Pete Sampras dominated the sport with a Wilson Pro Staff with just an 85 square inch head, giving him far less oomph than the larger sized rackets that are common today – and he didn’t have Rafael Nadal’s physique either.
Thankfully, if you’re more Sampras than Nadal when it comes to strength you can still add some pop to your shots by upgrading to a more powerful frame. Which is why we’ve put together this guide to the best, most powerful rackets on the market right now.
If time is short, our favourite pick overall is the Babolat Pure Drive offering monster power and a whole lot else besides. But if you’d like a more in-depth look at what’s available then read on…
Our Top Six
Best Overall – Babolat Pure Drive
Best for Easy Power – Wilson Ultra 100 v4
Best Power Racket for Beginners – ProKennex Ki Q+ 30
Best Power Racket on a Budget – Dunlop FX 500
Best for Power and Spin – Head Boom MP
Best for Power and Comfort – Yonex Ezone 105
Our Criteria
Before we dive in, a quick word on what we’ve looked for in these recommendations. In other words – What makes for a power racket?
Large Head Size
Generally speaking, the larger a racket’s head size the more power you’re going to get. That’s because not only do you have a bigger sweet spot but the strings have more room to move and when they bounce back that energy is transferred to the ball.
Unfortunately the larger you get, the harder it becomes to manouevre the racket and the less control you have but generally we’ve avoided smaller head sizes.
Head Heavy Balance
A racket’s balance refers to whether its weight is carried predominantly in the head or the handle. Frames that are head heavy offer more clout as the racket carries more momentum when it’s swung through the air.
Thicker Beam
As you might expect, frames with thicker beams are more solid and so offer more power. That means they do tend to be stiffer too which can make them a little uncomfortable to swing. For that reason we’ve included some options that are easier on the joints.
Open String Pattern
As with a larger head size, the more open the string pattern the more movement in the strings. And when they snap back that power goes back into your shots. The cost of that is a loss of control over your shot-making which is why we’ve selected rackets that still offer a good amount of control in other ways.
And with that we present to you our pick of the top tennis rackets for power.
Babolat Pure Drive
Head Size: 100 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 300g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Explosive power
- Easy and forgiving
- Decent Control
Cons:
- Tough on the joints
Babolat are renowned for producing extremely powerful rackets and, of their entire range, the Pure Drive is the most explosive.
The key technology here is their High Torsional Rigidity System which is a fancy way of saying it doesn’t twist on impact meaning all that power is transferred back into the ball. It makes for a great weapon from the baseline and is a monster on serve.
The 100 sq in head with its open string pattern produces a satisfying crack when you connect with its roomy sweet spot.
Light enough for intermediates and even advanced beginners, it’s also a really easy racket to learn with and extremely forgiving.
If we have a criticism it’s that like most Babolats this is pretty stiff so not the best for those with joint trouble. Saying that, this latest update includes a rubber layer interwoven into the frame which does alleviate some of those issues.
Wilson Ultra 100 v4
Head Size: 100 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 300g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Easy power
- Good spin
- Speedy mover
Cons:
- Not that arm-friendly
If there’s a word that sums up the Wilson Ultra 100 it’s ease.
Its newly aerodynamic frame offers an easy, fast swing, its expanded Sweet Spot Channel makes groundstrokes and serves pretty breezy and did we mention the power?
The ball sinks into the string bed giving it a really satisfying amount of pop when you release. It makes big shots feel fairly effortless and also allows for a good amount of spin.
Despite its ease of use, like the Pure Drive, it’s not so easy on the joints. More arm-friendly options are available. But if you like a quick, accurate, consistent stick with bags of power the Ultra is a really fun racket to use.
It’s got a pretty cool paint job too with colour shifting blues that change hue depending on the angle of the sun.
ProKennex Ki Q+ 30
Head Size: 119 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 260g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Really lightweight
- Huge head size
- Arm friendly power
- Great for Beginners
Cons:
- May be cumbersome for advanced players
ProKennex got lots of love in our round-up of rackets for tennis elbow sufferers due to their attention to arm comfort but this, the Q+30, is all about power.
Beginners should appreciate its light weight and ability to generate depth even on compact strokes. That makes it really forgiving while you’re working on technique and is due to an extra large head and sweet spot to match.
That head size alone would make this a powerful racket but it’s complemented by a thick, stable beam and an extended 27.5 inch length. That gives you just that extra bit of reach for a larger swing and is particularly useful when it comes to hitting a high serve.
Like most of their range the Q+ 30 comes with ProKennex’s arm-friendly kinetic tech in the frame and butt cap which absorbs shock, taking the strain off your joints.
If you’re a more advanced player you’ll likely find a head size like this just too cumbersome but for learners and some intermediates this is a great way to develop your game whilst adding plenty of power.
Dunlop FX 500
Head Size: 100 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 300g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Power with stability
- Great feel
- Brilliant value
Cons:
- Hard to criticise at the right price
Dunlop are developing a nice reputation for producing competitive rackets at competitive prices and if you’re eyeing up the Babolats of this world but don’t have the budget you should take a look.
The FX range is designed for power and features wider grommets for increased snapback of the strings. It gives a sort of launch effect to the ball, especially on serve.
They’ve changed the head shape too to resemble the more classic power frames but incorporated a wider throat for more stability. That might look a bit cumbersome but the frame feels pretty fast especially at the net.
Despite its light weight the wide throat makes it feel pretty solid. It makes it really good on return of serve, capable of handling an opponent’s power and giving a bit more back.
It may not quite have the feel of a Pure Drive but with these specs and at this price it’s a difficult one to ignore.
Head Boom MP
Head Size: 100 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 295g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Booming power
- Plenty of topspin
- Forgiving sweet spot
Cons:
- Lacks some stability
Say boom boom boom, let me hear you say way oh…
No? Just me. Fair enough.
Head launched their new Boom range last year with a great amount of fanfare and a promise to offer explosive power in a forgiving package. And for the most part they’ve succeeded.
Along with their now standard Auxetic construction which offers a really flexible stick with a plenty of feedback, the main point of difference here is their Morph Beam frame. Essentially they’ve paired a lengthened beam (more of a control element) with a more power oriented head to try to give the best of both worlds.
What it definitely offers is power. Accelerating through ground strokes was a breeze and the ball hurtles off of the 100 sq in string bed. Those strings really pocket the ball and allow for a ton of topspin too which makes for a real weapon if you’ve got a whippy forehand.
It’s lightweight which makes it great for generating speed but the cost of that is a slight lack of stability. That makes itself felt especially on return of serve where your wrist muscles end up doing a lot of the work.
Yonex Ezone 105
Head Size: 105 sq in | Unstrung Weight: 275g | String Pattern: 16×19
Pros:
- Easily harnessed power
- Great control
- Extremely kind on the arm
Cons:
- Larger head could impact mobility
The EZone 100 has long been a favourite round these parts as a great all-rounder that does most things really, really well.
This 2022 EZone 105 continues that tradition but with a larger head size for additional power. Despite the added zip you never feel like your shots are out of control and it’s easy to harness that power and still hit your marks.
In part that’s due to a decent amount of dwell time thanks to Yonex’s well loved Isometric head shape and enlarged sweet spot. It’s got that satisfying thwack of the string bed that gives you confidence you’ve hit a nice stroke.
This model includes their Vibration Dampening Mesh in the handle which is a posh way of saying it absorbs a lot of shock and feels gentle on the wrist. All in all it has a really plush feel and is probably our most arm-friendly pick.
The larger head size does make it slightly less mobile than some might like but if that bothers you the EZone 100 is available for a similar price and with near identical specs.
How to choose the best power racket for you
There are plenty of factors to consider when buying a new racket and we cover them in greater depth in this guide. But if you’re particularly in the market for a powerful frame there are some specific aspects to consider.
How powerful is your game already?
If you’re an advanced player – or just an incredibly strong beginner – you might have plenty of power in your strokes to begin with. If that’s the case you might want to veer towards a racket that tends more towards control.
Certainly an advanced player will benefit from a slightly smaller head size as it adds to the mobility of the frame bringing additional speed and control. If there’s a racket on our list that you’ve fallen in love with but the head is too large you might benefit from seeking out the same range in a smaller size.
What’s your preferred string set up?
The factor that will affect your power and control more than any other is your string choice and preferred tension. We go into this in more detail in our guide to string tension but remember – you can always increase a racket’s power by decreasing the tension. The looser the strings the greater the trampoline effect but the downside is that will cost you some control.
Another way to add power to your existing racket is by adding weight to the head. You can do that by applying lead tape on the inside of the frame at the 12 o’clock position.
More Power To You!
We hope this guide has been useful and before long you’ll be blowing opponents off the court.
If you’ve never tried the Babolat Pure Drive we can’t recommend it enough when it comes to pure power.
If you think you might benefit from a more control focussed frame, check out our guide to the best rackets for control. Or if you’re early on in your tennis journey our list of the best tennis rackets for beginners could be for you.
