Children and adults have different racquet needs. Unlike adults, as children age, their arm strength and hand-eye coordination improve. It is essential to pair them with a junior racquet that matches their strength and coordination. This will promote skill development while reducing negative arm effects.
Junior-sized racquets are differentiated by length. The total range includes: 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25 and 26 inch racquets. As kids grow taller and stronger, they will need a longer racquet. As the racquet length increases so does its weight. As well, the racquet’s sweet spot moves further away from the handle and more closely mimics an adult racquet’s.
Most junior racquets from 17 to 23 inches are made purely of aluminum. This makes the racquet very light and extremely maneuverable. Racquets 24 inches and above start to include graphite (the material of all adult racquets)-aluminum hybrid. At 26 inches, most junior racquets are composed of 100% graphite. By gradually adding graphite it allows for greater torsional stability as your child hits faster and stronger. Each progressive racquet is designed to slowly ready your child for a full-length, fully weighted racquet.
NOTE: This guide is intended for recreational junior players, of average size, up to approximately 13 years old. High performance players will likely move through this range onto adult racquets much quicker.
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