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Deleted member 768841
Guest
What is the worst racquet ever performance wise? It’s gotta have an erratic stringbed, stiff as all get out, and just play horribly. Any contenders?
SwingingAway
New User
I definitely haven't hit with as many racquets as some, but the one frame that sticks out in my mind is the Wilson Kobra Tour. 60 RA but felt stiffer than the pure drive GT I hit along side it. Very hollow feeling, erratic, unstable.
Edit: I think esm makes a good point and it's only fair to mention the string set up. The racquet was strung with Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 1.25 in the low 50's. Maybe 52lb from memory. I had borrowed it from a friend who already had ~2 hours play with that string job.
Edit: I think esm makes a good point and it's only fair to mention the string set up. The racquet was strung with Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 1.25 in the low 50's. Maybe 52lb from memory. I had borrowed it from a friend who already had ~2 hours play with that string job.
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FranzS
Semi-Pro
Didn't like it as well. No arm pain but that hollow brittle feel, weird launch angle.. meh.
Alexh22
Professional
Holy cow. This is why I had to put down the PD. Elbow hand pain will not go away for two days after hitting. Ball goes either too long or into the net.
On another note the head graphene is the worst junk they put in a tennis racquet.
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WilPro
Semi-Pro
The only racquet that I could say was not very good was a hard cover book I once used to play tennis. As I grabbed it by the corner it was pretty hard to generate power and didn't have much spin.
The big problem was when the opponent hitting with a racquet was hitting very hard. I had to grab the book very tight, very very tight to return a powerful shot. Otherwise I could easily drop the book and looked ridiculous. And of course the only grip I could think of was the continental grip. Best idea for a grip when playing such racquet is to have the thumb on one side and the fingers spread all over the other side. But make sure you won't hit the thumb. And two handed backhand is mandatory. Otherwise your thumb might hurt.
But it was pretty playable. Not great at all but playable.
The big problem was when the opponent hitting with a racquet was hitting very hard. I had to grab the book very tight, very very tight to return a powerful shot. Otherwise I could easily drop the book and looked ridiculous. And of course the only grip I could think of was the continental grip. Best idea for a grip when playing such racquet is to have the thumb on one side and the fingers spread all over the other side. But make sure you won't hit the thumb. And two handed backhand is mandatory. Otherwise your thumb might hurt.
But it was pretty playable. Not great at all but playable.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
The paint job was appropriate, gunmetal, as it felt and transferred vibrations up your arm just like metal.
haqq777
Legend
Wilson Burn FST 99
Got my pair on sale from TW hoping I could make them work. Just plain terrible racquets. Harsh, no feel, tinny (and all this coming from someone who loves Babolats) and felt like you were playing with a frying pan. No type of string setup worked. Just couldn't use it with anything.
The best thing about them I liked was the fantastic PJ and that was their only redeeming quality.
Got my pair on sale from TW hoping I could make them work. Just plain terrible racquets. Harsh, no feel, tinny (and all this coming from someone who loves Babolats) and felt like you were playing with a frying pan. No type of string setup worked. Just couldn't use it with anything.
The best thing about them I liked was the fantastic PJ and that was their only redeeming quality.
TennisHound
Legend
XT Speed Rev Pro. Oddly enough, it felt close to the Clash 100
FYI - the TC101 Copper (Only Copper, not Octane) is going for £101 for 101 hours (since yesterday afternoon).... so that would be a good time to pick one up... cos Angell doesn’t really do “sales” often.
have fun
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
J
joohan
Guest
RoarTT
Semi-Pro
Agree with everything said here. The FST 99 was also what came to mind for me as soon as i saw the thread title. (I also love Babolats)Wilson Burn FST 99
Got my pair on sale from TW hoping I could make them work. Just plain terrible racquets. Harsh, no feel, tinny (and all this coming from someone who loves Babolats) and felt like you were playing with a frying pan. No type of string setup worked. Just couldn't use it with anything.
The best thing about them I liked was the fantastic PJ and that was their only redeeming quality.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
I'm betting that it looks good but doesn't share the awful characteristics of the graphene rad pro!Angell V1 paint job was/is gunmetal, too. Just fyi
jersey34tennis
Professional
yonex sv 98+ was pretty unredeeming for me. I have a few of the racquets on these lists, the fst 95, fst 99, nxg graphite mid. the soon to be mentioned head premier tour which I still enjoy even though it flexes so unnaturally . I honestly thought the babolat aeropro drives with cortex and gt's were bumblebee garbage. hollow and cheap. I also thought the Wilson air shell oversized super thick racquets were crap. maybe the lord of all crap racquets
BHold81
Semi-Pro
Yeah, I traded for an SV 98+ once. I was excited because all of the great reviews. It was pretty bad.
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
The tinny part is very true, I have an old 100 team and it feels like I’m hitting with a piece of cardboard, just doesn’t feel right. Haven’t used it in years.Wilson Burn FST 99
Got my pair on sale from TW hoping I could make them work. Just plain terrible racquets. Harsh, no feel, tinny (and all this coming from someone who loves Babolats) and felt like you were playing with a frying pan. No type of string setup worked. Just couldn't use it with anything.
The best thing about them I liked was the fantastic PJ and that was their only redeeming quality.
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
Stiffness can go and it becomes a clash. Or the clash is the flexy pure drive. I do wish I had a pure drive original.
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
I am probably the only one, but the stiffer the stick the better....
ONe racquet that was a big letdown was the Steam 96. That was before the open pattern steams and well that racquet was super dead. Even with lead I could never get any power out of it. Usually my sticks are super powerful but the Steam 96...no way.
But worse than that was a Volkl G6 or something. Supposed to have some vibe tech to help the arm. Man I have had at least 20 sticks that on paper would wreck elbows and none did. Like the Profile and some hammers. But that g6 hurt my elbow. I gifted it to a friend and viola it hurt his too.
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
What’s the highest stiffness rating you have ever used?
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
Profile 2.7. probably is the stiffest. I don't know the stiffness of the current stick but if the numbers are to be believed, its stiffer than the profile at 2.3. I think there might be one model before the original Profile that was a bit stiffer. Prifile is in the mid 80s I think interms of RA. FWIW if the stiffness isnt at least 70 I don't buy a stick. One of my faves was only RA70 and I ditched it eventually because it wasn't stiff enough. The Burn that everyone is trashing is a great racquet for me at least. Played will with them.
I am strange I guess. I ditched my blade teams. RA is 72. I had one I never got around to customizing and gave it to a buddy. I was stringing those frames with KEV/ 4G at 86/86 lbs and well he strung his up with gut/ poly in the lower part of the range. He hit with it and said it hurt his arm. Man all these glass elbows around me...
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
I kinda agree, if there was an 18/20 I may buy, but not 100% on board with the clash yet.
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
Goodness.
haqq777
Legend
Never EVER take Shroud for a mere mortal. If you listen hard enough, you can hear Shroud's laughter in the background every time an arm falls off somewhere.
megamind
Legend
megamind
Legend
I bought the ProStaff expecting to be the sureshs. I wasn’t
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
Maybe. Though keep in mind that one reason I ended up here was because I got a big case of TE. So I know how that sucks and would find it hard to laugh. That said I know now how not get te and so yes I do laugh on some level. And I find it hard to understand since I am used to stiff racquets and stiff stringbeds. But anyhow best to get what works for you and realize that everyone is different.
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
Yes. I did like that racquet.
megamind
Legend
how don't you get TE?
n8dawg6
Legend
thats what she said
haqq777
Legend
Hey absoloutely! We all feel differently and what works for you might not work for me and vice versa. A lesser mortal would have chosen an easier, a more softer and flexier path after TE/GE but more power to you if you feel stiffer is the way to go. As long as you stay healthy and enjoy tennis and life in general, that is all that matters
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Deleted member 768841
Guest
I’m sorry, did I just hear 356 swingweight? No, they just meant static weight... sheesh, and stiff too!
Shroud
G.O.A.T.
FOr me there are a couple of tricks that make my equipment help make TE a virtual impossibility. My handle for one. Its huge, squishy and well defined. I don't have to grip tight at all. It stays in place with minimal pressure. All I can say is that size and increasing it is kind of like passing the sound barrier. If you go bigger its easy to get to a point where its maybe too big. Just go past that point. FWIW my hand muscles were sore after playing initially as it was trying to squeeze like before....but eventually it learned. Now i never play without my handle. It also adds about 40g of weight to the handle. I might be wrong, but I think that ups the recoil weight which AFAIK helps with winning the collision.
Next I add weight in the hoop. Because there is now 40g in the handle there is a need to balance that out so weight in the hoop....which ups the swingweight. So now its a high swingweight. If you work at it, you can make a racquet that weighs 320g but has a 340+ sw. And some lead at the top of the handle and it helps it swing fast.
Though the above can lead to a powerful racquet...which is why I string tight. The trick there is to never use a locked stringbed. Might be ok at low tensions but not at high ones.
I did make some technique changes and especially on the one handed bh. And I am somewhat good about stretching before during and after playing. Keep those forearm muscles loose and the blood flowing. Make sure if its ever sore (which its not for me usually) to wait a few days before playing.
I did get GE recently from trimming some bushes. Same thing, forearms got tight. Months later trimmed the same bushes but instead of trimming without stretching and continuing to trim till the arms got tired, I stretched before during and after and stopped to pick up the trimmings to give the muscles a rest.
MisterP
Hall of Fame
They said mid 350s swingweight.
