should i switch to a longer racquet??????

[debguru]

I am an all court player but i am just 5ft 9" . Since i play local tournam,ents i nedd to have a good serve. But i tend to lose matches because my serve gets broken quite often. I am very good at groundstrokes and volley. I an classical stylist and i play with k90. Should i switch to alonger racuqt and if yes which one to suit my style (eastern forehand and single handed backhand.)

[skuludo]

You can also try the Prince Mono Longbody. It's 29 inches long. This is the maximum length allowed in tennis. Thats the only racket I can think of with that length.

[In D Zone]

What's the rating of the players you are playing against?
Hard to tell (not knowing the whole story)...

How about going with a bit lighter racquet in terms of swing weight? K90 can be abit of a monster to weld, coupled that with the external pressures from the event and not familiar with playing styles of the oppoent.

Could also be your confidence? Nerves during a tournament is totally difference when playing regular non tour matches. Lack of tournament exposure. ANd you are not alone on this one....

DOn't think there is a extended version of Mid sized racquet... most extended frames are offered in mid plus and larger heads.

[JRstriker12]

Originally Posted by debguru

I am an all court player but i am just 5ft 9" . Since i play local tournam,ents i nedd to have a good serve. But i tend to lose matches because my serve gets broken quite often. I am very good at groundstrokes and volley. I an classical stylist and i play with k90. Should i switch to alonger racuqt and if yes which one to suit my style (eastern forehand and single handed backhand.)

Maybe being a tennis player instead of being a "classical stylist" would help????

Anyway, before anyone can make a sane suggestion - what's the problem with your serve? Why does it get broken? What have you done to improve your serve? What's your USTA rating?

Keep in mind that you don't have to have a massive serve to win, especially if you have groundies and volleys that are better than the other guy.

[Jay_The_Nomad]

Well they say that a longer racquet does help you generate more power on your serves, but I doubt the half inch would help you with consistency.

The longer racquet would affect the SW & this might affect other aspects of your game.

Of course, you could always try to compensate for swing weight by finding a lightl racquet & playing around with lead tape - however, this might affect other playing characteristics of the racquet.

Now i'm not an expert on racquet customisation, but many people have trouble finding the 'perfect' racquet. So if you've already found a racquet that's great on the ground strokes, volley and you find your serve lacking... maybe you should consider working on the technical aspect of your serve first?

e.g. improving your 2nd serve kick serve.

[5263]

I was in a similar boat and found that the XL instinct made that big difference for me, even though the added length is not much at all. I've found that it may not take much extra length to make a big diff on serves.

I felt I could do what ever I needed with almost any stick on groundstrokes and volleys, so went with the one that felt great for my serve!

[Golden Retriever]

1/2 inch really helps my serve and my 2hander backhand. It doesn't hurt my forehand neither. I find it hurts my OH a bit but I just grip up.

[debguru]

Originally Posted by 5263

I was in a similar boat and found that the XL instinct made that big difference for me, even though the added length is not much at all. I've found that it may not take much extra length to make a big diff on serves.

I felt I could do what ever I needed with almost any stick on groundstrokes and volleys, so went with the one that felt great for my serve!

Thx for the advice.
I would like to know if the babolat pure storm tour plus will suit my style and help my serve without creating problems for my one handed backhand.

[Nellie]

I (at 5'10") really like the extra length racquets, a lot, for my second serves because it give me better racquet head speed. I don't find too much difference on flatter serves.

Honestly, if you needed more pop, almost any other racquet would help you out.

If you like to try to extend your current racquet, it would be pretty easy to move the buttcap down and re-staple at a longer position. The weighting will be a little weird, but you can see about the length.

P.S. I also find racquets like, like the Babalot Aero-pro, that have higher sweet spots on the face to be better for my second serves.

[chess9]

Originally Posted by 5263

I was in a similar boat and found that the XL instinct made that big difference for me, even though the added length is not much at all. I've found that it may not take much extra length to make a big diff on serves.

I felt I could do what ever I needed with almost any stick on groundstrokes and volleys, so went with the one that felt great for my serve!

Yes, it terms of opening up the court, just a .5 inch difference is fairly substantial. If he's playing 4.5 and above, I'd say he should TRY it. I would guess .5 inch opens up close to one full horizontal inch at the service box, so he might see his DF numbers fall.

BUT, changing racquet lengths brings swing changes and feel into play, so plan on playing poorly for a few days at least.

I've tried a longer racquet, and loved it for serves, but not for groundies and volleys.

Some of the pros play with 28 inch racquets, and Chang did with great success.

The short guys I know who are good servers have a large vertical component to their serves. So, if you aren't achieving 'lift off' you might look to serve style changes as well.

-Rober