Weight
If a racquet is too light, too much of the shock of its collision with the ball gets transmitted to your arm. If we were all strong enough, we'd be best off with racquets weighing 14 ounces or more, but even 12 ounces can feel pretty heavy to a beginner. A weight between 10 and 11.5 ounces should be a good choice for a beginner, and many players will stay in the that range throughout their development.
Balance
Balance describes whether the weight of the racquet is distributed more toward the head (head-heavy) or the butt (head-light). Which is better is a matter of some debate. Many advanced players prefer heavy racquets that are balanced head-light to improve maneuverability, but these racquets have less stability than racquets with more head weight. Your beginner racquet should probably have a balance within five points (5/8") of even either way.
Gimmicks
Whatever it is, you probably don't need it, and you might not even want it. Racquets have gotten too good. People are enjoying them for too long. The racquet industry sometimes struggles to find something new to drive sales. Avoid anything exotic for your first racquet. Let more experienced players sort out what is and isn't a good idea. If a racquet has some built-in shock absorption with an impressive name (most do), that's fine, but watch out for new stringing systems, head shapes, and extreme balance points.
Play-testing
It's hard for a beginner to give a racquet a reliable play test, but you can compare a handful of racquets, looking for the following:
- Does the racquet feel solid on impact with the ball?
- Are there any annoying sounds or vibrations?
- Does it feel too heavy on serve and overhead motions?
- Does one racquet feel more maneuverable than another?
- Which racquet seems to hit the ball deep for you, but not out?
See also: Finding Your Grip Size.
