From Mid to Midplus: The Great midlife Migration

[max]

Interesting thread. I'll watch how it goes.

I'm moving from a 98 to a 93. I feel it'll be a "return to normal" for me. The 98 always felt like a lot of string field.

[pshulam]

I am alternating between a 93 (Prince spectrum comp 90) and a 95 (Head PT280). The difference is very minute.

[movdqa]

Went from 90 to 95, K ProStaff 88 to Youtek Prestige MP.

I gained a little forgiveness on off-center hits which has helped my arm health and a slight improvement in spin capability. I lost some precision in my one-handed backhand which I have made up for with increased topspin with a somewhat looser wrist. I can generate a little more topspin on the forehand side which has resulted in being able to hit the ball harder. It's modified my game to where I sometimes run around my forehand. In the past, the forehand and backhand were more balanced so I took more backhands.

I'd say that going to the MP helped my game - as far as winning more points goes. I also went to an XL (27.75 inches) and the extra reach has helped too (hey, I want all of the help that I can get). Of course physical fitness improvements have been much more important in improving my game.

> Lately I decided to choose the Head IG Youtek Prestige Midplus because I prefer to win matches.

I went through the same feelings. Do you want the shots to feel great or do you want to win? Well, of course you want both but I think that competitive people want to win and I have a competitive personality. I think that lots of people here do too.

It's like trading stocks. You can be right and lose money, wrong and lose money, right and make money or wrong and make money. Eventually you get to the point where you don't care so much about being wrong or right - you care about your account balance.

[Gee]

Originally Posted by movdqa

I went through the same feelings. Do you want the shots to feel great or do you want to win? Well, of course you want both but I think that competitive people want to win and I have a competitive personality. I think that lots of people here do too.

It's like trading stocks. You can be right and lose money, wrong and lose money, right and make money or wrong and make money. Eventually you get to the point where you don't care so much about being wrong or right - you care about your account balance.

Nice to hear you 've had the same mid vs midplus experiences.

Yes You better choose a Midplus if you're a competitive player (like both of us). I am getting frustated when I miss though shots with a Mid during a match whereas I don't use to do with a Midplus.

Ever considered a 100 sq inch headsize?
I played a few seasons with a Head FXP Radical Tour. Especially my kick serves were getting more spin and I gained some more foregiveness into my shots. However my volleys were getting worse for some reason. Maybe too sluggish and too flexible. I won more with the Head FXP Rad Tour but some day I tried a heavier and much more solid Tecnifibre T-Fight 335. I was sold! I played better than ever, especially at the net. Rock solid! However... I was still missing that special feel of a Head Prestige Mid.

Then I used the PK Black Ace 98 a few seasons. After I customized it to my desired specs I thought I found my frame. Unfortunately the racquet technican ruined my frames when he tried to put the lead under the grommets. I was very angry and I felt very stupid I didn't that myself! He didn't put TK82S grip pallets properly on my Head IG Prestige MP as well. There was still a big gap of about 2mm between the pallets.

Now I am back to Head IG Prestige Midplus that has a nice soft feel and that's is a bit more solid than my PK BA98. I am able to produce perfect stop volleys and dropshots with it. Still not a Mid but close enough to live with.

[movdqa]

I have a PDR that I used for a short time but had arm problems with it. I like to buy matched sets and find that 95s are easiest to come by. It is so much work changing racquets that I would like to stick with what I have for several years and just focus more on playing and fitness.

[gplracer]

The long story is 65-85-90-104-85-95-98-95-90-95 this was over a course of 25 years. More recently I switched to the Babolat Prue Drive from a 6.1 95. Then I went back to the 6.1 when my elbow told me to. I then hit with a 90 for a while and loved it. Now I am back with the kfactor 6.1 95. I seem to always go back to the 6.1.

[corners]

Originally Posted by Sander001

What is Sampras using now?

I was hoping he would tell us. But it sounds like he went from PS85 to N90 to KPS88 to Pure Storm Tour to a blacked out Wilson, maybe a Blade. Has apparently kept his old specs throughout.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

I am still in love with a 104, so....

Never played better imho, so clean, so much margn for error.

(mind you, after 6 months with a Volkl PB9, ANYTHING is going to feel like it has a big sweetspot!)

I will be fascinated to see what TT play tester Granville does after some months with a PD107 (on account of surgery)

I just can't believe how much I am enjoying my tennis again.

[Gee]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

I am still in love with a 104, so....

Never played better imho, so clean, so much margn for error.

(mind you, after 6 months with a Volkl PB9, ANYTHING is going to feel like it has a big sweetspot!)

I will be fascinated to see what TT play tester Granville does after some months with a PD107 (on account of surgery)

I just can't believe how much I am enjoying my tennis again.

I guess he ĺl play like a magican first but after a honeymoon period he 'll get lazy and through this his technique ĺl be worse.

At least that is my experience with a Head Polaris 660 when the widebodies came into the market.

[corners]

Originally Posted by Gee

I guess he ĺl play like a magican first but after a honeymoon period he 'll get lazy and through this his technique ĺl be worse.

At least that is my experience with a Head Polaris 660 when the widebodies came into the market.

Why does the magician get lazy?

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by corners

Why does the magician get lazy?

Hey Corners, I'm thinking of updating my sig.. "tennis IS easy!"

[Gee]

Originally Posted by corners

Why does the magician get lazy?

He 'll be getting spoiled by the foregiveness of a big frame.

I think it is easier to keep your technique properly with a low powered and control oriented frame because you 'll be punished more if you don't hit cleanly.

One of my team mates is using a Head Ti Fire who has a really lazy footwork. I tried his racquet once and I thought it was a very powerful and light frame with a lack of control and feel.

[corners]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

Hey Corners, I'm thinking of updating my sig.. "tennis IS easy!"

That's it! I just ordered a six pack of those super-forgiving greenies!

[ASH1485]

kept going back and forth on this

started with 95 then 93 then 98 then 95 again ,then finally settled on 89

currently at 28 years of age and i dont think i am going midplus till iam 35 maybe or 40

nothing feels like a mid, yes even if i dont win more.

[heftylefty]

Originally Posted by mikeler

I went the other way. Started out with oversize rackets and now I use mid plus.

Dude, I did the same thing. I started using an Oversize in the mid 1980 through 2002. Then slowly but surely going down in size. I'm currently using a Yonex RQiS 1 Tour which is a 95. And I have demo the Yonex V-Core 89...I'm very tempted.

I'll be 49 years old this year.

[LeeD]

I"m 64.
After playing a few weeks exclusively with a MicroGelOS, I bought a DunlopBio300T and it's working just fine.
I'm crippled and blind as a bat too.

[Greg G]

At 43, I went from 105 to 89...no regrets so far

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by corners

That's it! I just ordered a six pack of those super-forgiving greenies!

well, acid test was last night, very good player who I have had many a tough match with.

won 6 -2 6 -2 and he commented on weight of shot and pace of serve..

color me happy!

[OrangePower]

In the mid 80s I played with a Dunlop Max 150G... I don't even remember the headsize, but since it was smaller than a 200G I would guess 75-ish.

I am still nostalgic about that racquet
(Anyone actually remember the actual headsize for the 150G?)

After a 20 year layoff, I'm now using a 98.

The increase in headsize is a rough inverse correlation to the acuity of my eyesight

[dhdriver]

Here is the list of racquets I've played with till now:
Prince O3 Hybrid Shark
Babolat Aero Pro Drive w/ Cortex
Head Youtek Speed MP
Head Youtek Prestige Mid
Yonex V-Core Tour 89

I've went the opposite route. I somewhat miss the forgiveness of the bigger heads but I am loving midsized racquets too much. I've definitely been able to play some of my best tennis with the midsized racquets though.