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There are several factors that should be considered when choosing a tennis racquet for your child. These include:

- Their age
- Length and weight of racquet
- Cost
- How committed they are to the sport
- What they want!

Before looking at these factors, it's perhaps worth starting with my own introduction to the sport. Both my parents played tennis and we would watch Wimbledon each year as a family. It was perhaps inevitable therefore that I would start playing tennis. My dad bought my younger brother and I two identical cheap wooden racquets. A first useful point to note from this is that if you're buying for more than one child it's a good idea to get them identical racquets - that way you avoid tantrums over who plays with the 'favourite' racquet!

I quickly took to tennis and was actually quite good. The fact that I was using a racquet that was more or less full length wasn't really a hindrance but the weight of the racquet did have one consequence. I didn't have the strength in my wrist to play single-handed backhands so I developed a double-handed backhand that was my pride and joy. It was just like the double-handed backhand that my hero had - Jimmy Connors! Whilst the Connors influence might have meant that I'd have opted for that style of play anyway, it does highlight that sometimes a full sized racquet can be tricky for very young kids.

This leads directly onto my first consideration; namely what age is your child? If they're under seven then I'd certainly recommend a kid's lightweight and short tennis racquet. This will enable them to hit their shots freely. For older children, though, having a short racquet is extremely uncool. I would have been horrified if I'd been forced to play with a kid's racquet when I was nine or ten!

With regards the length and weight of racquet it's a case of considering the individual circumstances, such as the age and strength of your child. Short light racquets are obviously easier to wield and won't tire your child out so quickly. However, they are limited in terms of playing the sport competitively. As your kid progresses and wants to play matches against their peers, they may be disadvantaged if playing against a kid who has the benefit of the extra reach afforded by a full sized racquet.

Cost needs to be considered too, especially if your child is only just taking up the sport. Most kids go through phases of wanting to try out lots of different sports and it's by no means certain that their interest in tennis will be long-lived. I'd always suggest a fairly basic racquet for a beginner and then you can always get them a better more expensive racquet if they fall in love with the sport. It's worth remembering that at beginner level a $200 racquet won't make much difference compared to a $30 racquet!

If, however, your child has been playing tennis for a few years and lives for the sport, then you could maybe splash out a bit and get them a slightly more snazzy racquet.

Of course, though, there's one other factor to consider, namely what they want! Okay, your six year old might not have any strong view on which racquet they want (perhaps beyond choice of colour?) but your eleven year old might have very strong opinions on which racquets are good (and cool) and which aren't. And this may be influenced by what their friends or their tennis heroes are using. To avoid disappointment, therefore, it may be worth asking if they have a preference.

Tennis is a great sport and one that sadly is often overlooked compared to other sports such as soccer, football, or golf. Hopefully, though, by buying your kid that first racquet and taking them to their local tennis courts, you will be starting a love affair with the sport that will continue for many decades!

Learn more about this author, Simon Wright.
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