Nadal reveals he is using a heavier racquet this (2012) season.

DRII

G.O.A.T.
Why should he change his string?

Well personally I hate the string! But, it seems he lost some penetration and pace since he started with that string, but gained some extra spin or at least different kind of spin.

Anyway I think it's horrible string and Nadal can use better, lol...
 

DRII

G.O.A.T.
2010

article-0-0AFE3BBD000005DC-700_306x423.jpg



2012 After spending his off season sitting around eating biscuits, he has to be at least 10lbs heavier, look at how thick he is and the size of his thighs, that isn't new muscle, I wouldn't call him obese just yet, but he isn't in shape to grind against Djokovic on the slow courts, that is for sure

318611_10150372251856026_64822581025_8502267_1136083940_n.jpg
2ykmmgg.jpg


One bag of biscuits isn't enough he needs three bags of biscuits

rafanquely.jpg

Since you're so good at showing photos of Nadal's new girth, how about showing Federer's face bump!

Isn't this the second time Federer's been stung or something???
 

Netspirit

Hall of Fame
If he can really make his shots faster and less spinny by using the heavier racket, then it's bad news for Djokovic and good news for Federer.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
Is Raffza strong enough (mentally) to swing a heavier racket?
This is a very controversial issue. Some experts opine that the heavier racket will increase his mental strength, while others think it's the other way round.

Countries have gone to war over this, I'd keep mum if I were you.
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
What are you smoking,bro??
I don't agree when you say that Nadal is 3 times major champion.I don't think he has yet won any slam.According to me,Fed started decline since 2005 so that means rafa has 0 slam.
Which parallel universe are you and your fellow Nadal fans living in, bro ? :D :D

Anyway, I suggest you guys remain there. And keep smokin' whatever you are, it's clearly doing you a world of good.


:D
 
2010

article-0-0AFE3BBD000005DC-700_306x423.jpg



2012 After spending his off season sitting around eating biscuits, he has to be at least 10lbs heavier, look at how thick he is and the size of his thighs, that isn't new muscle, I wouldn't call him obese just yet, but he isn't in shape to grind against Djokovic on the slow courts, that is for sure

318611_10150372251856026_64822581025_8502267_1136083940_n.jpg
2ykmmgg.jpg


One bag of biscuits isn't enough he needs three bags of biscuits

rafanquely.jpg

Why did you choose a side-on shot for this year's photo, and a front-on shot for 2010? Talk about insufficient evidence...

And he was giving reporters those biscuits in 2010. He's had them all his life and constantly bragged about them.
 

Lsmkenpo

Hall of Fame
Since you're so good at showing photos of Nadal's new girth, how about showing Federer's face bump!

Isn't this the second time Federer's been stung or something???

Stung?........I heard Nadal caused the Federer face bump, he accidentally elbowed Federer in the side of the head trying to get ahead of him in line at the players buffet, because it looked like they were almost out of biscuits.
 

MixieP

Hall of Fame
This is a very controversial issue. Some experts opine that the heavier racket will increase his mental strength, while others think it's the other way round.

Countries have gone to war over this, I'd keep mum if I were you.

Point taken, Senti, mum kept.
One should always listen to the experts when they are in disagreement.
 

vernonbc

Legend
No, but I have Salada biscuits.
They're Quely biscuits from Mallorca. He loves them so much and ate so many of them they hired him to be a paid spokesman for the company. :D

To me he doesn't look fatter or thinner. When you see him changing his shirt he looks the same as he's looked for several years now.... good! ;)
 

ben123

Professional
Are you talking specifically about Clement ? He really did switch racquets a few times.

... i respect your opinion but i have my own.

to clement: in jura its 312g!!! in gregs 370g. so if we say gregs spec is strung and juras not we have roughly 330g vs 370g. do you really think a pro tennis player changes his specs this dramatically? i doubt it.

and no im not only talking about clement (thats why i said
for example clements
). actually you should be able to compare it yourself as nearly every spec doesnt match. but i can give more examples if you want...

agassi greg: 355g b: 32cm jura: 343g b: 32cm. so if we say it like above greg strung jura not then the balance is like 1 cm off and the weight doesnt match either. if we say they are both unstrung then the weight doesnt match.

stepanek greg: 342g b: 32,9cm jura: 348g b: 30,1cm.

melzer: greg: 331g b: 33,15cm jura: 316g b: 31cm (the stated lengths dont match either)

djokovic g: 360 32 j: 324 31.1

davydenko g: 346 33.2 j: 317 32.1 (lengths dont match either)

bryans dont match either

söderling g: 357 33.75 j: 364 31.3 (lengths doesnt match either)

karlovic g: 339 31,4 j: 350 31

.....
 

TennisCJC

Legend
Nadal has obviously added 30 grams to the 3 and 9 o'clock positions of his torso. This should put him at level 2 with a swing weight of about 200 lbs. I think this will result in a heavier ball when he can get there in time to take a swing at it.
 

ben123

Professional
Nadal has obviously added 30 grams to the 3 and 9 o'clock positions of his torso. This should put him at level 2 with a swing weight of about 200 lbs. I think this will result in a heavier ball when he can get there in time to take a swing at it.

:lol:

10 char
 
They're Quely biscuits from Mallorca. He loves them so much and ate so many of them they hired him to be a paid spokesman for the company. :D

To me he doesn't look fatter or thinner. When you see him changing his shirt he looks the same as he's looked for several years now.... good! ;)

I know, I only have Salada.
 

TMF

Talk Tennis Guru
Nadal depend on old Fed to take out Nole for him is not always a certain. Uncle Toni have woken him up and best is to find another option.
 

Crisstti

Legend
Q. When did it first cross your mind that you possibly would change the racquet or change something and put more power? Was it a long process?

RAFAEL NADAL: We thought after US Open, but finally was a little bit too short, you know, because I had to play in Tokyo and Shanghai. So the period wasn’t enough.

I try to play with a little bit heavier than what this racquet is today, but we take the position that we have to change the racquet or we try to have to change the racquet. Not the racquet, only the weight, no?

So after Davis Cup final I had all the racquets prepared at home to change, but in theory, I will have three, four weeks of right practice. Finally I only had one week.

But that’s the right moment to change. If not, when? You don’t have time, no?

So probably a little bit tough now at the beginning maybe, yes. I cannot say that’s when you have to change. You cannot think that everything will be perfect from the beginning, but you make change thinking it will be better in the future. So probably, I don’t know– I don’t know how to say in English. Investment? Or to try to improve something, few things in my game that we believe we needed, like the winner, like a little bit the serves.

So we thought this change, that’s can help, that’s nothing is magic, but that’s can help a little bit to improve that. But probably that hurts my game a little bit at the beginning. So is a risk for this beginning of the season? Obviously, yes.

Q. Have you ever thought about maybe not playing the Australian Open and instead preparing for the rest of the season with your new racquet?

RAFAEL NADAL: No. No, because my preparation have to be competing when you will see the things can work well or not is when you are playing matches. Practicing, sometimes you play more relaxed. You know, everything is easy. When you see if that can work very well is when you are in competition.

http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/01/02/doha-pre-tournament-presser-transcript/
 

PrinceMoron

Legend
federer-smile-roger-federer-15959473-640-480.jpg

It is still only January, first Rafa changes his racket set up, then he leaves a waterbottle in the middle of the bench for me to sit on.
 
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Fate Archer

Hall of Fame
This little change on his setup might backfire and actually amplify his shoulder stress, which has been injured not long ago or is still injured anyway.

Nadal better start searching for the youth potion at this point. His decline won't be as soft and slow as Fed's, that's for sure.
 
Nadal revealed in his press conference yesterday:

"So now we just playing with three more grams on the top of the racquet. But if you put three grams in a different part of racquet, is nothing, but in the top, yes. You feel."
 
This little change on his setup might backfire and actually amplify his shoulder stress, which has been injured not long ago or is still injured anyway.

Nadal better start searching for the youth potion at this point. His decline won't be as soft and slow as Fed's, that's for sure.

Federer hasn't won a slam in 2 years (AO 2010). Nothing slow about that decline. He's turned into an exclusively indoor champion.

I'm pretty sure Nadal will still be Roland Garros champion at age 30+. Raonic/Tomic sure ain't going to be winning there...
 
Are you talking about wheelchair tennis?

What for? It's not like Nadal has had knee surgery. And he doesn't get back problems. When it comes to the career-ending injuries, Nadal has a clean bill of health. He's been teasing the haters with his tendinitis for almost a decade now. And they've been sucked in, big time, praying for his demise every night before bed.
 

jackson vile

G.O.A.T.
Nadal says he isn't used to it yet but will improve as he continues to practice this week heading into Doha. Watching his shots vs Federer right now early on, Nadal is hitting a heavy ball. Anyone got an official article on this? The commentators are quoting his press conference from after the Ferrer match yesterday.

Looks like you were 100% correct and the morons were 100% wrong yet once again.:)
 

Crisstti

Legend
Only problem I see with this is that he is going to lose control, the whole basis of Nadal was being a extremely high percentage player.

Yes, well, he's said the downside is he has lost a bit of control, but he seems to expect to overcome that with playing time.
 

MG1

Professional
Still not much adv.

He has only won Rome more compared to last season but lost early in many tournaments.
 

sbengte

G.O.A.T.
Has the heavier racquet made Nadal's season better or worse?

Nice job digging out this thread from one of the best poasters to have ever graced TW. Too bad you missed him in his prime on TW.

On topic, I thought the matter was resolved by the OP early on in the thread ?

Well, Nadal certainly hit his shots deep in the Federer match. So looks like Nadal won this thread.

Nadal won this thread as he won 2012. Vamos.

\thread.
 
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