Anyone else had the loan/hire racquet from heaven?

[OrangeOne]

Last night I was playing my regular weekly match against the same mates. One guy I haven't beaten since coming back from injury a few months ago, and last night I came out swinging, serve was working, I won the first couple of games. And then I snapped a string. Luxi XP, with a high-on-the-stringbed mishit first serve. My fault, but currently I'm without a second racquet - for the first time in years.

I thought "damn, there goes a potentially good set". Headed off to the pro shop to pick from their dreaded range of loaner racquets, and it did look grim. And then I spotted a Fin IQ300. I owned a different Fin years ago (apparently they were an aussie / maybe UK specific frame), and it wasn't that good (but at the time I didn't know better). This one was the best of a very bad bunch, so off I went. About 95sq in, and what turned out to be a fairly dead, player-ish frame...

Now - it was strung with the cheapest string imaginable, and had lost more tension than you can imagine, and I was thinking the set was very gone. I played to compensate for the stupid low tension - accentuating some shots, hitting flatter than usual on others, and not going too close to the lines (it's directional control was poor to say the least), but I won the next 4 out of 5 games and thus the set 6-1!!!! I have to say my mate wasn't playing his usual standard, but maybe the heavier, flatter shots were harder / different to handle? Who knows.

Anyways - that's my story with the weird but excellent loan racquet. Anyone else experience the "loaner from heaven"?

 

[newnuse]

For some reason, when I pick up a racket with really old strings.... I'm talking about how many years not months ago it was strung.... they play pretty good.

The feel is pretty good, the ball stays on the strings for a long time. I had this experience with numerous rackets. Most of the rackets I've used with old strings were loaners since I didn't have my tennis bag with me.

 

[anirut]

I haven't had experience with a loan racket but had some good experience with old strings in old rackets. God knows how it worked out so well.

I think this has to do with the combination of racket flex too. I have an old Yamaha YFG30 with strings its age, took it out to play one day and I was "snipering" my partner.

Studies on this subject should be interesting.

 

[Craig Sheppard]

My guess is you were playing more conservatively to make up for an unknown (the racquet)--and in doing so, you played more consistently and accurately. Probably a good lesson for you--if you play at 8/10ths or 9/10ths instead of 100% (or worse, overhitting), you might just win more...

 

[Bolt]

My guess is you were playing more conservatively to make up for an unknown (the racquet)--and in doing so, you played more consistently and accurately. Probably a good lesson for you--if you play at 8/10ths or 9/10ths instead of 100% (or worse, overhitting), you might just win more...

BINGO

 

[emcee]

I just hit with a wood racquet today. It felt really nice and topspin wasn't as hard to generate as I thought. Now I'm really thinking of not using polyester anymore...ugh no feel!

 

[OrangeOne]

My guess is you were playing more conservatively to make up for an unknown (the racquet)--and in doing so, you played more consistently and accurately. Probably a good lesson for you--if you play at 8/10ths or 9/10ths instead of 100% (or worse, overhitting), you might just win more...

Well, I've actually spent a chunk of the last 6 months working exactly on consistency, so I am on that wavelength. That said, I'm not discounting your point, it's a valid one because I was indeed forced to focus on that even more.

That said, the ridiculously low tension was so different to play with (to running Luxilon at 60!) that by all rights I should have played quite badly, not quite well!