Best Tennis Rackets for Intermediate Players (Everything You Need to Know!)

Achieving mastery in tennis as a sport takes a lot of work, a lot of resilience and persistence. It is not enough to be passionate, you have to step out of your comfort zone and go beyond the basics so that you can be deemed a professional. Most acclaimed players have been at it for years upon years, and it has taken nothing short of blood, sweat and tears. And still, they continue to practice and learn.

Being an intermediate player is in itself no small feat. The same resilience and persistence apply to junior players. Aside from these attributes, the right equipment plays a big part in bringing you to this point. As an intermediate player, the need to progress in your skill is equally important, and the right equipment also helps you progress quite fast.

Tennis rackets are probably a tennis player’s most important asset. The actual interaction with the tennis ball happens through the racket. It determines the efficiency with which you respond to aggressive passes and the power that goes into your winning slams. It is imperative that you find a racket that will be more than an instrument. Find yourself a racket that is more like a companion.

In this article, we review a few outstanding rackets that will make your practice more fruitful. We highlight their best features, their advantages and disadvantages. You will also come across a buying guide that will help you choose a good racket.

Best Tennis Rackets for Intermediate Players

In this section, we review rackets that are ideal for intermediate level players, their features, advantages and disadvantages.

Wilson Blade 104 Racket

This racket is a favorite of many intermediate players for its ease of use, efficiency and reasonable price.

Features

• It has a length of 27.5 inches
• It has a head width of 104 square inches
• It weighs 10.8 ounces when strung
• It has a string pattern of 18 main by 19 across
• It is made using basalt and braided graphite

The Wilson Blade 104 tennis Racket is so efficient, it got a thumbs up from Serena Williams. Wilson made this racket for high court performance for intermediate and professional level players. It is ideal for persons who have medium to fast swing speeds.

The racket is 27.5 inches long. The extra 0.5 inch length gives you an advantage as you reach for those out of range balls. It also increases the stability and maneuverability of players. Weighing 10.8 ounces when strung, this racket is incredibly light, making it quite easy to swing.

The Wilson Blade 104 has a head width of 104 inches which gives it more surface area for accommodating balls during impact. This head width, combined with the 18 x 19 string pattern, makes this racket quite responsive. Balls will get that extra spin upon impact, giving them a near perfect trajectory.

This racket is made using a blend of basalt and braided graphite which makes it quite strong and durable, but also incredibly flexible and easy to maneuver as you play. Its feedback is made more intense as a result of the BLX feature added to this tennis racket.

Pros

• It is quite light
• It comes pre-strung
• It has an extra 0.5 inch length
• It is flexible
• It is strong and sturdy
• It has a wide heads

Cons

• This racket is slightly underpowered
• It does not come with its own cover

Verdict

This tennis racket will be an ideal fit for players who want to improve their maneuverability since it is lightweight and has an extra 0.5 inches in length. Its reasonable price and durability will be an added advantage.

View price on Amazon

 

Head Graphene 360 Radical Pro Tennis Racket

This racket boasts Graphene Technology used to make it an efficient and powerful companion on the tennis court.

Features

• It has a length of 27 inches
• It has a head width of 98 square inches
• It weighs 11.5 pounds when strung
• The racket has a string pattern of 16 main by 19 across
• It is made using Graphene Technology

The Head Graphene 360 Radical Pro Tennis Racket is an excellent instrument that combines lightness and power, two aspects that are rarely seen together in a tennis racket.

The Graphene 360 technology allows the achievement of polarized weight, and it makes the racket feel quite solid upon impact with the ball. This technology also reinforces the entire perimeter of the racket, to further improve the racket’s response.

The racket also boasts a Dynamic String Pattern which facilitates optimal spacing between the main strings at the center of the racket. This feature gives more control to the player as they hit the ball and allows them to send the ball in the actually desired direction.

It also boasts a strong grip that further enhances its response to high impact balls. This racket will reward you with impeccable service and will handle aggressive passes with precision and power.

Pros

• This racket has a modern sleek design
• It is quite powerful
• Graphene Technology applied makes it strong and sturdy
• It has a dynamic string pattern feature
• It is quite light
• It is affordable

Cons

• It does not come strung
• You have to purchase its cover separately

Verdict

If you would like to feel like a master on the tennis court, this racket is the one for you. You will wield sheer power and precision in your hands, and you will be able to control the ball as you hit it. The ball will respond with a strong pop on impact and spin away past the net.

View price on Amazon

 

Babolat Pure Aero Tennis Racket

If you like a good baseline game, you will feel at home with this racket. It is known for packing a powerful punch and giving a good spin to the ball.

Features

• It is 27 inches long
• It has a head width of 100 square inches
• It has a strung weight of 11.2 oz.
• It has a string pattern of 16 main x 19 across
• It is made using graphite

The Babolat Pure Aero Tennis Racket is a favorite of many aggressive baseliners. It is known for its ability to generate power and spin. Weighing 11.2 oz. when strung, it is ideal for players whole like to play the offense. It has a swing weight of 324 pounds, making it ideal for plowing at full swing.

This racket has a special shock absorbing feature called the Active Cortex Technology. This feature absorbs shock sustained by the racket from the handle to the edges of the racket head. This makes it quite easy to handle and control, particularly when dealing with high impact passes.

The racket has an open string pattern of 16 x19. Another special feature, the Frame String Interaction Spin Technology, creates more space between the fifth and the twelfth cross strings. The oval grommets are also wider, an aspect that allows the strings to move more freely and to snap back into position much faster. The 100 square inch head width adds to the power of this racket. This Babolat Pure Aero swings rapidly through the air as a result of its Aeromodular design which makes variations in its form and shape in varying sections of the racket.

Pros

• It is quite powerful
• It is comfortable to use
• It yields incredible speed and spin
• It has a shock absorbing feature

Cons

• The frame is quite stiff
• It requires more control near the net

Verdict

If you are a player who likes to play at the baseline, you are going to enjoy using this racket. It is quite powerful and highly responsive, and it will give you the spin and speed you want. On the downside though, this racket is quite stiff.

View price on Amazon

 

Yonex EZONE 100 Tennis Racket

This racket is ideal for players who like a combination of lightweight and control. With this racket, you will be able to determine the amount of spin and power that goes into the ball.

Features

• It has a length of 27 inches
• It has a head width of 100 square inches
• It weighs 11.2 oz. when strung
• It has a string pattern of 16 main and 19 across
• The racket is made using M40X/HM Graphite

The Yonex EZONE 100 is made with the intermediate player in mind. It weighs 11.2 oz. when strung which makes for a light racket and easy swing. It combines flexibility for shock absorption and stiffness for power and punch.

The 16×19 string pattern is less dense than other rackets, which makes the racket fast and accurate in response. This racket is very comfortable to use due to its grommet structure. It allows the strings to move more freely on impact, lessening the vibrations sustained by the arm. The handle is reinforced with Quake Shut Gel that goes further in reduce the vibrations caused by impact.

The clever shape of the head makes your shots more powerful and adds quite a bit of spin to the ball. You also get to exercise a lot more control as you play.

 Pros

• It is comfortable to use due to its vibration dampening feature
• You can exercise more control with it
• It is flexible
• It gives good responses due to a responsive stringbed

Cons

• It is a bit underpowered

Verdict

The Yonex Ezone 100 is an ideal accessory for players who like a lot more control as they play. You will be able to determine the amount of power to put into your swing and the ball’s trajectory.

View price on Amazon

 

Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290)

 This racket is light and easy to swing, but it is also quite stable and gives great responses for high impact balls.

Features

• It has a length of 27 inches
• It has a head width of 100 square inches
• It weighs 10.8 oz. when strung
• It has a string pattern of 16 main x 19 across
• It is made using Textreme, Twaron and graphite

This racket is slightly lighter and more responsive than previous models. The weight is intentional, and it is made specifically for intermediate players. It has a standard length of 27 inches, which makes for easy swings when combined with the light 10.8 oz. weight.

The 16 x 18 string pattern makes the racket have a responsive string bed and gives the ball that extra spin when you hit the ball.

Vibration dampening is achieved by the Textreme X coupled with Twaron, making it quite comfortable to use, even for long hours at a time. You will be able to respond to volleys quite decently, and it maintains a great deal of stability even for its weight class. You will be in a position to serve with ample power and spin, and you will be able to control speed and trajectory.

Pros

• It is quite light
• It is maneuverable
• You can exercise more control
• It has a comfortable grip
• It has vibration dampening features

Cons

• It has significantly less power than other rackets

View price on Amazon

 

Final Verdict

This lightweight tennis racket is ideal for players who have a preference for more control, even if it means less power. The vibration dampening feature and lightweight make it great for use for long hours without fatiguing. It still manages to be quite stable even with its lightweight.

A Guide for the Best Rackets for Intermediate Players

When you go out looking for an ideal racket, what should you put into consideration? How can you identify a racket that will be suitable for you?

The Racket’s length

The standard length of a racket is 27 inches. However, some rackets are longer than this and others are slightly shorter. A standard length racket is always recommended unless you would like a bit more power. A longer racket will give you more reach, and you will be able to add more swing to it which subsequently yields more power. They are, however, more difficult to maneuver and aim.

The racket type

There are essentially three types of rackets. 

• Tweener Rackets

This racket is balanced in terms of weight distribution between the head and the grip. They give excellent and balanced control, power and stability. They are ideal for big and powerful hitters.

• Power Rackets

These rackets are suited for intermediate players. They usually have wide head widths, are longer and lighter than regular rackets. They yield more power when swung. They are also known as game improvement rackets.

• Control rackets

These types of rackets are characterized by smaller heads that allow the player to control them more easily. They can be longer or shorter than usual, and they weigh more than regular rackets. These are ideal for pros.

Grip

Adult tennis rackets have a range of between 4 inches and 4 5/8 inches. To know your grip size, measure the distance between the center of your palm and the tip of your middle finger. This length is the width of your grip.

The bad grip will give you instability and very little control. Too small a grip will make the racket slip from your hand every so often, and you will have to use quite a bit of energy to hold it in place. This will cause tour hands to fatigue fast, and you may not enjoy your game.

The other aspect you should consider is whether or not your palms sweat a lot. If you do, choose a racket that has a sweat absorption feature. You do not want your racket to go flying across the court due to excess sweat.

Weight

Tennis rackets range from anything between 8.4 ounces and 12 ounces. Lightweight rackets will result in better control and maneuverability but have little power. Midweight rackets have a balance between power and control and are ideal for intermediate players. Heavyweight rackets give more power and help to maintain control in fast swings.

Conclusion

As an intermediate player who is interested in growing and developing their skill, the above reviewed rackets will do you a great deal of good. It is important to understand what works for you as you play.

Always go for a racket that helps to strengthen your weaknesses in terms of stability and control, and one that will ensure that your strong playing attributes become better.

Do not be distracted by a racket’s physical appearance when buying one. Some tend to be very fancy, which is a good thing. However, test the racket to see that it will perform well on the court.