Diary of a Racketaholic

[Power Player]

Ok I have 3 links. First for the ADD in us all, here are my strokes in regular and slo mo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ottAYQ0BABY

Next here is me hitting with my friend who was a 5.0 as a junior. He hits with a lot of spin so just making clean contact is difficult. He also has great angles on his shots :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkB-gjq_4Q

I was pretty wiped out and hungover, but the weather was great. When I am tired I will bail out sometimes in longer rallies and go big, like the last shot in the vid. lol.

Here is his perspective so you can maybe get an idea for his spin. He wants to drop some weight and get his feet more active, but he has real fast hands and smooth strokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiV67zOvkQ

I got a lot of his nice angle shots in there. What is really nice about his ball is that when he hits that angle, the spin just takes it even further away so you basically have no chance.

[LeeD]

Thanks for posting!
We'd have a good match, but you'd win on speed and endurance. I'd win on placement and net play, but without legs, no chance overall.
Have you hit with Dozu at all lately?

[Power Player]

I only hit with Dozu once. He came down to Orlando for vacation.

Ill have matchplay videos coming as well. We were both too hungover to play sets today..lol.

[LeeD]

Good stuff. Always great to see a fellow TW member hit and play. Makes for better reference points.

[JGads]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Ok I have 3 links. First for the ADD in us all, here are my strokes in regular and slo mo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ottAYQ0BABY

Next here is me hitting with my friend who was a 5.0 as a junior. He hits with a lot of spin so just making clean contact is difficult. He also has great angles on his shots :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkB-gjq_4Q

I was pretty wiped out and hungover, but the weather was great. When I am tired I will bail out sometimes in longer rallies and go big, like the last shot in the vid. lol.

Here is his perspective so you can maybe get an idea for his spin. He wants to drop some weight and get his feet more active, but he has real fast hands and smooth strokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiV67zOvkQ

I got a lot of his nice angle shots in there. What is really nice about his ball is that when he hits that angle, the spin just takes it even further away so you basically have no chance.

Looking good, dude. And our hypothesis is correct -- our strokes are in fact pretty similar, I think, you hit with spin on the forehand no matter what, but I can see how that closed pattern Blade is flattening the ball out for you a bit just like closed patterns often do with me. With a wide open pattern, I can see that spin getting more vertical. And I can see why we tend to like similar frames, though you're definitely a stronger guy than me which may help to explain why you might sometimes be comfier with frames that I might feel are a tad sluggish.

Seem to hit a very solid ball with that Blade, indeed. Hopefully you get that Steam soon to compare.

Big ups on the Flame Vapors. Liking them? I use Superfeet Orange or Blue insoles in mine, and they're gold. Just not durable, but I accept what they are.

[Power Player]

The vapors are awesome man. I love how stable they are. I have the USO ones coming too.

I'd love to see your strokes as well,especially with that Radical TGK. The flattest ball I hit all day was the second forehand that I slowed down in the quick vid. It feels like I hit so flat and then I look at my strokes in slow mo and I apparently do the Pat-the dog thing, and some jack sockian wrist action that I have always done my whole life.

I can tell you my buddy loves how I hit with the Blade and said it is just tougher to get to my angled shots now. He said I hit well with the yonex, but the spin gave him more time to get track down my shots.

He wields the Juice pro like it is an 11oz stick..it's crazy!

I plan to film with the steam as well. I am definitely interested, but looking at my strokes again - i have to wonder if I really need more spin on them.

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Ok I have 3 links. First for the ADD in us all, here are my strokes in regular and slo mo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ottAYQ0BABY

Next here is me hitting with my friend who was a 5.0 as a junior. He hits with a lot of spin so just making clean contact is difficult. He also has great angles on his shots :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkB-gjq_4Q

I was pretty wiped out and hungover, but the weather was great. When I am tired I will bail out sometimes in longer rallies and go big, like the last shot in the vid. lol.

Here is his perspective so you can maybe get an idea for his spin. He wants to drop some weight and get his feet more active, but he has real fast hands and smooth strokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaiV67zOvkQ

I got a lot of his nice angle shots in there. What is really nice about his ball is that when he hits that angle, the spin just takes it even further away so you basically have no chance.

Nice hitting mate! Looks solid. You're a freaking huge dude though LOL! I'm surprised your not hitting with something that has a bit more SW. I'm pretty sure your one bicep is the size of both of mine together hahaha!

That being said, you definitely hit really clean. I don't see why an open pattern would benefit you much at all, the closed pattern really flattens out your ball and gives it a lot more penetration through the court.

-Fuji

[MikeHitsHard93]

Very very nice PP. Thanks for posting!

[Power Player]

Thanks guys, and Fuji..yeah I really like the 330-335 SW area and the lighter 305 sticks. If I went heavier, I'd probably do the Juice Pro since it is a lot like the Blade.

I just love the Blade on serve and it hits so big for it's weight. That extra head speed is awesome too. But after the 99s, I may mess with the JP a little more since I really do like it. I just keep coming back to the Blade though..it's such a sweet racquet.

Wanted to add that I had Cyberflash 1.20 gauge in the mains in the stick I used on the video. Later on I went back to the 4g mains. I had better control and more spin. This was not expected at all, especially since the 4g is going to die rather soon.

My next experiment to try and beat 4g will be a full bed of black magic 17.

[mad dog1]

PP, man, you're a STOUT dude. it's easy to see why you prefer sticks w/ 330-335 SWs. lighter sticks would feel like a feather. you generate good RHS. nice smooth, powerful strokes!

[Power Player]

LOL..thanks! I have the 300 build..somehow not much body fat on me. I just do pushups and hit the gym once a week.

[bad_call]

PP - nice vid. you're staying light on your feet and connecting with the ball. your friend looks solid too.

[Ross K]

by active footwork, if you mean stay light on the balls of the feet then i agree. however when the mechanics of the swing are messed up and there are so many things to think about, adding footwork into the mix ends up being sensory and information overload. best to get the stroke right first with minimal footwork required initially.

Originally Posted by mad dog1

I get what you're saying but I'm advocating progresssion through steps. Once the strokes are grooved and you aren't thinking about how to hit the ball, then is easier to think about how to move the feet. If you try to master everything at the same time, you often don't improve anything.

Quoted for truth. 100% agree with mad dog's 2 posts, and not least as I have such recent experience of this very problem.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by Power Player

LOL..thanks! I have the 300 build..somehow not much body fat on me. I just do pushups and hit the gym once a week.

PP, what are you weighing in at these days?

[Power Player]

About 175 I believe.

[klementine79]

Nice vids PP.

Vaguely remember the first vid but this time around a vast improvement over the one you posted a while back. Much earlier prep, better finish (off both wings) and more active footwork. Also, you're hunkering down in the 'saddle' better, getting some bend on the knees.

--------------
I'm nursing a tender wrist atm (luckily it's the left), after a weekend of playing gigs (2nd job). Hadn't played the drums in a while and now I'm cringing at the thought of hitting a back-hand.

Took some advil, did the cold/hot water routine and wrapped it overnight. PP, anything you did in particular when you had that nagging wrist injury that seemed to work? I don't think it's injured (at least not yet), probably just lack of use, then over-use.

[Power Player]

Yeah I got AI steroids prescribed to me and stopped playing for 2 months. If it is sharp pain on ball contact, stop playing immediately. There is nothing you can do except stabilize the wrist and take time off unfortunately .

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by Power Player

About 175 I believe.

I thought you were a little less than me. Geez, they all think you are stout!

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by mikeler

I thought you were a little less than me. Geez, they all think you are stout!

lol..yeah. I have pretty low Bf too, visible abs is how I usually can gauge that if I dont get it measured.. Just a lot of muscle is giving me the extra weight. I am barely lifting too - literally once a week and just doing pushups, so I have no idea why I am retaining the muscle..there could be worse problems..lol.

[klementine79]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Yeah I got AI steroids prescribed to me and stopped playing for 2 months. If it is sharp pain on ball contact, stop playing immediately. There is nothing you can do except stabilize the wrist and take time off unfortunately .

Haven't played on it yet and no sharp pains but definitely a bothersome feel when I rotate it. Going to keep on wrapping it and see how the week goes. I think I tweaked it loading/unloading PA systems, speakers, etc., then the playing just murdered me.