How to Choose the Right Size Tennis Racquet for a Child
Tennis is a great sport to enhance the gross motor and fine skills of children. Not only this, but it also strengthens the bones and immunity system. In fact, tennis has a multitude of developmental benefits for kids. But remember, this game will be more beneficial to your kid if you choose the right size and best tennis racquet.
Let me tell you,
Adults and children have a specially dedicated tennis racquet. Interestingly, kids’ tennis racquets are quite different from adult racquets. They are light in weight as they are aluminum-based. Plus, kids’ tennis racquets have a shorter grip which can be easily held by a smaller grip. Besides this, you will also find larger heads with a large sweet spot, which is ideal for beginners.
Choosing the right kids’ tennis can be a bit tricky task but you don’t have to worry about it. We have made this an easy peasy task for you. Just stick to this article, you will get to know how do you pick the best tennis racquet for kids.
10 & Under Tennis Equipment Sized Right For Kids
WHY CHOOSING A PERFECT SIZE KIDS TENNIS IS SO IMPORTANT?
Why it’s so important, usually parents curious about their kids racquet size, let me tell you it via an example, because the answer is not as simple a parents things, before considering the right size for a kid few factors we have to look first.
So if I ask 14 year old to ride a tricycle which is for a toddler, will he/she able to ride it properly?
of course NOT
Somehow you will get fix onto it, but you won’t be able to ride it.
Similarly, if I ask a 5 years old boy of average height to ride a bicycle of 26” of wheel size which is suited to 13 years or highschool teenagers. Will little one be able to ride it?
No, his feet will not be able to touch the ground. In short, he cannot ride it, and if he tries to ride, the result will be injurious.
In the same way, the racquets of the perfect size are equally important. Long racquets will not only be heavier for kids, but it will exert too much pressure on the shoulder and elbow joints. Plus, it will be quite difficult to generate power and spin with long racquets.
On the other hand, if the racquet is short in length, the young sportsman will not display that additional power and spin that he can.
So the crux is, HEIGHT OF CHILDREN AND LENGTH OF RACQUET are the most important measurements for selecting a kids’ racquet.
KIDS TENNIS RACQUET SIZING
Most manufacturers have now produced children friendly sizes of a tennis racquet. Determining the size of the racquet that suits perfectly is so simple.
Given below is a height and length chart, which will help you choose a perfect tennis racquet for kids.
This is an ideal height and age chart. It might be possible that your child ages 6 years and has 40 inches of height.
So in my opinion, while selecting the best kid’s tennis racquet, give more importance to the height of children rather than age.
Luckily manufacturer has produced tennis racquets of kid-friendly size. You will be amazed to know that even 17-inch tennis racquets are available in the market. Such racquets are perfect for toddlers.
You will have tennis racquets of every size available in the market. Some people prefer buying a bigger racquet size, considering the growth spurts in children. Indeed that’s long-term planning but it’s not a great idea.
Firstly, because a big tennis racquet will cause multiple injuries. Secondly, children’s tennis racquets are quite cheaper than adult racquets. So upgrading to a new racquet will not cost you an arm or leg.
CHOOSING A CHILDREN TENNIS RACQUET WITH THE HELP OF HEIGHT
The length of the tennis racquet is the most crucial aspect that you have to consider while buying a kids tennis racquet. For this purpose, you can follow the above-mentioned chart or you can do it by measuring the length of the racquet with the height of the kid.
So what you have to do!
You just need to ask your young boy to hold the tennis racquet, in a way that the head of the racquet will rest on the ground and the handle pointing towards the sky.
Yeah! That’s the required pose.
Now start observing!
- POSITION #1
If your child is standing comfortably while holding the tip of the handle with their fingers. Make sure that the child should not lean over or stretch.
- POSTION #2
If your child is standing comfortably while le holding the handle with the heel of his hand. You will also notice that his elbows are slightly bent.
Position # 2 indicates that the racquet is too long since the child is holding the handle with the heel area of hands.
In contrast to this, position #1 indicates that the racquet is of perfect length.
This is the tried and tested method of choosing an accurate tennis racquet size for kids. But…
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK THE GRIP SIZE
Grip size is another important factor that you need to look into when buying a junior tennis racquet, as children have smaller hands. So it will be quite difficult for them to hold a proper adult size tennis racquet.
Generally, adult tennis racquets have a handle circumference of 4.5 inches. But in children’s tennis racquet the grip size is 4 inches, which is almost the same in all kids tennis racquets.
There are some kids for whom these 4-inch grip size would be either too big or too small. In such a scenario, you can make adjustments in grip size. For instance, you can add on an overgrip if the racquet grip size is too small.
Also read “14 Benefits of Playing Tennis“
WRAPPING UP!
Tennis is an excellent sport that helps in the growth and development of kids if an appropriate and perfectly sized tennis racquet is used. With little research, you can select a tennis racquet of the perfect size for your kid. this will not only keep them protected from injuries but also add true value to their game.
If you are in search of some best junior tennis racquets, then read our kids racquet review.
As someone who enjoys both playing tennis and writing, I strive to embody a combination of skillful technique and unwavering perseverance on the court while simultaneously offering valuable observations and reflections to my audience through my articles. My overarching objective is to motivate and encourage others on their individual paths towards tennis success.