My New Racquet Dilema

deco0028

Rookie
Hi Jack
Only been playing for 1.5 years, but have been able recently able to get the 1hbh in more consistently. I studied footage of Dimitrov's 1hbh, as well as Henin and Federer. The take back obviously has to be quite extreme to coil the upper torso, but I mentally have close to all my weight on the front (right) foot with the left foot trailing behind, it seems to have worked. The forward swing has me gently pivoting around the axis that is my right leg. I have found that if I maintain weight on the right leg, I am OK, but as soon as I lean back, the stroke falls apart. That is only my relatively inexperienced perspective.
Like you, I have hit with the BB Londons(my son's), and find them to be quite an effective and comfortable stick, albeit a tad underpowered. The 'launching" issue I had with it was due to technique, looking back. Not enough wrist action on both forehand and backhand.
But my racquet of choice is still the Dunlop 4D 200 Tour. I do not find the weight an issue for my meagre level. It has just the right heft, is quite manoeuverable, with ample feel and spin on the ball.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Good luck.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Ok, my choices have been narrowed down to the following:

1) Dunlop Bio Maxx 200G (haven't tried yet)
2) Donnay Pro 1 97 16x19 (love it so far...just wonder if swingweight might be too heavy)
3) Rebel 98 (haven't tried yet with mods...more weight in handle and string inserts)
4) Yonex xi98 (just tried briefly...need more playtesting time...liked it so far)
5) Wilson BLX 6.1 95 Team (liked it, but needed lots of lead)

So far I have preferred the Donnay, but have yet to try the 200g or xi98. The latter 2 have very similar specs to the Pro 1 but have slightly lower swingweight. The Xi98 actually sounds perfect on paper, but I never liked that weird frame shape. The Rebel is a longshot, but I plan on adding weight to the handle and putting in the string inserts hoping to take away some of that muted feel (ans also to make stringing easier).

I have eliminated the Wilson 2012 Blx 6.1 Team (too muted on slightly off center hits), the Prestige S (not user friendly enough...small sweetspot and low power) and the Vcore 95d (too heavy and small sweetspot). Out of these 3, I played best with the Wilson. I did like it, but it had a muted "numb" feeling on hits outside the sweetspot that I didn't like. Maybe that's the Wilson Amplifeel handle, I don't know. I nothing else works out, I might revisit it. The on court results were good.
 
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prjacobs

Hall of Fame
Right on top of the grip....Eastern backhand grip.
Why do u ask?

Hi Jack, I asked because you may want to experiment with moving one bevel behind the top, so that your racquet head is slightly closed. You may find that hitting topspin is easier that way. I think you'll definitely find that on higher bouncing balls, it's easier to get over the top of the ball with that grip.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Hi Jack, I asked because you may want to experiment with moving one bevel behind the top, so that your racquet head is slightly closed. You may find that hitting topspin is easier that way. I think you'll definitely find that on higher bouncing balls, it's easier to get over the top of the ball with that grip.

I'll check it out. I just started there because that's where 99% of the textbook instruction says to go. I get good topspin and can drive the ball pretty well with the Eastern BH grip, but it doesn't have the same net clearance my f/h does. I am pretty surprised at how well the transition has been going so far and I am kicking myself for not trying this sooner. My 2 hander never felt "right" and the 1 hander feels very natural. Biggest adjustment though is on hard hit shots that are tight on my b/h side...I still sometimes hit a 2 hander out of instict and lack of time to set up for anything else. I can block them with a slice, but sometimes those get popped up into the air too high. Just something to practice more I guess.
My Pro thinks it's fine to keep the 2 hander in my arsenal for returns though, but I think it may be better to make a clean break from it to avoid confusion in my head.
 

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
When I plan to block the serve back with topspin, I generally use my two hander. More stability and control IMO. When I really want to attack a second serve, I tend to use a one hander.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
When I plan to block the serve back with topspin, I generally use my two hander. More stability and control IMO. When I really want to attack a second serve, I tend to use a one hander.

So you use both depending on the situation?

Do you mix the 2 anytime other than returns?
 

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
So you use both depending on the situation?

Do you mix the 2 anytime other than returns?

Yes I use both depending on 1. Who I'm playing 2. How my shoulder feels 3. How confident I am. If I'm more confident, I use the one hander. My dads a pusher, so I use my one hander a lot against him because I can't beat him if I just get it back every time. I use the two gander when I need more stability against hard hitters (I have a 4.5 friend).

I also utilize heavy slice backhands quite often. Sometimes they can be deadly and very useful. They give some of my friends a lot of trouble.

I find that having both backhands makes it interesting to play with and also I can fool my opponent at times because of it. However, I still need to work on consistency. I can keep up with my 4.5 friend sometimes but I can get beaten by a 3.0 pusher as well. It's quite sad
 

kaiser

Semi-Pro
I'll check it out. I just started there because that's where 99% of the textbook instruction says to go. I get good topspin and can drive the ball pretty well with the Eastern BH grip, but it doesn't have the same net clearance my f/h does. I am pretty surprised at how well the transition has been going so far and I am kicking myself for not trying this sooner. My 2 hander never felt "right" and the 1 hander feels very natural. Biggest adjustment though is on hard hit shots that are tight on my b/h side...I still sometimes hit a 2 hander out of instict and lack of time to set up for anything else. I can block them with a slice, but sometimes those get popped up into the air too high. Just something to practice more I guess.
My Pro thinks it's fine to keep the 2 hander in my arsenal for returns though, but I think it may be better to make a clean break from it to avoid confusion in my head.

Seems to me that if you hit the 2 hander "out of instinct" you risk more "confusion in your head" by trying to ban it out. I'm an exclusive 1 hander, but I'd love to have a 2 hander 'at hand' that I could pull out instinctively when out of position for my 1 hander, if you get my drift... Shouldn't be more confusing than switching between top and slice.
 

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
Seems to me that if you hit the 2 hander "out of instinct" you risk more "confusion in your head" by trying to ban it out. I'm an exclusive 1 hander, but I'd love to have a 2 hander 'at hand' that I could pull out instinctively when out of position for my 1 hander, if you get my drift... Shouldn't be more confusing than switching between top and slice.

This makes sense, however I know what jack means. I sometimes question whether I should be using another hand or not LOL
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
On returns, my friend was trained a Bolliteiri and they were told to always hit their main backhand. Slicing on returns was not allowed in practice just to reinforce that mindset. So the answer is if you hit a 1 hander, commit to it and always go for that shot.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Seems to me that if you hit the 2 hander "out of instinct" you risk more "confusion in your head" by trying to ban it out. I'm an exclusive 1 hander, but I'd love to have a 2 hander 'at hand' that I could pull out instinctively when out of position for my 1 hander, if you get my drift... Shouldn't be more confusing than switching between top and slice.

that's a good point and the quick, punch/block back 2 hander isn't a stroke I need to practice anyway, so I guess I am open to keeping it around if needed. Returns are just instinct most times anyway. If someone is serving hard and quick, then I need to do whatever it takes to get it back....1 hand, 2 hands, 3 hands...whatever :)
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Returns should be more than instinct. You should be able to turn your shoulders to the side every single time on both wings. If you are just going off of instinct, you will not be a good returner.

There is a lot of thought that goes into returning..where to stand against that server, timing the split step, and making sure to move into the court on contact.
 
Ok, my choices have been narrowed down to the following:

1) Dunlop Bio Maxx 200G (haven't tried yet)
2) Donnay Pro 1 97 16x19 (love it so far...just wonder if swingweight might be too heavy)
3) Rebel 98 (haven't tried yet with mods...more weight in handle and string inserts)
4) Yonex xi98 (just tried briefly...need more playtesting time...liked it so far)
5) Wilson BLX 6.1 95 Team (liked it, but needed lots of lead)

So far I have preferred the Donnay, but have yet to try the 200g or xi98. The latter 2 have very similar specs to the Pro 1 but have slightly lower swingweight. The Xi98 actually sounds perfect on paper, but I never liked that weird frame shape. The Rebel is a longshot, but I plan on adding weight to the handle and putting in the string inserts hoping to take away some of that muted feel (ans also to make stringing easier).

I have eliminated the Wilson 2012 Blx 6.1 Team (too muted on slightly off center hits), the Prestige S (not user friendly enough...small sweetspot and low power) and the Vcore 95d (too heavy and small sweetspot). Out of these 3, I played best with the Wilson. I did like it, but it had a muted "numb" feeling on hits outside the sweetspot that I didn't like. Maybe that's the Wilson Amplifeel handle, I don't know. I nothing else works out, I might revisit it. The on court results were good.

Jack,

Is the Xi 98 the Ezone or newer Vcore? I acquired one of the newer Vcores, but have fell in love with the 16x19 Blade before it arrived. Need to know if it's worth breaking my promise to never try another racquet. Thanks.
 

RollTrackTake

Professional
Ok, my choices have been narrowed down to the following:

1) Dunlop Bio Maxx 200G (haven't tried yet)
2) Donnay Pro 1 97 16x19 (love it so far...just wonder if swingweight might be too heavy)
3) Rebel 98 (haven't tried yet with mods...more weight in handle and string inserts)
4) Yonex xi98 (just tried briefly...need more playtesting time...liked it so far)
5) Wilson BLX 6.1 95 Team (liked it, but needed lots of lead)

So far I have preferred the Donnay, but have yet to try the 200g or xi98.

not for nothing (i do find your never-ending racquet quest interesting) but any of those racquets will work fine. You just have to give a racquet time. you can't buy it, use it for 4 months, then decide to switch racquets again because your now switching to a full western grip! If you stick with the Pro 1 long enough you'll get used to the swing weight and get stronger. If you find the right lead set up for the 6.1 95 or Rebel 98 then you'll be good to go at some point. Again, IIRC, you've played with/owned at least 2 of the above. Imagine how much better your game would be if you had stuck with the Rebel 98, Pro 1, Warrior, London, etc..., etc..., etc...
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Jack,

Is the Xi 98 the Ezone or newer Vcore? I acquired one of the newer Vcores, but have fell in love with the 16x19 Blade before it arrived. Need to know if it's worth breaking my promise to never try another racquet. Thanks.

It's the Ezone. The new 16x19 Blade IS nice indeed....just too head heavy for me and no room to add more weight to the handle for me.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
not for nothing (i do find your never-ending racquet quest interesting) but any of those racquets will work fine. You just have to give a racquet time. you can't buy it, use it for 4 months, then decide to switch racquets again because your now switching to a full western grip! If you stick with the Pro 1 long enough you'll get used to the swing weight and get stronger. If you find the right lead set up for the 6.1 95 or Rebel 98 then you'll be good to go at some point. Again, IIRC, you've played with/owned at least 2 of the above. Imagine how much better your game would be if you had stuck with the Rebel 98, Pro 1, Warrior, London, etc..., etc..., etc...

It really wouldn't make me that much better. I seem to play pretty much the same no matter what racquet I grab. It really has very little impact on my game. It's more a personal preference thing with me. I used the London for over a year and saw very little difference. I can acclimate to a new racquet very quickly. If you like sticking with one racquet for a long time and it works better for you, then do it.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
It really wouldn't make me that much better. I seem to play pretty much the same no matter what racquet I grab. It really has very little impact on my game. It's more a personal preference thing with me. I used the London for over a year and saw very little difference. I can acclimate to a new racquet very quickly. If you like sticking with one racquet for a long time and it works better for you, then do it.

Well then why are you switching sticks because of a one handed backhand? This doesn't make sense to me.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
I'm pretty much in agreement with something PP said awhile back in this thread: not sure if you change sticks to improve a 'worst' stroke or especially a 'new' stroke, but instead stick with the one that accentuates your best one. And, at your level, I'm thinking the forehand is the one shot that you hit probably 70 percent of the time or more anyway.

But you know, whatever.
 

mad dog1

G.O.A.T.
I know that. I am not talking about shanks. I am talking about........
#1 - MINIMIZING any elbow issues while I am learning this stroke
#2 - getting a racquet that enhances this stroke (more HL, smaller head, more flex)

So then everyone that complains of TE while using Bablots should just stick with them? If you hit a stiff frame in the middle there is no elbow pain either. Can we please drop this nonsense? If I was good enough to NEVER be late and to ALWAYS hit the center of the racquet, this would be a moot point.

Well then why are you switching sticks because of a one handed backhand? This doesn't make sense to me.

i guess he's looking for comfort
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Well then why are you switching sticks because of a one handed backhand? This doesn't make sense to me.

I explained myself many times...because a 1 handed backhand needs a more comfortable racquet. It makes sense to me and that's all that really matters.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
I'm pretty much in agreement with something PP said awhile back in this thread: not sure if you change sticks to improve a 'worst' stroke or especially a 'new' stroke, but instead stick with the one that accentuates your best one. And, at your level, I'm thinking the forehand is the one shot that you hit probably 70 percent of the time or more anyway.

But you know, whatever.

You are missing the point. I'm not changing anything if the rest of my game suffers. My MAIN GOAL is more comfort, while everything else remains the same. If my backhand is great with a certain racquet, but my forehand and serve are worse, that would be a terrible trade off. Of course you ALWAYS want to accentuate your weapons...which in my case is my forehand. I know you guys are trying to help, but sometimes you have give me a little more credit. I'm not going to make any changes that will hurt me overall in the big picture. Right now I am super happy how my 1 hander has been going and feel like it will improve my overall game. I am just tweaking my equipment to make this change smoother. I am not switching to a Prostaff 90 for gods sakes.

Its weird how you guys roll with every new racquet Ross talks about every other day, but me you "put through the ringer". I don't know why?
 
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JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Make sure you put the ig rad pro on there. Great, comfortable frame.

nope...didn't like it when I tried it a while back. Too head heavy and too high swingweight. I also struggled with the extreme flex.

I have enough choices now to feel good about making a move. I don't need to expand my list anymore. Now its all about playtesters and making a choice.
 

klementine

Hall of Fame
If you can hunt down some rd ti 80s, the lite version, very comfortable frame. I notice only 16x19 patterns on your demo list. A shame. The mgRad and lqInstinct are comfortable as well.
 

BigM

Rookie
How about the new Graphene Speed Mp. I had a hit with it last night and it plays way more comfortable than the specs suggest.
 

mrmo1115

Hall of Fame
How about the new Graphene Speed Mp. I had a hit with it last night and it plays way more comfortable than the specs suggest.

MP meaning the 300g? I think you should hit the Pro. I have high hopes for it when I take it out tmrw for a test.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
How about the new Graphene Speed Mp. I had a hit with it last night and it plays way more comfortable than the specs suggest.

it looks like a great racquet. I played with the Speed IG 315 for a good while and liked it a lot. This new one looks even better with the standard length
and lowered swingweight. I just have enough good choices right now :)

I am hoping the Pro One with be "the One". I just LOVE the way it feels on impact. Tennis nirvana!
 

RollTrackTake

Professional
I would suggest play-testing the Pro 1 with the 10 gram buttcap & the 5 gram alongside its stock set up. The 10 gram buttcap setup is what won me over. I could have added weight the Bio Max 200G but once it was too late. My Pro 1's weigh in at 11.9 & 12oz. I didn't think I could or wanted a 12oz racquet but it is working out great. Makes me want to try more in this weight class.
 

Dgdavid

Professional
Hi Jack. I can't remember if you tried the Vcore 98D last year. I have just picked up a new Vcore Xi 98 and will report back.
Still have the Warrior 100 floating around in the back of my head too!

ps. I no longer have racket dilemnas. I have accepted that I am a full blown racketoholic and finding "the one" would not infact stop be buying and trying other rackets. That said, with all the expensive rackets I have, the bargain Microgel Radical Team is my favourite match racket at the moment. Kind of makes me feel like a fraud having played with so many 'players' sticks but it does feel remarkably solid due to even balance and good SW.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
I would suggest play-testing the Pro 1 with the 10 gram buttcap & the 5 gram alongside its stock set up. The 10 gram buttcap setup is what won me over. I could have added weight the Bio Max 200G but once it was too late. My Pro 1's weigh in at 11.9 & 12oz. I didn't think I could or wanted a 12oz racquet but it is working out great. Makes me want to try more in this weight class.

I'll try adding some lead to the butt of my Pro 1. Not sure I want to pay $30 for the weight kit? Wouldn't 10g of lead at the butt do the same?. Or I could tape 2 nickels inside the buttcap (they weigh 5 g's ea)
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Hi Jack. I can't remember if you tried the Vcore 98D last year. I have just picked up a new Vcore Xi 98 and will report back.
Still have the Warrior 100 floating around in the back of my head too!

ps. I no longer have racket dilemnas. I have accepted that I am a full blown racketoholic and finding "the one" would not infact stop be buying and trying other rackets. That said, with all the expensive rackets I have, the bargain Microgel Radical Team is my favourite match racket at the moment. Kind of makes me feel like a fraud having played with so many 'players' sticks but it does feel remarkably solid due to even balance and good SW.

yes I liked the Vcore 98, but I am staying away from stiff racquets (68 and up) right now.

about liking your Rad Team the best...there is no correlation between price and racquet preference. The ball doesn't know how much you spent :). Plus a racquet is 75% strings anyway.
 

atatu

Legend
Ok, my choices have been narrowed down to the following:

1) Dunlop Bio Maxx 200G (haven't tried yet)
2) Donnay Pro 1 97 16x19 (love it so far...just wonder if swingweight might be too heavy)
3) Rebel 98 (haven't tried yet with mods...more weight in handle and string inserts)
4) Yonex xi98 (just tried briefly...need more playtesting time...liked it so far)
5) Wilson BLX 6.1 95 Team (liked it, but needed lots of lead)

So far I have preferred the Donnay, but have yet to try the 200g or xi98. The latter 2 have very similar specs to the Pro 1 but have slightly lower swingweight. The Xi98 actually sounds perfect on paper, but I never liked that weird frame shape. The Rebel is a longshot, but I plan on adding weight to the handle and putting in the string inserts hoping to take away some of that muted feel (ans also to make stringing easier).

I have eliminated the Wilson 2012 Blx 6.1 Team (too muted on slightly off center hits), the Prestige S (not user friendly enough...small sweetspot and low power) and the Vcore 95d (too heavy and small sweetspot). Out of these 3, I played best with the Wilson. I did like it, but it had a muted "numb" feeling on hits outside the sweetspot that I didn't like. Maybe that's the Wilson Amplifeel handle, I don't know. I nothing else works out, I might revisit it. The on court results were good.

Wait..I thought you tried the P1 awhile back and you gave it up because it was "sluggish" and you preferred the Volkl O8 315 ?
 
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JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Had a great outing tonite with the Pro 1. Played a 4.0 league singles match against a guy who was a finalist twice in 3.5 and came in 1st in his division in 4.0 last 2 seasons. I lost 5-7, 5-7, but I pushed him are
to his limit. I was actually up 5-2 in the 1st and 3-0 in the 2nd. I have to learn to hold a lead! Anyway the Pro 1 did everything I asked of it...no complaints. That racquet just feels sooooo solid and nice on contact and I am getting used to the swingweight. I never once had the feeling that the racquet was too heavy and we had some grinding long games and points. The Pro 1 was only strung up with some ordinary syngut and it felt great. The Pro is leading the pack right now for sure.

Tomorrow I will be trying out the Rebel 98 I just strung. I put in the string inserts and strung it with Scorpion/multi hybrid. We'll see how that plays. I am hoping the string holes will crisp up the racquet some and take away some of that muted feeling.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Wait..I thought you tried the P1 awhile back and you gave it up because it was "sluggish" and you preferred the Volkl O8 315 ?

I did, but I gave up on it too quickly. The X8 315 WAS lighter through the air, but I always liked most other aspects of the P1....the feel, solidness, touch and controllable power. It's very unique in that it's got the power of the tweener frames, but with a solid feel that none of them have. And its very arm friendly.
 

Kal-El 34

Hall of Fame
I did, but I gave up on it too quickly. The X8 315 WAS lighter through the air, but I always liked most other aspects of the P1....the feel, solidness, touch and controllable power. It's very unique in that it's got the power of the tweener frames, but with a solid feel that none of them have. And its very arm friendly.

agreed. actually if you add a bit of weight to the handle, it actually swings a bit quicker as well
 
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