How to Choose a Junior Tennis Racquet: Sizing by Age and Height, Weight, Strings

Buying a junior racquet is one of the few decisions where the "wrong" choice is genuinely harmful rather than merely suboptimal. Too heavy or too long and a child cannot swing properly, so they learn compensations (a pushed forehand, a serve that is all arm) that take years to undo. Too light or too short for too long and they never learn to use the racquet's mass. This guide gives the sizing most coaches use, explains what matters beyond length, and tells you when to move up.

The sizing chart

Junior racquets come in lengths from 19 to 26 inches, with 27 inches being the standard adult length. Height matters more than age; the ages below are a rough guide only.

The quick test: have the child stand upright holding the racquet by the handle with the arm hanging straight down at their side. The tip of the frame should sit roughly at the ground without them having to bend or lift. If it clears the ground by a few centimetres, that is acceptable and leaves room to grow. If it is well off the ground, it is too short; if they have to lift it, it is too long.

If a child is between sizes, most coaches lean to the shorter racquet for players under eight and the longer one for players over ten, because the older child's technique can usually cope with a slightly longer frame and will grow into it within a season.

Why length is only the first question

Two 25-inch racquets can feel completely different. Three other numbers matter.

Weight

Junior frames at a given length range from very light aluminium "starter" racquets to graphite frames that are small versions of adult models. The general rule: the lightest racquet that still feels solid at contact. Too heavy is the serious error, because a child will compensate with the arm and shoulder. Too light is a lesser error but makes the ball feel unstable and encourages wild swinging.

For 25- and 26-inch frames, the better graphite models sit in the region of 240–260 grams unstrung. Aluminium starter racquets at the same length can be heavier in the head and feel sluggish despite being cheap. Once a child is playing more than once a week, the move to a graphite frame is usually worth it.

Balance

A head-heavy racquet (more of the weight towards the strings) adds power but is harder to swing quickly and harder on the arm. For juniors a more even balance or slightly head-light balance is kinder and helps them learn to generate racquet-head speed themselves.

Grip size

Junior racquets usually come in one grip size per length and it is nearly always small enough. The test is the same as for adults: hold the racquet with a forehand grip and check that the index finger of the other hand fits between the fingertips and the heel of the palm. Too small is correctable with an overgrip; too large is not correctable and causes wrist and forearm strain. When in doubt, go smaller.

Red, orange, green: the ball matters as much as the racquet

Junior tennis in most countries uses a staged system of balls and court sizes. Red balls are large, soft and slow, played on a small court; orange balls are a little faster on a three-quarter court; green balls are close to a standard yellow ball but with less bounce, played on a full court. The system exists because a seven-year-old cannot develop real technique against a yellow ball that bounces over their head.

The racquet should match the stage. A 21- or 23-inch racquet with red balls; 23 or 25 with orange; 25 or 26 with green. Parents sometimes buy a 26-inch frame for a six-year-old "to save money later". It does not save money; it delays technique.

Strings: the part everyone ignores

Junior racquets come pre-strung from the factory, usually with a basic synthetic string at a moderate tension, and for the first year or two that is fine. Three things to know once a child is playing regularly:

• Avoid stiff polyester strings for young players. Polyester ("poly") strings are what the professionals use for spin and control, but they are stiff and transmit a lot of shock. In a child whose growth plates are still open, they are a known contributor to arm and wrist complaints. Stick with synthetic gut or a multifilament until the mid-teens, and even then consider a hybrid rather than a full poly bed.
• String at the lower end of the recommended range. A lower tension gives more power and a softer feel, which is what a developing player needs. Look for the tension range printed on the frame and string a couple of kilograms below the middle.
• Restring when it goes dead, not when it breaks. Junior players rarely break strings, so the strings go soft and lose their resilience long before they snap. Once a season is a sensible minimum for a child playing twice a week.

Three frames coaches keep recommending

Models change every season and manufacturers rename them, so the list below is a set of starting points rather than a definitive ranking. Each is a graphite junior version of a well-known adult frame. None of them is wrong for a child in the right size bracket; the differences are in feel.

If you are choosing between a "power" frame and a "control" frame for a junior, choose power until the child is routinely hitting the ball long. At that point they are generating their own power and a more controlled frame will let them keep swinging freely.

When to move up a size

Move up when two of the following are true:

1. The height test shows the racquet clearly off the ground when held at the side.
2. The child is comfortably completing the ball stage for the racquet (e.g. playing green ball well with a 25-inch).
3. The coach says the swing looks "quick and easy" with the current racquet and the child is not being outhit by peers using the next size.
4. The child has been on the current size for at least a season.

Do not move up because a tournament is coming. A new racquet, even a well-chosen one, costs a few weeks of timing.

Moving to a full-size adult racquet

This is the big one and the one most often rushed. A 27-inch adult frame is not just longer; it is usually heavier (270–300 grams unstrung for lighter adult models) and often more head-heavy. The signs a child is ready are a height over about 155 cm, the ability to serve with a proper leg drive and a relaxed arm, and no history of arm pain. When they do move, pick a light adult frame (under 285 grams unstrung), not a tour model, and have it strung soft with a multifilament. Many strong juniors stay on a 26-inch into their early teens and lose nothing by it.

A note on second-hand and hand-me-downs

Second-hand junior racquets are a perfectly good idea provided the frame is not cracked (run a fingernail around the hoop and check the throat) and the grip is replaced. Strings should be redone regardless of how they look. Hand-me-downs from an older sibling are fine if the size is right now, not if the child will "grow into it".

Summary

• Size by height first, using the arm-hanging test.
• Prefer the lightest graphite frame that feels solid; avoid head-heavy aluminium once a child plays regularly.
• Match racquet to ball stage; do not skip stages.
• Soft strings, lower tension, restring yearly, no polyester for young arms.
• Move up on evidence, not on the calendar, and never right before a tournament.

For how racquet choice fits into the bigger coaching picture and how much a parent should be spending overall, see how to manage your child's tennis coaching.