Best racquet switch you ever made?

[marlinspike]

Switching to a Donnay Pro One made a HUGE improvement for me. Before that I used a Slazenger Pro Braid (original production), with a lot of weight added in both ends, and I never found a racquet that suited me better until I played with the Donnay, boy was it better. Even before I got recalibrated to the racquet, my game improved. That said, whenever my brother visits I play a set with his Dunlop 200g Revelation PRO and it feels like cheating.

[ollinger]

From Wilson Advantage (wood, 65 sq. in.) to Prince Graphite (graphite, 110 sq. in.), 1984

[luishcorreia]

From babolat pure drive to vantage 100sqin, 310g unstrung, 6pts HL, 63 RA.

[smirker]

Originally Posted by GrandSlam45

I recently switched from the Pure Drive 2012 to the Pro Kennex Ki5 315. Wow... a world of difference. Whereas the PD's caused me major tennis elbow problems, the PK Ki5 allows me to play pain free with equal power and control.

It took some trial and error to dial in the Ki5, but once I did, it's been a dream come true.

Would you mind going into more detail on what you did to adjust or if you added lead etc to the Ki5? Just made the same switch and struggling to adjust to the ki5

[TripleB]

Rossignol F-200 to Head Radical Oversize.

When I made the switch I started trying to immitate Agassi...up until that point I had never hit with topspin: flat forehand and slice backhand is all I had until I made that switch.

TripleB

[lynnbart]

I switched from a Head Youtek Radical MP to a Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

It immediately gave me back some punch on the serve and groundstrokes. The flexible Radical was hard for me to find a string that I was comfortable with and actually gave me some arm pain.

The PDR is very solid and has helped my aging game....

[TheLambsheadrep]

Would have to be my LM Radical MP to Twin Tube Radical Tour OS. It was when I was in high school - I had a Ti Radical OS before the LM, and while the LM felt nice, I couldn't generate the same amount of topspin and it really messed with my technique trying to compensate for that. With the Rad Tours, I was back to my OS roots and they were even better and solid feeling, a true classic. They are still my main sticks today (even though I have expanded my collection outside of Head racquets, something I didn't think I would ever do haha)

[InspectorRacquet]

The best switch I ever made was when I was still a very green beginner.

I was progressing very quickly, and began playing opponents who hit harder. I had 110 sq. inch Prince that was all of 9 ounces. That racquet was so light, it twisted in my hands after a ROS no matter how tightly I held it. I got a 100 sq. inch Head that was an ounce and a half heavier, and my game stopped going into its slump and immediately came out of it.

I never used a "player's racquet" because they've always been too heavy for me. I only used what worked, and that happened to be the most random Head racquet practically built for me.

[makinao]

Prince Precision 690 Longbody 95 to Slazenger ProBraided Xtreme 100 - From boring to perfect. This Slaz had countless virtues, and never needed any modification. I enjoyed them for seven years, and was heartbroken when one of them broke because they were already long out of production and irreplaceable.

[tennytive]

Wilson woodie, can't remember the model.
Wilson T 2000
Head AA Comp 2
Puma Boris Becker Super
Prince Pro 110
Prince Precision Graphite
Prince Original Graphite 90, LB, Oversize.
Sometimes hit with a Jack Kramer Autograph just for fun.

Best moves were from the T2000 to the AA Comp, and the POGs.

I wouldn't mind demoing the Prestige line, but I can't see myself giving up on the POGs anytime soon.

[paul_tennis]

KPS88 to BLX90, KPS88 was too heavy for my shoulder during serve. BLX90 feels just right to my arm.

[BruceD]

Going from a strangley shaped Pro-Kennex Composite Dominator, to a Pro- Kennex Composite Destiny, allowed my game to progress rapidly, when I was in my late 20's, because of a much better balanced and consistant head size, of 95", if I remember correctly. That frame mold design was later sold to Babolat, to make their first racquets and looks a lot like the Are-Pro does today!
I wish I still had that one!
But the racquet that make the BIGGEST change of all, was a Wilson K-Factor Bold, that I bought last May, that brought me back into the game, after over 20 years away from participating in it!
For $35 on the bay, it felt like it was made for me, when I first tired hitting a tennis ball again.

[matchmaker]

The best racquet switch I've ever made was switching to a thirty year old midsize frame. At the time I had been testing a lot of midplus frames such as the Donney Pro One International, the PK Redondo Midplus, the Volkl C10 Pro, even tested the POGOS briefly. Those were all good racquets, but I still felt something was lacking in my game. My teaching pro had taught me "the modern game" when I was growing up on European clay court: high topspin balls with typical windshield wiper motion. I had a good kick serve, a great backhand (my opponents always gave me compliments about it) and a good rally forehand but it was not really a game-winning shot.

One day a friend of mine brings an old Wilson frame. For fun I started hitting with it. I was a bit puzzled as my first balls all sailed out. I thought: "Weren't these old frames supposed to be really underpowered?" I still felt though that the racquet did grip the ball and that I could get it in with some minor changes in my swingpath.

I played a match with it and oh.... my forehand was like a hammer. It was deep, heavy, penetrating. I could hit FH winners at will, something I hadn't been able to do before. And the serve... This racquet was hitting bombs.

It was a Wilson Reflex mid. Later I discovered the stats on it: 85 sq. inch., 370 gr., 355 SW, 51 flex. My serve, FH and volleys have never been so good as with this frame. Had I known it specs, I might have never tried it. I would thus really recommend people to try something out of their comfort zone, it might just work.

[Hi I'm Ray]

At first from OS to heavy/low powered frames, then after several years switching to tweeners.

[LeeD]

Just switched to MicroGelOS from Dunlop500's and 200's, before that, LMRadMid.
Well, I'm almost blind, so OS is great.
Moderate weight, smooth swing, soft and cushy, lots of power, certainly no power loss from previous rackets.
Confidence is what I've seemed to gain.

[v-verb]

Originally Posted by matchmaker

The best racquet switch I've ever made was switching to a thirty year old midsize frame. At the time I had been testing a lot of midplus frames such as the Donney Pro One International, the PK Redondo Midplus, the Volkl C10 Pro, even tested the POGOS briefly. Those were all good racquets, but I still felt something was lacking in my game. My teaching pro had taught me "the modern game" when I was growing up on European clay court: high topspin balls with typical windshield wiper motion. I had a good kick serve, a great backhand (my opponents always gave me compliments about it) and a good rally forehand but it was not really a game-winning shot.

One day a friend of mine brings an old Wilson frame. For fun I started hitting with it. I was a bit puzzled as my first balls all sailed out. I thought: "Weren't these old frames supposed to be really underpowered?" I still felt though that the racquet did grip the ball and that I could get it in with some minor changes in my swingpath.

I played a match with it and oh.... my forehand was like a hammer. It was deep, heavy, penetrating. I could hit FH winners at will, something I hadn't been able to do before. And the serve... This racquet was hitting bombs.

It was a Wilson Reflex mid. Later I discovered the stats on it: 85 sq. inch., 370 gr., 355 SW, 51 flex. My serve, FH and volleys have never been so good as with this frame. Had I known it specs, I might have never tried it. I would thus really recommend people to try something out of their comfort zone, it might just work.

Great story! I'm switching from my longbody Ripstcks and Babolat Pure Drive GT to some POGs (mid and OS). Hoping they put some feel back into my game - fingers crossed!

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

from Yonex V-Core 95Ds to Volkl PB-9

I found the Yonex a cannon to serve with but just too powerful in regular play.

the Volkls are my personal holy grail, reflected by an improvement in my w/l and a 100 place rise in my national open ranking. (from crap to average)

goes to show, not many people seem to like 'em, but they work for me.

[NLBwell]

I don't think any racket has made a significant positive advantage to my game. I grew up with wood rackets, so maybe that makes me pretty insensitive to differences in rackets.
I've found many that I don't play with well (light widebodies, Arthur Ashe Comp), but none that seem to make a large positive difference. A wood racket, a POG, modern 100sqin rackets, longbodies, or my current Prestige Pros only seem to make a small difference.

[downdaline]

For me, the biggest switch was from my old KPS88 to the Prince TT Warrior.

The racquet was so different from other frames that I used before - utterly low powered. Gave me huge confidence to go for shots.

This was the racquet that turned me from a recreational highrisk attacking player to a consistent competitive player.

[mjnchen]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

from Yonex V-Core 95Ds to Volkl PB-9

I found the Yonex a cannon to serve with but just too powerful in regular play.

the Volkls are my personal holy grail, reflected by an improvement in my w/l and a 100 place rise in my national open ranking. (from crap to average)

goes to show, not many people seem to like 'em, but they work for me.

Did you customize your PB 9? Now I am switching from PB 9 to PB 10 mid. I like PB 10 mid better due to my personal preference.