balance point The point on a tennis racket at which it will balance. This is an indication if most of the rackets weight is towards the head of the racket or it’s handle.
butt cap The cap attached to the bottom of the handle that is slightly bigger than the handle itself and provides an obvious feel for where the end of the handle is.
frame Another way to refer to a tennis racket. Taken literally, the frame is the racket minus the grip and strings.
grommet The plastic pieces surrounding the outer edge of the racket head and protect the strings from rubbing against the frame.
head The upper portion of the racket that contains the strings.
head size The size of the racket’s head, usually measured in square inches and ranges from 90 to 130 and above.
kevlar A type of solid core string that is extremely stiff and preferred by people who want to avoid breaking strings at all costs.
lead tape Tape that can be added to a racket to alter it’s weight, balance and swingweight.
multifilament A snythetic string made of many nylon fibers that plays similarly to natural gut.
natural gut A classic type of string that is very responsive and is made from cow intestine.
over grip A thin grip that is wrapped around the regular grip to absorb sweat and provide tackiness. Over grips are designed to be disposable and changed frequently.
polyester A stiff type of string that is very popular among professional players because of it’s control and spin potential.
stiffness / flex The stiffness of a racket frame. It’s usually measured in the range of 55 to 75.
swingweight The amount of force required to rotate a racket around it’s handle as if it were being swung.
synthetic gut A solid core synthetic nylon string that is cheaper and more stiff than multifilament, but much less stiff than polyester and kevlar.
throat The area of a tennis racket that joins the head to the handle.
Tags: how to choose a tennis racket, tennis racket terminology