Have you managed to end your racquetholism? Please share your advices
- Thread starter DonDiego
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Bobs tennis
Semi-Pro
NO-but it's fun
ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
I hear virginity is a major contributing factor.
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skydog
Professional
Prince Tour 98 ESP ended my frequent shifts between racquets. Bought 15 of them on closeout (averaged about $47 per racquet). Demoed the Phantom back I the spring, loved it, but it was not available. Bought a few 98 Tour ESP’s and loved the even more. Other than a couple TW Playtests, I have not touched another racquet. Figure I got a decade worth of supply so I should be good for a while.
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
About to sell my current racquets. I have demoed and demoed and demoed. Was looking for something more stable and comfortable without the requisite customization. Really grooved with the GXTPP aNd the GXTP Rev Pro. The two Prestiges were interesting and brought back my junior days in the late 80s and early 90s. I liked different elements of both. But am leaning toward the Pro. Ugh, 'holicism!
Moonarse
Semi-Pro
I always try to end it then I get sucked back in
It's funny I can't really think of another sport where people obsess as much over a piece of equipment as much. Golf a little bit I guess.
Dude, do you even surf?
Moonarse
Semi-Pro
I think that you might gain some perfomance if you test a type of frame that you never did (like I did with tweeners) and that type suits your game better.
It happened with tweeners to me, but might have been the other way around with some other player.
Once you covered all the bases during the tests (90sq 95sq 97sq 100sq OS - flex midflex stiff stiffer stiffest - closed pattern/ open pattern - light midweight heavy) and you set with some you like, there it is where you will lose performance.
going from a Radical to a DR98 is not gonna bring anything new to your game. but it might screw it.
Roland G
Hall of Fame
I loved using the 98 ESP. It wasn't the frame for but the fun I had with it, especially watching my opponents stepping back just as my ball dived in on the baseline! Magic
mavsman149
Hall of Fame
Haha, I don't. Do people get super into board models?
skydog
Professional
That feeling never gets old.
JustTennis76
Hall of Fame
I have managed to end it 2 years ago. Up until then, I was playing with a lot of mid size rackets, the last one being prestige mid. I then realized as I get into my 40s, I need a slightly larger frame with similar playing characteristics with little more room for error. Prestige MP was the answer, End of my racket search. However, I do experiment with strings a lot.
Moonarse
Semi-Pro
Federer, Djoko and murray. Wimbledon. how many rackets must they have perfectly matched before the tournament. something around 6 to 12 aye? All of them exactly the same.
Been following the shapers from the World Tour athletes posting pictures of their "Hawaiian quiver" (boards made for a Pro, only for this year's season), as now it is the Hawaiian leg (the most prestiged and the final lap) of the tour. Normally they get something around 15 to 25 boards. maybe a couple of identicals. all the others different in length, thickness, shape, tail. One for each possible wave type.
Now going back to Rec level. I have something around 6 (active) boards. all of them ride completely different from one another, even the ones that look similar.
When I found a shape that I like, I tend to try to replicate. Sometimes with subtle changes that I think would make it work even better.
Sometimes a change on the concave, fins position or even just sharpenning the edge of the rail a little bit is all it takes to turn a setup that worked as a holy grail to a worthless log. Oh, BTW, whenever I plan a surftrip I try to make a custom board aimed to the waves I'm about to face.
So yeah, Surfers are the most obsessed creatures when it comes to equipment.
Sir, You can choose between what? a thousand performance racquet models that where released since the 90s? that's all the possibilities when it comes to mold (then you mod).
We have a big square of white foam to work on. Endless possibilities.
Pete Player
Hall of Fame
I’m so darn bad in putting the old frames into circulation and sell them forward, that I try to keep my shoppingholism to minimum and fiddle only by customizing the features by string tension, make and altering ballance, if felt the urge to get a new racket.
I play Babolat Pure Drive, first got Roddicks, but since the other got broken, bought a Tour as replacement. The Tour felt different, and not good in the beginning, but now it is the other way around.
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I play Babolat Pure Drive, first got Roddicks, but since the other got broken, bought a Tour as replacement. The Tour felt different, and not good in the beginning, but now it is the other way around.
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kimguroo
Legend
Probably there will be no complete cure for racketholism but definitely, I see improvements. I am still playing with Regna but flirting with a few rackets which are mostly not available in US market (Mostly those rackets are gone but so far Prince Textreme Graphite is still remaining).
I guess I am doing much better than before ^_^
BTW Mizuno C-tour racket will be another interesting racket to flirt with hahaha.
I guess I am doing much better than before ^_^
BTW Mizuno C-tour racket will be another interesting racket to flirt with hahaha.
JohnBPittsburgh
Hall of Fame
There is a cure!!! (and I recently resisted the new Angell temptation...after looking at the website of course!!!) Watches That is the secret (just play tennis and find another distraction!!) I think we are just a group of passionate people who love this amazing game. Since most people are busy with life, it's easy to distract yourself by getting new toys to try out on the court The winter season is upon us...that is usually when my racquetaholism goes wild. I think I am ready, but staying away from Talk Tennis (and all the enabling that goes on here!!!) helps. Every thread is another rabbit hole of raccquets to tempt you into full blown 'holic mode. But it does make the game a little more interesting when you hit the court with a shiny new toy!!!
Good luck out on the courts. I miss this place...my mailman actually asked me if I still play tennis the other day. He said this has been the longest time since he has had to bring me one of my special boxes
That is the secret (just play tennis and find another distraction!!) I think we are just a group of passionate people who love this amazing game. Since most people are busy with life, it's easy to distract yourself by getting new toys to try out on the court The winter season is upon us...that is usually when my racquetaholism goes wild. I think I am ready, but staying away from Talk Tennis (and all the enabling that goes on here!!!) helps. Every thread is another rabbit hole of raccquets to tempt you into full blown 'holic mode. But it does make the game a little more interesting when you hit the court with a shiny new toy!!! Good luck out on the courts. I miss this place...my mailman actually asked me if I still play tennis the other day. He said this has been the longest time since he has had to bring me one of my special boxes
brownbearfalling
Hall of Fame
I found golf. 14+ different clubs to tinker with. Less variation (opposed to tennis strings). Golf clubs get released/renewed much more often and with much more flair. It has been keeping my busy the past few years.
But to be fair I was very happy with my racquets before I started golf. To this day I'm still using 2011 Wilson BLX six one 95 18x20. From all my trials, I've felt the six one 95 was a perfect blend of power, control and crispness.
But to be fair I was very happy with my racquets before I started golf. To this day I'm still using 2011 Wilson BLX six one 95 18x20. From all my trials, I've felt the six one 95 was a perfect blend of power, control and crispness.
Tennease
Legend
Yes. I absolutely have. When I started playing tennis I kept changing racquets, thinking they never felt comfortable. After a long research and thanks to this forum, finally I found the racquets that I am really comfortable with, so easy to use, so powerful and my arms and my body is thankful for it. It is a heavily modified Wilson Pro Staff 90, with long narrow steel plates added under the bumper guard. My racquets each weighs nearly 14 oz and I strung it with poly at 30/35 lbs. It's a heavenly, point and shoot racquet setup. So precise -- the balls go to where I want them to go to. It is so powerful that I can easily hit drive volley backhand winner from the baseline. It is so stable and solid on volleys. It's a serving bomb machine. Fexible & lively wrist and super powerful racquets. That's all I need.
Pete Player
Hall of Fame
Hmm, drive volley from the base line. Wouldn’t hit that, but call it.
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Tennease
Legend
Believe me, I even did it when it was raining and we hit with wet heavy balls. The ball that I hit just went to my sparring partner's baseline. I hit a backhand drive volley of a floaty ball. My racquet is that powerful. I remember watching Federer hitting a backhand volley winner from near the baseline, against Blake at Aussie Open (Edit: not sure now if Federer hit backhand volley or forehand volley from near the baseline...). Anyway, with my heavy racquet and loose string tension... drive volleys from the baseline feels very easy.
Simplicius
Semi-Pro
.
First of all, in contrary of those who support the opinion that "is not the racquet, is the technique that count's" (I always wonder how they explain that in the same time / match, with the same opponent, with one racquet you can play perfect and with another racquet you play terrible?) THE HOLY GRAIL EXISTS!
Secondary, it's not allowed to write here, because I'm not over with the racquetholism... But I'm much better now.
In any case, I wasn't a "consuming victim". I just want to play better tennis.
In the past I've test many racquets. Some of them doesn't fit to me from the first hit.
I don't say to "my game", because some racquets guides you to α specific game-style where they perform better...
Many times, I thought I've found the holy grail... Until the next "holy" one.
This long procedure obviously let you realize the pros and the cons of each racquet or each category of racquets if you prefer (based to specs, string patterns, etc) , but also you learn something very crucial for me. You learn that the "problem" it's not you and your mediocre technique (which in any case you can't change it in a moment) but the wrong racquet which you are use at the time.
Now I have a much better knowledge of the racquet specs which they benefit my tennis, so my racquetholism is covered with very few and very targeted purchases...
First of all, in contrary of those who support the opinion that "is not the racquet, is the technique that count's" (I always wonder how they explain that in the same time / match, with the same opponent, with one racquet you can play perfect and with another racquet you play terrible?) THE HOLY GRAIL EXISTS!
Secondary, it's not allowed to write here, because I'm not over with the racquetholism... But I'm much better now.
In any case, I wasn't a "consuming victim". I just want to play better tennis.
In the past I've test many racquets. Some of them doesn't fit to me from the first hit.
I don't say to "my game", because some racquets guides you to α specific game-style where they perform better...
Many times, I thought I've found the holy grail... Until the next "holy" one.
This long procedure obviously let you realize the pros and the cons of each racquet or each category of racquets if you prefer (based to specs, string patterns, etc) , but also you learn something very crucial for me. You learn that the "problem" it's not you and your mediocre technique (which in any case you can't change it in a moment) but the wrong racquet which you are use at the time.
Now I have a much better knowledge of the racquet specs which they benefit my tennis, so my racquetholism is covered with very few and very targeted purchases...
Algo
Hall of Fame
I don't think I have, but I have finally managed to get rid of one factor of uncomfortability: grip size. I am a 4 1/2, not a 4 3/8.
I would not go back and pretend to adjust at least my Rebel Team to 4 1/2 before I get rid of it although I kinda know I'm a 16x19 guy, not an 18x20.
I would not go back and pretend to adjust at least my Rebel Team to 4 1/2 before I get rid of it although I kinda know I'm a 16x19 guy, not an 18x20.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Excellent!!
I've become very comfortable with keeping at least two different racquets in my bag all the time and I've benefitted from this more times than I can count. One is generally ideal for teaching/feeding/doubles and the other is inherently more powerful - fun for baseline slugging. But when I'm having an "off day" and I can perhaps pull out a different rig, it's been a good thing MUCH more often than not.
We're not on the tour competing for our lunch money. The people who are doing that have to win, not necessarily have fun. They can generally optimize their performance by weeding out variables in both their technique and their gear aside from maybe stringing at different tensions. That's a different world than ours.
If we played as much as the pros, we'd probably have fewer variables in our games, too. From day to day we'd hit our shots about the same, but most of us know what it's like to perhaps lose our killer forehand, play like a god one day and then like an idiot then next, etc. It comes and goes - I agree that racquet swaps can make this less tragic for at least some of us.
We're allowed to have fun. Playing well is a part of that. Using different racquets can also be a part of that.
If the confusion kills the fun, stick with one racquet. If you dig the variety, carry on, y'all...
Pete Player
Hall of Fame
I’d defenately have a 12-bag full of goodies, weren’t they so expensive and different tensions with labels on the sticks to know, what’s gonna be today...
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bkfinch
Semi-Pro
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I'm not even sure..haha. Maybe 1988?
MajesticMoose
Hall of Fame
Once you have racquetholism, there is no cure for it.
J
joohan
Guest
Switch your attention to a more expensive hobby. Motorbikes, bicycles, guitars...
Pete Player
Hall of Fame
Where do you get your bargains? I don’t have anybody to faze to get rid of their aged PDTs for nothing...
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Pete Player
Hall of Fame
No, thank You. My son is totally waisted with guitars. Next up is some £2 k semi-acoustic-whatever...
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J
joohan
Guest
There are more expensive guitars...but I hear you.)
