus depleting less energy from the ball. This results in more powerful returns, but less control.