A soft tennis racket is lighter than a tennis racket and is used to hit a rubber ball weighing 30–31 g. The shop stocks two Nagase Kenko models, the aluminium STR-88 and the carbon KTR-24. They differ in weight, strings, grip and price. Those four things decide the choice.
How a soft tennis racket differs from a tennis racket
In weight. A 27-inch (686 mm) tennis racket usually weighs over 300 g strung. Kenko soft tennis rackets are 690–700 mm long and weigh 210–275 g. The STR-88 head measures 93 sq in, the KTR-24 head 89 sq in.
ISTF rules say little about the racket. Both string faces must be the same and the strings must cross. Material, weight and frame size are free.
Which soft tennis racket to start with
The aluminium Kenko STR-88. It weighs 275 g at 700 mm, the balance point is at 320 mm and the head measures 93 sq in. The strings are fitted at the factory and are not replaceable. The box contains the racket, strung and with an overgrip fitted, ready for training.
We recommend it for a first session because it costs less than the carbon frame and is all you need to start and to play at a club. It is used at both positions, at the net and on the baseline.
Aluminium or carbon
The carbon Kenko KTR-24 weighs 210–225 g, that is 50–65 g less than the STR-88, at 690 mm. Its 285–295 mm balance point sits closer to the handle than on the STR-88 (320 mm at 700 mm). The head measures 89 sq in, 4 sq in less.
The strings can be replaced. When they wear out you have them restrung instead of buying a new racket. The box, as with the STR-88, contains the racket strung and with an overgrip fitted.
We recommend this racket to players who are staying with soft tennis. Anyone who already knows they are staying can take it instead of the STR-88 from the start.
G2 or G3 grip
The KTR-24 comes in two grip sizes. G2 is the thinner one, which we sell to women and juniors, and G3 is the thicker one, for men. You pick the size when ordering. An overgrip is on the handle in the box. A further Kenko grip tape is sold separately, in ten colours, 0.5 mm thick, 29 mm wide and 105 cm long.
What is in the box
The racket with factory strings and an overgrip on the handle, the same for the STR-88 and the KTR-24. There is no cover in the box. Out of the box the racket is ready for training, nothing needs stringing or wrapping.
Weight and balance
The 50–65 g between the STR-88 and the KTR-24 is roughly the weight of two soft tennis balls. The KTR-24 balance point is 25–35 mm closer to the handle. Both weigh less than a strung tennis racket, the STR-88 by at least 25 g, the KTR-24 by at least 75 g.
A soft tennis racket for a child
The lighter of the two is the KTR-24 with the G2 grip, the same grip we sell to juniors. The STR-88 weighs 275 g, costs less and is enough for first lessons. A child plays on the full court, the same one adults use, and with the same ball. Equipment for children has its own guide, soft tennis for kids.
Can you play soft tennis with a tennis racket
ISTF rules do not forbid it. They only require both string faces to be the same and the strings to cross, which a tennis racket meets. The difference is weight. A strung tennis racket usually weighs over 300 g, a soft tennis racket 210–275 g, and the ball is half the weight of a tennis ball. For one trial session a tennis racket will do. Anyone who stays buys a soft tennis racket.
Which racket to choose
First session and club play, the STR-88. Playing for the long run, replaceable strings and a lighter frame, the KTR-24 with a G2 grip for women and juniors or G3 for men. Two people starting together take the starter set with two STR-88s, 12 balls and a pump, cheaper than bought separately. A racket also needs balls, and those have their own guide, soft tennis balls.
Two Kenko rackets, aluminium and carbon
See rackets