There are multiple ways to be able to kick-start your tennis-playing journey by using racquets which are lower in cost or which are already used and discarded by someone else, in a bid to reduce the escalating costs of playing the sport. Here’s how you can get your hands on a cheap or used tennis racquets.
We’ve ascertained that you must play tennis with a tennis racquet. That is all good and well, you are thinking, but what if you cannot afford a tennis racquet?
Or, what if you want to try out tennis, but you are not sure you are going to play more than once? You don’t want to buy a tennis racquet and land up not using it, wasting money and having it sit collecting dust in a corner.
Well. You have a few options.
You can borrow a tennis racquet.
You can buy a cheap tennis racquet.
Or you can buy a used tennis racquet.
Borrowing A Tennis Racquet
If you, or your child, are unsure if tennis is going to be your sport of choice, then rather borrow a racquet for the first session or two. You can ask a friend, a family member, the coach at school or at the club, or anyone you know who plays tennis, if they wouldn’t mind loaning you their racquet for a game or two.
Some people might be precious about lending out a tennis racquet, especially if it is a good tennis racquet, but most people would be delighted to give you one on loan.
You will also find that most tennis players have two tennis racquets, so you can always ask if they have a spare for you to loan. Don’t be shy to ask. The worst that can happen is that the person says “no” and that is fine! You can then ask somebody else.
Always remember to give the racquet back, once you have made a decision about the game. If you are going to continue playing tennis, then it will be a good idea to buy your own, unless you have been given the loaned racquet for “as long as you want.”
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Buying A Cheap Tennis Racquet
Tennis racquets do not have to be expensive. We have written about the different kinds of racquets on the market, and the cost really depends on the level of your game and what you expect from a racquet.
If you are a beginner tennis player, you will be fine with a beginner level racquet. If you are a good or regular tennis player, but don’t have a lot of money for a top quality racquet, you can still find cheap racquets that are good quality.
Almost all the major tennis racquet or tennis equipment brands do entry level or beginner type tennis racquets. Most have junior brands for the younger player, and we would suggest you look at Wilson, Dunlop and Medalist. You can buy tennis racquets online, or look out for sales.
Sales are always a great idea. You can pick up a Head, Prince or Babolat racquet on sale and save a ton of money. You just need to keep an eye out on the different online stores, or sign up for newsletters from your favourite online sports store.
There are also specialist online stores that offer fantastic discounts. We just checked and found Head and Prince racquets at amazing prices, so do your research.
Buying Used Tennis Racquets
The internet is the best place to find a good used tennis racquets but there are multiple ways to buy used tennis racquets otherwise as well. Here’s how you can get your hands on a used tennis racquet as a beginner:
- Look on Facebook tennis groups
- Put a note up on social media to ask if anyone has a used tennis racquet for you to buy.
- Ask at your sports club.
- Check out Gumtree.
- Check out e-Bay.
- Look at The Tennis Exchange,
- Join Sideline Swap
- Try and find a racquet on Tennis Racket Trader
- Amazon Warehouse
- Join Offer Up
- Take a peek at www.tennisracquets.com
- Don’t forget Craigslist
- Tennis Point is a good option.
- And hello Tennis Express.
We have given you a list of 14 places to find a used tennis racquet. There are MORE. But we would suggest that you use the Internet, type ‘used tennis racquet’ into the search engine, and see what pops up. It all depends on where you are, and what your budget is.
We are going to take a quick look at the above options for you.
Facebook Tennis Groups
Look for a Facebook tennis group in your neighbourhood. It doesn’t really make sense to join a group in London if you are in San Francisco.
Try and keep things local. People will post about what tennis equipment they are selling, and likewise, you can post about the kind of racquet you are looking for, and your price range.
Use Social Media
This relates to point number one, but of course you don’t have to join a Facebook tennis group.
You can post on your own page and hope one of your Facebook friends has a racquet for you to borrow or buy. Alternatively, you can post on your Facebook community page.
There are other such social media options online as well, like Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest where you can hunt for used tennis racquets.
Ask At Your Sports Club
If I was a member at a tennis club and wanting to sell an old tennis racquet, I would definitely do this through my club. So, if you have a sports or tennis club in your area, put up a note with your requirement and a contact number.
Alternatively, ask the tennis coach / coaches to keep an eye out for you. It is probable that a coach will be able to get you a good deal on a cheap tennis racquet or on a used tennis racquet.
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Check Out Gumtree
Gumtree is usually a good option for used tennis equipment. You can limit to your search to second hand tennis racquets and you can put limits on your budget too.
There are some safety concerns as you have no idea who is selling to you, or who you are buying from, so be careful. But actually, the safety issue is with all online transactions so be careful when buying from a stranger!
Can Use Ebay
You can buy anything on E-Bay and they have daily deals too, although usually those are on beauty, fashion or decor. But you can also find tennis equipment and you may just pick up a fantastic tennis racquet at a very low rate.
Look At The Tennis Exchange
The Tennis Exchange is THE place where many professional players sell their old gear. You can pick up some really well priced used tennis racquets, and you will find all brands here, including Babolat, Wilson, Prince, Pure Strike, Yonx and more.
The helpful thing about The Tennis Exchanges is that they label their racquets as used, good, new, or great, so you do know what you looking at.
The Tennis Exchange is in the USA so unless you want to pay expensive shipping fees, and wait for your tennis racquet, don’t use them if you are in England. Saying that, the shipping fees are not too bad!
Join Sideline Swap
A wide range of sports equipment is sold on Sideline Swap, including an excellent range of old or used tennis racquets. Go to the site, use the search bar, and see what comes up.
Sideline Swap have amazing prices on used tennis racquets, all brands, and today we found Babolat, Prince, Wilson, Pro Kennex, Head and Dunlop
Sideline Swap also put the word ‘Used” by the racquets which is helpful. They will also notify you of new racquets (new but used) coming in, so you can request to follow a certain brand of tennis racquet, or a racquet within your budget.
Tennis Racket Trader
This site does not have an enormous selection of used tennis racquets, but the ones they have are good quality and well priced. They offer all kinds of second hand equipment.
You can follow them if you are looking for something specific, or buy immediately as you find a racquet on the site. We like the way they list their tennis rackets – by brand. So if you are an Adidas fan, you just go straight to Adidas.
Amazon Warehouse
Amazon Warehouse, as per their own slogan, is where you go to find great deals on used products. Amazon is worldwide so find the Amazon in your city / country, although obviously they deliver, and use the search bar to find tennis racquets.
It’s often luck. You might have to search Amazon Warehouse, and Gumtree, and one or two of the others, until you find the racquet of your dreams. But if you are a brand new player, go for convenience and price!
Join Offer Up
Offer Up is an extremely clever App. Before you download Offer Up, just make sure they are in your city. Once you have logged in, you can connect with tennis enthusiasts close by, who are selling used tennis equipment.
Come to think of it, they may not be enthusiasts if they are selling their tennis equipment, but maybe they’ve just moved on or up in the tennis world. You can find some excellent deals for used tennis racquets, and a whole bunch of other stuff here.
Take A Look At TennisRacquets.Com
This is a really good website and you can look for a used tennis racquet, not only in your budget, but within a certain radius. They offer excellent discounts. You might find the tennis racquet of your dreams here. Use the search bars and note, you can do a curb side collection too!
Don’t Forget Craiglist
Craiglist is often most people’s first choice for used goods and this includes used tennis racquets. Go online, find the Craiglist in your city, search for tennis racquets and good luck.
You might find one of the tennis specialists mentioned above have a bigger range, but Craiglist is always worth a short.
Tennis Point Is A Good Option
Tennis Point is based in Europe so if you are in the USA, you might prefer to choose on the above US based options! They always have fantastic discounts, not just for tennis racquets but for all tennis and other sports equipment, so check out their site.
At Tennis Point you can shop by brand or by budget. It’s not a bad idea checking daily as we have to stress, their sales are everything. Today we found a 75% discount, which is pretty good going!
And Hello, Tennis Express!
Tennis Express sell new tennis racquets, and demo tennis racquets, and they have amazing sales (They are all about discounted equipment) and offer free shipping when you spend a minimum amount.
A demo tennis racquet is like buying a demo car! It’s only been used, or driven, a few times, and the prices are well discounted. It’s worth checking them out and signing up for their sales news.
We don’t want to overload you with information. When buying a used or old tennis racquet, or a cheap tennis racquet, remember to
- Ask your contacts
- Put up notes at clubs or schools
- Use the internet
- Sign up for special deals or sales news
- And go through our list above. There is a load of really good information up there.
Good luck. And remember, you must play tennis with a tennis racquet only but there are always cheap or used options for you. Don’t forget to get the right size!