Is the PS 6.0 95 not a great serving racquet ?

Sentinel · Jun 8, 2008

Have been using this since Sept 07, and loved it. I love the groundstrokes on both sides, love the feel etc.

But I am beginning to wonder whether it's not a great serve racket.

Is it possible that it is a little heavy for serving?
Or the head-light-ness is not conducive to fast flat serves ?

I often do pure serve sessions with my backup rackets - lighter and evenly balanced ones, and I seem to have much fast serves with them. But I do not like the feel at all, and would not like to play groundies or matches with them.

Has anyone else found a similar issue serving with this racket ?

BreakPoint · Jun 8, 2008

I found the PS 6.0 95 to be one of the best serving racquets I have ever used.

caesar66 · Jun 8, 2008

throw some lead tape on the upper hoop and let it do the work

[d]ragon · Jun 8, 2008

good serving when its stock, great serving when u lead it up (esp. polarized)

Sentinel · Jun 8, 2008

Actually, I had put lead on the upper hoop, then had a round of illness, and felt the racquet was a tad heavy when I returned.

Also, have been running (and lifting weights) a lot of late, and perhaps these 2 put together temporarily weakened my arms.

So it's currently unleaded.

(I had over the months brought it up to 11 gms of lead on 3, 6 and 2, 10).

Can i just put a small amount on 12 o clock and see ?

Sentinel · Jun 8, 2008

[d]ragon;2409498 said:
good serving when its stock, great serving when u lead it up (esp. polarized)

Of late I've been hearing this word in the context of leading up a racket - polarized. Could someone elaborate ? Does it mean lead only on the extremities ?

I found this on googling:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=1006607&postcount=5

some pros do, some don't. for example, you can clearly see lead on ana ivonavics nblade but federers n6.1 tour is specially weighted so its more polarized (more weight in butt and tip of racquet) but you can't see any tape tehre.

Thanks, in advance.

BreakPoint · Jun 8, 2008

IMO, weight training and bulking up will have adverse effects on your serves. I find I serve best and fastest when my arm and shoulder are totally loose and flexible with no muscles inhibiting my shoulder and arm rotation - kind of like a whip action.

herosol · Jun 8, 2008

BreakPoint said:
IMO, weight training and bulking up will have adverse effects on your serves. I find I serve best and fastest when my arm and shoulder are totally loose and flexible with no muscles inhibiting my shoulder and arm rotation - kind of like a whip action.

NO WONDER. Rafa needs to tone down

Sentinel · Jun 9, 2008

BreakPoint said:
I found the PS 6.0 95 to be one of the best serving racquets I have ever used.

BP, I don't know whether its possible for you to comment on this without knowing me, but I'd like some feedback.

Is it possible that the PS 95 is fine for me for groundies, but heavy for serves.

I have for several months been just rallying for 90-120 mins with my partner, started playing matches a short while ago only. I am able to do one hour serve sessions with the racket, but I was thinking, perhaps while playing matches, i am finding it a tad heavy.

BreakPoint · Jun 9, 2008

Sentinel said:
BP, I don't know whether its possible for you to comment on this without knowing me, but I'd like some feedback.

Is it possible that the PS 95 is fine for me for groundies, but heavy for serves.

I have for several months been just rallying for 90-120 mins with my partner, started playing matches a short while ago only. I am able to do one hour serve sessions with the racket, but I was thinking, perhaps while playing matches, i am finding it a tad heavy.

The PS 6.0 95 shouldn't be too heavy for you for serves in stock form because it's so headlight. For serves, the axis of rotation is at the handle with your wrist snapping through creating the acceleration of the racquet head hitting through the ball, and since the head of the PS 6.0 95 is so light, it should be very easy to snap through that head repeatedly for a long time. I find it more tiring to serve with lighter but less headlight racquets.

HyperHorse · Jun 9, 2008

How many times a week are you lifting weights?
Are you having enough recovery time? Are you having your protein shakes?
Are you stretching & doing cardio b4 and after your training sessions?
There is no way a leaded up ProStaff should be affecting your serves if you're doing strength training.
It should be the other way around.
Sounds like you are not getting enough rest/recovery time and it has nothing to do with the racquet.
Oh and which string @ what tension are you using?

Solat · Jun 9, 2008

BreakPoint said:
I found the PS 6.0 95 to be one of the best serving racquets I have ever used.

agreed (10 chars)

HeadPrestige · Jun 9, 2008

Solat said:
agreed (10 chars)

also agree... with lead and strings at loose tension.

Sentinel · Jun 9, 2008

HyperHorse said:
How many times a week are you lifting weights?
Are you having enough recovery time? Are you having your protein shakes?
Are you stretching & doing cardio b4 and after your training sessions?
There is no way a leaded up ProStaff should be affecting your serves if you're doing strength training.
It should be the other way around.
Sounds like you are not getting enough rest/recovery time and it has nothing to do with the racquet.
Oh and which string @ what tension are you using?

I was doing 2x a week of weights, and running quite a lot and fast, in really hot weather. I had upped both at the same time.
No protein shakes or anything supplemental.

Light dynamic stretches before workout (arm circles), static shoulder stretches after.

String : I have just moved a few days ago from POSG (syn gut at 60 lbs) to Head Ultra Tour (a soft poly) at 50 lbs.

btw, I removed the lead 2-3 weeks ago. I have also not done any running for a week or more -- to reduce load (and French Open). Will slowly introduce again.

So basically I should put a little lead back on, but will it be okay at 12 o clock. Perhaps, it will take a month or 2 for the weights to actually have their effect of strengthening.

nickb · Jun 9, 2008

I used the PS 6.0 95 a couple of times and never could get anything working on the serve...the SW is way too low to get any real power on the serve...I also found it lacking punch on groundies...just my 2$...I really like the PS85, N90/K90 etc but just didnt get on with the 95.

Nick

curio · Jun 9, 2008

PS 6.0 95 is a very good racket on serve for players accustomed to low swingweights and light heads.

It becomes a monster with lead on top of the frame (12h, 10h & 2h).
Feeling and precision are excellent, and you can produce very heavy serve using the extra power and spin.

oldguysrule · Jun 9, 2008

Sentinel said:
String : I have just moved a few days ago from POSG (syn gut at 60 lbs) to Head Ultra Tour (a soft poly) at 50 lbs.

Go get your scissors, seriously, right now. Get your racquet, and cut the poly out. It makes my head hurt to think about this racquet with poly.

IMO...This racquet is best for all-court, versatile players...longer, more traditional strokes...S&V, etc.

As to strings, I would recommend either 1. a crisp playing gut at low tensions, 2. a gut/syn gut hybrid, 3. a cheap, syn gut.

Think lower tensions. I have been using Gosen and lowering the tension every time I string. I am down to 48lbs. and liking it. I don't swing really hard though. My favorite setup was a hybrid in the low 50's. (for balancing cost/performance.

My advice? (It's free) Get several sets of Gosen SM from TW. String it at 55
Play for a couple of weeks and then restring at 52. Play for a couple of weeks and restring at 48. Find the tension you like the best, then add a small amount of lead at 10 and 2. After a few weeks, add a few more grams. This is an easy way to find the tension and lead setup that works for you. Then try gut or gut hybrid with no lead at the same tension that you settled on above. Be sure and use the same stringer and string machine.

This is a great racquet...good luck finding your perfect setup.

sureshs · Jun 9, 2008

BreakPoint said:
IMO, weight training and bulking up will have adverse effects on your serves. I find I serve best and fastest when my arm and shoulder are totally loose and flexible with no muscles inhibiting my shoulder and arm rotation - kind of like a whip action.

How do you explain Nadal's improved serve then?

obnoxious2 · Jun 9, 2008

sureshs said:
How do you explain Nadal's improved serve then?

Nadal's arms may be bulky but he's got the ability to relax them. When you're relaxed and you whip your arm without trying to muscle into your serve is when you notice the biggest difference.

luv2volley · Jun 9, 2008

obnoxious2 said:
Nadal's arms may be bulky but he's got the ability to relax them. When you're relaxed and you whip your arm without trying to muscle into your serve is when you notice the biggest difference.

Second that, loose relax shoulder muscle helps serving better.

fleetparadox · Jun 9, 2008

I actually have to agree with the original post in that it is hard to achieve great flat serves with the 6.0 - 95".

When I switched over from the Prince Diablo, the lack of swingweight really forced me to rely more on serve placement/spin rather than power.

As others have already alluded to, lead is ultimately the solution, but it will change the hitting characteristics of the stick a bit all around. Try really thin long strips of lead instead of globs of it in one place. That really did the trick for me.

Good luck, it's a great stick... just needs to be tweaked a bit.

BreakPoint · Jun 9, 2008

sureshs said:
How do you explain Nadal's improved serve then?

Does Nadal serve as well as Federer or Sampras or even McEnroe, none of whom have any real guns to speak of?

BTW, are Nadal's arms bulkier than they were last year? I don't think so.

Sentinel · Jun 9, 2008

Just to clarify ... the weights I have been doing are largely rotator cuff, since I did strain that a few months back. I also do some bicep and tricep curls and forearms to prevent elbow issues.

oldguysrule said:
Go get your scissors, seriously, right now. Get your racquet, and cut the poly out. It makes my head hurt to think about this racquet with poly.

This is a great racquet...good luck finding your perfect setup.

NO WAY !!! I loved POSG but where I am in Asia finding syn gut is impossible ... only options are Nylon and Poly. This time my stringer had only Head Ultra Tour, so I had no option. (But it is at 50 lbs.)

And I am LOVING the topspin I am getting on it, able to lash at ball and keep it in. With syngut I was never getting topspin and had to hit flat and cautiously. Now I am even closing the face a bit and hitting, and getting good results.

I do not have Gosen or any other options here.

Anyway, today I will put some lead at 12 o clock. Thanks a lot for all your answers.

Is the PS 6.0 95 *not* a great serving racquet ?

Bionic Poster

Bionic Poster

Professional

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

Bionic Poster

Bionic Poster

Professional

Bionic Poster

Bionic Poster

Banned

Professional

Professional

Bionic Poster

Banned

New User

Semi-Pro

Bionic Poster

Semi-Pro

Rookie

New User

Bionic Poster

Bionic Poster

Similar threads

Is the PS 6.0 95 not a great serving racquet ?