Okay, so the nipper is getting quite good at tennis so I need to get some lessons to (try to) keep up. I am somewhat bewildered regarding what I should spend, what I should be looking for etc etc.

I’m a pretty hard hitter so emphasis will be more on control than out and out power. I’ll occasionally play at club level but I’m not too serious about it. So, open question, what kind of budget should I be looking at (sub £100 I would hope) and any suggestions on actual racket appreciated.

You really need to try some out if you can. The club shop where I was a member would lend you a few to do some hitting with to get an idea. But you will pay top whack usually buying from a club shop. Otherwise, do you have friends you can borrow from?

And rackets will have all sorts of information on them about whether they are for power/control etc – if not sure just go for a balanced one.

Other than that – get a good name, I have a Babolat and a Wilson most recently – and make sure the grip is the right size of you will end up with tennis elbow.

There’s some truth in the manufacturer blurb, but in tennis it’s a lot worse than cycling so I’d just stick with what you’ve already got if you’re comfortable with it and invest the money in lessons with a decent coach, and practice. In addition to the coaching you could consider paying someone to “hit” with you. I don’t mean going out and playing sets, but rallies focussed on a particular shot, or shot combo. For example, work on your down the line forehand/backhand, or my favourite session, my cross-court forehand/backhand to the other player’s down the line forehand/backhand. These are the sessions that will make you improve. This will buy you the best return in terms of real improvement because you will work on your strokeplay and your movement.

If you’ve not got time for this then I suggest you up your tennis specific fitness. Short sprints, side to side movements, back pedalling, skipping, flexibility training. Cheap, doable even in a small garden and they are time efficient.

Almost none of the pros play with what’s actually on the market. Their rackets are usually the ones they’ve played with since they were about 16 painted to look like what they’re currently flogging.

If you just want to buy a shiny new racket, then pick your favourite pro, go to a shop and buy the racket you think he/she is playing with, or ask for a club version of it. The latter will be lighter, and probably a larger head size to compensate for club players’ lack of technique and strength.

If you still want to just indulge in some retail therapy, the money is better invested in a good pair of shoes. This is one place where the manufacturer is not conning you. The shoes of today versus what I could buy 20 years ago are light years ahead. Lighter, more breathable and perhaps more durable too. Rackets haven’t changed much or at all.

For lessons joining a club usually works out cost effective. They often have group training and coaches who will do you a cheap 1:1. They will likely also have a junior program for the nipper. My club is £90 for 6 months for ‘improvers’. That includes 10 group lessons and unlimited use of the courts.

@ac505 if the nipper is getting good at tennis the priority is lessons for him not you. You’ll never keep up, you may delay the inevitable a bit, you may enjoy the lessons yourself and playing with your son and that’s ok of course. As above join an LTA approved club, for him.

I just play socially at my club to get my skills up. To be honest the hardest part about playing my son is adjusting to how hard to hit it between knocking up with him and the adult games.

I just went through the racquet thing a few months back. My previous one was 20 years old (a very expensive prince one) and I ended up buying a Wilson Fierce BLX (probably about 60 quid over there) It feels like it has a lot more control to be honest and I am playing better with it. It has a lighter head than I was used to so I’m able to get more spin on the ball.

Maybe consider getting a ball machine for you boy to practice against, it will be more consistent and feeding him balls.

For your racket get a reasonable quality frame with a swing weight that you like and then get it decently strung with quality strings and a tension you like.