Why do some recreational players have so many racquets??
- Thread starter Eddie G
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2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
Its probably just old frames that don't get played with. Hey, if the bag has the room, why get rid of um!
heninfan99
Talk Tennis Guru
They are looking for a short cut to game improvement through gear instead of hard work and practice.
lol - have you been to that 'holic thread?
I demoed pretty much every racket available this year getting back into tennis after 10 years. Brought two people back to tennis with me. We had 8 demos at a time at least. Probably looked foolish.
People also like to try new things.
Sometimes an equipment swap is a good quick fix.
People also like to try new things.
Sometimes an equipment swap is a good quick fix.
4-string
Professional
So consumer habits are rational all of a sudden?
TennisHound
Legend
Seems like I remember this exact same thread not too long ago
my fix was to get a (much) smaller racquet bag... then i am only able to carry 2, or max 3 if i really squeeze the 3rd one in and make scratches.. lol
ryushen21
Legend
,My bag has 5 racquets in it. 3x VCore 100: 2 setup and strung identically with the third being my string mule, a VCore 95. and an EZone DR 100. I rarely compete with anything other than the VCore 100 but the others earned their spot in the bag so they get to stay.
TennisLogic
Semi-Pro
Not sure about different types because of variance in characteristics, but people carry multiple racquets when they're string breakers
DeeeFoo
Rookie
I have a friend like this. Most of the time, they're collectors who like owning many different racquets. My friend still has a primary/main racquet of choice, but they find it fun to play with and try out different racquets. Sometimes it's because they string racquets for other people and keep them all in the bag.
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I bring 10 racquets every time I go to play. Hence why I use a yonex 12 pack bag. 7 VCP97, 3 pure strike 98 3rd gens, each with a different string setup. @Yamin I also took 10 years off and just started playing again 4-5 years ago…it is simply FUN to try new racquets/strings but for the real reason that when I came back to the game, my first racquet of choice was the RF97 which subsequently destroyed my arm from overuse (I could only last 45 mins before my arm got fatigued but I chose to play longer) All of my racquets are in similar ballpark of ~300-310g with 97/98sq in and 6pts HL balance but they all offer different pros/cons that I use to my advantage. VCP97 provides amazing manueverability, surgical control but smallish sweetspot and low powered while the pure strike has a more forgiving sweetspot and intoxicating power/spin but not as maneuverable as VCP. Dont even get me started on strings…
to clarify: I do it for arm comfort. I am not ashamed to keep switching racquet or strings…whatever will provide the best experience is my setup of choice
to clarify: I do it for arm comfort. I am not ashamed to keep switching racquet or strings…whatever will provide the best experience is my setup of choice
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WarrenMP
Professional
I noticed the same. I normally play with one and bring a long a backup in case my strings break. What is funny is when they are not playing well, they switch to a completely different racquet. They continue doing it until they go back to their main racquet. I want to tell them it is not the racquet, it is you.
WillGinRVA
Rookie
I carry several because I'm indecisive and haven't chosen "the one" yet. This is clearly not a real question and just a complaint, but what's not clear is why it bothers you OP haha.
princemidplus
Semi-Pro
I have about 6 racquets in my bag at most at a time. Sometimes 5.
2 main racquets I play best with strung similarly 16x19 300g
A slightly heavier 18x20 310g that I like but gets tiring in singles
And then 2 fun racquets....an old prince graphite 90 or snaewert hoodie or an older prestige I like playing single hand bh with rather than double handed I usually play.
Depends also on who im playing. At my club the strength of opponent varies from similar to me to significantly weaker so I get to play with my fun racquets in the weaker games.
When a stronger player does come I have my match racquets ready to play.
If i play league or tournament i usually take 3 racquets only. Mainly in case i break strings
2 main racquets I play best with strung similarly 16x19 300g
A slightly heavier 18x20 310g that I like but gets tiring in singles
And then 2 fun racquets....an old prince graphite 90 or snaewert hoodie or an older prestige I like playing single hand bh with rather than double handed I usually play.
Depends also on who im playing. At my club the strength of opponent varies from similar to me to significantly weaker so I get to play with my fun racquets in the weaker games.
When a stronger player does come I have my match racquets ready to play.
If i play league or tournament i usually take 3 racquets only. Mainly in case i break strings
For fun? I thought the demoing process was so enjoyable the one time I did it that I bought a few. Nice to have different options for different situations (hitting around with friends vs. a serious competitive match). I never switch in a real match or blame the racket though. All of mine are relatively close, spec-wise too so switching between them isn’t too drastic. Would I be marginally better if I stuck to one? Probably. Would I have more fun? Doubt it.
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I have 5 rackets in my bag for no other reason than that it holds 5 rackets and I've got nowhere else good to put them. I do tend to use some of them depending on my mood but usually stick with my favorite in the moment.
Interesting that some people bring so many different model frames to the court at the same time, other than of course for just trying out different models. I carry 4 of the same Yonex Ezone DR98 frames in my bag. In the old pre-poly days, I would break alot more strings, so mutiple rackets were needed. I seldom break poly, but do at times switch up frames due to string age or tension, or maybe grabbing one with a newer grip wrap.
tennis tom
Legend
Been playing with POG's Tours for a few decades that were first introduced in 1980. A pro let me borrow his and been "hooked" ever since--no good reason to change--people keep giving me their old ones that have been collecting dust in their closets. I have about a dozen of all different "stripes". I Know a kid who bought an old stock one that had never been used at Goodwill for $5 with the wrapper still covering the original Fairway grip. A tournament player buddy gave me his three OS for free, one is brand new with the center rack card still in it--haven't tried them yet, waiting until my old age and may need some additional topspin. Have a few variants like the Extenders and Monos I bought just to learn what their different playing characteristics were but no longer touch them.
Used to buy new rackets usually when the old ones wore out and they always felt GREAT until you lose the first match with them--then it's back to the same old game--a new racket gives a short-lived placebo effect. For rec play I carry two sticks, one with gut and one with nylon for damp conditions in the smallest TW $10 bag. For competitive play I'll carry three sticks, two with gut and one with nylon, in the next size up TW bag--or a BIG bag for tournaments that will hold spare shoes, clothes, and everything else for serious play, a jump in the pool to refresh between matches and toiletries to shower-up for the tournament party.
Won't be changing sticks anytime soon unless the POG's get too heavy to move around in my old age--"It's not the violin--it's the violinist."
Used to buy new rackets usually when the old ones wore out and they always felt GREAT until you lose the first match with them--then it's back to the same old game--a new racket gives a short-lived placebo effect. For rec play I carry two sticks, one with gut and one with nylon for damp conditions in the smallest TW $10 bag. For competitive play I'll carry three sticks, two with gut and one with nylon, in the next size up TW bag--or a BIG bag for tournaments that will hold spare shoes, clothes, and everything else for serious play, a jump in the pool to refresh between matches and toiletries to shower-up for the tournament party.
Won't be changing sticks anytime soon unless the POG's get too heavy to move around in my old age--"It's not the violin--it's the violinist."
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Vicious49
Legend
These all pretty much describe why I carry so many racquets.
am1899
Legend
Short answer: it depends.
My favorite subtype of this group is the player who struts out onto the court with 12 freshly strung frames in a giant bag, dressed from head to toe in the latest RF or Nadal gear. For one, I find that whole “shtick” hilarious. For two, IME people like this usually can’t play at the representative level.
The guy or gal who shows up with no bag, a couple mis-matched banged up racquets, shoes with holes in them, coke can for a water bottle…yeah, that’s the type of player to worry about.
Of course there’s a lot of folks out there who just aren’t “married” to any one particular racquet - maybe they like to play different racquets based on who they’re playing or whether they’re playing singles or doubles, or maybe they just like to keep things fresh and interesting by having a few different racquets in the bag. Nothing wrong with that.
My favorite subtype of this group is the player who struts out onto the court with 12 freshly strung frames in a giant bag, dressed from head to toe in the latest RF or Nadal gear. For one, I find that whole “shtick” hilarious. For two, IME people like this usually can’t play at the representative level.
The guy or gal who shows up with no bag, a couple mis-matched banged up racquets, shoes with holes in them, coke can for a water bottle…yeah, that’s the type of player to worry about.
Of course there’s a lot of folks out there who just aren’t “married” to any one particular racquet - maybe they like to play different racquets based on who they’re playing or whether they’re playing singles or doubles, or maybe they just like to keep things fresh and interesting by having a few different racquets in the bag. Nothing wrong with that.
I think you're asking some pretty silly questions. There is no secret. No secret advantages and no, they're not confused tennis players. I'm not going to speak for others, but there could be a multitude of reasons why someone carries several rackets and feel more comfortable doing so. I usually carry 4 in my bag (5 if I am demoing something) -- but believe it or not I can only use one at a time. I usually have 3 of the same racket with a few different string tensions and a fourth for singles/doubles. I've been using 3 VCore 98s -- not all at once, but I will rotate them as the strings wear so that I am not getting rackets restrung as often. It's also good to have backups while 1 or 2 are in the shop getting restrung. I've also kept a VCore 95 as my singles/control racket. 98s too powerful for singles. If you play 3-4 times a week, play in leagues, etc. I think having a few extra sticks is pretty normal. If you do drills once a week at your club, 1 stick is fine.
I played in a sectional tournament last week and a guy showed up to meet up with his team carrying a huge, new Wilson bag PLUS an Adidas shoulder duffle filled up with god only know what. Spare clothes? He also had big bulky headphones on like Serena Williams. All to come play 2 sets. That's a dude I'd like to talk to -- not the guy carrying 3-4 rackets. OR the guy I once played in a USTA doubles match who used a different racket when it was his turn to serve. He put it away after his service game. So, he had a serving racket. Very strange. But, hey, it's all about enjoying the game.
Return_Ace
Hall of Fame
Usually have around 6 rackets in my duffle, if not a bit more.
2x matched Gravity Pro's that i use for matches
1x Gravity Pro for practice/training, that i also experiment with strings/weight customisation
1x "generic" racket that i can loan out to friends at club sessions if they break a string or something; currently a Gravity MP.
1-2 other rackets that I'll play with for something different to the GPro's, or in the current case, because i don't like the current GPro weight setup, but am keeping it for a friend to try out first.
Obviously don't need so many rackets, but i own so many to begin with, it's nice to have some options when I'm feeling different, or to remind myself why i shouldn't have switched to any particular racket
2x matched Gravity Pro's that i use for matches
1x Gravity Pro for practice/training, that i also experiment with strings/weight customisation
1x "generic" racket that i can loan out to friends at club sessions if they break a string or something; currently a Gravity MP.
1-2 other rackets that I'll play with for something different to the GPro's, or in the current case, because i don't like the current GPro weight setup, but am keeping it for a friend to try out first.
Obviously don't need so many rackets, but i own so many to begin with, it's nice to have some options when I'm feeling different, or to remind myself why i shouldn't have switched to any particular racket
I haven't witnessed this, but tennis is a hobby and some folks like gear. simple as that.
Personally I want all my rackets to be as close as similar as possible and just have multiples in case of string breakage. And I'm not all that "racket sensitive", but it just seems like another variable to worry about. Tennis is complex enough for me.
Personally I want all my rackets to be as close as similar as possible and just have multiples in case of string breakage. And I'm not all that "racket sensitive", but it just seems like another variable to worry about. Tennis is complex enough for me.
am1899
Legend
Indeed, a lot of golfers are this way. And not just recreational ones - the pros too. Phil Mickelson comes to mind. OTOH, there are others who rarely, if ever, mess with it - Tiger, Zach Johnson, for example.
am1899
Legend
SVP
Semi-Pro
Because it’s cheaper than buying cars or drugs. I don’t do much match play. I like the different feels of different racquets. I’ve been taking out my old PK Redondo 93 and Pro Staff 85 reissue recently, and I’m happy to say that I still enjoy them. On the other hand, I tried to hit with my old Gamma RZR 100 and I thought my arm was going to fall off, it was so stiff.
GummiiBear
Semi-Pro
This year marks the first time in my life buying more than one racquet for my bag. Can I can blame these forums for this? I hope to never breach 2 in rotation (ish). My Yonex VCP 97HD is the one I consider to be my racquet right now, and only ever consider one to be my racquet at a time. I still keep my Speed Pro I used last year in my bag, like a bit of a psychological “security blanket”.
I hope to never breach 2 in rotation (ish). My Yonex VCP 97HD is the one I consider to be my racquet right now, and only ever consider one to be my racquet at a time. I still keep my Speed Pro I used last year in my bag, like a bit of a psychological “security blanket”.
SeanK
New User
Woa, so, that's what I have been going through...
Hahah, really though that is what's happening to me. I had a Prestige Mid from the last year of high school when I stopped playing competitively. I had two identical racquets for string breakage, but only needed to keep one since no more competition. I bought a slightly bigger midsize frame in college that was more open string pattern and rotated between the two for weekly tennis sessions. Then, I had a lengthy break and recently started playing two times or so a week and happen to be fairly out of shape, so the two racquets are not working out too well and I am not getting any younger. I got a Prince Textreme Warrior (PD like power) for fairly cheap and quickly found out that it is just a tad it too powerful for my liking. I just got a lighter player racquet this week to see if that'll fill my needs until I get in a better shape. But I will usually start the hitting session with my earlier racquets to see if I can get in a groove with them first.
Is that so wrong?!?!?
Curtennis
Hall of Fame
I’m USTA 3.5 and have tons of different racquets. I simply like collecting things. Tennis racquets bought new keep roughly 50% of their value, bought used they keep basically 90% of their value after you eat shipping.
It’s really not a bad place to park my money with all the fun I get out of it.
It’s really not a bad place to park my money with all the fun I get out of it.
Hidious
Professional
Let me give you some advice right now: stop visiting these forums and never ever read reviews or customer feedback of a racquet your are interested in. Whenever your game is not perfect and you struggle with your tennis, it sounds, according to the internet, like this and that other frame is amazing and so much better than the one you currently use. More power, more control, more feel, bigger sweet spot, better looking, there is always something that seems like you are missing out on the holy grail. For people that live in places that do not have access to big shops in order to demo racquets, the only way to know is to buy them, bring them to the court and try them (and sometimes mess up their game in the process hehe ) Ohh and don't get me started on strings and tensions. It's an endless pit and a mental torture.
) Ohh and don't get me started on strings and tensions. It's an endless pit and a mental torture.ChanterRacquet
Professional
Cause demos are near worthless so until you find your racquet you fill up the bag with used racquets for long term demo. I’ve found my racquet but still lug around the better frames, but never play with them. Be prepared…or something.
Hidious
Professional
Haha
Also, a huge 6 pack racquet bag is incredibly useful to carry everything: Balls, towels, extra clothes, water, gatorade, overgrips, wristsbands, snacks, ... Now, you can't leave empty racquet slots in a 6 pack bag, can you? Fill it up and show off a little
You have to deliver the performance afterwards though, or you look like a tool hehe
flanker2000fr
Hall of Fame
Because we're all delusional that a different racquet is going to fix our imperfect technique or lack of fitness.
yeah - am still looking for that "unicorn racquet"... lol
Rozroz
G.O.A.T.
imo just a fancy hobby.
if you can afford it do what you want.
but seems to me, if you find a nice racket that fits you,
no real use piling up all kinds of extra sticks.
it's just a distraction.
play a good game and strokes instead of thinking what other new racket can uplift your game.
if you can afford it do what you want.
but seems to me, if you find a nice racket that fits you,
no real use piling up all kinds of extra sticks.
it's just a distraction.
play a good game and strokes instead of thinking what other new racket can uplift your game.
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J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
These were my old ones, switched to the new mid last year, I think I have 16 of them.
J
