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Size is the most important factor, especially at your son's age. Specifically, the right grip size.
Go to your nearest Dick's, Sports Authority, or Big 5 and speak with tennis salesperson to get the right sizing. From there it depends on budget, but you can find great racquets for <$50 at the above stores!
Size is the most important factor, especially at your son's age. Specifically, the right grip size.
Go to your nearest Dick's, Sports Authority, or Big 5 and speak with tennis salesperson to get the right sizing. From there it depends on budget, but you can find great racquets for <$50 at the above stores!
Agree with this and I like the Prince brand. Something like this:
Good brands are Wilson, Head, Prince, and Babolat.
Look for racquets where the frame is one solid piece. Cheaper racquets often have a two piece frame. You can see the separation of the two frame pieces at the lower part of the head, where the strings attach at the bottom of the head.
Grip size is extremely important. If your child has a small hand he will likely want a grip around 4 1/4" - 4 3/8". Larger hands will use 4 1/2 - 4 5/8".
Don't get the wrong size grip, or it will make the racquet difficult to hold.
Also, if he is very small in height, they make shorter length racquets for younger kids. They are 26.5" long, and you can find good quality models in this shorter length.
If you are thinking about spending a little more for a better racquet, ask the store if they have a demo program. Some stores have demos they can lend you to try them out before you buy them.
I also recommend finding a practice tennis wall in your neighborhood that your child can spend time working on his strokes. Some public tennis courts have practice walls. Also, school yards sometimes have big walls.
If you decide to try to find a decent used one on Craigslist, you might get a very good deal. Check the frame of a used racquet carefully to make sure it has no cracks.
Many times when racquets become discontinued, they drop the prices down significantly in stores like Big 5. You can sometimes get a racquet that previously sold for $200 for around $60 - $80.
Thanks everyone for the help. There is a local tennis shop that we went to. The lady there was really knowledgable, and helped us find a racket that fit him well. They did have a demo program, but we went with a used racket.
It was a babolat that was traded in. It was in practically brand new condition. We got it, a bag, and some accessories for $40.
I feel better paying $40 for a nice babalot that the same price at Target.
Thinking of signing up to a local tennis club but mindful of being so crap that I won’t continue it. Given this, where’s a good place to pick up a cheap tennis racket? Bristol-based if anyone has any ideas that aren’t online…
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. Hopefully someone at the store can help with the right size.
