Racket for a 12 year old girl?

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snoflewis

Legend
so i played with my sister, who's never played tennis for the first time today. and from what i saw today...she's got quite a bit of potential. she was using my old Triad 4.0 OS, which is 110 sq in, 9.9 oz strung, 311 SW and 27.5 in long. she was complaining that the racket was too heavy for her....which i find surprising...but come to think about it, i dont find this racket to be maneuverable at all...not to mention the grip is about a full size too large for her. so that leads me to think that this racket is not suitable for her, and i dont want her to learn on an oversized beginner racket...i want her to focus on hitting cleanly and not switch rackets later on.

so im thinking of buying her a racket..by no means is it gonna be like a racket i use...but im considering getting her a babolat pure storm. it's light enough, AND it's got a low SW. i dont think a head heavy racket would suit her since she's pretty weak, so a somewhat headlight racket w/ a low SW would work for her imo. despite my hate for babolat....my sister needs that extra boost in power and the specs seem to be good for her.

as for specs...she'd need:
headsize: 98-103
27 inches
weight: less than 11
SW: less than 320
stiffness: less than 65
and we'll start her off with a 16 main pattern.

at this point, the racket would need to appeal to her aesthetically as well since she's still young and she needs to like how it looks before she uses it...

so any other suggestions?
 
take her out to demo some rackets get her to choose some in your price range and have her hit with them and let her choose whats right for her. If she gets something she wants and likes she will have more of a reason to stay with it
 
Just get her one of those juniors Wilson racquets, like the Barbie ones. She said that 9.9 oz was too heavy, so looking for one under 11 isn't good enough.

edit: maybe Junior racquets are too small >_<. I started off with a Head TiS1, it was very light, long and had a huge string bed. TW.com doesn't sell it anymore, but they have 2 other racquets in that line. Either that or the head LM prestige, at 90 sq in and over 12 oz it would be perfect for her!
 
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lookitstrevor said:
Just get her one of those juniors Wilson racquets, like the Barbie ones. She said that 9.9 oz was too heavy, so looking for one under 11 isn't good enough.

edit: maybe Junior racquets are too small >_<. I started off with a Head TiS1, it was very light, long and had a huge string bed. TW.com doesn't sell it anymore, but they have 2 other racquets in that line. Either that or the head LM prestige, at 90 sq in and over 12 oz it would be perfect for her!
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static weight doesnt mean much....i've used 12.2 oz rackets that swung lighter than some 11 oz rackets....that's why i said that a more headlight balance might suit her. even if it's a little heavier because that would make it more maneuverable. i dont think you really read my post because i could have sworn i mentioned the SW issue, the HL balance issue, and the fact that i want her to start off with at least a midplus so that she focuses on hitting clean...i dont want her to start off w/ a junior racket because that's not a racket that she can develop with. and she'll grow out of that frame within a matter of months.
 
Banks said:
take her out to demo some rackets get her to choose some in your price range and have her hit with them and let her choose whats right for her. If she gets something she wants and likes she will have more of a reason to stay with it
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that's what im thinking of...i'll just have her go to the store, look at a couple of frames that might suit her and take it out for a demo. but the truth is...she doesnt really know what she wants, so at this point, as long as it looks nice...she'll probably be happy with it.
 
My 11 year old plays on a Prince Junior 03 hybrid. I'm getting ready to upgrade her to something a little bigger. Maybe a Hybrid Hornet 4 1/8 grip.
 
Kids used to swing wooden racquets, so weight shouldn't be a big issue. Proper technique is more important. Light racquets encourage wrist damage via bad technique, and so do racquets with excessively large heads.

Get a headlight, moderate weight, flexible, midplus.

Do not worry about a player needing a "boost in power". She's only 12. Power comes from proper technique first. More racquet mass can translate to more power with greater safety. The most important issue at her age is keeping her body safe. You should make sure she has the best possible shoes, gut string, and a soft racquet. All the power she can muster now is meaningless if her body breaks down earlier than it should becomes of wear and tear when she's young.

No head heavy feather weight stiff giant headed racquets that people like to sell to junior girls! If you want power, use gut and string at a fairly low tension. That's the safest way to produce power.

When Seles was a junior, she played with a Prince Graphite oversize. That is an excellent choice for a junior player, particularly when strung with gut.
 
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to the above comment... it seems pretty stupid to give a 12 year old girl that is just starting to play gut strings... esp if money is an issue.

The prince 03 white seems like a good option. aesthetically pleasing, and easy to hit with while still allowing her to grow into it.
 
superstition said:
Kids used to swing wooden racquets, so weight shouldn't be a big issue. Proper technique is more important. Light racquets encourage wrist damage via bad technique, and so do racquets with excessively large heads.

Get a headlight, moderate weight, flexible, midplus.

Do not worry about a player needing a "boost in power". She's only 12. Power comes from proper technique first. More racquet mass can translate to more power with greater safety. The most important issue at her age is keeping her body safe. You should make sure she has the best possible shoes, gut string, and a soft racquet. All the power she can muster now is meaningless if her body breaks down earlier than it should becomes of wear and tear when she's young.

No head heavy feather weight stiff giant headed racquets that people like to sell to junior girls! If you want power, use gut and string at a fairly low tension. That's the safest way to produce power.

When Seles was a junior, she played with a Prince Graphite oversize. That is an excellent choice for a junior player, particularly when strung with gut.
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i see your point about juniors in the old days...and i agree...that's partly why ive decided to get her a midplus racket. if people back in the day cna swing wooden rackets...she should have no problem swinging a midplus....im leaning towards the pure storm because it's flexible, has a softer stringbed because of the woofer, and is light enough. Im gonna back off the gut for now. if i did get her a racket, i'd probably string it w/ PSGD at 17g around midtension just so the racket doesnt feel too dead at first.

as for shoes....she doesnt move around enough for me to even consider getting her actual tennis shoes lol...but i've already thought about it.
 
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HeadPrestige said:
to the above comment... it seems pretty stupid to give a 12 year old girl that is just starting to play gut strings... esp if money is an issue.
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No, it's not stupid. Gut is the safest and most efficient string. In a flexible racquet, and especially with regular duty balls, it should last a long time. It also holds its tension well.

The key is to use A grade gut.
 
snoflewis said:
Im gonna back off the gut for now. if i did get her a racket, i'd probably string it w/ PSGD at 17g around midtension just so the racket doesnt feel too dead at first.
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At least get a multi.

as for shoes....she doesnt move around enough for me to even consider getting her actual tennis shoes lol...but i've already thought about it.
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Then your priorities are completely out of whack. The shoes are the most important consideration for a young girl playing on hard court. You could get her a $60 racquet, or a $30 used racquet, and use some of the leftover money for gut and good shoes.
 
For what is worth, I saw a local tourney and the girl that won the U14 was using a Pure Storm. I think it's a good choice because it has good power, it's arm friendly and it's fairly light. As far as string, I think you should go well below midtension, maybe closer to 50 lbs, with a soft, powerful and cheap string like Yonex 880 Soft or similar.
 
Advice from a dad is what you asked for so here goes. My daughter turns 14 next week and has used prince warrior or wilson npro open since she was 11. After trying out many heavier rackets I just bought her a POG mid which she loves. Don't worry about weight for now, there is a multitude of good rackets on tw's liquidation page- demo a bunch of them. Her top choice will likely have more to do with the paint job than anything else anyway.

Agree with another poster- plenty of decent & cheap rackets so get her a decent pair of shoes. Spend $70 on a racket instead of $ 170 to make it happen.

As for gut, my kid (and me) plays with a gut/duraflex hybrid. It's safe on the arm and a great value. My 2 cents.
 
superstition said:
At least get a multi.


Then your priorities are completely out of whack. The shoes are the most important consideration for a young girl playing on hard court. You could get her a $60 racquet, or a $30 used racquet, and use some of the leftover money for gut and good shoes.
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i'll probably stick w/ a multi, but i dont really see why there's a need for good tennis shoes....perhaps you could enlighten me. she's got decent enough running shoes...and yes, i'll get her good tennis shoes after that, but until then, i think she'd be fine w/ what she has...
 
Running shoes are designed for movement forward. They are NOT stable for lateral movement, so obviously they should not be used for tennis. Besides, the hard outsoles on running shoes will tear up tennis courts... be considerate of your fellow tennis players and obtain shoes which are meant for tennis.

I suggest the Prince Thundercloud. It's still available after all these years and can be purchased for a song now. Light and easy to swing, easy to generate spin, yet not so powerful that a player has to use an abbreviated stroke.
 
snoflewis said:
i'll probably stick w/ a multi, but i dont really see why there's a need for good tennis shoes....perhaps you could enlighten me. she's got decent enough running shoes...and yes, i'll get her good tennis shoes after that, but until then, i think she'd be fine w/ what she has...
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Unless she is moving her feet as much as a good 3.0 junior or is really fast, the shoes don't really make a difference until you get her taking a LOT of lessons and she can keep a nice deep rally going.
 
Jonny S&V said:
Unless she is moving her feet as much as a good 3.0 junior or is really fast, the shoes don't really make a difference until you get her taking a LOT of lessons and she can keep a nice deep rally going.
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that's what im thinking....

it probably sounds like im not considering other people's advice...but i really am. i asked because i had no idea about girls junior players....

i've picked up a pure storm and kzen team demo...kzen doesnt seem to be a suitable racket as it's way too stiff and too light...not to mention the head heavy balance.
 
Big Bubba

Buy her a 32" Big Bubba 137. It's only 9oz (500+ swingweight) :twisted:
 
Bud has no idea what he's talking about:rolleyes: She needs a K Six Tour natural gut in the mains and poly in the crosses. That's the only way she will be halfway decent;)
 
Noveson said:
Bud has no idea what he's talking about:rolleyes: She needs a K Six Tour natural gut in the mains and poly in the crosses. That's the only way she will be halfway decent;)
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Nice tweener that K Six-One Tour. Use it until she's ready for a 6.0 85.
 
snoflewis,

A few racquets that are popular with the junior girls in our tennis programme (beginner to advanced) and available through TW

Prince O3 Hybrid Shark
Prince Shark
Head Liquidmetal 4
Dunlop M-Fil 300
Prince Triple Threat Scream

The Head LM 4 and Shark are the most popular right through the playing levels. If she liked either of them she'd have little need to up-grade.
 
Movement is secondary when thinking about shoes. The main point is protecting the girl's ankles, knees, and back. However, with running shoes, you're looking for a twisting ankle.
 
Have your sister play in what she's got and if she wants to take up the game seriously she can get some real tennis player shoes. For right now I don't think she'll be perfect with her footwork so great shoes probably wouldn't be that important at this point considering that she won't be running down every shot playing like Nadal or something.
 
n62

The wilson nsix two is looks pretty good.
Its 10 1/2 oz and low swingweight, and the stiffness is right at 65.
It also doesn't carry a hefty price tag comparing to the pure storm therefore allowing to get a pair of real tennis shoes.
And I just love the black and white paintjob of the frame.
Hope this helps! :D
 
1st, as someone mentioned, the shoes are the 1st priority. Running shoes have cushioning in the heels. They have NO lateral stability. Playing any sport that requires lateral movement (tennis, basketball, etc) in running shoes will eventually lead to a sprained or twisted ankle. They don't have to be expensive tennis shoes. You just want something that is made for tennis, or at the very least, crosstraining.
2nd--the racket should be standard length. A 9.9oz racket isn't heavy. It feels heavy in your sister's case because it's long. The longer the frame, the higher the swingweight--all else being equal. I would stick with a standard 27" long racket, 100-110" in head size, that is listed as HL (headlight). If you can find a nice older TiRadical or iRadical OS for about $50, string it loose (low 50's), it will be fine.
 
paraeljuego said:
The wilson nsix two is looks pretty good.
Its 10 1/2 oz and low swingweight, and the stiffness is right at 65.
It also doesn't carry a hefty price tag comparing to the pure storm therefore allowing to get a pair of real tennis shoes.
And I just love the black and white paintjob of the frame.
Hope this helps! :D
Click to expand...

the pure storm won't cost me too much....$140 no tax...so we're looking at $130ish + tax. :-D
 
Steve Huff said:
1st, as someone mentioned, the shoes are the 1st priority. Running shoes have cushioning in the heels. They have NO lateral stability. Playing any sport that requires lateral movement (tennis, basketball, etc) in running shoes will eventually lead to a sprained or twisted ankle. They don't have to be expensive tennis shoes. You just want something that is made for tennis, or at the very least, crosstraining.
2nd--the racket should be standard length. A 9.9oz racket isn't heavy. It feels heavy in your sister's case because it's long. The longer the frame, the higher the swingweight--all else being equal. I would stick with a standard 27" long racket, 100-110" in head size, that is listed as HL (headlight). If you can find a nice older TiRadical or iRadical OS for about $50, string it loose (low 50's), it will be fine.
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yea...i see why shoes are important and i defintely agree...but my sister barely moves at all...and even then, she's played basketball in everytype of shoes except stable ones...and has never rolled an ankle. im not saying she's never gonna roll an ankle...but i'd like to see whether she will really need them at this exact moment or not.

Steve Huff, i definitely agree w/ the racket comment. the racket she tried is too long, too head heavy, and just unwieldy....i let her swing the mspeed 98 SL and she found it heavier..b.ut not by much, which made me lean toward the pure storm...as your specs state, it's light, it's 27", and it's headlight. i think 98 would be perfect because it would make her look at the ball...which is something that beginners dont really do. i plan to string in the low 50s...probably like 52....now i need multifilament suggestions.

im not really too familiar w/ multis, since i hate them and their lack of ability to hold tension...but i've tried a few like NXT, sensation, nrg2... any suggestions? i know nrg2 is incredibly soft...i'd liek to hit a budget of about $10 - $15 per set...which i guess is pretty much any good multi..i doubt she's gonna break it within the next year...so 17 gauge sounds fine. im mainly looking for something that's soft..but not dead (xcel premium)...im thinking the yonex multis and nrg2...any more suggestions?
 
thanks for all the recommendations guys....i picked up the pure storm, just finished stringing it w/ nrg 17g at 52...now im gonna order her some shoes sometime next week.
 
snoflewis said:
thanks for all the recommendations guys....i picked up the pure storm, just finished stringing it w/ nrg 17g at 52...now im gonna order her some shoes sometime next week.
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Get a couple rolls of headtape, seriously. Babolat bumperguards are the flimsiest, thinnest, easiest to break of all times. Volkl's are almost as sweet as a CAP grommet set. Lots of protection.
 
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