The methodology we use

Every product follows the same path: catalogued from the manufacturer’s specification, checked against a published source we link to, then scored on six criteria calculated from those specifications with a formula printed on this site. Where we have measured or played a product ourselves, that number replaces the calculated one and the page says which is which.

A product enters the database

Frames, strings, balls and grips sold in Europe are added from the manufacturer’s own specification. Nothing is published before its specification is entered — an empty field stays empty on the page rather than being filled with an estimate.

The specification is checked against a source

Head size, unstrung weight, balance, string pattern and, where published, stiffness and swing weight are checked against a source we can link to — the manufacturer’s page or a European retailer’s listing. The source is stored with the product, and the page shows whether the check has been done.

The six criteria are calculated

Power, control, spin, comfort, stability and manoeuvrability are calculated from those verified figures using the formula published on the How we score page. The same specification always produces the same score, and every criterion on a product page names the figures it was calculated from, so a reader can check the arithmetic.

Missing inputs stay missing

Comfort is calculated from frame stiffness, so a racquet with no RA figure on file carries no comfort score — the page says the stiffness is not on file and the overall score is worked out from the five criteria that are real. We would rather show five honest numbers than six with a guess among them.

Measurement and play override the formula

When a product is measured on our bench or hit with by a reviewer, the figure recorded replaces the calculated one for that criterion and is marked as measured. A calculated score is never presented as a test result, and a test result is never overwritten by the formula.

Corrections stay visible

Any reader correction with a source is checked and, if it holds, published as a dated entry on the product page. Because the six criteria follow from the specification, correcting a specification recalculates the scores — and the correction says so.

The rules we hold to

No sponsored scores No brand can buy a score, a placement or a review. Advertising is sold as banner space only, is labelled, and never touches editorial.

Calculated is not tested A score calculated from specifications is labelled as calculated, everywhere it appears. We do not describe a formula as a bench test, and we do not claim hours of play we have not put in.

Numbers before words A verdict that contradicts the figures does not publish. Where our measurement differs from the brand’s claim, both figures appear on the page.

Corrections are visible Every correction is dated on the product page. We do not silently edit a score after publication.

Scores follow from these measurements. The weighting behind each number is set out separately.

How we score →

Last updated 4 Sep 2026.