RACQUET SCIENCE — using physics to help select a racquet

Rankings: Racquets for expert 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. The difference between these rankings and those for weak players is that the macrocriterion of Dexterity is not included here. If you are intermediate strength and above, you should use these rankings.

Legend
Abbreviation Meaning
ES Elbow safety
SS Shoulder safety
WS Wrist safety
EF Efficiency
Sum Weighted sum
Rankings
Rank Racquet ES SS WS EF Sum
1 Prince Graphite Classic OS 2 1 2 1 7
2 Yonex Muscle Power 3i 1 3 1 3 8.5
3 Head i.prestige Mid 4 2 8 8 24
4 Cayman Pro Heat II 3 15 13 2 34.5
4 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 5g 7 9 10 5 34.5
6 Head Classic MP 6 6 3 20 38
7 Yonex RD Ti-70 Long 98 5 17 11 4 39.5
8 Babolat Pure Control 9 4 21 17 55.5
9 Cayman Catalyst II 8 12 26 10 60
10 Weed 3/4 Weed XL 19 19 7 6 60.5
11 Volkl Quantum 10 RAP 18 20 4 11 62
12 Prince Triple Threat Graphite OS 15 8 6 30 66.5
13 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Zone 7.1 10 16 14 29 74
14 Babolat VS Control 14 7 16 34 78
15 Prince Triple Threat Warrior OS 26 13 12 18 82
16 Prince Triple Threat Warrior MP 12 5 17 46 86
17 Yonex RD Ti-70 88 11 14 23 35 88.5
18 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1500 Long 105 20 33 15 12 90
19 Prince Triple Threat Rebel MP 23 10 5 43 92.5
20 Prince Triple Threat Graphite MP 20 11 18 37 96
21 Volkl C10 Pro 12 25 39 22 104
22 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 MP Stretch 23 22 37 15 108.5
23 Cayman Pro Smash II 17 23 29 32 109.5
24 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 7g 31 26 27 16 115.5
25 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-50 16 34 55 14 127
26 Dunlop 300G 98 32 21 19 45 133
26 Prince Triple Threat Vendetta MP 34 18 9 55 133
28 Cayman Pro Talis II Long 28 39 32 25 138
29 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-80 22 42 54 13 142
30 Prince Triple Threat Graphite Mid 36 27 36 42 159
31 Yonex Ultimum RD Ti-50 Long 29 51 60 7 161.5
32 Babolat Pure Control + 35 29 57 26 164.5
33 Yonex MP Tour-1 Mid 30 34 58 44 181
34 Cayman Pro Talis II 23 44 80 24 182.5
34 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1700 Long 98 39 55 50 19 182.5
36 Cayman Catalyst II Pro 27 40 98 9 187.5
37 Volkl Quantum V1 OS 52 36 28 47 189
38 Volkl V1 Classic 43 30 40 64 198.5
39 Babolat Pure Power Zylon 360 49 37 40 50 200.5
40 Head i.Prestige MP 33 45 75 36 205.5
41 Head i.S9 OS 67 50 25 33 208.5
42 Prince Triple Threat Vendetta OS 56 37 24 66 211
43 Head I.S18 73 55 30 21 215.5
44 Slazenger Pro Braided 44 32 63 56 217
45 Cayman Excel Comp II 38 30 44 93 224
46 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.5 MP 47 47 33 76 226.5
47 Prince Triple Threat Hornet OS 63 52 51 31 228.5
48 Prince Triple Threat Attitude MP 63 28 38 70 230.5
49 Cayman Energizer II 40 54 44 73 231
50 Prince Triple Threat Hornet MP 53 23 53 78 233.5
51 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Surge 5.1 48 49 61 52 234
52 Babolat Pure Drive 49 41 73 51 238.5
53 Fischer Pro No. One 37 57 94 38 244.5
54 Volkl Catapult 3 70 66 46 28 245
55 Volkl Quantum 10 Tour 45 62 81 48 258.5
56 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Extreme 6.7 59 64 34 75 261.5
57 Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 MP 42 43 102 56 264
58 Prince Triple Threat Bandit OS 74 53 22 84 270
59 Head i.S2 MP 67 47 42 83 272.5
60 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 20 76 46 48 67 275
61 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 Light OS 72 63 20 89 280
62 Fischer GDS Rally FT Titanium 61 73 77 40 281.5
63 Topspin TPC1000 61 64 105 27 287.5
64 Wilson Pro Staff Original 6.0 85 41 67 116 49 293.5
65 Babolat Soft Drive 71 57 55 77 295.5
65 Fischer Pro Tour FT Air Carbon Ti 51 68 129 22 295.5
67 Volkl Quantum V1 MP 66 60 67 71 297
68 Yonex MP Tour-1 MP 46 61 101 68 299
69 Head I.Radical OS 65 86 90 41 314.5
70 Volkl Catapult 1 91 74 49 58 317.5
71 Babolat Soft Power 78 59 65 78 319
72 Volkl Quantum 5 82 82 70 54 329
73 Cayman Energizer II Pro 55 76 106 65 329.5
74 Topspin CL 633 57 75 111 60 331.5
75 Prince Graphite Classic MP 54 80 133 61 355
76 Prince Triple Threat Scream OS 83 69 59 105 357.5
77 Fischer Pro Extreme 69 82 145 39 369.5
78 Pro Kennex Ti Intensity PBT Reach 85 71 67 109 374.5
79 Weed T-Zone 94 79 34 127 381
80 Babolat VS Drive 99 81 31 123 383.5
81 Volkl Quantum Force 86 82 64 110 385
81 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 Stretch MP 94 70 62 112 385
83 Volkl Tour 10 Mid 60 87 123 87 387
84 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 OS 90 88 47 125 395
85 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.2 MP 84 91 77 102 396
86 Volkl Catapult 2 103 92 88 62 396.5
87 Head Classic Mid 58 88 121 104 400
88 Pro Kennex Kinetic Pro 15g 102 90 66 101 410
89 Volkl Tour 8 87 95 135 53 413.5
90 Babolat Pure Control Zylon 360 79 100 118 80 416.5
91 Head i.S2 OS 110 85 83 85 418
92 Head I.Prestige MP XL 77 98 114 91 418.5
93 Prince Triple Threat Sovereign OS 122 77 52 107 419
94 Wilson Triad Pro Staff 6.0 MP 81 95 148 59 423.5
95 Prince Triple Threat Bandit MP 91 71 83 134 424.5
96 Dunlop Spirit 110 97 121 96 63 425.5
97 Dunlop Vision 102 105 105 79 86 427.5
98 Head I.S10 125 103 72 72 434.5
99 Head i.extreme MP 96 112 110 69 435
100 Dunlop Vision 110 109 108 76 90 437.5
101 Head i.Speed MP 98 93 95 103 438
102 Dunlop Spirit 100 89 100 115 92 440.5
103 Head i.S4 MP 104 98 90 97 441
104 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 97 101 77 82 131 441.5
105 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 Stretch OS 123 95 42 129 450.5
106 Prince More Dominant OS 119 105 74 96 453.5
107 Babolat Pure Drive Zylon 360 106 110 93 95 457
108 Dunlop 200G 95 75 115 143 88 458.5
109 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-1700 Long 110 93 117 107 98 461.5
110 Prince Triple Threat Attitude OS 114 93 86 120 470
111 Topspin CL 603 80 112 152 94 478
112 Volkl C-10 Pro OS 88 123 151 74 480
113 Head I.Radical MP 100 135 122 81 488
114 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 MP 112 102 71 148 489
115 Weed T-Zone Plus 113 130 85 111 495.5
116 Prince More Game OS 124 107 90 114 497
117 Gosen Carbon Plus I 107 109 100 128 497.5
118 Dunlop Inferno 118 128 116 108 82 498
119 Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 OS 127 121 69 118 498.5
120 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3 Light MP 115 111 87 135 505.5
121 Volkl Quantum 8 RAP 111 119 117 106 508.5
122 Pro Kennex Type S 108 119 130 116 527
123 Blackburne DS-107 116 103 103 152 532
124 Fischer GDS Spice 121 133 124 99 537.5
125 Gosen Carbon 15 135 130 88 137 557.5
126 Prince More Thunder OS 130 126 120 117 558
126 Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.2 OS 118 123 139 119 558
128 Fischer GDS Spirit 120 140 126 113 559
129 Cayman Strike X 126 112 125 136 562
129 Head I.S12 144 134 97 115 562
131 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 22 134 128 112 126 567
132 Prince More Game MP 132 125 119 132 574
133 Topspin CL 628 116 129 142 130 575
134 Dunlop Inferno 110 131 145 132 108 581.5
135 Babolat VS Power 141 127 99 151 588.5
136 Blackburne Excalibur Ti 107 133 118 126 150 593.5
137 Head i.S4 OS 141 147 138 100 596.5
138 Cayman Airlite 129 144 131 147 615.5
139 Cayman Sidewinder Ti 143 154 109 141 618.5
140 Yonex Muscle Power 5i MP 137 141 144 133 623.5
141 Fischer GDS Take Off 710 138 151 149 122 629
142 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.2 OS 136 146 137 144 631
143 Dunlop Inferno 104 147 143 147 121 631.5
144 Cayman Energizer Ti 145 157 104 154 632.5
144 Head I.S6 OS 149 139 128 142 632.5
146 Pro Kennex Core 1 No. 24 146 132 141 145 637
147 Prince Triple Threat Scream MP 140 137 157 139 643
148 Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.2 MP 139 138 146 155 647.5
149 Head I.S6 MP 148 152 153 124 651
150 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-2000 Long 120 159 141 113 161 653.5
151 Fischer GDS Take Off 1210 154 160 136 140 667
152 Wilson Hyper Hammer 4.0 MP 151 150 154 138 668.5
153 Wilson Hyper Hammer 2.7 158 136 140 159 672
154 Yonex Ultimum RQ Ti-2000 Long 110 156 148 134 157 673
155 Yonex Muscle Power 5i OS 153 153 150 149 681.5
156 Yonex V-Con 20 150 155 159 143 682
157 Yonex V-Con 20 155 158 163 146 699.5
158 Gosen Tri Tube 400C 152 159 156 158 701
159 Fischer GDS Take Off 910 160 161 155 156 712
160 Babolat VS Nanotube Drive 164 149 157 166 718
161 Wilson Triad Hammer 3.0 161 164 160 153 718.5
162 Wilson Triad Hammer 4.0 OS 157 162 161 162 720.5
163 Wilson Triad Hammer 5.0 OS 162 163 165 164 735
164 Babolat VS Nanotube Power 167 156 162 167 735.5
165 Wilson Triad Hammer 4.0 MP 163 165 164 163 736.5
166 Wilson Triad Hammer 2.0 Rollers 165 167 167 160 741.5
167 Wilson Triad Hammer 5.0 MP 166 166 166 165 746