A Racket to help my serve?

[CB2]

I've recently taken up Tennis and not knowing much about equipment went out and bought a few 2nd hand rackets off various websites. My first was an oldish Yonex Super RD Tour 95, which I like for it's control on ground shots but find my serve suffers. Before I carry on, I'll explain that the main court I play on is a grass one. My game, so to speak as I'm only just getting going, is that I have a very fast arm (I play a lot of cricket in the UK), but I'm not very strong. I find I can serve quickly with a light racket which is head heavy but lose loads of MPH when I use my Yonex Super RD, which I like so much around the court. Maybe it's a weight thing or a swingweight thing? The Yonex Super Rd is about 326 SW and weighs 12oz . I tried a cheap RQ-Ti Power, I think the swingweight is 309 and it weighs 10.2 – this helped my serve but I found it a little light and I lost the control I love so much. I have a short fast punchy swing for ground strokes and a fast flat serve down the centre line is the main part of my all too barren armoury. Something in between the 2 rackets, with a weight of around 11.5 and a swingweight of 315 might be the answer but I might be totally up the wrong street here. Maybe it might be as simple as putting some lead tape on my RQ-TI? But I have no clue where to put it to give me more control and a bit more weight to the thing. I've been reading this great forum for ideas and have finally decided to post this up.

I'm now looking at getting another racket, which will help my fast flat serve but not lose control and was searching for ideas. I don't have loads to spend, about $100 or possibly a bit more, so might have to go 2nd hand, and have been considering various things but have no real clue myself. Here are some ideas of mine: the Maxply Mcenroe, the 300g and the Head Intelligence OS i radical , maybe even an older radical 2nd hand, or Volkl Tour 6 Generation II or the Tour 7 , Yonex MP Tour-5, Slazenger Pro X1 or even the Yonex MP Tour-1 , which might be too much like my Super RD Tour 95.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope I don't come over as too clueless! Are there any other rackets, in my price range, which may fit the bill or what about the ones I'm considering?

 

[Kevo]

If you like ground strokes with the Super RD tour, then my advice would be to learn to serve well with it. That will help you more in the long run. While you're learning and at lower levels the most important thing is to consistently get the serve in the box. Learn how to do that, and then add in some placement. Once you get that down, you can start to build up some speed. I play at the 4.0 level here in the US and while I can serve very hard, I find that spin and placement are often more effective. Make sure you take a lesson on how to serve, or find someone you know that is good enough to instruct you. Technique is key to a good serve and if you can handle the Super RD Tour on ground strokes you will eventually be able to handle it on serves as well. It takes time and practice.

 

[thejuice]

Welcome to one of the sports of a lifetime (the other being golf).

I have a couple of suggestions for you:

of the sticks you mentioned--Dunlop 300M-fil and Maxply McEnroe.

others--

Technifibre 315
Pro Kennex Core 1 #6
Head Liquidmetal Radical MP
Fischer M-Speed 105 (would be my first choice for you)
Wilson nBlade (does not swing heavy like the SW suggests)
Prince Hybrid Hornet MP

Now most of these sticks are over $100 brand new but can be had for a little less if you got them used.

 

[CB2]

Thanks for the info, I will take a look at these rackets. Kevo, I'm not sure what it is with my serving and the RD Tour. I hit a few serves to mates with that and they don't seem to take any notice but then I get out a couple of more powerful rackets and the things sails by them. They don't think it's the same person serving and accuse me of hustling them before. However, when we start a match, I go back to The RD Tour as I have problems keeping the ball in the court with the RQ-Ti Power. I hate not being able to use my major weapon in matches.

I think it's a shoulder thing and something to do with fast twitch muscles enabling me to generate speed with a lighter racket but then I struggle with the more cumbersome RD Tour.

I've even tried using the RQ-TI Power for service games and switching to the RD Tour for returning but obviously that's no long term solution.

I can't see me ever being able to make the most of my potential in serving, whilst using the RD Tour. So a change of racket might be best.

 

[CB2]

The Head Liquidmetal Radical and the Fischer M Speed Pro Number One Racquets, which thejuice kindly mentioned, seem to cover a lot of the bases on the TTW site but we get ripped off in the UK over prices, and often have to pay in £ what you pay in $. I can get the 300g 98 at quite a good price but would the OS be a better bet for me?

 

[ta11geese3]

Are you sure it's not a technique problem? The way you put it sounds like you're muscling the ball. If you use the heavier racquet's weight to drive through the ball, things will become much easier...

 

[Kevo]

I can't see me ever being able to make the most of my potential in serving, whilst using the RD Tour. So a change of racket might be best.

Not with an attitude like that! ;-)

 

[Bobcat07]

The NPro Surge serves great and is pretty close to the specs you posted.

 

[Viper]

Even though golf really isn't a sport if you can eat sandwiches and just drive to the next place you have to be.


Although many say it doesn't help them, my serves have never been better than with the POG I demoed.

 

[CB2]

Could anyone suggest where I might choose to put some tape on my RQ-TI racket to give me a bit more weight and a bit more control whilst still keeping the pop on the serve?

 

[BaseLineBash]

A head-light wide-body with plenty of string bed with weight in the upper 11's, that my friend should do it, if you're doing your part.

 

[CB2]

I'll give it a go. For once the weather is fine in the UK so I'll try that out and report back.