The length of a tennis racquet

The length of a tennis is mesured in centimeters from the bottom of the handle to the top of the racquet.

Many tennis players don't know that all adult tennis racquets don't have necessarily the same length, and it can lead to buy a tennis that does not have the regular length without knowing it.

This parameter can substantially influence the feelings, so it's better to pay attention to this characteristic when you buy a new tennis racquet.

Concerning the length of the tennis racquets for kids, you can read this page : the length of tennis racquets for kids.

The regular length for an adult tennis racquet

The regular length for an adult tennis racquet is 68.58 cm (27 inches), the maximal length authorized is 73,66 cm (29 inches).

Most adult tennis racquets have a regular length, but that's not always the case.

When you buy a new tennis racquet, you should check the length of the model you are interested in.

Most of the time, the regular length of 68.5 cm will be fine and that's the length I advise you to choose if you don't have a good reason to choose something else.

Les raquettes de tennis rallongées (Longbody ou XL)

The size of some adult tennis racquets exceeds 68.5 cm, some of them measuring up to 71 cm (28 inches).

When the length of tennis racquets exceeds 69 cm, we talk about extended, XL, longbodies or stretch tennis racquets.

An increase of the length by 1,5 cm may seem minor, but that can have a substantial impact on the feelings, especially if the racquet is rather heavy (weight > 300 g).

Here are the possible benefits of a longbody tennis racquet :

more power, if the racquet is not too heavy for the player,
extra reach for the shots,
increase the percentage or serve,
better plow through,
more stability.

These benefits are not automatic, and a longer tennis racquet might have the following disadvantages :

lack of maneuverability (especially if the weight is greater or equal to 300 grams),
less swing speed,
less power,
hard to manage the one-handed backhand, especially on fast or high balls,
muscular fatigue/injury.

I would advise extended tennis racquets to players :

with a good level of play if the weight is greater or equal to 300 grams,
with a two-handed backhand, even if some professional tennis players with a one-handed backhand sometimes use extended racquets,
who have big loose swings,
who tend to handle the racquet a bit high,
of any level if the racquet is rather light ; 230-290 grams unstrung, it's always better to test the racquet before buying.