90 square inch too small for modern game?

Unless you're on the pro tour, none of the opponents you play against play "modern tennis" and none are as good as the pros that Sampras, Federer, Edberg, Courier, etc. were beating with their PS 85's.
Btw, all of these have moved on to bigger rackets, allthough I do believe they are still superior to you.
 

rb120134

New User
90 square inch

Okay,
So basically once I get better at tennis and I have to play against better guys and the game becomes faster, the 90 will be a downside more and more? But how did all these guys like courier and edberg win so many matches with their pro staff 85, where they all super talented or something?
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
honey, the cost of living has nothing to do with weather, and the texan economy is not in shambles like california, we are self sufficient and have more jobs.

and as far as heat in the summer, its great for training, if you think california can create players with the same level of heat tolerance and endurance youre sadly mistaken
Wow, that just shows how out of touch you are. People are willing to pay millions for a house to live in CA because of the perfect year-round weather - they'd much rather live in comfort than live in misery - it's worth paying 10 times more to live in that comfort.

Let me ask you this, could you survive the TX summers if air conditioning was never invented? I've never used air conditioning the whole time I've lived in CA. We have natural A/C. Even when it's sunny all day, the air is still cool due to the Pacific Ocean and it cools down to 50-60 degrees at night even in the summer so you can sleep soundly and there's almost no humidity, unlike the sweltering heat in TX.

And "the economy in CA in shambles?" Are you serious? Have you seen what's going on in Silicon Valley? People from all over the world moving here due to the hundreds of thousands of new jobs being created. Traffic has gotten horrendous and rents have more than doubled. Are those the signs of an "economy in shambles"?

in texas there arent any mosquitos except where its humid or where there is standing water, and i doubt you havent seen mosquitos, theyre not boycotting california i promise you that
Um...where in TX is it not humid? :confused:

I have never seen nor ever been bitten by a mosquito in the almost two decades I have lived in CA. When I used to live in other parts of the country, it was mosquito-city everywhere, especially during the summers, along with all kinds of other bugs.
 
If topspin is modern game, then sure 90 is perfect. At least K90 is for me. From another thread:

Hmm, the way how racquets play is really strange at times. I said earlier that I liked how K90 felt when I picked it after a looong while. Now I played with fresh Technifibre s.gut 15L on it, and believe it or not, I hit tons more topspin with it than IG Extreme Pro, with any string setups I've used. Actually, I've ripped the leather grip away from it and use a lighter synthetic grip, with no overgrip. That setup on K90 swings ridiculously easy, and syngut also volleys and slices amazingly.

I just don't get it: How is it possible that I hit more topspin with 90sq.in 16x19 than with 100sq.in 16x19? Shouldn't that small head be rather suited for flat hitting than for topspin? And strange enough, K90 also feels by far the easiest to use of all my racquets. Ain't that strange? I'm a mere 3.0-3.5. Shouldn't you be like 5.0+ to be able to use a racquet like K90??
 

meltedsteam

Semi-Pro
in texas there arent any mosquitos except where its humid or where there is standing water, and i doubt you havent seen mosquitos, theyre not boycotting california i promise you that

OK so with the Texas banter:
I grew up in Dallas playing in 110 degree weather in the summer:
The heat does make you battle hardened, never had a heat stroke, because I brought plenty of water. People stay indoors a lot during the summer, and that made a lot of them easier to beat on the court during the swelter. Mosquitos are bad in D/FW at dusk its feeding season. You referred to newks ranch in a couple of posts; I have been there several times, its the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch where there are beautiful grass courts. John Newcombe won 6 grand slams, so yeah there are players in Texas (who used <90 si racquets). I used to S&V on 90% of points and I went from a HPS 6.1 95 to a KPS 88 to a VCT 89 and found them completely viable for the 4.5 level I played at down there.
Now my work has brought me to Metro Detroit Michigan where all of the freshwater that both Texas and Cali will need in the next decade will be. I'll see you guys when you get here.
 
It's not all about making heavy topspin, it is also about defending against heavy topspin. A larger racquet makes this easier as well.

If the opponent hits a huge topspin shot, then slice it back. Slicing means that you don't have to counter attack the opponent's spin. When you hit topspin yourself, you always reverse the spinning direction of the ball, but with the slice you can actually use the topspin of the incoming ball to your advantage, in generating a heavily underspinning slice.

Then that slice potentially draws a weaker ball from the opponent, and then you can attack that ball more easily with a topspin of your own. This I can admit, that a 90 forces you to use slice more often than a bigger racquet. But if your slice is great then that's not a problem.
 

LapsedNoob

Professional
If the opponent hits a huge topspin shot, then slice it back. Slicing means that you don't have to counter attack the opponent's spin. When you hit topspin yourself, you always reverse the spinning direction of the ball, but with the slice you can actually use the topspin of the incoming ball to your advantage, in generating a heavily underspinning slice.

Then that slice potentially draws a weaker ball from the opponent, and then you can attack that ball more easily with a topspin of your own. This I can admit, that a 90 forces you to use slice more often than a bigger racquet. But if your slice is great then that's not a problem.

Thanks for the advice. If you've read things I've posted se where you already know I am quite the slicer already, but thanks.

In general it is still easier with a larger racquet, whatever who one chooses to defend with.
 

Ihatetennis

Hall of Fame
Wow, that just shows how out of touch you are. People are willing to pay millions for a house to live in CA because of the perfect year-round weather - they'd much rather live in comfort than live in misery - it's worth paying 10 times more to live in that comfort.

Let me ask you this, could you survive the TX summers if air conditioning was never invented? I've never used air conditioning the whole time I've lived in CA. We have natural A/C. Even when it's sunny all day, the air is still cool due to the Pacific Ocean and it cools down to 50-60 degrees at night even in the summer so you can sleep soundly and there's almost no humidity, unlike the sweltering heat in TX.

And "the economy in CA in shambles?" Are you serious? Have you seen what's going on in Silicon Valley? People from all over the world moving here due to the hundreds of thousands of new jobs being created. Traffic has gotten horrendous and rents have more than doubled. Are those the signs of an "economy in shambles"?


Um...where in TX is it not humid? :confused:

I have never seen nor ever been bitten by a mosquito in the almost two decades I have lived in CA. When I used to live in other parts of the country, it was mosquito-city everywhere, especially during the summers, along with all kinds of other bugs.


California is a welfare state... your school system is even more of a joke than half of the pot smoking population

as to where is it not humid... basically all of texas except the coast, we are constantly on drought warning for a reason. and this is the rainiest year in over a decade.

texas has cheaper quality of living, 1 dollar in texas goes above and beyond while in california it seems to underachieve to the extreme

texas has fewer taxes with higher incomes

besides austin is the music capitol of the world and theres much more to do in austin than many places

not that its something to brag about at the moment because of our disastrous performance this year, we have the spurs with the best coach ever


and the top reason for texas topping california.... whataburger
 

Ihatetennis

Hall of Fame
OK so with the Texas banter:
I grew up in Dallas playing in 110 degree weather in the summer:
The heat does make you battle hardened, never had a heat stroke, because I brought plenty of water. People stay indoors a lot during the summer, and that made a lot of them easier to beat on the court during the swelter. Mosquitos are bad in D/FW at dusk its feeding season. You referred to newks ranch in a couple of posts; I have been there several times, its the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch where there are beautiful grass courts. John Newcombe won 6 grand slams, so yeah there are players in Texas (who used <90 si racquets). I used to S&V on 90% of points and I went from a HPS 6.1 95 to a KPS 88 to a VCT 89 and found them completely viable for the 4.5 level I played at down there.
Now my work has brought me to Metro Detroit Michigan where all of the freshwater that both Texas and Cali will need in the next decade will be. I'll see you guys when you get here.

newks got rid of the grass :(

i only play the major zones in dallas, but dallas is also a totally different climate from san antonio, yall actually get snow

john newcombe actually endorses the pure drive and aero pro drive... he says its the best racquet he's ever picked up
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
California is a welfare state... your school system is even more of a joke than half of the pot smoking population

as to where is it not humid... basically all of texas except the coast, we are constantly on drought warning for a reason. and this is the rainiest year in over a decade.

texas has cheaper quality of living, 1 dollar in texas goes above and beyond while in california it seems to underachieve to the extreme

texas has fewer taxes with higher incomes

besides austin is the music capitol of the world and theres much more to do in austin than many places

not that its something to brag about at the moment because of our disastrous performance this year, we have the spurs with the best coach ever


and the top reason for texas topping california.... whataburger
If TX was so great, how come a 70 year-old, 900 sq. ft. 2BR/1BA house doesn't cost $2 million, like it does in CA? There would be so much demand to live in TX that the houses would cost just as much as they do in CA.

Tell people who live in Houston that it's never humid. LOL

TX has "higher incomes"? Are you serious? Good software engineers here routinely get paid $250-500K and that's not including the stock options they also get that can be worth tens of millions. TX can't come anywhere close to that.

I guess you've never heard of In-N-Out burgers.
 

meltedsteam

Semi-Pro
If TX was so great, how come a 70 year-old, 900 sq. ft. 2BR/1BA house doesn't cost $2 million, like it does in CA? There would be so much demand to live in TX that the houses would cost just as much as they do in CA.

Tell people who live in Houston that it's never humid. LOL

TX has "higher incomes"? Are you serious? Good software engineers here routinely get paid $250-500K and that's not including the stock options they also get that can be worth tens of millions. TX can't come anywhere close to that.

I guess you've never heard of In-N-Out burgers.
Dallas is very humid. Texas and California have two of the largest economies in the world with a range of income levels. Wataburger tastes better that In-N-Out.
 

LapsedNoob

Professional
California is a welfare state...

besides austin is the music capitol of the world and theres much more to do in austin than many places

So +1 for California for keeping up with the rest of the civilized world.

And Austin is a little pocket of California tucked into Texas.
 

hoodjem

G.O.A.T.
If TX was so great, how come a 70 year-old, 900 sq. ft. 2BR/1BA house doesn't cost $2 million, like it does in CA? There would be so much demand to live in TX that the houses would cost just as much as they do in CA.

Tell people who live in Houston that it's never humid. LOL

TX has "higher incomes"? Are you serious? Good software engineers here routinely get paid $250-500K and that's not including the stock options they also get that can be worth tens of millions. TX can't come anywhere close to that.

I guess you've never heard of In-N-Out burgers.
Texas is too liberal for the rest of us.

Texas--where the right to bring a gun to church is guaranteed.
 

harryz

Professional
Quality of life

If TX was so great, how come a 70 year-old, 900 sq. ft. 2BR/1BA house doesn't cost $2 million, like it does in CA? There would be so much demand to live in TX that the houses would cost just as much as they do in CA.

Tell people who live in Houston that it's never humid. LOL

TX has "higher incomes"? Are you serious? Good software engineers here routinely get paid $250-500K and that's not including the stock options they also get that can be worth tens of millions. TX can't come anywhere close to that.

I guess you've never heard of In-N-Out burgers.

So the quality of a place and the desirability of living there has to do with the cost of housing and income potential? Here in Oregon, we have extraordinary natural beauty, a mild climate (marked by more rain than many care for) and even some cultural variety. Quality of life is higher than anywhere else I have lived or visited in the states, including CA. For me, the money culture of the Bay Area is repulsive. You can have it.

Harry
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
So the quality of a place and the desirability of living there has to do with the cost of housing and income potential? Here in Oregon, we have extraordinary natural beauty, a mild climate (marked by more rain than many care for) and even some cultural variety. Quality of life is higher than anywhere else I have lived or visited in the states, including CA. For me, the money culture of the Bay Area is repulsive. You can have it.

Harry
No, it's the other way around. The cost of housing is driven by demand. That's why the same house can differ so much in price depending on if it's located in a high demand area or a low demand area. And one big reason for the high demand in CA is because of the perfect year-round weather.

For me, weather is a very big contributor to quality of life because it affects your life every day. Life is so much more enjoyable and comfortable when it's nice and sunny almost every single day. I've lived in other parts of the country and the world and nothing beats CA. You only live once and I'd rather not waste it living in miserable weather. :)
 

harryz

Professional
Count me out

No, it's the other way around. The cost of housing is driven by demand. That's why the same house can differ so much in price depending on if it's located in a high demand area or a low demand area. And one big reason for the high demand in CA is because of the perfect year-round weather.

For me, weather is a very big contributor to quality of life because it affects your life every day. Life is so much more enjoyable and comfortable when it's nice and sunny almost every single day. I've lived in other parts of the country and the world and nothing beats CA. You only live once and I'd rather not waste it living in miserable weather. :)

One man's meat, as the saying goes, is another's poison. Not everyone wants to live in California, and believe it or not the weather is not perfect. Not nearly enough seasonal variety for me and plenty of others. And then there is smog, traffic and the obscene cost of living in much of the state. And plenty of beauty, too, to be sure. Not a trade off I would take, though.

The salient point that you miss, however,is that you reduced the argument to the all mighty dollar. Jus because there are some who will pay ludicrous sums for small homes in a place and salaries are high does not mean that quality of life is inherently better than another place or that it is somehow better to live there for everyone. The prices reflects demand. Is that about weather? A factor for many, certainly, but there are other factors at play. Not everyone wants to live in Manhattan despite high salary potential, high housing costs and great cultural variety. Why? The quality of life doesn't suit most of us. Same for California. No need to objectify and universalize your experience. Housing prices in Oregon are going through the roof and the population of Portland is growing faster than virtually any other city. Salaries are not keeping pace. And yet people want to live here. Especially young folks. Why? Quality of life. Less traffic, comparatively, and less rat race methinks:)
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
One man's meat, as the saying goes, is another's poison. Not everyone wants to live in California, and believe it or not the weather is not perfect. Not nearly enough seasonal variety for me and plenty of others. And then there is smog, traffic and the obscene cost of living in much of the state. And plenty of beauty, too, to be sure. Not a trade off I would take, though.

The salient point that you miss, however,is that you reduced the argument to the all mighty dollar. Jus because there are some who will pay ludicrous sums for small homes in a place and salaries are high does not mean that quality of life is inherently better than another place or that it is somehow better to live there for everyone. The prices reflects demand. Is that about weather? A factor for many, certainly, but there are other factors at play. Not everyone wants to live in Manhattan despite high salary potential, high housing costs and great cultural variety. Why? The quality of life doesn't suit most of us. Same for California. No need to objectify and universalize your experience. Housing prices in Oregon are going through the roof and the population of Portland is growing faster than virtually any other city. Salaries are not keeping pace. And yet people want to live here. Especially young folks. Why? Quality of life. Less traffic, comparatively, and less rat race methinks:)
But there is very high demand to live in Manhattan that has nothing to do with the salaries. Many consider Manhattan to have the highest quality of life of anywhere in the world, which is why so many want to live there and hence the high real estate prices. Many who live in Manhattan consider it the center of the world and would never consider living anywhere else. In fact, they consider the rest of the country to be unclivilized no man's land. I lived in Manhattan for many years, but I like the CA weather much better. :) BTW, there's not much smog in the Bay Area due to the airflow coming off of the Pacific Ocean.

I don't need seasonal variety. Had enough of that growing up in the Northeast. I'm fine with not having to deal with snow and rarely rain in my life. If I took the nicest day of the year in NY, well, that's like EVERY day in CA. Can't beat it. :)

It comes down to how one defines "quality of life". I think "quality of life" means different things to different people. That's why some consider NYC to have the highest quality of life, while others consider CA to have the highest quality of life, and you consider Portland to have the highest quality of life. BTW, let me know when the housing prices in Portland approach those in San Francisco. And this is despite the high taxes, highest gas prices, high cost of living, poor public schools, bad traffic, and lack of water in CA. Not to mention the earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides. Many people still think the weather is worth it, thus, the high housing prices.
 

Ihatetennis

Hall of Fame
In lakeway spanish oaks neighborhood (where austin tennis academy is) you can buy a beautiful 12000 sq ft home overlooking the lake for between 2 and 4 million, some get up higher but thats a pretty standard price

and breakpoint are you proud of the welfare state?

if california and texas were to become their own countries, texas would thrive way more than california. i know many people who moved from california to texas because of the outrageous cost of living.

by the way austin is where whole foods is from, and is in no way a little pocket of california. yes its a little liberal, but it has been how it is far longer than california has

there is one thing you dont have in california, you dont have stubbs barbecue.

many bands play there with general admissions tickets that cost 15-25$

bands with top songs, bands like walk the moon and panic at the disco

not to mention austin city limits which is ten times better than any other music festival other than the i heart radio one
 

Praetorian

Professional
Dallas is very humid. Texas and California have two of the largest economies in the world with a range of income levels. Wataburger tastes better that In-N-Out.

QFT. The only people who rave about In-N-Out, are Californians, and many of them refuse to try Whataburger. I get it, we all like we like, but at least keep and open mind, and try new things out before condemning it. FWIW I'm not native to either CA or TX, and had both, and prefer Whataburger.
 

Sardines

Hall of Fame
Okay,
So basically once I get better at tennis and I have to play against better guys and the game becomes faster, the 90 will be a downside more and more? But how did all these guys like courier and edberg win so many matches with their pro staff 85, where they all super talented or something?
Of course they were super talented. You don't get to No.1 and win so many matches just because you have a big racquet. However, for them, the game was fast and powerful and a flatter ball wa
Agassi used his oversized heads to hit on the rise with power and topspin, but he apparently initially didn't like polys because of the feel. Chang's oversized frame allowed him to absorb some of the power of the big hitters and hang with them with the added pace from the racquet.
A wider head creates more top spin by virtue of being lighter (faster swing speed) and also the added angle one can swing on the ball while having the same surface area as a smaller head racquet.
When polys came into play in the 90s, combined with the move toward slower courts/balls, the topspin modern game grew. Kuerten was the first big player to use them... and everyone else followed.
I'm not sure what level you play at but generally the idea is about finding a racquet that allows you to play your game to maximum efficiency.
You've stated you felt pushed around, as in the opponent with the big powerful racquets hit heavier spin balls forcing you to shorten your swing,and hit short/defensively etc. Having a bigger head will allow you to hit the ball with a bit more pace. It doesn't absolve the need for proper mechanics and foot work, but the little bit of extra pace and ease of use will give you a bit of a break in returning heavy shots.
You will have to adjust to a new racquet but when I went from a K90 to the 6.1 95 specced to the same balance and weight, I had just of a month of adjustment for timing issues with the added mass. Funnily enough I had more issues adjusting to the RF97 mass than I anticipated.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
Fwiw. I just bought a 110". Pretty sure I will lack control

This one is special though in that it's 15pts hh and light do I can add 70g and still have it be 80g or so less than my 6.1. I'll have to string tight but it will be a fun test.
 
Why is it so much just about the racquet head size? Isn't it about the size of the sweetspot, and the response it offers? A properly engineered 90 or 93 sqin which plays "like" a bigger racquet, and more maneuverable, could be better than a sluggish 95 or 98 sqin racquet with a smaller sweet spot, right?
Or, is the assumption here that a bigger racquet head will always have a bigger sweetspot?
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
In lakeway spanish oaks neighborhood (where austin tennis academy is) you can buy a beautiful 12000 sq ft home overlooking the lake for between 2 and 4 million, some get up higher but thats a pretty standard price

and breakpoint are you proud of the welfare state?

if california and texas were to become their own countries, texas would thrive way more than california. i know many people who moved from california to texas because of the outrageous cost of living.

by the way austin is where whole foods is from, and is in no way a little pocket of california. yes its a little liberal, but it has been how it is far longer than california has

there is one thing you dont have in california, you dont have stubbs barbecue.

many bands play there with general admissions tickets that cost 15-25$

bands with top songs, bands like walk the moon and panic at the disco

not to mention austin city limits which is ten times better than any other music festival other than the i heart radio one
In the Palo Alto, Pacific Heights, Hillsborough, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino, etc. neighborhoods you can buy an old, run down 900 sq ft shack overlooking a wall for between $2 and $4 million, some get up higher but that's a pretty standard price. :shock:

And this is despite the high taxes, highest gas prices, high cost of living, poor public schools, bad traffic, and lack of water in CA. Not to mention the earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides.

Why? It's the WEATHER!

I don't care about the BBQ, the music, the burgers, the bands, etc. I care about the weather. Because that directly affects how much tennis I can play outdoors every day of the year. :)
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
QFT. The only people who rave about In-N-Out, are Californians, and many of them refuse to try Whataburger. I get it, we all like we like, but at least keep and open mind, and try new things out before condemning it. FWIW I'm not native to either CA or TX, and had both, and prefer Whataburger.
How does Whataburger compare to Smashburger, Five Guys, The Habit, The Counter, Fatburger, Red Robin, etc.?
 

ARKustom93

Professional
Why is it so much just about the racquet head size? Isn't it about the size of the sweetspot, and the response it offers? A properly engineered 90 or 93 sqin which plays "like" a bigger racquet, and more maneuverable, could be better than a sluggish 95 or 98 sqin racquet with a smaller sweet spot, right?
Or, is the assumption here that a bigger racquet head will always have a bigger sweetspot?

Not an assumption, just a physics-based fact.
 

hyperion99

Semi-Pro
It seems we are a bit off topic here.
Does Gael Monfils use a 93 square inch racket (I believe I saw that in another post on Talk Tennis)?
To the best of my memory Gael and Robin Haase use Mid size rackets.

IMO if you can play your best tennis with a small head-size wooden racket or with a Big Bubba (or anything in between) then go for it .
That is the wonderful thing of free will.
Everyone is different.
Soooooo many rackets to choose from and so many setups it's crazy.
Just go with whatever feels good.
Again,that is my opinion and I could be wrong ;)
 
Why I use a 90

I've used very size racket up to 110 ( was a big fan of the pog and rad os), everything from old school players rackets to pure drives and such. I can play a pretty reasonable game with any of them. But some I enjoy playing with, and with some, it just feels like a job.

I play great with a pure drive, and, if I were on the pro tour, it's probably what I'd have to play with, because I can win with it. But the truth of it is, the feeling of hitting the ball with it is a bit like kissing through a screen door.

And at 58, there's very little chance I'm going on the tour, so I play with a racket that I enjoy the sensation of hitting the ball with, the old school prestige mid, which, for me, produces a lovely feeling of the racket just folding around the ball and crushing it to its target. Oh, and I happen to play just as well with it as anything else, assuming I'm watching the ball that day;)

It's hard to describe, it's a bit like trying to tell someone about the sensation of eating potato chips to someone who never has: that lovely crisp sensation of a properly weighted set of graphite and strings crashing into a tennis ball. I find it to be the most important reason to play tennis, to just enjoy the sensation of hitting the ball. And for me, my 90 does that the best.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
In the Palo Alto, Pacific Heights, Hillsborough, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino, etc. neighborhoods you can buy an old, run down 900 sq ft shack overlooking a wall for between $2 and $4 million, some get up higher but that's a pretty standard price. :shock:

And this is despite the high taxes, highest gas prices, high cost of living, poor public schools, bad traffic, and lack of water in CA. Not to mention the earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides.

Why? It's the WEATHER!

I don't care about the BBQ, the music, the burgers, the bands, etc. I care about the weather. Because that directly affects how much tennis I can play outdoors every day of the year. :)

Its the weather for me and the walk score too. Something so freeing to not have to actually CHECK the weather. In every other part of the country it seems that people are glued to the weather report.

Heck I dont even watch tv or listen to the radio these days.....

But IN and OUT burger sucks. Whataburger is much better.

I also like the diversity of people. you dont get that in most of the country...
 

skraggle

Professional
Its the weather for me and the walk score too. Something so freeing to not have to actually CHECK the weather. In every other part of the country it seems that people are glued to the weather report.

Heck I dont even watch tv or listen to the radio these days.....

But IN and OUT burger sucks. Whataburger is much better.

I also like the diversity of people. you dont get that in most of the country...

Agree with everything except your blasphemous condemnation of In 'n Out and baseless glorification of the Carl's Jr.-like Whataburger...suggest you open a window when using copious amounts of airplane glue.
 

hoodjem

G.O.A.T.
In the Palo Alto, Pacific Heights, Hillsborough, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Cupertino, etc. neighborhoods you can buy an old, run down 900 sq ft shack overlooking a wall for between $2 and $4 million, some get up higher but that's a pretty standard price. :shock:

And this is despite the high taxes, highest gas prices, high cost of living, poor public schools, bad traffic, and lack of water in CA. Not to mention the earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides.

Why? It's the WEATHER!

I don't care about the BBQ, the music, the burgers, the bands, etc. I care about the weather. Because that directly affects how much tennis I can play outdoors every day of the year. :)
Yes, California does have absurdly high real estate values, but this is overly simplistic. One cannot distill all the factors of economic demand into a single one.

But, off topic.
 

LapsedNoob

Professional
No doubt smaller frames are nicer to hit with. Rawer, more precise more feedback and feel.

Just as there are better and worse larger frames there are and have been better and worse smaller frames. I used a non descript PK wide body mid for a bit not knowing any better. It was not a good racquet.
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
Yes, California does have absurdly high real estate values, but this is overly simplistic. One cannot distill all the factors of economic demand into a single one.

But, off topic.
I think that depends on if you want to play tennis every day. :)
 

Sardines

Hall of Fame
The point is you don't have to be on the tour to appreciate modern larger head racquets. Obviously it's a personal thing. The OP is asking what the advantages of a bigger head, more modern racquet are for a competition player.
It's fantasic you enjoy your PS90. I sometimes miss it too for certain shots. But I also like the fact that now I can hit bigger off shots that used to give me trouble because I was a bit late etc because my opponent hit a 80mph forehand. Or hit overhead lobs with great spin, something would've been much harder to do with a PS90. My take on it is that the bigger head, more forgiving and powerful racquet is a paint brush that allows me to paint in more ways I want to more often, vs it being the limitation of expression of my art.
As for talent, Rafa's stats say he hits 47% of his backhands and 30% of his forehands outside the center of his 100 sq in racquet (if the stats are accurate):

20150526_RAFA_BVS_IMPACT%20LOCATOR.jpg


That's the current 9 time French Open champion. I think it's pretty obvious that where all of us are in comparison.

But as you say, it's a personal choice but that's what the original question was about, what are the advantages of a bigger racquet head?

I've used very size racket up to 110 ( was a big fan of the pog and rad os), everything from old school players rackets to pure drives and such. I can play a pretty reasonable game with any of them. But some I enjoy playing with, and with some, it just feels like a job.

I play great with a pure drive, and, if I were on the pro tour, it's probably what I'd have to play with, because I can win with it. But the truth of it is, the feeling of hitting the ball with it is a bit like kissing through a screen door.

And at 58, there's very little chance I'm going on the tour, so I play with a racket that I enjoy the sensation of hitting the ball with, the old school prestige mid, which, for me, produces a lovely feeling of the racket just folding around the ball and crushing it to its target. Oh, and I happen to play just as well with it as anything else, assuming I'm watching the ball that day;)

It's hard to describe, it's a bit like trying to tell someone about the sensation of eating potato chips to someone who never has: that lovely crisp sensation of a properly weighted set of graphite and strings crashing into a tennis ball. I find it to be the most important reason to play tennis, to just enjoy the sensation of hitting the ball. And for me, my 90 does that the best.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Why is it so much just about the racquet head size? Isn't it about the size of the sweetspot, and the response it offers? A properly engineered 90 or 93 sqin which plays "like" a bigger racquet, and more maneuverable, could be better than a sluggish 95 or 98 sqin racquet with a smaller sweet spot, right?
Or, is the assumption here that a bigger racquet head will always have a bigger sweetspot?

Usually yes. The string area is larger, and that leads to more amplitude of vibration.

See:

https://www.math.hmc.edu/~ajb/PCMI/lecture14.pdf

For a circular elastic membrane with radius a struck at the center, the displacement at a radial distance r is proportional to a weighted sum of Bessel functions of zeroth order. The argument of these functions is proportional to r/a, and at r = a, there is a zero (the fixed boundary). From r = 0 to r = a, the zeroth order Bessel function decreases with increasing r/a, meaning that for a fixed r, if the radius a is more (larger head size), the amplitude of vibration is larger.
 

Shroud

Talk Tennis Guru
Played with a 110" today. Normally I cant control them but today the one was special. Strung crazy tight I get those who talk about how effortless the larger frames can be.

It really felt like cheating....
 

rb120134

New User
But basically,
on the internet I red alot about the pro staff 90
being a racket for advanced players and you need
good to nearly perfect technique to use it well, but once
you have te skills to use it, you might as well use a bigger head
because tennis is so fast on high levels the 90 is a disadvantage.
So the 90 basically is useless?
 

Sardines

Hall of Fame
But basically,
on the internet I red alot about the pro staff 90
being a racket for advanced players and you need
good to nearly perfect technique to use it well, but once
you have te skills to use it, you might as well use a bigger head
because tennis is so fast on high levels the 90 is a disadvantage.
So the 90 basically is useless?

You have both racquets now right? So what is the difference to you? What do you think you need to improve your game?
If you are looking for a definitive answer, then you have to figure it out yourself, because, as you can see from the responses, everyone has different needs.
 

Hnefi

Semi-Pro
Usually yes. The string area is larger, and that leads to more amplitude of vibration.

See:

https://www.math.hmc.edu/~ajb/PCMI/lecture14.pdf

For a circular elastic membrane with radius a struck at the center, the displacement at a radial distance r is proportional to a weighted sum of Bessel functions of zeroth order. The argument of these functions is proportional to r/a, and at r = a, there is a zero (the fixed boundary). From r = 0 to r = a, the zeroth order Bessel function decreases with increasing r/a, meaning that for a fixed r, if the radius a is more (larger head size), the amplitude of vibration is larger.
As a graduate student, I give you +10 for epic mathematics trolling.
 

Xfimpg

Professional
Has anyone defined "modern game"? I didn't see that posted anywhere...

And at what level does it start? 1.0? 6.0?

I'm a past 6.0 that is picking up the stick again after 15 years and I have no issue playing with a PS85 (no tournaments, just banging time) and kicking some a** at the same time.
 

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Has anyone defined "modern game"? I didn't see that posted anywhere...

And at what level does it start? 1.0? 6.0?

I'm a past 6.0 that is picking up the stick again after 15 years and I have no issue playing with a PS85 (no tournaments, just banging time) and kicking some a** at the same time.

That's a question I was going to ask, what defines the 'modern game'? I see the pros hitting from the baseline, playing cute angles, drop shots and coming to the net. To me that sounds like an all round game, rather than one just based on power and powerful racquets.

I have several racquets I chop and change between but I've been using my 90 for the past few weeks and have played some of my best tennis.

I feel there's an honesty about playing with a 90. If I don't play the shot right then it doesn't bail me out, but then again I don't want it to. But when I get the shots right and my feet right it feels great. It sounds strange to say, but it actually makes me feel like I'm a better player than I actually am.

Most of the people I play against are APD and PD users, with a smattering of oversize Prince users, and not one has questioned the headsize of my racquet. Which brings me to believe that if you can play your most consistent and best tennis with a particular racquet, the specs are totally irrelevant.
 
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