Is 11.5 oz strung weight too much for girl in 13-15 range?

[Dr. Perry]

I am in the process of selecting racquet(s) for my daughter. The ones I like are in the 11+ oz range. Are these too heavy for girls? I feel anything sub 11 oz may be too powerless.

[ga tennis]

My daughter has used 11 plus OZ since she was 7. My 6 year old son the same.

[Pro_Tour_630]

use the heaviest frame they can handle, some kids are small with fragile arms, some are built like tanks and have 13 size shoes

[ga tennis]

Originally Posted by Pro_Tour_630

use the heaviest frame they can handle, some kids are small with fragile arms, some are built like tanks and have 13 size shoes

PRO TOUR my daughter isnt going to be with me this weekend. She has some kinda girl scout camping crap saturday night.

[TCF]

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[julian]

Originally Posted by TCF

That is just fine for a girl that age. No issues at all with the weight. But get her a frame that has a stiffness of closer to 60 than 70. Of course string with an arm comfortable string.

Choices for strings:
Gamma Professional 16 gauge or 17 gauge
Babolat Excel 16 gauge or 17 gauge
A starting tension should be the middle range plus 2 pounds
It can be adjusted )if necessary) on when strung the second time
Soft strings do "hide" stiffness of a racket to some extent
A very trivial remark
It is very important to test/demo a racket BEFORE buying

[klu375]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

I am in the process of selecting racquet(s) for my daughter. The ones I like are in the 11+ oz range. Are these too heavy for girls? I feel anything sub 11 oz may be too powerless.

OP - at 13-15 - you have to involve your daughter into the process as she has to like her racket. Ask her what manufacturers she likes, show her rackets on TW and get all sorts of demos - lighter and heavier, pay attention to swing-weight as well as weight. String them with the same strings and conduct hitting sessions with a hitting partner while you (and your coach) observe the action. Include serving, backhand volleys and slice in your playtest. Collect feedback from everyone (including hitting partner - he will tell you when she hits the heaviest ball). Changing rackets is cumbersome and costly. Most probably she will select the same racket as some other good girl is using or the one that her favorite pro is using. If she is sponsored - almost all manufacturers have demo programs that is very valuable if she uses grip 2 - hard to get a demo with this grip from a public source. Establishing relationships with a local pro shop may help.
The strung weights 11.1 - 11.3 and head sizes 95-100" are the most popular. Based on what kind of player she is decide if she needs more power or more control, open or closed string pattern, type of strings. Many girls start using co-poly hybrid or full co-poly at this age. If she takes the ball early with a short swing she may be better off with a lighter racket.

[julian]

Originally Posted by klu375

OP - at 13-15 - you have to involve your daughter into the process as she has to like her racket. Ask her what manufacturers she likes, show her rackets on TW and get all sorts of demos - lighter and heavier, pay attention to swing-weight as well as weight. String them with the same strings and conduct hitting sessions with a hitting partner while you (and your coach) observe the action. Include serving, backhand volleys and slice in your playtest. Collect feedback from everyone (including hitting partner - he will tell you when she hits the heaviest ball). Changing rackets is cumbersome and costly. Most probably she will select the same racket as some other good girl is using or the one that her favorite pro is using. If she is sponsored - almost all manufacturers have demo programs that is very valuable if she uses grip 2 - hard to get a demo with this grip from a public source. Establishing relationships with a local pro shop may help.
The strung weights 11.1 - 11.3 and head sizes 95-100" are the most popular. Based on what kind of player she is decide if she needs more power or more control, open or closed string pattern, type of strings. Many girls start using co-poly hybrid or full co-poly at this age. If she takes the ball early with a short swing she may be better off with a lighter racket.

1.One should be very careful selecting poly and hybrids at this age.
It is very difficult to establish how long a GIVEN set of strings can be used
2.Using 95 rackets requires some evaluation of skills

[Dr. Perry]

As far as spec is concerned, I am looking at:

98-100 sq in; 10.8 - 11.1 oz strung weight, < 65 stiffness.

Do you think these are about right for the skill level between intermediate and advanced, or advanced?

[julian]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

As far as spec is concerned, I am looking at:

98-100 sq in; 10.8 - 11.1 oz strung weight, < 65 stiffness.

Do you think these are about right for the skill level between intermediate and advanced, or advanced?

You will get a lot of CONFLICTING OPINIONS about stiffness.
I do recommend some Babolat rackets for my students
Example:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/desc...ml?PCODE=10711
Stiffness 67
Please click the icon specifications OR see below
--->
Head Size:
107 sq. in. / 690.32 sq. cm.
Length: 27.2in / 69.09cm
Strung Weight: 10.4oz / 294.84g
Balance: 2 pts HL
Swingweight: 298
Stiffness: 67
Beam Width: 22mm / 25mm / 23mm /
Composition: Graphite / Tungsten
Power Level: Medium
Stroke Style: Medium-Full
Swing Speed: Medium-Fast
Racquet Colors:
Black / Blue / White
Grip Type: Syntec
String Pattern:
16 Mains / 19 Crosses
Mains skip: 8T, 8H
Two Pieces
Shared Holes: None
String Tension: 55-62 pounds
---->
A decent pro shop may have this racket

A condition 27 inches long probably should be added to your list

[klu375]

Originally Posted by julian

1.One should be very careful selecting poly and hybrids at this age.
2. It is very difficult to establish how long a GIVEN set of strings can be used
3. Using 95 rackets requires some evaluation of skills

1. - Player has to try it and see if she likes the feel of poly
2. - Not with all smartphone based apps nowadays. Hybrid can be used until softer string breaks. Full poly - need to establish experimentally how many hours it can be used. I used to do tension graphs and spreadsheets but now my player mostly breaks strings before they become unplayable. Occasionally she would complain that the racket sprays the balls - then I would restring

The most important - string poly with lower tension.
3. Generally agree that 95" require advanced skills but some 95" are almost the size of 100" and more forgiving. When we playtested I remember that BLX Tour 95" was much more playable than Pure Storm 98"

[julian]

Originally Posted by klu375

1. - Player has to try it and see if she likes the feel of poly
2. - Not with all smartphone based apps nowadays. Hybrid can be used until softer string breaks. Full poly - need to establish experimentally how many hours it can be used. I used to do tension graphs and spreadsheets but now my player mostly breaks strings before they become unplayable. Occasionally she would complain that the racket sprays the balls - then I would restring

The most important - string poly with lower tension.
3. Generally agree that 95" require advanced skills but some 95" are almost the size of 100" and more forgiving. When we playtested I remember that BLX Tour 95" was much more playable than Pure Storm 98"

Your quote
--->
Hybrid can be used until softer string breaks
--->spring
I disagree.
Just to show you a bigger picture.
I coached college this spring.
I coached a high school 5 years before
Some college players were able to play 50 hours of hybrid without
breaking a softer component (they were using the same racket)-more or less 3-4 weeks of the season
It is beyond me how they were able to do it but it is a bit beyond the point

[klu375]

Originally Posted by julian

Your quote
--->
Hybrid can be used until softer string breaks
--->spring
I disagree.
I coached college this spring.
I coached a high school 5 years before
Some players were able to play 50 hours of hybrid without
breaking a softer component

Wow! Is it a division 5 team?

Seriously if the player is a beginner/intermediate she should not be using poly. Just cannot take advantage of it and will hurt herself.

[klu375]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

As far as spec is concerned, I am looking at:

98-100 sq in; 10.8 - 11.1 oz strung weight, < 65 stiffness.

Do you think these are about right for the skill level between intermediate and advanced, or advanced?

I can simply recommend you all around great racket - Yonex Vcore 100S. If you wait for a month - it will go on bigger sale as the next version is already available overseas.
She needs even more power - try Wilson Juice or Bab Pure Drive
She needs more control - try Head 18x20 thinner beam offerings
A little bit longer racket - Wilson BLX Tour

You need to match racket to her game and more importantly - ask her if she has preferences - does she want a red racket or a blue racket?

[TCF]

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[Dr. Perry]

Both the Pure Storm GT and Yonex VCore 100S are on my radar, in fact. Is the strung weight on 11 oz level too light even for girls?

[Alohajrtennis]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

Both the Pure Storm GT and Yonex VCore 100S are on my radar, in fact. Is the strung weight on 11 oz level too light even for girls?

I dont think you posted how big or strong she is, only her age, so the answer is 'probably' but theirs no way to no for sure..Keep in mind TCF's girl is 8.

For a 13-15 year old, it's really not about whether they are a boy or a girl but how strong they are and can they maintain the racquet head speed with a heavier racquet.

[LeeD]

Everyone stresses about handling the 11.5 oz racket.
Maybe the weight of her racket should be based on the speed and spin of the incoming balls she sees.
No reason to use a 11.5 oz racket when the incoming balls are not WTA level, as the WTA PROS use 11.5 oz rackets. The balls she sees are much slower, so maybe a 10 oz racket is plenty heavy, and it would aid her swingspeed even when forced to run and stretch
Just like in men's tennis, the pros are using an average weight around 12 oz. WE do not face the pro level shots, and don't need anywhere near that weight of racket. At men's 4.0, I think 10oz is more than heavy enough to rip winners from anywhere on the court and to return winner attempts.

[klu375]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

Both the Pure Storm GT and Yonex VCore 100S are on my radar, in fact. Is the strung weight on 11 oz level too light even for girls?

Pure Storm GT is for a really advanced player. Do not see many girls playing with it. TCF offers you a lighter version of this racket - very impressive that his 8yo can play with it - but it may be too light for a 13-15yo.

As was mentioned above she should use the heaviest racket she can play with comfortably. This should verified by playtest.

[julian]

Originally Posted by Dr. Perry

Both the Pure Storm GT and Yonex VCore 100S are on my radar, in fact. Is the strung weight on 11 oz level too light even for girls?

Pure Storm is a mistake