Can a light racquet cause...

[JYD]

Can a light racquet cause shoulder tension/pain? I'm not sure if it was just because I hadn't played in a few months, or becauase my racquet is too light..I have a dunlop ice, and it's SO light. I played last week and it hurt my shoulder A LOT..

But today I played, and played with my dad's nCode, and my shoulder felt fine...and I played for TRIPLE the amount of time (3 hrs today)...

i'm just curious if a real light racquet could have caused this or was it because i hadn't played in a while?

thoughts?

[Ronaldo]

May be the Dunlop is just stiffer than the nCode. Or longer which adds swingweight.

[crazytennis]

Dunlop is about 10.1 ounces and according to the RDC test 73 stiffness rating. I would consider that pretty stiff.

Which nCode were you using /?

[Ronaldo]

Hopefully the nWetNoodle

Typically a light, stiff racquet with a large beam width will produce more vibration than a heavier, more flexible frame. Most of the ncodes in general are not that arm friendly. Playing with a racquet that is much too heavy can also cause arm problems but less because of vibration and more because of the effort needed to produce power can put strain on your arm. Finding something right in the middle is probably your best bet. You may try checking out some of the prince o3 frames as they are very arm friendly and are available in many different weights, you can surely find something that is right for you.

[SystemicAnomaly]

Oh yeah, the light racket could definitely be a significant factor in the development of your shoulder pain, particularly if the strung weight is not much more than 10 oz. A racket this light can be particularly problematic if you are serving/hitting fairly hard or if you play against heavy hitters.

You didn't really say which Dunlop Ice and which Wlison nCode rackets you were using. The 2 Ice rackets that I've looked at were both pretty light with a head-heavy balance. If the racket that you are using is head-heavy, you might want to add some weight (lead tape) to the handle (or throat) of the racket. I would suggest adding at least 0.5 oz (~15 grams) up to a full oz or so.

As the user above suggested, you might want to try a Prince O3 racket -- one that has a strung weight of 11 to 12 oz or so. I've tried a few of the newer O3 Speedport rackets -- I particularly liked the Speedport Black (but not the lighter Team version or the Long Body version). Even tho' this racket is nearly 11.5 oz, it swings like a much lighter racket because of the aerodynamics of the Speedport frame (and also due to the fact that it is somewhat head-light).

If you want something cheaper, you might want to take a look at some of the O3 Hybrid rackets -- O3 Hybrid Tour, O3 Hybrid Hornet or O3 Hybrid Shark. (The latter 2 rackets may require some additional weight).

One more question -- are you using a stiff string on that Dunlop racket? Check the following link:

tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=2067680