Man using Henin's racket?

T

tank_job

Banned
Is it ok for a man to use Henin's (a woman) racket?

I know the Wilson BLX Tour she used was probably a paint job anyway, but I noticed that it is 1 point head heavy...

I can't think of anyone on the ATP who uses a head-heavy racket.

Is that to take into account that she's a woman and needs some weight around the head to hit through the court?
 
S

slowfox

Professional
All that matters is if this man in question is okay with it. The hell with what the world thinks.

As for the ATP, I'm no expert but I've heard that some pros play close to even balance. Not sure about head heavy.
 
SteveI

SteveI

Legend
tank_job said:
Is it ok for a man to use Henin's (a woman) racket?

I know the Wilson BLX Tour she used was probably a paint job anyway, but I noticed that it is 1 point head heavy...

I can't think of anyone on the ATP who uses a head-heavy racket.

Is that to take into account that she's a woman and needs some weight around the head to hit through the court?
Click to expand...

Hey,

If you have seen her play she plays more of all court "Man's" game than anyone out there. When she left the game she took with her the last real interesting ladie's game to admire and watch. All the rest these days seem to be clones... A pleasure to watch. Miss her game and fire!!!

The frame is quite demanding for the average man. You will never know who on the ATP tour is really playing with what. They almost all play with custom frames... or really modified ones.
 
B

blipblop

Rookie
Your priorities in racket consideration are all mixed up. Forget about gender roles; Henin and 90% of the women on the Pro Tour are stronger/fitter than I, personally, will ever be in my life.

Even if you are at the pro level, and even beyond gender, don't consider what other people are using. No two people are alike, so use what works best for you. Henin's pro stock racket may not have been head-heavy like the retail version, but even if it was, I guarantee it was that way because she found that's what works best for HER.

I consider myself a very manly man, but I'd use an 8oz pink racket that left rainbow trails if it meant I won all my matches.

And personally, I can't stand "feminazis," or people who take female equality too far, but your comment about how Henin needs "weight in the head to hit through the court" bothers me because it shows either immense ignorance or misogyny or both.
 
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ThomasTerrible

Rookie
Exactly - to hell with others' opinions. Play with whatever makes you play your very best...

By the way, and I realize this is 20 years ago: Steffi Graf's signature Wilson Pro Staff 7.0 was like 325 grams and more than 10 points HL unstrung. Yes, I know it was probably customized, but you can't start with a heavy super headlight racket and turn it into a light, neutral balanced one... Point being each player is different.
 
BreakPoint

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
It is not "Henin's racquet". It is a racquet that Henin just happened to use.

There is no such thing as a "women's" or a "man's" racquet. They are all made from the same stuff.

Besides, like you said, Henin used a paintjob anyway and not the retail racquet.
 
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D

Danstevens

Semi-Pro
Just to reiterate what the others have said, there's nothing wrong with a man using the same racket as Justine Henin promotes. She undoubtedly hits a better ball than all male recreational players (unless we're counting some former pros as recreational players now they've retired) so why should a man be 'too good' for her racket? Just for the record, Henin was using a paintjob, I can't remember what is thought to be underneath it though.

On the topic of men using head heavy rackets, Carlos Moya favoured a head heavy setup for his Pure Drives. I seem to recall the swingweight on those was above 400, it was a real hammer of a frame.

To conclude, hit with what feels right, don't worry about gender stereotypes and rackets. It's not like it's bright pink or anything like that anyway (not that it would matter if it was).
 
Z

zinny999

New User
blipblop said:
Your priorities in racket consideration are all mixed up. Forget about gender roles; Henin and 90% of the women on the Pro Tour are stronger/fitter than I, personally, will ever be in my life.

Even if you are at the pro level, and even beyond gender, don't consider what other people are using. No two people are alike, so use what works best for you. Henin's pro stock racket may not have been head-heavy like the retail version, but even if it was, I guarantee it was that way because she found that's what works best for HER.

I consider myself a very manly man, but I'd use an 8oz pink racket that left rainbow trails if it meant I won all my matches.

And personally, I can't stand "feminazis," or people who take female equality too far, but your comment about how Henin needs "weight in the head to hit through the court" bothers me because it shows either immense ignorance or misogyny or both.
Click to expand...

Not quite sure about that...... My Mate.. Paul Mcnamara was ranked on ATPtennis.com ... his record still on there.. somewhere around 400-500 was his ranking.
Was asked to hit as a hitting partner to Serena Williams. He was hitting soo hard she was barely getting to the balls.
Her dad "her coach" had to ask him to hit the ball softer.

Anyway I have play against him. barely loosing to any more then 64-7-5 in most set.

I think even as a good amatuer player my ranking in WTA would be around top 5. Thats from a few ATP ranked players own observation. Which was intended to kjoke that I'm not as good as them.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
While a good amateur player around 5.5 can certainly play competitively with a WTA top 10 pro, I doubt Paul took his sets against you seriously. He was ranked in the top 5 in Men's doubles, and I think his top singles rating was well inside the top 100.;
 
roundiesee

roundiesee

Hall of Fame
Oh dear, please relax and don't get so worked up-
From wikipedia->
"A racquet or racket[1] (from Arabic rahah, meaning "palm of hand", via Italian[2]) is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Collectively, these games are known as racquet sports."
 
T

ThomasTerrible

Rookie
smoledman said:
IT's racquet, not racket!
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It's not "IT's", it's "It's" when beginning a sentence. Also, it's a sentence, so you shouldn't end with an exclamation mark :twisted:


You can spell racket/racquet both ways. Personally, I find "racquet" looking a bit French or something, so I go with racket:)
 
Z

zinny999

New User
LeeD said:
While a good amateur player around 5.5 can certainly play competitively with a WTA top 10 pro, I doubt Paul took his sets against you seriously. He was ranked in the top 5 in Men's doubles, and I think his top singles rating was well inside the top 100.;
Click to expand...

Maybe he was mousing around with me.. can't argue with that,,, but how do you know him anyway? Curiuos:

On the topic... yeah Henin hit best groundies for women pro players. Also here backhand is beautiful to watch, especially that now this type is becoming extinct in modern game.
 
McLovin

McLovin

Legend
Doesn't seem to bother Nishikori:

images
 
Cup8489

Cup8489

G.O.A.T.
The tour series of frames are good racquets, good control and spin. Gotta have good batspeed though, and I've never considered them to be women's frames.
 
B

blipblop

Rookie
zinny999 said:
Not quite sure about that...... My Mate.. Paul Mcnamara was ranked on ATPtennis.com ... his record still on there.. somewhere around 400-500 was his ranking.
Was asked to hit as a hitting partner to Serena Williams. He was hitting soo hard she was barely getting to the balls.
Her dad "her coach" had to ask him to hit the ball softer.

Anyway I have play against him. barely loosing to any more then 64-7-5 in most set.

I think even as a good amatuer player my ranking in WTA would be around top 5. Thats from a few ATP ranked players own observation. Which was intended to kjoke that I'm not as good as them.
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what you are arguing here mate. Sure, men in general are stronger and more athletic than women. But in the context of the OP's question, I was making a point that this fact has little relevance in regards to what racket he should be using. OP's logic comes across as "I am a man, so I should use a racket heavier and more head-light than a woman." Which is a logical misstep. That was my point of contention.

Unless you are being sarcastic. In which case, WOOSH right over my head.
 
T

tank_job

Banned
So you guys do not think that Henin used a head heavy racket because, since she is a woman and a small one at that, who also used a 1hbh (which is arguably harder to supply power with than a 2hbh), she needed more help from the mass in the head in order to make her shots penetrate the court?

And if a man with more power than her (come on people, this is not a boast, Henin would triple golden-set me but she is not stronger than me) tried using the same racket, everything would fly long?
 
B

blipblop

Rookie
tank_job said:
So you guys do not think that Henin used a head heavy racket because, since she is a woman and a small one at that, who also used a 1hbh (which is arguably harder to supply power with than a 2hbh), she needed more help from the mass in the head in order to make her shots penetrate the court?

And if a man with more power than her (come on people, this is not a boast, Henin would triple golden-set me but she is not stronger than me) tried using the same racket, everything would fly long?
Click to expand...

tank man...I really hope you are just a troll. I have lost a sense of what your real question is. It appears it could be "What are Henin's racket specs?" If so, my answer is "I don't know," and you need to post in the Pro's Gear section.

If your question is "What weight and balance racket should I use?" then my answer is: go try a variety of rackets and find out.

If your point is "Henin is small and is a girl." Then yes, you are very observant.

Again, just because you might be stronger than Henin, that doesn't shed any light on what racket you or anyone else should use relative to her. I say might because you provide no proof nor qualifications. It is much, much more complicated than you are making it out. A stronger man using a "power" racket can keep balls in play by using more spin. There is no cut and dry rule.
 
S

scotus

G.O.A.T.
Justine has always made it plainly known that she has used the same Hammer (maybe Hyper) 5.3 with power holes under all the different PJ's.

She once explained that although it is not a racquet most pros would choose, she simply got used to it, and since she hates to experiment with equipment, she stuck with the same frame (and the same awful gut) all those years.

When she returned to the tour after her first retirement, I believe she put some lead somewhere, reportedly to help her produce additional topspin.
 
S

sundaypunch

Hall of Fame
zinny999 said:
Not quite sure about that...... My Mate.. Paul Mcnamara was ranked on ATPtennis.com ... his record still on there.. somewhere around 400-500 was his ranking.
Was asked to hit as a hitting partner to Serena Williams. He was hitting soo hard she was barely getting to the balls.
Her dad "her coach" had to ask him to hit the ball softer.

Anyway I have play against him. barely loosing to any more then 64-7-5 in most set.

I think even as a good amatuer player my ranking in WTA would be around top 5. Thats from a few ATP ranked players own observation. Which was intended to kjoke that I'm not as good as them.
Click to expand...

You are delusional if you really believe this.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
You never know...
Maybe Zinny was/is a 5.5.
McNamara/McNamee, weren't they once a top 8 ATP doubles team?
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
tank_job said:
So you guys do not think that Henin used a head heavy racket because, since she is a woman and a small one at that, who also used a 1hbh (which is arguably harder to supply power with than a 2hbh), she needed more help from the mass in the head in order to make her shots penetrate the court?

And if a man with more power than her (come on people, this is not a boast, Henin would triple golden-set me but she is not stronger than me) tried using the same racket, everything would fly long?
Click to expand...

They would fly long not because you can hit harder than her (you can't), but because you will have nowhere close to the topspin she has to keep the ball in.
 
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