From Mid to Midplus: The Great midlife Migration

C

corners

Legend
For all you guys that gave up your mids, or had them pried from your gnarled hands, and are now using a midplus or bigger (98+), what have you gained? What have you lost? Was it the best thing you ever did for your tennis game? Any regrets? Are you winning more or more easily?

Pete Sampras is the honorary first member of this society. Hopefully he'll chime in on what adding 13 square inches has done for his game when he has some time. But we're very interested in hearing from everyone. Please let us know what you switched from and what you switched to, and what the result has been for your game.
 
Last edited:
jimbo333

jimbo333

Hall of Fame
corners said:
For all you guys that gave up your mids, or had them pried from your gnarled hands, and are now using a midplus (98+), what have you gained? What have you lost? Was it the best thing you ever did for your tennis game? Any regrets? Are you winning more or more easily?

Pete Sampras is the honorary first member of this society. Hopefully he'll chime in on what adding 13 square inches has done for his game when he has some time. But we're very interested in hearing from everyone. Please let us know what you switched from and what you switched to.
Click to expand...

Well I 've gone from:-

1970's Dunlop Maxply wood/graphite (65sqin)
1980's Head Vector (wood/graphite) (75sqin)
1990's Dunlop Max300i (85sqin)
2000's Angell (Vantage) Custom (95sqin)

And others inbetween and dates/headsizes approx, but i can guess what size I'll be using soon:)

(I honestly think as a I get older I need a bigger sweetspot)
 
B

BalboaNoah

New User
when i finally put my ego aside and went from 90 to 95/98/100 (sometimes 102 and fool around with 110) it opened up the game for me. defense was easier. defense to offense became a new tool. the confidence to unleash wildly spinning angled shots and even attack returns on first serve became possible.
 
millicurie999

millicurie999

Semi-Pro
Played with PS85 since the 80's. 2 yrs ago, switched to Babolat PSL and am loving it. Win more free points and better defense.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Better defense, better reflex shots, better shots when tired and not moving, better after the third set, those big hoops.
BUT, my HeadMicrogelOS, at around 105 (they say 107), can mishit more than my 100's when I start to tire or lose vision on the ball, so going too big is not always a gain.
 
DonDiego

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
I went the other way around. From 102 to 95.

Better 1-hand backhand, better serve, better overheads and much more control.

Of course I also went from light to heavy, and from head-heavy to headlight. In fact, I went from playing with anything I could find, to weighting my sticks on a kitchen scale, and sometimes cutting three inches of an overgrip in hope of lowering the weight of the racquet by half a gram...

Not sure if I changed for the better...
 
S

slowfox

Professional
I'm doing an experiment of playing with old, classic racquets from the 80s. Searching the you-know-where auction site for sticks. Most of the ones I'm considering are 100+ sq in headsizes. Just bid on a PK 110 sq in.

Normally I play with 95s. Very curious to see how the larger racquets affect my game.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Larger racket....
More average good shots.
Less great shots.
Slower swing speed.
Balanced by more good shots.
Making your game more.....average.
 
Timbo's hopeless slice

Timbo's hopeless slice

Hall of Fame
95 - 98 - 104 over the last 12 months

better defence, better offence, stronger serve, greater margin for error on everything

Tennis is just more fun.

acid test will be Monday night vs a 5.0 with whom I have always had close matches with the honours even..

I shall let you all know!
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
I would question the "stronger serve".
Just don't see that can happen in any manner or form, especially for a 5.0 player.
 
roundiesee

roundiesee

Hall of Fame
I went from a 90 si ProKennex to a 98-100 si Speed and then the Juice, but now I'm back with the BLXPS90.
The feel of the tweeners just wasn't "right", and the plow-through factor was just the main ingredient that was missing in the lighter, larger frames.
But OP is right- eventually as we get older, the larger rackets will help us play the percentages better. I'm thinking of trying the Dunlop Bio 500 Tour next.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Lack of "plowthru" might be a stumbling block.
Aero4D for 65 bucks at least has SW of 325 for some mass at the head.
 
BMWprestigem3

BMWprestigem3

New User
Went from a 93" to a 98". I feel everything has improved.

1st Serve has more pop.

2nd Serve has more kick.

The Mid did have a better plow thru, so I leaded the Midplus to try and gain some of the plow thru that the Mid had. But it still doesn't match the Mid's plow thru.
 
Last edited:
Timbo's hopeless slice

Timbo's hopeless slice

Hall of Fame
LeeD said:
I would question the "stronger serve".
Just don't see that can happen in any manner or form, especially for a 5.0 player.
Click to expand...

it's the same weight, only with a higher sw and a thicker beam, = more mph.

not as if I have gone lighter, just bigger head and different type of frame.
 
B

bhupaes

Professional
IMO, a larger head size lets one be more consistent. A smaller head size is good for some great shots, but it's much harder to hit that way consistently. My main racquet is 100 sq inches, and my fun racquet is 93 sq inches. I always do much better in a match with the larger racquet, although they are both weighted similarly - a reflection on my skill level, I suppose...
 
matchmaker

matchmaker

Hall of Fame
I went the other way, from MP to mid, even tried an oversize once. For some strange reason, I have a lot less arm issues with mids. So that is my gain. Strangely, I also feel my game is more penetrating by using mids.
 
Harry_Wild

Harry_Wild

G.O.A.T.
I have both size rackets 98 and 93 Head Prestige. I found that I can take a break and use the 98 for fun and trying out stuff like hitting extreme strokes and serving beyond maximum pace. Then I go back to my 93 and play with it for a most of the time afterward. It breaks up the hitting and change of pace is good at least for me and my game.
 
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
Several times I tried to switch to a Head Prestige Mid because I love the addictive feel when you hit the ball into the sweet area. That solid and connected feel I only seem to achieve with a midsize.

Unfortunately I win easier with a Midplus because of the more forgiveness of the bigger headsize.

During practices I enjoy more the mid but I feel I just need that extra 5 sq inch of a Midplus during matches.


That's why it has always been a dilemma to me:
  • Should I go for the sensational feel of the mid or;
  • Should I go for the more consistent play and more confident feel of the midplus

Lately I decided to choose the Head IG Youtek Prestige Midplus because I prefer to win matches. :)

It also helps to confirm my choice of the MP when I am watching ATP/WTA players on TV who are mostly using a Midplus frame (or even an oversize). Only a few players like Federer are still using a midsize.
 
max

max

Legend
Interesting thread. I'll watch how it goes.

I'm moving from a 98 to a 93. I feel it'll be a "return to normal" for me. The 98 always felt like a lot of string field.
 
pshulam

pshulam

Hall of Fame
I am alternating between a 93 (Prince spectrum comp 90) and a 95 (Head PT280). The difference is very minute.
 
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
Went from 90 to 95, K ProStaff 88 to Youtek Prestige MP.

I gained a little forgiveness on off-center hits which has helped my arm health and a slight improvement in spin capability. I lost some precision in my one-handed backhand which I have made up for with increased topspin with a somewhat looser wrist. I can generate a little more topspin on the forehand side which has resulted in being able to hit the ball harder. It's modified my game to where I sometimes run around my forehand. In the past, the forehand and backhand were more balanced so I took more backhands.

I'd say that going to the MP helped my game - as far as winning more points goes. I also went to an XL (27.75 inches) and the extra reach has helped too (hey, I want all of the help that I can get). Of course physical fitness improvements have been much more important in improving my game.

> Lately I decided to choose the Head IG Youtek Prestige Midplus because I prefer to win matches.

I went through the same feelings. Do you want the shots to feel great or do you want to win? Well, of course you want both but I think that competitive people want to win and I have a competitive personality. I think that lots of people here do too.

It's like trading stocks. You can be right and lose money, wrong and lose money, right and make money or wrong and make money. Eventually you get to the point where you don't care so much about being wrong or right - you care about your account balance.
 
Last edited:
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
movdqa said:
I went through the same feelings. Do you want the shots to feel great or do you want to win? Well, of course you want both but I think that competitive people want to win and I have a competitive personality. I think that lots of people here do too.

It's like trading stocks. You can be right and lose money, wrong and lose money, right and make money or wrong and make money. Eventually you get to the point where you don't care so much about being wrong or right - you care about your account balance.
Click to expand...

Nice to hear you 've had the same mid vs midplus experiences.

Yes You better choose a Midplus if you're a competitive player (like both of us). I am getting frustated when I miss though shots with a Mid during a match whereas I don't use to do with a Midplus.

Ever considered a 100 sq inch headsize?
I played a few seasons with a Head FXP Radical Tour. Especially my kick serves were getting more spin and I gained some more foregiveness into my shots. However my volleys were getting worse for some reason. Maybe too sluggish and too flexible. I won more with the Head FXP Rad Tour but some day I tried a heavier and much more solid Tecnifibre T-Fight 335. I was sold! I played better than ever, especially at the net. Rock solid! However... I was still missing that special feel of a Head Prestige Mid.

Then I used the PK Black Ace 98 a few seasons. After I customized it to my desired specs I thought I found my frame. Unfortunately the racquet technican ruined my frames when he tried to put the lead under the grommets. I was very angry and I felt very stupid I didn't that myself! He didn't put TK82S grip pallets properly on my Head IG Prestige MP as well. There was still a big gap of about 2mm between the pallets.

Now I am back to Head IG Prestige Midplus that has a nice soft feel and that's is a bit more solid than my PK BA98. I am able to produce perfect stop volleys and dropshots with it. Still not a Mid but close enough to live with.
 
Last edited:
movdqa

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
I have a PDR that I used for a short time but had arm problems with it. I like to buy matched sets and find that 95s are easiest to come by. It is so much work changing racquets that I would like to stick with what I have for several years and just focus more on playing and fitness.
 
gplracer

gplracer

Hall of Fame
The long story is 65-85-90-104-85-95-98-95-90-95 this was over a course of 25 years. More recently I switched to the Babolat Prue Drive from a 6.1 95. Then I went back to the 6.1 when my elbow told me to. I then hit with a 90 for a while and loved it. Now I am back with the kfactor 6.1 95. I seem to always go back to the 6.1.
 
C

corners

Legend
Sander001 said:
What is Sampras using now?
Click to expand...

I was hoping he would tell us. But it sounds like he went from PS85 to N90 to KPS88 to Pure Storm Tour to a blacked out Wilson, maybe a Blade. Has apparently kept his old specs throughout.
 
Last edited:
Timbo's hopeless slice

Timbo's hopeless slice

Hall of Fame
I am still in love with a 104, so....

Never played better imho, so clean, so much margn for error.

(mind you, after 6 months with a Volkl PB9, ANYTHING is going to feel like it has a big sweetspot!)

I will be fascinated to see what TT play tester Granville does after some months with a PD107 (on account of surgery)

I just can't believe how much I am enjoying my tennis again. :)
 
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
Timbo's hopeless slice said:
I am still in love with a 104, so....

Never played better imho, so clean, so much margn for error.

(mind you, after 6 months with a Volkl PB9, ANYTHING is going to feel like it has a big sweetspot!)

I will be fascinated to see what TT play tester Granville does after some months with a PD107 (on account of surgery)

I just can't believe how much I am enjoying my tennis again. :)
Click to expand...
I guess he ĺl play like a magican first but after a honeymoon period he 'll get lazy and through this his technique ĺl be worse.

At least that is my experience with a Head Polaris 660 when the widebodies came into the market.
 
C

corners

Legend
Gee said:
I guess he ĺl play like a magican first but after a honeymoon period he 'll get lazy and through this his technique ĺl be worse.

At least that is my experience with a Head Polaris 660 when the widebodies came into the market.
Click to expand...

Why does the magician get lazy?
 
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
corners said:
Why does the magician get lazy?
Click to expand...
He 'll be getting spoiled by the foregiveness of a big frame.

I think it is easier to keep your technique properly with a low powered and control oriented frame because you 'll be punished more if you don't hit cleanly.

One of my team mates is using a Head Ti Fire who has a really lazy footwork. I tried his racquet once and I thought it was a very powerful and light frame with a lack of control and feel.
 
ASH1485

ASH1485

Semi-Pro
kept going back and forth on this

started with 95 then 93 then 98 then 95 again ,then finally settled on 89 :)

currently at 28 years of age and i dont think i am going midplus till iam 35 maybe or 40

nothing feels like a mid, yes even if i dont win more.
 
heftylefty

heftylefty

Hall of Fame
mikeler said:
I went the other way. Started out with oversize rackets and now I use mid plus.
Click to expand...

Dude, I did the same thing. I started using an Oversize in the mid 1980 through 2002. Then slowly but surely going down in size. I'm currently using a Yonex RQiS 1 Tour which is a 95. And I have demo the Yonex V-Core 89...I'm very tempted.

I'll be 49 years old this year.
 
L

LeeD

Bionic Poster
I"m 64.
After playing a few weeks exclusively with a MicroGelOS, I bought a DunlopBio300T and it's working just fine.
I'm crippled and blind as a bat too.
 
OrangePower

OrangePower

Legend
In the mid 80s I played with a Dunlop Max 150G... I don't even remember the headsize, but since it was smaller than a 200G I would guess 75-ish.

I am still nostalgic about that racquet :cry:
(Anyone actually remember the actual headsize for the 150G?)

After a 20 year layoff, I'm now using a 98.

The increase in headsize is a rough inverse correlation to the acuity of my eyesight :shock:
 
D

dhdriver

Rookie
Here is the list of racquets I've played with till now:
Prince O3 Hybrid Shark
Babolat Aero Pro Drive w/ Cortex
Head Youtek Speed MP
Head Youtek Prestige Mid
Yonex V-Core Tour 89

I've went the opposite route. I somewhat miss the forgiveness of the bigger heads but I am loving midsized racquets too much. I've definitely been able to play some of my best tennis with the midsized racquets though.
 
M

maggmaster

Hall of Fame
when I was a junior I started with a Prince Lightning 107, then the TT warrior OS, then I moved to Wilson Hyper Hammer 90. When I restarted as an adult I used the TT warrior(100), then the Ozone tour(100), then the Exo3 Tour, had a brief bit with the Prokennex 5g(100) back to the Exo3 and finally I found the BB london tour(93) which I really like. I am moving back and forth from the Exo3 tour and the London tour, unsure where I will end up.
 
Timbo's hopeless slice

Timbo's hopeless slice

Hall of Fame
I should add I played a couple of years with the Flexpoint Radical OS so I am no stranger to larger head sizes..

I still have those somewhere, might dig them out and see what they are like some years down the road..
 
C

corners

Legend
Timbo's hopeless slice said:
well, acid test was last night, very good player who I have had many a tough match with.

won 6 -2 6 -2 and he commented on weight of shot and pace of serve..

color me happy!
Click to expand...

Awesome. There's always the possibility of a placebo effect, though, and placebo effects are as real as anything. I wish we could somehow paintjob your PB9s so you couldn't tell them from your new mean greenies, and see how you'd do against the same opponent. I think you'd struggle as you did in the past, but you never know.

My feeling is that the old pros, who have all moved on to larger headsizes (with the exceptions of Chang and Agassi), know their business. And us aging guys should follow their lead.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
Gee said:
Several times I tried to switch to a Head Prestige Mid because I love the addictive feel when you hit the ball into the sweet area. That solid and connected feel I only seem to achieve with a midsize.

Unfortunately I win easier with a Midplus because of the more forgiveness of the bigger headsize.

During practices I enjoy more the mid but I feel I just need that extra 5 sq inch of a Midplus during matches.


That's why it has always been a dilemma to me:
  • Should I go for the sensational feel of the mid or;
  • Should I go for the more consistent play and more confident feel of the midplus

Lately I decided to choose the Head IG Youtek Prestige Midplus because I prefer to win matches. :)

It also helps to confirm my choice of the MP when I am watching ATP/WTA players on TV who are mostly using a Midplus frame (or even an oversize). Only a few players like Federer are still using a midsize.
Click to expand...

Actually the dilemma I am facing right now. The 6.0 PS95 is pretty much my dream stick, but a tad heavy. I am currently sporting a IG prestige mid and love love love it. SO much feel, so much control. Though i win more matches with the 6.0 95. I'm actually looking to demo the MP since I've HEARD that Head measures from the outside of the racket and their 98 is actually a 95.
 
C

corners

Legend
sansaephanh said:
Actually the dilemma I am facing right now. The 6.0 PS95 is pretty much my dream stick, but a tad heavy. I am currently sporting a IG prestige mid and love love love it. SO much feel, so much control. Though i win more matches with the 6.0 95. I'm actually looking to demo the MP since I've HEARD that Head measures from the outside of the racket and their 98 is actually a 95.
Click to expand...

Just swap the heavy leather grip of the 6.0 95 for a lightweight replacement (Bab Skin Feel, Wilson Comfort Hybrid, Prince ResiThin, Donnay Replacement, Volkl DNX) and you're down to around 335 grams (11.8 ounces). Then you're done. Dream stick at a light weight, done.
 
Gee

Gee

Hall of Fame
sansaephanh said:
Actually the dilemma I am facing right now. The 6.0 PS95 is pretty much my dream stick, but a tad heavy. I am currently sporting a IG prestige mid and love love love it. SO much feel, so much control. Though i win more matches with the 6.0 95. I'm actually looking to demo the MP since I've HEARD that Head measures from the outside of the racket and their 98 is actually a 95.
Click to expand...

The headsize of the Prestige MP seems to be even smaller than 95 sq inches. See this thread (at the bottom into the first post).
 
Last edited:
M

makinao

Rookie
I've used everything from 60 sq.in. wood racquets to 110 overs. At first I was tempted to say that oversized racquets give a bigger margin for error, specially for service returns. But the racquet I used when I was best at that stroke was a Slazenger ProBraided Xtreme 100. On the the other hand, the best volleying racquets I ever had was a Prince Synergy DB24 107.

Head size is just one variable in a racquet. I don't think there is any hard and fast rule about how it directly affects my play. The qualities of a racquet must be taken as a sum of its parts.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
corners said:
Just swap the heavy leather grip of the 6.0 95 for a lightweight replacement (Bab Skin Feel, Wilson Comfort Hybrid, Prince ResiThin, Donnay Replacement, Volkl DNX) and you're down to around 335 grams (11.8 ounces). Then you're done. Dream stick at a light weight, done.
Click to expand...

I wish it were as simple as that corners. As a man who enjoys the feel of the player's stick, I need a super HL balance to truly love it. 12.1-12.5oz and 315-330 sw is around my dream specs.

Gee said:
The headsize of the Prestige MP seems to be even smaller than 95 sq inches. See this thread (at the bottom into the first post).
Click to expand...

Well I wouldn't be surprised, but I'm still hitting relatively well with it. It's been a long time since someone said they liked any of my strokes. It started happening again once i switched to IG Prestige Mid.


On another note. I just put BHBR17@54/OGSM17@58. Thing hits with bite and pop. I love it.
 
C

corners

Legend
sansaephanh said:
I wish it were as simple as that corners. As a man who enjoys the feel of the player's stick, I need a super HL balance to truly love it. 12.1-12.5oz and 315-330 sw is around my dream specs.
Click to expand...

What am I missing? The PS 6.0 95 can be customized into lots of configurations within the spec ranges you've specified.
 
sansaephanh

sansaephanh

Professional
corners said:
What am I missing? The PS 6.0 95 can be customized into lots of configurations within the spec ranges you've specified.
Click to expand...

I'm not good at doing the calculations. My mind is a obscenely simple one. Thinking about all that just confuddles me lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Head_Rocketman
  • Poll
Mid v Midplus The Duel
2 3
Replies
107
Views
5K
big_banger
big_banger
J
Volkl Tour 10 V-Engine Midplus: one of the best midplus racquets?
Replies
4
Views
976
jonas-the-ball-basher
J
T
  • Poll
Tempted by the Fruit of Another (From Mid to MidPlus)
Replies
20
Views
2K
Deleted member 21996
D
C
Anyone switched from prestige mid to a larger head size ?
Replies
5
Views
623
crash
C
vkartikv
  • Poll
So what do you look for from your racquet?
Replies
2
Views
469
Django
Django
Top