RACQUET SCIENCE — using physics to help select a racquet

Rankings: Racquets for weak players

The following overall rankings are based on the official database of racquet measurements done by technicians at the U.S. Racquet Stringers Association, published in their magazine.

The rankings under the macro criteria were weighted thus: 1.5 * Elbow Safety + Wrist Safety + Shoulder Safety + Efficiency + 0.5×Dexterity. The difference between these rankings and those for expert players is that the macrocriterion of Dexterity is included here.

Legend
Abbreviation Meaning
ES Elbow safety
SS Shoulder safety
WS Wrist safety
DX Dexterity
EF Efficiency
Sum Weighted sum
Rankings
Rank Racquet ES SS WS DX EF Sum
1 Yonex Muscle Power 3i 1 3 1 49 3 33
2 Cayman Pro Heat II 3 15 13 65 2 67
3 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 5g 7 9 10 77 5 73
4 Prince Graphite Classic OS 2 1 2 146 1 80
5 Head Classic MP 6 6 3 103 20 89.5
6 Volkl Quantum 10 RAP 18 20 4 63 11 93.5
7 Head I.Prestige Mid 4 2 8 147 8 97.5
8 Yonex RD Ti-70 Long 98 5 17 11 129 4 104
9 Weed 3/4 Weed XL 19 19 7 97 6 109
10 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1500 Long 105 20 33 15 51 12 115.5
11 Prince Triple Threat Graphite OS 15 8 6 119 30 126
12 Cayman Catalyst II 8 12 26 135 10 127.5
12 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Zone 7.1 10 16 14 107 29 127.5
14 Babolat Pure Control 9 4 21 156 17 133.5
14 Prince Triple Threat Rebel MP 23 10 5 82 43 133.5
16 Prince Triple Threat Warrior OS 26 13 12 116 18 140
17 Babolat VS Control 14 7 16 145 34 150.5
18 Prince Triple Threat Warrior MP 12 5 17 150 46 161
19 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 22 42 54 45 13 164.5
20 Dunlop 300G 98 32 21 19 64 45 165
21 Yonex RD Ti-70 88 11 14 23 160 35 168.5
22 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-50 16 34 55 85 14 169.5
23 Prince Triple Threat Graphite MP 20 11 18 148 37 170
23 Prince Triple Threat Vendetta MP 34 18 9 74 55 170
25 Volkl C10 Pro 12 25 39 141 22 174.5
26 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 7g 31 26 27 127 16 179
27 Cayman Pro Smash II 17 23 29 143 32 181
27 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 MP Stretch 23 22 37 160 15 188.5
29 Prince Triple Threat Graphite Mid 36 27 36 66 42 192
29 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-50 Long 29 51 60 61 7 192
31 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1700 Long 98 39 55 50 58 19 211.5
32 Head i.S9 OS 67 50 25 14 33 215.5
33 Head I.S18 73 55 30 3 21 217
34 Cayman Pro Talis II Long 28 39 32 166 25 221
35 Babolat Pure Power Zylon 360 49 37 40 46 50 223.5
36 Cayman Pro Talis II 23 44 80 92 24 228.5
37 Cayman Catalyst II Pro 27 40 98 86 9 230.5
37 Volkl Quantum V1 OS 52 36 28 90 47 234
39 Prince Triple Threat Hornet OS 63 52 51 26 31 241.5
40 Babolat Pure Control + 35 29 57 164 26 246.5
40 Yonex MP Tour-1 Mid 30 34 58 131 44 246.5
41 Prince Triple Threat Vendetta OS 56 37 24 87 66 254.5
41 Volkl Catapult 3 70 66 46 19 28 254.5
41 Volkl V1 Classic 43 30 40 112 64 254.5
45 Head i.Prestige MP 33 45 75 108 36 259.5
46 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.5 MP 47 47 33 78 76 265.5
47 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Surge 5.1 48 49 61 66 52 267
48 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Extreme 6.7 59 64 34 21 75 272
48 Slazenger Pro Braided 44 32 63 125 56 279.5
50 Prince Triple Threat Attitude MP 63 28 38 109 70 285
51 Babolat Pure Drive 49 41 73 94 51 285.5
52 Fischer Pro No. One 37 57 94 93 38 291
53 Prince Triple Threat Bandit OS 74 53 22 47 84 293.5
54 Volkl Quantum 10 Tour 45 62 81 78 48 297.5
55 Head i.S2 MP 67 47 42 56 83 300.5
56 Fischer GDS Rally FT Titanium 61 73 77 47 40 305
57 Cayman Excel Comp II 38 30 44 165 93 306.5
58 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 Light OS 72 63 20 54 89 307
59 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 20 76 46 48 72 67 311
59 Prince Triple Threat Hornet MP 53 23 53 157 78 312
61 Topspin TPC1000 61 64 105 52 27 313.5
62 Cayman Energizer II 40 54 44 166 73 314
62 Babolat Soft Drive 71 57 55 38 77 314.5
64 Volkl Quantum V1 MP 66 60 67 50 71 322
65 Volkl Catapult 1 91 74 49 13 58 324
66 Head I.Radical OS 65 86 90 30 41 329.5
67 Babolat Soft Power 78 59 65 38 78 338
68 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 MP 42 43 102 150 56 339
69 Fischer Pro Tour FT Air Carbon Ti 51 68 129 110 22 350.5
70 Volkl Quantum 5 82 82 70 69 54 363.5
71 Wilson Pro Staff Original 6.0 85 41 67 116 154 49 370.5
72 Yonex MP Tour-1 MP 46 61 101 150 68 374
73 Prince Triple Threat Scream OS 83 69 59 66 105 390.5
74 Babolat VS Drive 99 81 31 24 123 395.5
75 Topspin CL 633 57 75 111 130 60 396.5
76 Weed T-Zone 94 79 34 41 127 401.5
77 Volkl Quantum Force 86 82 64 37 110 403.5
78 Cayman Energizer II Pro 55 76 106 160 65 409.5
79 Volkl Catapult 2 103 92 88 32 62 412.5
80 Head i.S2 OS 110 85 83 8 85 422
81 Prince Graphite Classic MP 54 80 133 138 61 424
82 Fischer Pro Extreme 69 82 145 114 39 426.5
83 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 15g 102 90 66 35 101 427.5
84 Dunlop Spirit 110 97 121 96 11 63 431
85 Dunlop Vision 102 105 105 79 15 86 435
85 Head I.S10 125 103 72 1 72 435
87 Prince Triple Threat Sovereign OS 122 77 52 42 107 440
88 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 Stretch MP 94 70 62 113 112 441.5
89 Dunlop Vision 110 109 108 76 12 90 443.5
89 Head i.extreme MP 96 112 110 17 69 443.5
91 Pro Kennex Ti Intensity PBT Reach 85 71 67 140 109 444.5
92 Head i.Speed MP 98 93 95 21 103 448.5
93 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 OS 90 88 47 111 125 450.5
94 Head i.S4 MP 104 98 90 23 97 452.5
95 Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360 79 100 118 74 80 453.5
96 Volkl Tour 10 Mid 60 87 123 136 87 455
97 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.2 MP 84 91 77 124 102 458
98 Babolat Pure Drive Zylon 360 106 110 93 9 95 461.5
99 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 Stretch OS 123 95 42 25 129 463
99 Volkl Tour 8 87 95 135 104 53 465.5
101 Dunlop Spirit 100 89 100 115 53 92 467
102 Wilson Triad Pro Staff 6.0 MP 81 95 148 115 59 481
103 Head Classic Mid 58 88 121 163 104 481.5
104 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 97 101 77 82 83 131 483
104 Prince More Dominant OS 119 105 74 59 96 483
106 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1700 Long 110 93 117 107 62 98 492.5
107 Head I.Prestige MP XL 77 98 114 158 91 497.5
108 Prince Triple Threat Bandit MP 91 71 83 149 134 499
109 Dunlop Inferno 118 128 116 108 6 82 501
109 Head I.Radical MP 100 135 122 44 81 510
111 Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 OS 127 121 69 33 118 515
112 Prince Triple Threat Attitude OS 114 93 86 99 120 519.5
113 Dunlop 200G 95 75 115 143 132 88 524.5
114 Prince More Game OS 124 107 90 57 114 525.5
115 Gosen Carbon Plus I 107 109 100 70 128 532.5
116 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 Light MP 115 111 87 76 135 543.5
116 Volkl C-10 Pro OS 88 123 151 134 74 547
118 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 MP 112 102 71 117 148 547.5
119 Fischer GDS Spice 121 133 124 28 99 551.5
120 Volkl Quantum 8 RAP 111 119 117 88 106 552.5
121 Topspin CL 603 80 112 152 150 94 553
122 Weed T-Zone Plus 113 130 85 120 111 555.5
123 Pro Kennex Type S 108 119 130 73 116 563.5
124 Head I.S12 144 134 97 5 115 564.5
125 Gosen Carbon 15 135 130 88 31 137 573
126 Fischer GDS Spirit 120 140 126 29 113 573.5
127 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 22 134 128 112 34 126 584
128 Dunlop Inferno 110 131 145 132 7 108 585
129 Prince More Thunder OS 130 126 120 60 117 588
130 Head i.S4 OS 141 147 138 2 100 597.5
131 Cayman Strike X 126 112 125 80 136 602
131 Blackburne DS-107 116 103 103 154 152 609
133 Prince More Game MP 132 125 119 99 132 623.5
134 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.2 OS 118 123 139 142 119 629
135 Cayman Airlite 129 144 131 40 147 635.5
136 Head I.S6 OS 149 139 128 10 142 637.5
137 Babolat VS Power 141 127 99 101 151 639
138 Dunlop Inferno 104 147 143 147 20 121 641.5
139 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 107 133 118 126 118 150 652.5
140 Topspin CL 628 116 129 142 159 130 654.5
141 Head I.S6 MP 148 152 153 16 124 659
141 Yonex Muscle Power 5i MP 137 141 144 71 133 659
143 Cayman Sidewinder Ti 143 154 109 96 141 666.5
143 Fischer GDS Take Off 1210 154 160 136 4 140 669
145 Fischer GDS Take Off 710 138 151 149 91 122 674.5
146 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.2 OS 136 146 137 89 144 675.5
147 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-2000 Long 110 156 148 134 18 157 682
148 Cayman Energizer Ti 145 157 104 123 154 694
148 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-2000 Long 120 159 141 113 81 161 694
150 Prince Triple Threat Scream MP 140 137 157 106 139 696
150 Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 MP 151 150 154 55 138 696
152 Yonex Muscle Power 5i OS 153 153 150 35 149 699
153 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 24 146 132 141 126 145 700
154 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.2 MP 139 138 146 121 155 708
155 Fischer GDS Take Off 910 160 161 155 26 156 725
156 Wilson Triad Hammer 3.0 161 164 160 43 153 740
157 Yonex V-Con 20 150 155 159 122 143 743
158 Wilson Hyper Hammer 2.7 158 136 140 144 159 744
159 Gosen Tri Tube 400C 152 159 156 102 158 752
160 Yonex V-Con 20 155 158 163 128 146 763.5
161 Wilson Triad Hammer 4.0 OS 157 162 161 95 162 768
162 Wilson Triad Hammer 4.0 MP 163 165 164 84 163 778.5
163 Babolat VS Nanotube Drive 164 149 157 137 166 786.5
164 Wilson Triad Hammer 5.0 OS 162 163 165 105 164 787.5
165 Wilson Triad Hammer 5.0 MP 166 166 166 98 165 795
166 Babolat VS Nanotube Power 167 156 162 138 167 804.5
167 Wilson Triad Hammer 2.0 w/Rollers 165 167 167 133 160 808