Round
Sweet spot: centre, large.
Plays: controlled, forgiving, comfortable.
For: beginners, control players, arm pain.
Teardrop
Sweet spot: slightly high.
Plays: balanced power and control.
For: most intermediate players.
Diamond
Sweet spot: high, smaller.
Plays: powerful, demanding.
For: advanced attackers.
Round
The mass and sweet spot sit in the middle of the face, close to your hand. Off-centre hits still go where you aim, and the racket is easy to manoeuvre. You give up some power on smashes.
Teardrop
Wider at the top, the sweet spot moves up the face. You get noticeably more power on overheads while keeping most of a round racket's forgiveness. It's the most popular shape among club players for good reason.
Diamond
The sweet spot is high and the balance is head-heavy, which turns fast swings into very hard smashes. Mishits are punished, and the extra weight in the head can strain the elbow. Choose one only if you already hit the sweet spot consistently.
Hybrid
Some rackets sit between shapes, usually between round and teardrop or teardrop and diamond, for players who want a bit of both.
Which should you choose?
- First year, or elbow pain: round.
- Playing weekly and wanting more power: teardrop.
- Competitive, attacking, clean technique: diamond.