Since its appearance, tennis consistently ranks among the top of people’s favorite sports. A racket is their “weapon” with the player, and choosing the suitable one is extremely important. To meet the various demands of customers, manufacturers have developed and offered an enormous number of rackets based on different criteria.
Among these products, the most famous ones would be 16×19 and 18×20. But you may wonder what the difference is between a string pattern tennis racket 16×19 vs 18×20. This article is created to solve your concern.
String Pattern Tennis: Tennis Racket 16×19
Tennis racquet 16×19 is classified in the group of open string patterns because its squares are pretty large. Generally speaking, compared with other types of the racquet, the distance between strings is considered spacious.
When using a racquet 16×19, the players can easily control the ball because the unique design allows the string to dig in, grab the ball and immediately send it out with the appropriate amount of spin. It is easier to hit the ball with depth, power, and spin. Hence, if you are a newbie in this sport, consider starting with a racquet 16×19.
String Pattern Tennis: Tennis Racket 18×20
While 16×19 belongs to the open string pattern, the racket 18×20 is considered a denser one. Compared with other types of denser patterns, the 18×20 would be the most famous racket. The tight string spacing of the 18 x20 is suitable for those who use flatter shots rather than spin one.
Besides, this model also supports the ball falling into the line while allowing the player to pass through the ball. Simply put, the dense string pattern is very suitable for hitting and cutting shots.
Watch this video to know more about string patterns: Improve Your Tennis Knowledge: String Patterns Explained
Detailed Comparison of String Pattern Tennis: Tennis Racket 16×19 Vs 18×20
When considering the two rackets, you can realize that they are similar in some aspects:
- Meaning of figure: If you are a fresh player, you likely don’t know what the numbers in the racket name mean. For the two rackets and any other types, while the first number refers to the number of vertical strings (run vertically from the throat to the tip of the frame), the second points out the horizontal amount. Take the case of a tennis racket 16 x19, for example. It has 16 vertical and 19 horizontal strings.
Horizontal surpass vertical strings: This characteristic is like a rule of thumb. It is the shape of the racket that decides this feature.
There are many differences between the tennis racket 16×19 vs 18×20, including:
- Flexible movement: Compared to the two types of rackets, the 16 x 19 can have more movement than another. This experience comes from the fact that the racket 16 x 19 is more spacious, which enhances the ability to catch the ball.
- Connection with the ball: Because there is less movement, the dense string pattern allows you to feel more connected once the ball touches the racket. In other words, your feelings come from the ball itself, not the racket effect.
- Controlled ability: The target customer of dense racket is those with professional skills. Hence, once you are an expert, the 18 x 20 supports taking a larger, long swing at the ball. On the other hand, the 16 x 19 racket is lighter.
- Duration of the racket: Remember that the open string pattern is more likely to be spoiled because the small number of strings forces them to bear more significant influences when the ball touches the racket. That is not a big deal with a dense pattern because its more excellent strings can allocate the strength of the coming ball.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How often should I change my strings?
When raising this question with expertise, the response you receive would be: consider how frequently you use it. For example, if you play tennis weekly, the ideal time to change your racket would be after four months.
You can use this instance as a reference and recalculate it to figure out the exact times to change your racket. The time also contributes to the damaged process. The longer you use the racket, the more quality it decreases.
Learn how to string a tennis racket here.
- How to choose a tennis racket?
You should consider your situation to choose a racket. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced player, remarkably decide which racket is suitable for you.
- Fresh player: As a fresh player, you should choose a light racket to start first. These rackets allow you to have time to adapt to sport without causing severe difficulties. You should look for features such as oversize head size, lighter frame, more power.
- Intermediate tennis player: When you reach this level, you can add weight to the racket while reducing the size of your head. It is because, after a period of playing this sport, your muscles have developed enough for you to carry weighted objects. The characteristic should change to oversize or mid-plus head size, medium weight, more control.
Click here to choose a racket for the intermediate players.
- Advanced player: Similar characteristics like the two types mentioned above should be considered. However, it is time to upgrade the level of a racket to best support your skills. Consider using midsize head size, heavyweight frame, and most control racket.
In conclusion, there are several significant differences between the string pattern: tennis racket 16×19 vs 18×20 in terms of functions, structures, etc. Hopefully, the content illustrated above can give you valuable knowledge about them and support you when deciding which one is better to suit your preference.