The Myth of Impartial Racket Reviews

In the world of tennis, equipment reviews have become a staple for players of all levels. Whether you’re a recreational player or an aspiring professional, chances are you’ve turned to YouTube or various websites like this one for advice on which racket to buy.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most racket reviews aren’t impartial, and even if they are – are they useful?

The Financial Reality Behind “Independent” Reviews

To understand why most racket reviews can’t be trusted, you must follow the money—or rather, the lack of it.

Many YouTubers and bloggers who review tennis rackets don’t make enough money from their content to afford to buy every new model on the market. This financial reality creates a dependency on manufacturers, who often send them rackets for free in exchange for a review. 

Unfortunately, if an independent reviewer slams a racket too harshly, the brand may cut them off: they will no longer receive free rackets, content, or views.

The other prominent racket reviewers are sports retailers who are there to sell you the rackets, so the chances of them criticising a new release are near zero.

The result is a cycle in which reviewers feel pressured to endorse the products they receive at least partially, leading to glowing reviews that may not reflect the racket’s true quality or performance. 

Take the recent release of the RF 1.0 racket, for example. Every prominent racket reviewer had a video up within hours of the launch, most of them singing its praises. Had any of them even played it for an extended period?

A few savvier reviewers sprinkled in some mild critiques to avoid looking too eager, but the overall tone was overwhelmingly positive. This synchronised wave of content isn’t a coincidence; it’s a well-orchestrated effort to create buzz and drive sales, which is fair enough, but the videos aren’t always transparent about that.

The Broken Model of Racket Reviews

Beyond the issue of financial dependence, racket reviews have a fundamental flaw. Tennis is an intensely personal sport, and the racket that works wonders for one player might be a nightmare for another.

This is due to a myriad of factors, from muscle memory and play style to personal preferences and even the specific conditions on the day of the test.

When you read a review, you get one person’s subjective experience heavily influenced by their unique circumstances.

I’ve received thousands of emails asking for racket recommendations over the years, and I’ve seen this play out repeatedly.

Players will often ask for racket recommendations, expecting a definitive answer. But the reality is, without seeing someone play (very few people are willing to share footage despite stating they are a 5.0 when asked 😄)—and even then—it’s nearly impossible to recommend the perfect racket.

When reviewers test rackets, they often test with their preferred strings, at their preferred tension, and with the correct grip size. This means that even their experience is tailored to them, and their feedback might not apply to you at all.

The Illusion of Attributes

Another issue with racket reviews is overemphasising attributes like spin, power, and control. Almost every racket is marketed as offering exceptional levels of all these things, but the truth is, no racket can make up for deficiencies in your game.

Spin, for instance, is largely a product of technique, not equipment. The same goes for power and control. A racket might have a slight influence, but the player makes the shot, not the racket.

This is why reading racket reviews is often a waste of time. You’ll find glowing reports about the same attributes for almost every model, adding to the confusion.

In reality, the differences between modern rackets are subtle, and any well-trained player could likely switch between them with little impact on their game.

From my testing, if rackets have similar specs, they play virtually identically, and if they were blacked out, I am not sure I could tell you which is which, especially if they have a similar profile/shape.

The biggest difference maker is the string, and you don’t see as many reviews of strings because rackets are where the money is.

The Reality of Modern Racket Manufacturing

Adding to this farce is that nearly every racket released today is good. There’s rarely anything inherently wrong with any of them. Why? Regardless of brand, most rackets are manufactured in the same factories, using the same processes in China.

They are essentially the same product, just branded differently. While some companies tout their proprietary “technology” and minor differences in manufacturing processes, there is only so much you can do with carbon graphite and a mould—especially when it’s the same company making the racket for various brands.

The days of some master craftsman meticulously creating a racket in the Austrian Alps are long gone. Only Yonex still has its factory in Japan, so its quality control is known to be the best in the industry.

But even with Yonex, the differences are often marginal for the average player. The uniformity in manufacturing means that the real differences between rackets are much smaller than the marketing would have you believe.

Another aspect that complicates the racket-buying process is the industry’s short upgrade cycles. Most major brands release a new model from the same line every two years, often accompanied by heavy marketing that almost discredits the previous version. The features once touted as groundbreaking in the last model suddenly become obsolete, replaced by “new” technology that promises to be better.

This constant cycle of upgrades can frustrate consumers, who may feel pressured to buy the latest model even if their current racket is still performing well.

It’s a marketing strategy that plays on the fear of missing out rather than a genuine need for new equipment. To be honest, it is only ProKennex stands out as an exception, guaranteeing that the cosmetics of their rackets won’t change for a set period. I like the fact they don’t seem to update theirs every 18 months or 2 years, and it does help retailers manage their inventory more efficiently.

What Should Consumers Do?

So, if you can’t trust reviews, what should you do? The answer is simple: test the rackets yourself. Most tennis shops offer demo programs that allow you to try several models before committing to a purchase. This is the only way to find out what indeed works for you.

When you demo a racket, string it with your preferred string at your usual tension and ensure the grip size is correct.

Spend time hitting with the racket in various conditions, and pay attention to how it feels during different shots and movements. This hands-on experience will tell you far more than any online review ever could. 

By all means, use reviews to create a demo shortlist, but don’t just buy them based on it. The prices are too high now ($250) to just take a punt.

Only Artengo would be the exception here. They’re the one company I tell people to just buy (yes, shadow swing them in your local Decathlon), as their price points are very attractive.

The other exception would be sale rackets from old stock. For example, the IGA 298 racket, which is dirt cheap now, is one pretty much anyone can play well with.

Remember, it’s not the racket that makes the player—it’s the player who makes the racket work for them.