The Best Tennis Racquet For A Female Beginner

When my wife, who hasn’t played tennis in a long time, expressed an interest in playing again, I thought to myself – What is thebest tennis racquet for a female beginner?  So, in an effort to get the best racquet for my wife, I did some research, called some pro shops and even spoke to my local tennis facility.  I got real guidance and precise recommendations from the experts on racquets for female beginners and in this article, I’d like to share what I learned.

What is the best tennis racquet for a female beginner?  Well, after doing my research I’d say you can narrow it down to four fantastic racquets.  The Babolat Aero Lite for an all-around great feel.  The Babolat Pure Drive 107 if you want a bigger head size.  The Prince Beast 104L if you want the best lightweight racquet, or the Wilson 105s Countervail if you want additional power and spin.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Babolat Pure Drive Lite

  • 100 square inch Head Size
  • 27 inches long
  • 10 ounces – Very Light
  • Great for players moving up in skill
  • Large sweet spot

RUNNER-UP

Wilson Pro Staff 97

  • 97 square inch Head Size
  • 27 inches long
  • 11.7 ounces
  • Great for entry level players
  • Open strong pattern generates more power

BUDGET PICK

Wilson Pro Staff 97

  • 98 square inch Head Size
  • 27 inches long
  • 11.0 ounces
  • Versatile across many skill levels
  • MicroGel Technology for better shot impact and arm comfort

My Top Picks

-Best All-Around Feel –

Babolat Aero Lite

-Best Big Head Size Option –

Babolat Pure Drive 107

-Best Lightweight Option –

Prince Beast 104L

-Best Option for Power & Spin –

Wilson 105s Countervail

The Truth About Tennis Racquets For Female Beginners

Best Tennis Racquets for a female beginner

Here is something you might not know about tennis racquets:

They are ALL gender neutral.  There are NO tennis racquets designed specifically for female players or female beginners.  

A little surprising isn’t it?

There is no “one size fits all” approach here.  Every female beginner is going to want or need something different.  That’s why I’m not exactly recommending one of these racquets blatantly above the other three.

There is no clear winner.  It’s not that easy.

They all offer something unique for a female tennis player who is also a beginner.  I go into more detail around each racquet below but just know that these four, in my opinion, represent the best place to start.

There are literally hundreds of racquets to choose from (yes hundreds!) but…If you’re looking for a highly rated, quality tennis racquet from a reputable brand, but have absolutely no clue where to start…start here.  Start with these four.

I’ve removed all the ambiguity and done all the research in an effort to narrow your search and give you a simple place to start.

Are there other great racquet options?  Sure. But in my opinion these are the best tennis racquets for a female beginner to choose from. 

When Choosing The Best Tennis Racquet For A Female Beginner – Think Weight, Head Size & Price

Best Tennis Racquet For A Female Beginner

When I called the pro shops and even my local tennis facility – all the experts told me three similar things.

The all told me to consider three factors when choosing a tennis racquet for a female beginner:

The racquet’s weight.

The racquet’s head size.

And price.

Let me explain.

Racquet Weight

For a female player, swinging a heavier racquet is going to be more difficult.  That is why nearly every expert or coach is going to recommend a lighter racquet for a female beginner.

Most women tennis players are not going to have the arms that Serena Williams has.  And if you’re a female beginner who’s never swung a racquet before, you’ll definitely struggle with a heavier racquet.

The easier the racquet is to swing, the better form you’ll have.  And if you have better form, you’re going to hit better shots.

So when choosing a quality tennis racquet for her first time, choose one that is easy to swing.  And easier means lighter.

A heavier tennis racquet is going to require more arm strength.  Even if you’ve got the arm strength, it doesn’t mean you’ve got proper swing technique.

Choosing a lighter racquet is always a good idea for any female beginner because arm fatigue is a real thing.  And when arm fatigue sets in, tennis elbow might not be too far behind.

The racquet’s on this list are all considered the ideal weight for a female beginner however the Prince Beast 104L is the lightest.

Racquet Head Size

Head size is the next factor to consider.

Don’t confuse head size with overall racquet size.  A standard overall racquet size for any adult is 27 inches.  

However head size, can vary.

Common racquet head sizes can range from 100 (most common) to 102, 104, 105, 107 and 110.

So why does head size matter?

Well, for female beginners, bigger can mean better… or easier.

Think about it.  If the racquet head size is big, it’s more forgiving.  That means fewer miss hiss-hits or bad shots.

However, go too big, and the racquet will feel and play bulky and uncomfortable.

That is why the experts I spoke with all recommended racquet head sizes between:

100 and 110.

Anything smaller would be difficult to play with (not forgiving) and anything bigger is going to make a female player feel like their wielding a sledgehammer.

The racquets on my list range from 100, 104, 105, and 107.

If you’re a tall player, the105 or 107 is going to feel good.  If you’re a shorter player or petite, the 100 or 104 is going to work better.

Price

Finally, let’s talk price.

I’m going to be honest with you.

None of the racquets on my list that come highly recommended from experts are cheap.

They’re all over $150.

But, there is a reason for that.

They’re more expensive because they’re made with high-end materials like graphite or carbon fiber.  Carbon fiber and graphite are both VERY lightweight!

These types of materials are designed to lessen vibration on impact and reduce arm strain.  They’re called vibration dampening systems and cheaper racquets don’t have them.

Trust me, they’re worth it.

I’ve been advised many times to NOT stroll into my local sporting goods store and buy a $50 racquet off the shelf.

Why?

Well for starters, they’re cheap for a reason.  These racquets are made from aluminum (not carbon fiber or graphite) so they’re heavier and come with no vibration dampening system.

This means the racquet is heavier, will feel heavier and comes with the biggest risk for arm fatigue and arm injuries.

The only place where an aluminum racquet makes the most sense is for kids.  If you’ve got kids or grandkids, I highly suggest you read my racquets for juniors article.

So, can you buy a cheaper $50 racquet from a big box retailer?  Yes. But I wouldn’t advise. It won’t be as easy to swing. It won’t feel as comfortable and you’ll be replacing it a hell of a lot sooner.

Spend the extra money and get a quality racquet designed to last and best suited for a female, beginner tennis player.

The Best Tennis Racquets For A Female Beginner – My Top 4

Best All-Around Playability – The Babolat Pure Aero Lite

The Pure Aero Lite from Babolat is one of the company’s most popular racquets.  And for good reason.

It’s known for it’s all around great feel and smooth playability despite any players skills level.

At 10.1 ounces due to its graphite frame –  which is designed to reduce drag and increase swing reaction time – its a real beauty to swing.

Babolat calls this their patented Aeromodular beam technology and they incorporate it directly into the head of the frame.

Combine its ease of use with its featherweight feel and you’ve got a racquet perfect for female beginners.

But what I like best about this racquet, and what makes it great for a female beginner, is it’s wider stringbed spacing.

The Pure Aero Lite has a string pattern of 16×19 (16 horizontal lines and 19 vertical lines) which is the industry standard but Babolat widened the space between them to give the hitter more pop and power.

Some companies will reduce the stringbed pattern to create a more open stringbed and produce a trampoline like effect for added power…but that also reduces control.

Babolat was able to add power without sacrificing a ton of control by keeping the traditional string pattern intact.

For grip size I’d recommend a 4 ¼ size or smaller if you’ve got really small hands.

Best Big Head Size Pick – The Babolat Pure Drive 107

My second racquet recommendation is another one from Babolat.  The Pure Drive 107 has a bigger head size vs the Aero Lite. If you’re a woman on the taller side, this racquet might be your best option.

Here’s why:

It’s 107 head size comes in handy for taller beginners because it creates a much bigger sweet spot and allows you to utilize a much larger area of “hitters real estate.”

It’s got a graphite frame and weighs in at just 10.7 ounces when strung.  This is exceptional considering its larger overall size.

Speaking of size, in addition to the bigger head size offered here, Babolat snuck in a little extra length to the overall racquet.  It’s technically 27.2 inches long vs 27.0 inches long.

.2 inches might not sound like much but when you combine the larger head size with the longer frame, you’ve got a racquet that can pack some serious head speed!

That’s what I like best about this racquet.  If you’re a tall woman, you’re going to love the swing speed generated by this racquet.  It’s a thing of beauty to watch the baseline to baseline power this racquet can produce!

For grip size, I’d recommend a 4 ¼ length.  Maybe 4 ⅜ if you’ve got long fingers.

Best Lightweight Pick – The Prince Beast 104L

The Beast, technically called the Beast Textreme from Prince was recommended to me because it’s one of the best lightweight racquets on the market.

The standard graphite Beast model is very lightweight on its own, coming in at 10.5 ounces.  But the Lite model is an extraordinary 9.7 ounces!

Despite its feathery weight, the Beast 104L provides outstanding comfort, touch and feel due to a unique string technology Prince has incorporated called 03 Technology.

This string tech gives the strings themselves a much greater range of movement.  This allows the string pattern to absorb more vibration on impact, giving the player an extra sense of touch.

Especially at the net.

Like the racquets mentioned above, the Beast also features a standard 16×19 string pattern.

When I did my homework on this racquet, I quickly began to marvel at how well this racquet was engineered from front to back by the folks at Prince.

My favorite part about this racquet is how well it was built to provide a little bit of everything!  It’s so versatile! Probably the most versatile racquet on my list!

It’s graphite frame is stabilized by an aramid fiber called Twaron.  This provides both supreme lightweight comfort and rock solid stability.

You’ll notice this because this racquet rebounds hard shots remarkably well!

Throw in the extra head size length at 104 square inches and you’ve got a larger, lighter, forgiving racquet that can take a pounding and deliver one right back!

Best For Power And Spin – The Wilson 105s Countervail

The final racquet on my list of the best tennis racquets for a female beginner is the 105s Countervail from Wilson.

Wilson is probably my favorite tennis racquet maker right now.  Infact, my two sons only play with Wilson Racquets.

Like the name implies, the 105s has a larger 105 square inch head size for a more forgiving swing for newer players.

The 105s is the one racquet on my list more geared towards a slightly more experienced player because of what it’s designed to provide.  If you’re a brand new player to tennis but are athletic and play sports, this is a great option because it’ll provide a little extra power and spin.

In fact, that’s what the “s” stands for in the name…SPIN.

If you think you’ll pick up the hand/eye coordination and swing technique pretty quickly, you’ll love this racquet.  Female players who play a few times and quickly start to want more performance from their beginner racquet are going to appreciate what the racquet gives them.

It’s ideal for quick learners.  Plain and simple.

What I love most about this racquet is it’s string pattern.  It’s the only racquet on my list with a string pattern of 15×16.  That’s 15 crosses with 16 up and down.

Fewer strings on your racquet creates a string bed for the ball to lay on that creates a mini trampoline like effect on the ball.

And fewer strings allows the ball to actually stay on the string bed longer.  This gives the racquet its ability to spin the ball and propel it back with way more power.

For newer players, having a racquet that provides its own power mechanics (via the open string pattern) is preferred versus having to generate power manually through your arm and swing.

This unique 15×16 string pattern gives the 105s Countervail more power and more spin than any other racquet I’ve covered here.  That’s why it’s the best option for those wanting a little more performance from a starter racquet.

Again for grip, I’d go with a 4 ¼ size grip.

Best Tennis Racquet For A Female Beginner – Final Thoughts

If you’re a female beginner, looking for the best racquet options, I hope this article has given you some direction.  There are tons of beginner racquet options but none of them are specifically tailored towards a female player.

That’s I’ve specifically selected racquets that are lightweight.  Some also have a larger head size and ALL of them are made from big-time tennis brands.

Are there other great racquet options available?  I’m sure there are. But the racquets I’ve selected are the ideal weight for newer female players, come standard with vibration dampening systems, and proper string patterns to help a first time player get more performance despite still learning the basics of swing form and technique.

Don’t forget, these racquets for female beginners come highly recommended from my local tennis outlets and the pro shop manager of the tennis facility my kids have taken lessons from.  So, these are legit recommendations.

If you’re playing with one of these racquets, leave a comment below.  If you think I’ve left out a great option that you love, let me know what it is!  The more feedback I get from you, the more we help our entire tennis fan community!

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