The piece of equipment used to hit the ball in tennis is a racket.
A tennis racket has three basic parts: a handle or grip, a throat connecting the handle to the frame, and a head containing the strung hitting surface. Players use that surface to send the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court.
Modern tennis rackets are usually made from graphite-based composite materials, which provide strength without the weight of traditional wood. Early lawn-tennis rackets were wooden, and their strings were commonly made from natural animal gut. Synthetic strings are now standard because they are durable and easier to maintain.
“Racquet” is also a valid spelling, especially in British English and in the names of some sports. A racket is not the same as a bat, club, or stick: those implements have different shapes and purposes. Tennis rules also limit a racket’s size and prohibit built-in energy sources that would give the ball extra propulsion.