So, my 10 year old son wants a "good" tennis racket

[IHateMyJob2004]

My son is currently using a $60-$70 racket from Dicks. At his practices though, he can use higher end models ($150) that the coach provides on occasion. The coach is the pro at the tennis club and the tennis club also sells rackets. I figure it is just cross marketing.

BUT. My son says that the better expensive rackets weigh more and the mass helps him hit the ball harder. He swears that he can tell the difference.

So my tennis playing friends. Should any 10 year old kid have a tennis racket that costs $150? Can it actually make a difference to a 10 year old?

It doesn't help that his peers in class have them. I think he just wants to keep up with the Joneses.

 

[Jeeebus]

Err heavier is really more about control/ball placement than hitting it harder/faster.

A good racquet does make a difference. Local tennis shop here let's you 'test drive' the gear before buying so if you spend $150, you actually know you like the racquet.

 

[sdifox]

How long has he been playing and how committed is he? As long as he has the right racket, I doubt a 150 dollar one will make a diff.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

1) A 10 year old kid doesn't even need a $50 racket unless he's competing at the state level. A $20 racket would be more than enough.

2) There's no difference in weight between high end and low end rackets on price alone. Some rackets are built heavier, some are built lighter to account for all tastes. You can find uber expensive rackets at both ends of the weight scale and you can find cheapo Wal-Mart models at every weight range.

3) What you kid perceives as weight is probably balance. Rackets with more weight towards the head will feel heavier, those with more weight towards the handle will feel lighter even if the static weight is the same.

4) Balance and static weight can be adjusted with a little lead tape.

5) Yep, the pro is in your kids head whispering sweet nothings about how he needs more expensive rackets in the hopes of getting you to buy him one. Have a talk with the pro about your love of high end baseball bats and the lovely things they do when smashed into a knee. You might find that the racket your kid already owns is suddenly perfect for him.

 

[JEDIYoda]

How long has he been playing and how committed is he? As long as he has the right racket, I doubt a 150 dollar one will make a diff.

If his son is many good and 50 - 60 racket is NOT the right racket!!

 

[Matthiasa]

Another thing to consider is the strings used and if they are frayed, loosened up, etc since yes it does matter.
His current racquet may just need to be restrung.

Also is the head area different between the one he is currently using and the more expensive one he wants?

 

[JEDIYoda]

1) A 10 year old kid doesn't even need a $50 racket unless he's competing at the state level. A $20 racket would be more than enough.

2) There's no difference in weight between high end and low end rackets on price alone. Some rackets are built heavier, some are built lighter to account for all tastes. You can find uber expensive rackets at both ends of the weight scale and you can find cheapo Wal-Mart models at every weight range.

3) What you kid perceives as weight is probably balance. Rackets with more weight towards the head will feel heavier, those with more weight towards the handle will feel lighter even if the static weight is the same.

4) Balance and static weight can be adjusted with a little lead tape.

5) Yep, the pro is in your kids head whispering sweet nothings about how he needs more expensive rackets in the hopes of getting you to buy him one. Have a talk with the pro about your love of high end baseball bats and the lovely things they do when smashed into a knee. You might find that the racket your kid already owns is suddenly perfect for him.

<-- you are so out of touch!!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Tell him he can have any racket he wants as soon as he can afford it.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

My mother was a big fan of using a particular phrase when I came to her with such requests: It's nice to want things.

 

[JulesMaximus]

1) A 10 year old kid doesn't even need a $50 racket unless he's competing at the state level. A $20 racket would be more than enough.

2) There's no difference in weight between high end and low end rackets on price alone. Some rackets are built heavier, some are built lighter to account for all tastes. You can find uber expensive rackets at both ends of the weight scale and you can find cheapo Wal-Mart models at every weight range.

3) What you kid perceives as weight is probably balance. Rackets with more weight towards the head will feel heavier, those with more weight towards the handle will feel lighter even if the static weight is the same.

4) Balance and static weight can be adjusted with a little lead tape.

5) Yep, the pro is in your kids head whispering sweet nothings about how he needs more expensive rackets in the hopes of getting you to buy him one. Have a talk with the pro about your love of high end baseball bats and the lovely things they do when smashed into a knee. You might find that the racket your kid already owns is suddenly perfect for him.

Threatening to break the tennis pro's knee caps... now there's a great bit of advice.

To the OP, you might want to have your son's racket restrung. My wife and I have two VERY old tennis rackets (from the early 1990s) our son and his friend have been using and they probably need this badly.

 

[sdifox]

If his son is many good and 50 - 60 racket is NOT the right racket!!

Que?

 

[Fenixgoon]

is your son to the point where a higher grade racket will make a difference in his performance? only you, he, and the coach can assess that.

also, i had some friends on played on the tennis team in HS and they felt like the coach was getting kickbacks from the tennis shop for selling stuff, so be wary of that (though it wasn't a provable theory).

 

[GagHalfrunt]

also, i had some friends on played on the tennis team in HS and they felt like the coach was getting kickbacks from the tennis shop for selling stuff, so be wary of that (though it wasn't a provable theory).

Every sports "pro" is trying to sell. That's their job and many coaches cross that line too. They sell the need for lessons, they sell the need for new gear, then they sell the gear. Golf, Tennis, skiing, tiddlywinks, they're all trying to use you to make their next car payment. If you let the pro be the sole arbiter of what your son needs you're going to be paying him for the rest of your life. And if you let your sons friends control what he wants, well, you're doomed. He's always going to want what the other kids have whether he needs it or not. Better learn how to handle it now.

If there was something truly wrong with your sons racket the coach would have already addressed it with you. Broken strings, too heavy, too long to be suitable for him, whatever, if there was a real problem it would have been handled because it would have possibly kept your kid from keeping at it. Since the pro didn't see anything specific wrong with that racket to bring to you directly, it's fine. Whether it's peer pressure from his friends or the pro trying to make some commission, he WANTS a new racket, he doesn't need one.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Broke the Tennis Pros knees caps and keyed his car for good measure.

I think the comments on weight near the handle versus the head is probably what my son is perceiving. The racket he is using now feels like nothing to me.

He's quit enough sports already. It angers me to be honest. And I have this feeling that if I get him this racket, he'll quit within a few months. My kid wanted gloves and head gear for karate a few years ago. A few months after asking (and me not buying since I know my son at this point) .... he quit. I think my sons attention span for tennis is near it's end. Been doing it for about a year now. This is usually when he quits things.

For some reason he has latched onto tennis and my fear is that he is going to quit. He swears he won't. The thing is, it seems like mostly girls play tennis from what i saw at the tennis club. So I'm thinking that he'd get on the high school team rather easily so I want to encourage it .... to an extent.

 

[brianmanahan]

he wants a tennis racket

but what he really needs is a blackberry

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

he wants a tennis racket

but what he really needs is a blackberry

More like:
Wants an Apple .... needs a feature phone.

Most people need a blackberry but want what advertisers told them to get. I stand by this as being a factual statement. rational: Most people use smartphones for phone calls and communication (text messages, facebook, e-mail, etc). And maybe a few other things. But primarily communication. Sorry, but BB10 wins that category hands down. 50% of what people do on a smart phone is categorized as social media. (There is a harvard study)

 

[CraKaJaX]

Since I'm probably the only atoter who actually enjoys/plays/keeps up with tennis, and has some clue of what I'm talking about... I'll give my two cents...

The higher end rackets don't necessarily weigh more. Each racket is weighted differently no matter what price range you're at. If your son is claiming the more expensive rackets are heavier, he is wrong. If weight of the racket is his problem, buy him some lead tape for his current racket: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head__Lead_Tape/catpage-HEADTAPE.html Placement of the tape makes a difference. Some players play with it at 12 o'clock, some play at 3 & 9 (I play with the latter). Cheap and easy.

What racket is he using now? Is it a junior racket? What racket is the pro using? It may feel different to him because there's a change in grip size, different strings, it's weighted differently, the pro has lead tape on it, etc. So many things can change the feel of a racket that he might not be aware of.

If he is serious about tennis, I would go the lead tape route first to see how that feels for his current racket. If he thinks it's not the same, I would go on tennis warehouse and use their racket demo program. It's $20 for 4 rackets for a week. They don't have every racket ever, but they have a ton. You choose the grip size and string type (poly, multi, etc). They'll send you the return shipping label so you can easily return them at the end of a week. It's a pretty solid deal that'll allow him to try new rackets for fairly cheap. What I wouldn't do is buy a racket at the club.... Ever.

Hope I helped a little bit
PM me if you have any questions!

 

[CraKaJaX]

Demo Program:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/demoprogram.html

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Is he playing junior tournaments? If not he probably doesn't need an expensive racket. If he is playing juniors, and is doing fairly well, he needs 2 of them, at a minimum.

You can change the weight balance/feel of the racket. Back when I played juniors we used lead tape to adjust the weighting by placing it on the racket head, in various locations. A little bit goes a long way.

Edit: CraKaJaX beat me to it.

/shakes fist

"Get off my lawn!"

 

[isekii]

a lot of websites let you test drive racquets too and deduct the cost of shipping if you make a purchase.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Edit: CraKaJaX beat me to it.

/shakes fist

"Get off my lawn!"

What do I win? :sneaky:

 

[highland145]

My kid's (14y.o.) higher dollar racket improved his game because of the way it "felt/hit". The wife used it and agreed. Since she paid for 2/3 of it..what ever. The kid paid for the other 1/3. He threw it last Sunday and I told him that if I ever saw that again, he would pay for the rest of the racket out of his pocket.

Aside, my 1st MTD was a cheap GT because I didn't know if I would keep at it. Rode it like I stole it. Broke the frame and had it re-welded. 5 years later it was stolen. :awe: Bought a Trek...OMG, busted VW to a Cadillac....Granted it was still me powering it but, after 5 years of riding, I knew the difference.

 

[waggy]

good gear makes a difference. though at 11? no.

 

[disappoint]

Threatening to break the tennis pro's knee caps... now there's a great bit of advice.

GagHalFrunt is a very smart little fellow. He won't be easily fooled nor scammed like some of the posters I've seen. But every once in a while he makes a mistake which makes you wonder if he has his head strung correctly.

 

[highland145]

Not really seeing a problem with the bats and knees....