Need to stick to a racquet and get used to it...but which one??

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

Hey Guys,

I'm new to this posting but have a serious question. I have the following five racquets that I have purchased over the past year, i'm a serve and vollyer 3.5 player and am interested in picking one racquet and sticking to it for better or worse. They are the following:

(1) Fischer M Speed Pro 98
(2) Prince O3 Tour MP
(3) RDX 500 MD
(4) Asian Ncode Tour 90
(5) PS 85

I play 50/50 singles/doubles. I use SW forehand grip and 1 hbh. I am pretty strong guy so I don't need a very powerful racquet, just enough power that won't compensate for control.

Any advice would be appreciated.

sureshs · Dec 7, 2006

None of them are suitable for 3.5 level, but if you are a strong guy as you say, you may be able to use them. It could still hamper your development if you try to adjust to a player's racquet but don't have the stroke mechanics and footwork of an advanced player.

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

Thank you for your input.
I disagree, your level is not necessarily associated with your racquet as you may have seen on these boards. I see many 4.0/4.5's playing with tweener or even bigger type racquets, so, i actually think it depends on your style, size, and age.

pNoyr3D · Dec 7, 2006

Yeah, I agree with Sheriff. Your level doesn't really matter when it comes to racquets, mostly your technique. The M-Fil 300 says around 3.5-4.0+ players and when I bought it, I was only around a 3.0 and it felt great and loved it.

dman72 · Dec 7, 2006

Any guy with decent strength who wants to take a real swing at the ball can "handle" a players racquet. He may be hurt a bit on a volley or a defensive shot here or there, but the pros will outweigh the cons.

My strokes are sloppy, especially my backhand, but I can do fine with a 95 players frame. I think that sticking with tweener racquets will hurt your game more, because, as in my case, I have to reign in my forehand to play with power racquets...I have to shorten my backswing a ton. With a players racquet, I can swing away. I'd rather work harder on my other strokes than sandbag my forehand. Unless you are a small relatively weak person, it's not as big deal a deal as some here would have you believe. I'd go with a players frame and string it loosely if you are afraid you'll have trouble getting the ball back. .

sureshs · Dec 7, 2006

the Town Sherif said:
Thank you for your input.
I disagree, your level is not necessarily associated with your racquet as you may have seen on these boards. I see many 4.0/4.5's playing with tweener or even bigger type racquets, so, i actually think it depends on your style, size, and age.

Your case is the opposite though.

Yes, there are many on this board who claim to play with N90 etc. No one outside of this board has heard of them, so they must not be really good players. Most entities - manufacturers, TW, Tennis magazine, coaches I have known etc - recommended racquets based on NTRP rating. They may all be wrong and all those N90 guys here right, but it is unlikely.

Ripper · Dec 7, 2006

Get rid of the Wilsons. Keep all the others; they're great raquets. Tip: the less demaning one is the O3 Tour.

Milano · Dec 7, 2006

Might want to try the m-fil 300. I have close to the same playing style as you, and the mfil has done wonders on my 1hb and right now the price is not high either...

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

Milano, thanx for the input...LOL....i don't know if i want to shell out any more money on another racquet...buying racquets hasn't been my dilemna...picking one has...which one of mine would be closest to the mfil 300??

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

btw...in case you're all wondering..my last name is sherif...so i'm not purposely mispelling my last name...lol...

fbone · Dec 7, 2006

If I were you...I'd go with either the Fischer or the Prince.

Out of those two, pick the one that feels best to you. Either of the two would give you a better chance of improvement over the others. The rest are great racquets in their own right but at your current level, improvement would come slower.

Weigh the opinion of others, but it all comes down to what YOU want to pick and use and play with.

vkartikv · Dec 7, 2006

I would stick with the mspeed 98. Lots of spin and nice feel on volleys. I have never heard of anyone complaining of elbow pain with it either. I tried the rdx 500 mp and it was a burden to serve with. Volleys were crappy, I couldn't get any depth with it. But lots of topspin. If you ask me, the mspeed is the best all-round racquet of your selection. I have also found fischer grips to be great for one HBHs though many would disagree.

BreakPoint · Dec 7, 2006

the Town Sherif said:
btw...in case you're all wondering..my last name is sherif...so i'm not purposely mispelling my last name...lol...

That's interesting. A good friend of mine's last name is Deputy (seriously!). Perhaps you two guys should hook up and form a doubles team?

LOL

raiden031 · Dec 7, 2006

sureshs said:
Your case is the opposite though.

Yes, there are many on this board who claim to play with N90 etc. No one outside of this board has heard of them, so they must not be really good players. Most entities - manufacturers, TW, Tennis magazine, coaches I have known etc - recommended racquets based on NTRP rating. They may all be wrong and all those N90 guys here right, but it is unlikely.

So what about these racquets makes them unsuitable for a 3.5?

I am probably on the weaker end of 3.5 and I found the heavier weight of a player's racquet to provide me more stability and better feel. I really haven't noticed much of a difference in power on my groundstrokes (between a player's racquet and a light OS noobie stick). I did notice that when volleying, the noobie stick is alot more forgiving. But if someone uses a more forgiving racquet, than they will not learn to hit the ball at the center of the stringbed because they will have just as much success when they mishit.

I will say that pushers should not be using player's racquets because they are meant to be swung fast; not useful when you have a blocking motion. But anyone who is conscious about their technique should not be discouraged from using an advanced racquet. I got to the point where any lighter racquet just doesn't feel as good. I only have one player's racquet right now and I have tweener and noobie sticks as my spares. I have had to play matches with all of these and haven't played any better with these sticks than my player's stick.

TW and the other sources listed are making the false assumption that all people at any given NTRP level play with the same style and stroke development. There is no basis for a recommended NTRP level of a racquet other than the lack of any other clear way to describe who the racquet is suited for. Everyone is just so different from one another.

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

thanx for the info, i think i will rely on the fischer for a while and see how my game plays out in the end.

fuzz nation · Dec 7, 2006

I'm rather in agreement with my evil twin (raiden031) about using the frame that you like. I think a few responders also missed that you already own these racquets and just want to stop the madness. If I had to play doubles with any of those on your list, I could only conceive of using the Fischer. It's got a great set-up to do everything at least reasonably well in terms of flex for strokes plus an open string pattern to help with spin, but also mass and headsize for volleys and half-volleys. I demoed that racquet and it's one of only two or three current frames I could buy if I needed one for my game--I play serious doubles, too.

Don't dump those other ones; your Fischer needs company, but if you can't stop swapping, consider cutting some strings out... No, I've never had that problem. Why do you ask?

abenguyen · Dec 7, 2006

ill just answer his question. either the tour 90 or the ps 85

NoBadMojo · Dec 7, 2006

I suggest that if you cant pick amongst these, you should sell one, use the money and find a good teaching pro, and take the other 4 to the lesson..in an hour session he/she should advise you which one of the 4 would be best for you or suggest some entirely different better suited options, along with giving you an overall eval and the most impt things for you to work on, and to keep you healthy if you currently are...racquets 3,4, or 5 would be good choices to sell to start with.

fujitsu77 · Dec 7, 2006

get the POG or the PS. You can't go wrong w/ those (but just make sure you can use the racquet - I STRONGLY suggest demoing)

alu16L · Dec 7, 2006

the Town Sherif said:
Hey Guys,

I'm new to this posting but have a serious question. I have the following five racquets that I have purchased over the past year, i'm a serve and vollyer 3.5 player and am interested in picking one racquet and sticking to it for better or worse. They are the following:

(1) Fischer M Speed Pro 98
(2) Prince O3 Tour MP
(3) RDX 500 MD
(4) Asian Ncode Tour 90
(5) PS 85

I play 50/50 singles/doubles. I use SW forehand grip and 1 hbh. I am pretty strong guy so I don't need a very powerful racquet, just enough power that won't compensate for control.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Sherif, why won't you tell us what you think of the rackets you have right now? Cons and Pros of each frame

sureshs · Dec 7, 2006

raiden031 said:
So what about these racquets makes them unsuitable for a 3.5?

I am probably on the weaker end of 3.5 and I found the heavier weight of a player's racquet to provide me more stability and better feel. I really haven't noticed much of a difference in power on my groundstrokes (between a player's racquet and a light OS noobie stick). I did notice that when volleying, the noobie stick is alot more forgiving. But if someone uses a more forgiving racquet, than they will not learn to hit the ball at the center of the stringbed because they will have just as much success when they mishit.

I will say that pushers should not be using player's racquets because they are meant to be swung fast; not useful when you have a blocking motion. But anyone who is conscious about their technique should not be discouraged from using an advanced racquet. I got to the point where any lighter racquet just doesn't feel as good. I only have one player's racquet right now and I have tweener and noobie sticks as my spares. I have had to play matches with all of these and haven't played any better with these sticks than my player's stick.

TW and the other sources listed are making the false assumption that all people at any given NTRP level play with the same style and stroke development. There is no basis for a recommended NTRP level of a racquet other than the lack of any other clear way to describe who the racquet is suited for. Everyone is just so different from one another.

Main problem is that heavier static weight and SW cause improper swing if player cannot handle it. The swing is delayed, ball is not taken on the rise when it can, topspin swings are not fast enough. There is also the risk of injury because of the extra effort (racquets which are too light are not good either).

Everyone is different, but not that different. That is why coaches end up saying the same thing to so many people. A few prodigies may show exceptional potential, but most people do show the characteristics of their playing level.

The coaches I have seen who advice (when asked) on racquets for clinics or camps are REAL players - many have been on the tour before, or college players. Also look at 4.5+ men and boys who are winning REAL tournaments - most are not using the PS 85. These are the people who are actually accomplishing something - anyone can theorize or fantasize and post here. Look at whether the top players are using 90 si racquets, even on the tour, where it is about money.

the Town Sherif · Dec 7, 2006

Fair enough Sureshs. Let me say that i have been playing serious tennis for the past 3.5 years and even thout i'm rated a 3.5, i have been able to beat players who were at the 4.0 level.

In regards to my racquets, i waver back and forth between them because some days they feel great and it gives me confidence when i'm hitting with a demanding racquet, because it indicates to me that my mechanics are on; yet, when i'm down, it's the worse feeling in the world.

I guess you can say that i'm looking for that balance between a racquet that will help me improve and reward me for good mechanics, but will also help me when i'm getting tight in a match and need a little help to get out of my rut. I'm not sure if such racquet even exists.

Thanks to everyone who's chimed in so far, it helps to talk about it and not feel that you are the only one in this situation.

sureshs · Dec 7, 2006

the Town Sherif said:
Fair enough Sureshs. Let me say that i have been playing serious tennis for the past 3.5 years and even thout i'm rated a 3.5, i have been able to beat players who were at the 4.0 level.

In regards to my racquets, i waver back and forth between them because some days they feel great and it gives me confidence when i'm hitting with a demanding racquet, because it indicates to me that my mechanics are on; yet, when i'm down, it's the worse feeling in the world.

I guess you can say that i'm looking for that balance between a racquet that will help me improve and reward me for good mechanics, but will also help me when i'm getting tight in a match and need a little help to get out of my rut. I'm not sure if such racquet even exists.

Thanks to everyone who's chimed in so far, it helps to talk about it and not feel that you are the only one in this situation.

What might suit you is an almost-player stick. Get the TF320. It should be exactly 12 oz with dampener and overgrip. I use the 315 and have added 5 g of lead, so 320 should be ideal. Anything over 12 oz will handicap you when you are tired or having a bad day.

Duzza · Dec 9, 2006

the Town Sherif said:
Thank you for your input.
I disagree, your level is not necessarily associated with your racquet as you may have seen on these boards. I see many 4.0/4.5's playing with tweener or even bigger type racquets, so, i actually think it depends on your style, size, and age.

I personally like to think:

<3.5 : Tweener
>3.5 : Whatever the hell they want.

Need to stick to a racquet and get used to it...but which one??

Semi-Pro

Bionic Poster

Semi-Pro

Professional

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

Hall of Fame

Rookie

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro

Rookie

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

Legend

Semi-Pro

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Semi-Pro

Rookie

Bionic Poster

Semi-Pro

Bionic Poster

Legend

Similar threads