From Mid to Midplus: The Great midlife Migration

[corners]

For all you guys that gave up your mids, or had them pried from your gnarled hands, and are now using a midplus or bigger (98+), what have you gained? What have you lost? Was it the best thing you ever did for your tennis game? Any regrets? Are you winning more or more easily?

Pete Sampras is the honorary first member of this society. Hopefully he'll chime in on what adding 13 square inches has done for his game when he has some time. But we're very interested in hearing from everyone. Please let us know what you switched from and what you switched to, and what the result has been for your game.

[jimbo333]

Originally Posted by corners

For all you guys that gave up your mids, or had them pried from your gnarled hands, and are now using a midplus (98+), what have you gained? What have you lost? Was it the best thing you ever did for your tennis game? Any regrets? Are you winning more or more easily?

Pete Sampras is the honorary first member of this society. Hopefully he'll chime in on what adding 13 square inches has done for his game when he has some time. But we're very interested in hearing from everyone. Please let us know what you switched from and what you switched to.

Well I 've gone from:-

1970's Dunlop Maxply wood/graphite (65sqin)
1980's Head Vector (wood/graphite) (75sqin)
1990's Dunlop Max300i (85sqin)
2000's Angell (Vantage) Custom (95sqin)

And others inbetween and dates/headsizes approx, but i can guess what size I'll be using soon

(I honestly think as a I get older I need a bigger sweetspot)

[BalboaNoah]

when i finally put my ego aside and went from 90 to 95/98/100 (sometimes 102 and fool around with 110) it opened up the game for me. defense was easier. defense to offense became a new tool. the confidence to unleash wildly spinning angled shots and even attack returns on first serve became possible.

[Sander001]

What is Sampras using now?

[millicurie999]

Played with PS85 since the 80's. 2 yrs ago, switched to Babolat PSL and am loving it. Win more free points and better defense.

[LeeD]

Better defense, better reflex shots, better shots when tired and not moving, better after the third set, those big hoops.
BUT, my HeadMicrogelOS, at around 105 (they say 107), can mishit more than my 100's when I start to tire or lose vision on the ball, so going too big is not always a gain.

[mikeler]

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

[DonDiego]

I went the other way around. From 102 to 95.

Better 1-hand backhand, better serve, better overheads and much more control.

Of course I also went from light to heavy, and from head-heavy to headlight. In fact, I went from playing with anything I could find, to weighting my sticks on a kitchen scale, and sometimes cutting three inches of an overgrip in hope of lowering the weight of the racquet by half a gram...

Not sure if I changed for the better...

[slowfox]

I'm doing an experiment of playing with old, classic racquets from the 80s. Searching the you-know-where auction site for sticks. Most of the ones I'm considering are 100+ sq in headsizes. Just bid on a PK 110 sq in.

Normally I play with 95s. Very curious to see how the larger racquets affect my game.

[LeeD]

Larger racket....
More average good shots.
Less great shots.
Slower swing speed.
Balanced by more good shots.
Making your game more.....average.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

95 - 98 - 104 over the last 12 months

better defence, better offence, stronger serve, greater margin for error on everything

Tennis is just more fun.

acid test will be Monday night vs a 5.0 with whom I have always had close matches with the honours even..

I shall let you all know!

[LeeD]

I would question the "stronger serve".
Just don't see that can happen in any manner or form, especially for a 5.0 player.

[roundiesee]

I went from a 90 si ProKennex to a 98-100 si Speed and then the Juice, but now I'm back with the BLXPS90.
The feel of the tweeners just wasn't "right", and the plow-through factor was just the main ingredient that was missing in the lighter, larger frames.
But OP is right- eventually as we get older, the larger rackets will help us play the percentages better. I'm thinking of trying the Dunlop Bio 500 Tour next.

[LeeD]

Lack of "plowthru" might be a stumbling block.
Aero4D for 65 bucks at least has SW of 325 for some mass at the head.

[BMWprestigem3]

Went from a 93" to a 98". I feel everything has improved.

1st Serve has more pop.

2nd Serve has more kick.

The Mid did have a better plow thru, so I leaded the Midplus to try and gain some of the plow thru that the Mid had. But it still doesn't match the Mid's plow thru.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I would question the "stronger serve".
Just don't see that can happen in any manner or form, especially for a 5.0 player.

it's the same weight, only with a higher sw and a thicker beam, = more mph.

not as if I have gone lighter, just bigger head and different type of frame.

[bhupaes]

IMO, a larger head size lets one be more consistent. A smaller head size is good for some great shots, but it's much harder to hit that way consistently. My main racquet is 100 sq inches, and my fun racquet is 93 sq inches. I always do much better in a match with the larger racquet, although they are both weighted similarly - a reflection on my skill level, I suppose...

[matchmaker]

I went the other way, from MP to mid, even tried an oversize once. For some strange reason, I have a lot less arm issues with mids. So that is my gain. Strangely, I also feel my game is more penetrating by using mids.

[Harry_Wild]

I have both size rackets 98 and 93 Head Prestige. I found that I can take a break and use the 98 for fun and trying out stuff like hitting extreme strokes and serving beyond maximum pace. Then I go back to my 93 and play with it for a most of the time afterward. It breaks up the hitting and change of pace is good at least for me and my game.

[Gee]

Several times I tried to switch to a Head Prestige Mid because I love the addictive feel when you hit the ball into the sweet area. That solid and connected feel I only seem to achieve with a midsize.

Unfortunately I win easier with a Midplus because of the more forgiveness of the bigger headsize.

During practices I enjoy more the mid but I feel I just need that extra 5 sq inch of a Midplus during matches.


That's why it has always been a dilemma to me:

• Should I go for the sensational feel of the mid or;
• Should I go for the more consistent play and more confident feel of the midplus

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

It also helps to confirm my choice of the MP when I am watching ATP/WTA players on TV who are mostly using a Midplus frame (or even an oversize). Only a few players like Federer are still using a midsize.