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How to Choose Your Swing Weight
Swing weight measures how heavy a racquet "feels" when swung in motion. While a heavier swing weight translates to more hitting power, how much swing weight a player can handle depends on their experience and physique. Follow this guide to learn how to choose a racquet with a swing weight appropriate to your skill level.
🔖 Bookmark This PageWhen picking a tennis racquet, the attributes most tennis athletes look for are power, control, and spin. One property that may get overlooked when shopping through this lens is a racquet's swing weight. In fact, for beginners especially, a racquet's swing weight might actually be the most important trait to look for when choosing a racquet. Swing weight has a profound effect on how a racquet feels to use, and whether that feels comfortable to you will depend a lot on both your arm strength and level of play.
What is Swing Weight?
Swing weight is not simply the weight of your racquet, but rather how heavy it "feels" when swung. The racquet's inert weight largely determines its swing weight, of course, but two racquets that weigh the same can feel completely different when swung. That is because weight is only one part of the equation; balance and weight distribution are the other factors.
Find a hammer or mallet and grab it by its handle (as intended), and swing it around (safely) to get a feel for its swing weight. Now grab the hammer by its head and swing it around. Notice the difference? That's because a hammer is designed to be head-heavy; most of the weight is distributed toward the end, making the swing weight feel heavier. Conversely, when held in reverse, the hammer becomes head-light, wherein most of the weight is toward the handle, thus making the swing weight feel lighter. This is an extreme example but the same principles apply to racquet weight distribution and balance.
Racquet Swing Weights
When you shop for racquets at Tennis Express, we include the balance and swing weight in our racquet specs. Swing weight is always measured with the racquet strung, as that's the practical measurement for playing on court. In addition to a racquet's weight, there's also the balance point, which is the spot on a racquet where it would sit evenly on a scale. Each point represents a 1/8-inch increment away from the center of the racquet, so a racquet that's 5 points head-light has its balance point 5/8 inches toward the handle, away from the center.| Racquet Category | Balance | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Head-Heavy | Lighter racquet weight but head-heavier balance makes it easier for players with compact strokes to drive the ball forward |
| Control, Spin | Head-Light | Tend to be heavier overall with counterbalance weight toward the handle. These racquets rely on players generating their own power through technique and form. |
Swing Weight by Skill Level
Most racquets on the market these days will have a swing weight between 300-330 grams. Any lighter, and it's likely you're looking at a junior racquet, while the pros are swinging personalized racquets above the 330 range.
| Swing Weight Range | Player Skill Level |
|---|---|
| 300g or less | Beginners or junior players. Most adult racquet frames have at least a 300g swing weight. |
| 300-320g | Intermediate and recreational. Most players should be using racquets in this swing weight range. |
| 320-330g | Competitive and pro level. These players can do long, loopy swings for literally hours on end. |
| 330g or more | Top level pro. Requires training and dedication to use racquets this heavy throughout a match. |
Tips for Finding Your Ideal Swing Weight
The first question you need to ask yourself when picking a tennis racquet is: "Can I hit with this thing for an entire match?" That could be upwards to three hours or more of constant activity, so suddenly the prospect of swinging around something weighing less than a pound doesn't seem so trivial. Here are some tips to finding a racquet with a suitable swing weight:
- Referring back to the Swing Weight by Skill Level chart is a good place to start.
- Ground strokes should feel effortless. If you have to exert yourself to swing the racquet, it's too heavy for you.
- A racquet that's too light can feel flimsy when making contact with the ball. Use the heaviest racquet you can effortlessly swing.
- Play a full match with the racquet. If your arm gives out before you can finish a set of games, switch to a lighter racquet.
The easiest way to find a tennis racquet with the ideal swing weight is to try it for yourself. With the Tennis Express Demo Racquet Program, you can try out new racquets first-hand to see how well you can play with them.
Adjusting Your Swing Weight
After you've become accustomed to your tennis racquet, you might feel that its swing weight is now too low for your liking. Or conversely, you like the power your frame brings but need it to be a wee bit more maneuverable. Before you go off researching into your next racquet purchase, consider adjusting your current racquet's swing weight using lead tape. Applying lead tape to the head obviously makes it head-heavier, and while adding weight to the handle ultimately increases swing weight, the counterbalance effect might nonetheless make it more maneuverable.
Unfortunately, there aren't any practical ways to physically reduce swing weight. You could, in theory, restring the racquet with thinner gauge strings, but that would drastically alter how the ball bounces off the stringbed so we wouldn't recommend altering the strings just to reduce swing weight.
Conclusion
Swing weight is an important yet often overlooked measurement; some may even say is the most important racquet spec.
Find the perfect tennis racquet!
Shopping racquets by specs may feel very daunting, so where exactly should you begin? Try taking our Racquet Quiz to find the perfect match for you, no experience needed!
Take our Racquet Quiz to find your perfect match!
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