Last Updated on August 29, 2022 by grubdunkman

Tennis Racquet Canada 2022 buyer’s guide. We tried hard to stay within a budget, then looked at our draft list and realized that we compromised quality by trying to save cash, scratched out a few potential candidates and decided to make it a list for beginner player who is looking to advance to intermediate level. This way the list looks more fun. We ended up staying within a budget of 290 CAD for unstrung racquet. The lowest price in our Top10 is 150 CAD.

Key parameters of a tennis racquet to pay attention to before you start shopping:

• Material
• Weight 
• Head size
• Grip size

Material

Almost all modern intermediate level tennis racquets are built from graphite composites. Aluminum and titanium been considered outdated and left to recreational level.

Graphite being durable and robust, while also lightweight. Racquets made of it ensure flexibility as well as power. Stiffness of graphite lets vibration from the hit transfer to the arm of the player, which provides control.

Weight

Average weight of the tennis racquet ranges from 255 to 320 grams. When choosing a weight, first of all pay attention to your physical parameters. The weight is important as with the addition of every gram the feeling of play changes and probability of injury increases. Therefore, it is better to choose a lightweight racquet and increase the weight gradually while improving your play. On the other hand, choosing a racquet which is too light can reduce the effectiveness of your practice. Following this principle we stayed within a range between 285 and 300 grams for unstrung racquet with 300g being the most popular weight.

Head size

Head size of tennis racquet can vary from 95 to 110 square inches, while it is recommended to start with a slightly oversized head (which is 102 sq in and more), most beginner to intermediate players tend to stay with 100. Smaller 98 sq in racquets are left for advanced level, large head and wide rim of 100 sq in tennis racquets have a bigger sweetspot which forgives off-center hits and allows mistakes while still providing control and power. All 10 racquets we reviewed are 100 square inches head size.

Grip size

Pay attention to choose a racquet with a handle that suits the size of your palm. While tennis specialized stores personnel will make sure you are choosing the correct equipment, some general sports stores assistants won’t pay attention, so you better be prepared before you shop. Look for the number at the bottom of handle to find the grip size. Manufacturers indicate it from 0 to 5. It is important to choose the thickness of the handle correctly. When you hold it, the middle and thumb fingers should not touch, and if they do, this means the handle is too small for you, there should be a distance of about 1cm ( a bit less than 1/2 inch) between them. Handle size chosen incorrectly increases the risk of hand injury and decreases control. More on handle grip size you can read here.

While choosing places to buy a tennis racquet in Canada we paid attention not only to the price, but also to availability of different grip sizes, free delivery option and other deals such as a lower price when you buy two. Most racquets are available at more than one store, you can click on the link to see one of them.

The stores that made it to our list are:

Rackets & Runners from Vancouver
TennisZon, Montreal
Tennis Pro Sport, Quebec City
Racquet Guys, Toronto (Markham)
Merchant of Tennis, Toronto and Oakville
Control the ‘T’ Sports, Waterloo

For tennis racquet Canada buyer’s guide we examined couple other stores carefully in an attempt to include them to our list, but they couldn’t compete by the price or were out of stock.

Our list of Beginner to Intermediate tennis racquets available in Canada 2022

Racquet	Price, CAD	UnstrungWeight, g
Babolat Pure Drive	269.98	300
Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP	269.00	295
Wilson Clash 100 Special Edition	249.95	300
Yonex Vcore 100 300g 2021	279.99	300
Babolat Pure Aero 2019	279.95	300
Head Instinct MP 2022	169.00	300
Wilson Blade 100L v8 2021	289.00	300
Prince Ripstick 100 300g 2021	239.95	285
Dunlop CX 400	269.00	300
Wilson Burn 100s v4	179.00	300

Here is what we know or read about these racquets starting from the bottom of the list:

10. Wilson Burn 100s v4 featuring string pattern of 18 mains and 16 crosses this racquet introduces a unique spin experience which every player that aims for intermediate level may want to try. Additional bonus is that the racquet comes pre-strung.

9. Dunlop CX 400 provide a nice balance of power and spin. It also offers great maneuverability, feel, control and comfort. Definitely worth a try if ever you get a chance. This racquet also has spectacular appearance with red and black colour scheme.

8. Prince Ripstick 100 300g 2021. Players compare this racquet with Wilson Clash and Babolat Pure Aero, both in our list. The aesthetic appearance makes the frames of the Ripstick series easily recognizable and unusual. If that is not enough the racquet provides great balanced level of power, control and stiffness.

7. Wilson Blade 100L v8 2021. New version of Blade series that was reeked in September 2021 features big sweet spot and provides great hitting power, high flexibility makes it stable racquet for intermediate players. Tight 16/19 pattern offers good control.

6. Head Graphene 360+ Instinct MP. Maneuverable racquet with great feel and control. Power and spin it provides will be a great advantage in your journey advancing your play. We also liked the colour scheme of the racquet.

5. Babolat Pure Aero 2019. We’ve chosen 2019 version of the racquet designed for Rafael Nadal over 2021 version to stay within our announced budget. The Pure Aero features world class power and control, especially at forehand and serve.

4. Yonex EZONE 100 power and control of this racquet, which is the only representative of Yonex brand in our list, as well as ability to provide high level of spins makes it a great choice for both offensive play and defense.

3. Wilson Clash 100 Special Edition. Clash line uses specially engineered flexibility technology called FreeFlex by the manufacturer, while having similar weight and size as others in the review it has unique feel and provides control and maneuverability that needs you to try.

2. Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP 2021. The racquet with massive sweet spot that beginner players will love, the racquet features flip design in bright colors. Provides access to spins and control which makes it great choice that will serve up to advanced level, where you will probably choose heavier racquet with smaller head size.

1. Babolat Pure Drive. This new generation of legendary racquet made it to the top of our list for its stiffness, traditional power and control. Great at baseline it also features higher energy returns on off centre shots. We also could not disregard visual component as well, this racquet has stunning aesthetic appearance.

Photos: Dreamstime, SportsGearMag