The flimsy junior racquets of the past get an upgrade.
If you began playing tennis as a kid anywhere from the late 1970s to the late ’90s with one of those 25- or 26-inch aluminum junior racquets, you knew when it was time to move up to a standard 27-inch adult frame. It was the moment after you hit a backhand slice and looked down to see the butt cap of the racquet dangling below your hand, barely clinging to the unraveled grip.
Those super flyweight junior sticks helped jumpstart tennis for a couple generations. The inch or two shorter length put kids’ hitting hands closer to the striking area, and the light weight provided them with Peter Pan maneuverability that made it much easier to duel at net or swing from the baseline. But those frames didn’t have much power, control or comfort—the sting to the arm and hand was similar to hitting a baseball in 35-degree weather. And as serious juniors developed strength, their junior racquets crumbled under the force of their swings.
Today’s kids don’t know how good they have it, thanks to a starter-racquet revolution earlier this decade. Junior’s frame still can weigh 3 to 4 ounces less than Dad’s and have a balance point that’s more head heavy to enhance power. But brands now produce 25- and 26-inch junior racquets with graphite and give them many of the same power, control, stability and comfort features as their premium adult counterparts. These technologies include Head’s MicroGel and YouTek comfort systems, Babolat’s Cortex vibration dampener and Prince’s sweet spotexpanding EX03 construction.
“They give kids an opportunity to feel from the get-go what it will be like playing with an adult racquet,” says Bruce Levine, TENNIS racquet adviser. “And they give kids more success sooner and pave the way for them to grow into the adult frames.”
The “success sooner” idea is keeping American children interested in the sport. The 12–17 age range is currently the largest segment of the U.S. tennis market—about 6 million of today’s 30.1 million players. And participation by 6- to 11-year-olds has increased to 4.9 million, according to the Tennis Industry Association.
Junior racquets come with a standard 4-inch grip size, about a quarter-inch smaller than the average woman’s grip. And even with the high-tech engineering, they don’t cost as much as adult frames, usually going for less than $125.
The big question is, When should a child move up to an adult racquet? Levine says the best way to determine the right size is to start by placing an adult racquet in a child’s hands and observe. “If he is hitting late or has little pace on the ball, that means he should be playing with a junior stick.”
And if the premium junior racquets are still too cumbersome, the brands offer aluminum sticks in still shorter lengths, right down to an entry-level length of 19 inches. Have your child use those paddlelike frames with low-compression or foam balls until he or she gets the strength to move up to junior premiums. With all these options, it’s a great time to be a tennis kid.
Junior Mints: Four frames for kids that have the flavor of their adult counterparts
!Babolat Aero Pro Drive Jr.Babolat Aero Pro Drive Jr.
Price: $104
Head size: 100 sq. in.
Length: 26 in.
Weight: 9.3 oz.
Swingweight: 261
Balance: 3/4-in. head heavy
Best for: Advanced players
You don’t have to be a marketing genius to know that Rafael Nadal is popular with the kids. This junior racquet not only has the bumblebee cosmetics of Nadal’s stick, it also comes with Babolat’s GT technology, which weaves tungsten fibers with the standard graphite to help kids with solid stroke mechanics place the ball. All this racquet lacks is a bandana.
!Head Prestige JuniorHead Prestige Junior
Price: $100
Head size: 102 sq. in.
Length: 26.2 in.
Weight: 9.6 oz.
Swingweight: 250
Balance: 1 1/2-in. head heavy
Best for: Beginners
The Prestige Juniors’ mid-plus head size (its teardrop head is the biggest among these) relative to its short length helps beginners practice hand-eye coordination and gives them a better chance of making solid contact with the ball. The racquet comes with a generous dose of Head’s MicroGel technology, which provides a more comfortable feel for tykes.
!Prince EXO3 Graphite 26-PlusPrince EXO3 Graphite 26-Plus
Price: $120
Head size: 100 sq. in.
Length: 26.5 in.
Weight: 9.3 oz.
Swingweight: 278
Balance: 1/5-in. head heavy
Best for: Stronger, bigger kids
The kids’ version of the Prince Graphite features technologies that make the adult model a favorite, including the crossbar stabilizer in the throat and the O-Port grommets, which give it a catapult-like string bed for power and comfort. But its swingweight—how heavy it feels when you swing it—approaches some light adult frames, so it takes muscle to get it moving.
!Wilson Six.One 26 BLXWilson Six.One 26 BLX
Price: $120
Head size: 100 sq. in.
Length: 26 in.
Weight: 8.8 oz.
Swingweight: 248
Balance: 3/4-in. head heavy
Best for: Smaller players
The Six.One 26 BLX shows how seriously racquet manufacturers are taking kids’ sticks these days. Wilson has included its new, ultracomfortable BLX material (basalt from natural volcanic rock) in the frame. The easiest racquet to swing in this group, it’s an ideal candidate for smaller kids just moving up from shorter aluminum frames.
Originally published in the March 2010 issue of TENNIS.