When we rethink how to choose tennis racket for children, it is completely normal to harbor doubts. In addition, any parent who has played tennis in his childhood would like to be able to relive his childhood again just to play the game with the modern and wonderful children’s tennis rackets available today.
Formerly, children had to play with the rackets available for adults . Now children are lucky to have custom rackets to play.
These rackets are much lighter, smaller and easier to handle for children, thanks to modern technology.
What is the best age to start in tennis?
If you’ve ever wondered what age your child could start playing in order to know how to choose children’s tennis racket, the answer is hard to believe, but it’s really between 1 and 2 years old!
Yes, there are rackets for children of that young age , and they are so light and small that even their children under one year old could play easily and safely with rackets designed for them as well.
However, there are so many options regarding these tennis rackets, that for many children it is extremely difficult to choose the perfect racket, since we find endless models and colors to choose from. But do not feel overwhelmed, because here we will show you how to choose tennis racket for children.
There are different sizes of children’s tennis racket , 15 “to 27” long, as well as, many types of children’s tennis rackets, in different colors such as pink and blue and rackets with different materials.
These rackets have such an attractive design that you can’t wait for the children to make the right choice.
They will be so captivated with the colors and designs of the racket that their choice is not based on comfort or practicality, but based on the color or theme.
For what you owe, choose the right tennis racket for children and, slowly, help them progress to larger rackets as they grow and develop their skills.
Children need to keep changing their rackets as they grow and improve their game.
It is better to buy cheap tennis rackets for children when they are younger, since they can break easily, or also that the racket is too small. This is the reason why so many manufacturers of rackets for children produce tennis rackets at affordable prices.
Let’s go then, to see the minimum criteria to know how to choose tennis racket for children.
How to choose tennis racket for children by ages
When choosing children’s tennis racket, one of the best criteria is to choose children’s tennis rackets based on age. Here is a brief summary of the type of rackets for children of different ages.
TENNIS RACKETS FOR CHILDREN: FROM 1 TO 4 YEARS OLD
The tennis racket “Le Petit” is perhaps the lightest tennis racket in the world and one of the best tennis rackets for beginner children.
Therefore, it is perfect to introduce your 1-2 year old son into the world of tennis. The size of this racket is only 17 inches long (43 cm), is very light and has an affordable price of less than € 30.
They are the tennis rackets for children ideal for your child to learn to handle the racket and maybe coordinate the movements of his hand with his eyes. And in turn, one of the rackets recommended for children by specialists for this age.
It’s fair for them, since they will only play tennis for fun and will not play full games or rallies!
Knowing how to choose children’s tennis racket, also make sure they play with inflatable balls, as it minimizes the impact that your arms and wrists must bear.
TENNIS RACKETS FOR CHILDREN: FROM 5 TO 6 YEARS OLD
Just as you should not give your 1 to 4 year old son a racket too big to play, your child needs tennis rackets for children 5 or 6 years old, he should not continue playing with his 17 ”racket because it only hinders development of his game.
The tennis rackets recommended to buy your 5-6 year old son is a 19 ”racket with which they feel comfortable, since fun is still the main objective of these young players.
As an idea, you can buy rackets with cartoon characters and if your child idolizes a certain player, he can play with the same brand his idol plays with. Now you can let them start playing with foam tennis balls, which helps them progress to the game with real tennis balls later.
TENNIS RACKETS FOR CHILDREN: FROM 7 TO 9 YEARS OLD
This is the age at which you must make the biggest change in the type of racket your child plays with. Now he has to move from the racket of 19 “to a new tennis racket for children of 23”.
However, when it comes to how to choose a tennis racket for children you should not make the mistake of buying a larger racket of 25, 26 or 27 “for them now, thinking that they will grow slowly with it.
This only hinders his game since his son has to make a gradual transition in the game, and slowly develop his skills with the racket so that they continue enjoying the game while they learn to control the direction of the tennis balls they hit.
This is especially important if you have not physically developed enough to play tennis safely with an adult tennis racket.
You can also change and have them play using low-pressure tennis balls until they can handle regulatory tennis balls.
TENNIS RACKETS FOR CHILDREN: FROM 10 TO 11 YEARS OLD
A 10-11 year old child who is larger than normal in terms of height can handle an adult racket. However, if they have a medium or small height, a tennis racket for children aged 10 or 11, with a size of 25 or 26 “is the best option.
It is recommended to buy 2 rackets for children of this age, since it begins to exist the possibility of breaking ropes while playing.
Therefore, it is better if they have a spare racket with which they feel as comfortable playing as they usually play.
TENNIS RACKETS FOR CHILDREN: OVER 12 YEARS OLD
Children of this age begin to perform quite well with their tennis skills and have grown enough to play with a full-size 27 ”tennis racket.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with them playing with their 25 “or 26” racket now if they are small.
It’s always better if they play with a smaller and lighter racket that they can control than with a bigger racket that they can’t even handle comfortably!
However, if your child has been playing for some time and takes good care of his tennis equipment, he can also invest in a more durable graphite racket .
How to choose children’s tennis racket by height
SIZE OF CHILDREN’S TENNIS RACKET
Now, to know how to choose children’s tennis racket, you may have planned to buy your children’s tennis racket based on their height . The best way to determine the right size racket is to make your child feel straight and comfortable, and hold the racket with a normal grip.
The selected racket should be kept straight next to your child’s body and legs. The head of the racket must rest on the ground and the handle or grip pointing up. Then, have your child place the palm of his hand on the handle of the racket as if he had a cane.
The racket is perfect if you only touch the ground when your child’s arm is fully extended and resting on the end of the tennis racket handle. However, if your child has to bend the arm to rest on the stock, and tends to drag the racket, you may end up dragging it on the court and scratching or damaging the racket.
On the other hand, the racket is too small if it hangs on the floor or if your child’s hand does not reach the handle lid. Physically strong children can handle larger rackets, while you can always opt for smaller rackets if your child cannot handle the recommended racket size.
To buy your children’s racket based on height , know the following:
- Children 6 years and under 120 cm tall should use a 19 “or 21” racket, while younger children should play with a 17 “racket
- Children between 120 cm and 135 cm should use a 23 ”racket
- Children between 135 cm and 145 cm tall should use a 25 ”racket
- Children between 145 cm and 160 cm in height should play with a 26 ”racket
Criteria for choosing the ideal junior racket
GRIP SIZE
So important it is to know how to choose tennis racket for children, how to choose the size of the racket grip suitable for your “little one”.
Most junior tennis rackets do not offer options in the size of the grip or grip, since they have a handle with a common grip size or a diameter of 4 inches.
However, if your child’s hand measures more or less those 4 inches, if you are looking for, you may find some manufacturers that manufacture rackets with slightly larger or smaller handles.
Whenever possible, it is better to search and play with a racket of correct size, but not every time is possible. It is easy to measure your child’s grip.
Simply grab a ruler and measure your hand from the middle of the palm of your hand to the ring finger, and this will give you the grip size.
There is a possibility that the chosen racket has a grip that is too large or too small for your child to play comfortably.
Do not worry if this is the case, since you only have to make some adjustments to get a custom size.
It is easy to increase the size of a small handle, since it can be achieved simply by adding an overgrip .
This will help increase the size of the grip by approximately 0.2 centimeters or what is the same 1/16 inches.
While this is usually enough to get the size of the handle needed, you can always turn to your tennis store for help to increase your child’s grip with a definitive solution.
However, it is more difficult to reduce the large grip. Do not try to do it on your own. Instead, it is better to talk with your coach or take the racket to your local tennis store, both to know the size of the grip needed and for the rest of the factors that affect how to choose children’s tennis racket.
They have the necessary equipment to make the necessary changes while maintaining comfort.
STRING FOR CHILDREN
The ropes are an important part of any racket, as it is the area that comes into contact when the ball is hit while playing.
The children’s tennis string must be strong enough to sustain the speed of the ball and the child’s blows. Polyester strings are quite popular, but it is always better to buy tennis rackets for children with synthetic ropes when they start learning and entering this sport.
Once they grow and become stronger, you can always slowly switch to rackets with polyester ropes.
RACKET WEIGHT FOR CHILDREN AND MATERIALS
As for the weight of rackets for children , you should buy your child a racket that can move comfortably without difficulty while playing. The last thing you want is for your child to feel frustrated and tired playing with a racket that is too heavy for him to pick up and play with.
It is important to be clear on how to choose tennis racket for children, as it will be key so that you do not leave this wonderful sport prematurely because of a bad decision.
To start, they can start with a light racquet weighing 250 grams or less , preferably with graphite composites, containing some aluminum.
However, if you have enough budget, an aluminum junior tennis racket is a good option to start. Just make sure the racket is balanced and does not have full weight on the head.
You can move on to the graphite junior tennis rackets, once the player is more advanced since they are recommended for them, since the adult rackets are also made of graphite.
It is vital to know when deciding how to choose tennis racket children, you should not make the mistake of buying inferior quality rackets t or child. With this in mind, it is better to pay a little more for a racket with which your child enjoys playing.
The transition should be made from a racket that weighs about 250 grams to the next racket that weighs between 280 and 320 grams, without oversized heads and provided it is balanced, that is, it does not accumulate its weight on the head of the racket .
Once your child has exceeded 14 years of age , they have usually reached a certain maturity in their game and are strong enough to choose their own style and manufacturer of graphite rackets .
To be 100% sure , you better try the racket with your demo model or borrow it , and then you can finally decide if you want to buy the racket or not.
Conclusions
Despite all the information shown here on how to choose children’s tennis racket, sometimes your child may prefer different rackets as recommended.
In fact, some junior professional players will prefer to play with a longer and different racket than those mentioned here.
In addition, it is useful if you listen and observe any signs of discomfort or pain that your child has while playing tennis.
For example, if they tend to knock off the court, and notes that continue to make strange movements in the middle of their games, or if they complain of a wrist or arm injury, it may be because they are not comfortable with the racket, and they need to change it. In addition, the right choice is based on personal skill levels and preferences
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