Question: Are extra-long tennis racquets better?
Answer: The pros and cons of extra length are much debated. As length increases, so does power, but, some argue, at too much cost in maneuverability. A longer racquet is most often recommended to shorter players, who will benefit most on the serve, both because of the extra reach and because the serve swing pivots sharply at the wrist, making the swing radius shorter. With a short swing radius, the extra racquet length make a larger difference, proportionally, so players whose groundstrokes pivot more at the wrist will also get the most added power from extra racquet length. Racquets up to an inch overlong are fairly popular, but racquets with more than an inch of extra length have almost disappeared from the market, probably because players found that much length too unwieldy.
