Arm friendly racquet advice

Blask

Blask

Semi-Pro
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
 
I don't use an arm friendly racquet but I found out that there are arm friendly strings :D When I used PHT 18 gauge I got arm pain but then when I switched to Lux it disappeared
 
You need to demo the ProKennex Ki5 before you lock yourself into the specs you described. ProKennex is the only racquet company with the technology to cure and prevent tennis elbow. Just read the reviews...
 
Yonex RDS 002 Tour.
Previously I played with PK Redondo MP, but I found the 002 Tour more arm friendly for my elbow despite the listed flex.
Also using softer string helps a lot.
 
BigHitterSE said:
You need to demo the ProKennex Ki5 before you lock yourself into the specs you described. ProKennex is the only racquet company with the technology to cure and prevent tennis elbow. Just read the reviews...
Click to expand...

+1 ... so many positive comments to ignore it, at least demo them.
 
I am going to look at the Ki5 but I have never been able to play with a dense string pattern. Even the change from 16x18 to 16x19 has been a tough switch.
 
Marcob said:
Yonex RDS 002 Tour.
Previously I played with PK Redondo MP, but I found the 002 Tour more arm friendly for my elbow despite the listed flex.
Also using softer string helps a lot.
Click to expand...

+1

It has a generous sweetspot and is an "old school" player's frame. I have mine with soft multifilament strings at the lower end of the tension range. It's not as arm-friendly as my Ki 5 but I really don't like that racquet - it's just to get me back into the game until I can step back into the Yonex, or heck... maybe even a Dunlop frame.
 
My advice would be to look at your string set-up first before you give up on the Prostaff's.

What have you got at the moment? Keep away from Poly's, go for natural gut or a high quality multi-filament. There are many strings out there that are good for your arm.

Or choose a more flexible frame perhaps. As previous posts have eluded to, look at Pro-Kennex.

I used to get TE, then (for the first time) I measured my grip size. Turned out I am actually a grip 5, not a 3. The TE disappeared quickly after I started using the correct grip size.
 
I totally agree with the prostaff junkie, i have had shoulder issues and they are currently getting better, the only change, NO MORE FULL POLY's, still the same racquet.
i really loved the spin production on poly but it is just not worth it. as my shoulder gets better i am experimenting with hybrid poly at lower tension.
 
Volkl has several very arm friendly racquets. Try the V1 Classic. The head size is a little larger than you are looking for (102), but it's well worth a demo. String is also very important. Try natural gut or a natural gut hybrid. If you're a string breaker, use string savers and the gut will last a lot longer.
 
rudester said:
I totally agree with the prostaff junkie, i have had shoulder issues and they are currently getting better, the only change, NO MORE FULL POLY's, still the same racquet.
i really loved the spin production on poly but it is just not worth it. as my shoulder gets better i am experimenting with hybrid poly at lower tension.
Click to expand...

Since you said no more full polys, what did you change to? a Hybrid?
 
Blask said:
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
Click to expand...

Blash you should try a HEAD YOUTEK radical MidPlus..its 18*20 I believe...but when I was using it..it felt very comfortable...You know...it might not even be the racket though... it is more likely that it is your string setup and tension
 
Blask said:
Since you said no more full polys, what did you change to? a Hybrid?
Click to expand...

When my shoulder was really bad i used only full natural gut, now i am beginning to do hybrid with natural gut mains and poly cross at lower tension since the poly adds control and i can string gut a bit less tension than full gut job.
 
prostaff junkie said:
My advice would be to look at your string set-up first before you give up on the Prostaff's.

What have you got at the moment? Keep away from Poly's, go for natural gut or a high quality multi-filament. There are many strings out there that are good for your arm.

Or choose a more flexible frame perhaps. As previous posts have eluded to, look at Pro-Kennex.

I used to get TE, then (for the first time) I measured my grip size. Turned out I am actually a grip 5, not a 3. The TE disappeared quickly after I started using the correct grip size.
Click to expand...
I second that. I think a bigger grip can make a big difference. I've played with 4 5/8 for years even though I'm closer to a 4 3/8, and I've never had any TE problems or any arm or shoulder problems in general. And even demoing 4 3/8 I could feel a difference in my forearm after hitting for the same amount of time that I'd hit with my 4 5/8s. And I think the most common reason players get TE is late contact or some other issue with technique. I know it's a sensitive subject for some people with TE and they seem to get offended if you suggest it might be pilot error, and obviously I've never seen you hit. But I've been teaching tennis for 15 years and nearly every client I ever had that experienced TE also had issues with late contact and just contacting the ball with their arm in a disadvantageous position.
 
Pioneer said:
I don't use an arm friendly racquet but I found out that there are arm friendly strings :D When I used PHT 18 gauge I got arm pain but then when I switched to Lux it disappeared
Click to expand...

LMFAO no one spotted this?!!

OP: Yonex and ProKennex are the brands most often associated with arm friendly rackets... if youve got the strength to handle them, the player's sticks from Volkl (Powerbridge 10) and Dunlop (4D AG100) are not too shabby either.
 
supineAnimation said:
I second that. I think a bigger grip can make a big difference. I've played with 4 5/8 for years even though I'm closer to a 4 3/8, and I've never had any TE problems or any arm or shoulder problems in general. And even demoing 4 3/8 I could feel a difference in my forearm after hitting for the same amount of time that I'd hit with my 4 5/8s. And I think the most common reason players get TE is late contact or some other issue with technique. I know it's a sensitive subject for some people with TE and they seem to get offended if you suggest it might be pilot error, and obviously I've never seen you hit. But I've been teaching tennis for 15 years and nearly every client I ever had that experienced TE also had issues with late contact and just contacting the ball with their arm in a disadvantageous position.
Click to expand...


My grip measures exactly to 4-1/4. I'm now using a 4-3/8 and it has helped my elbow issues. I don't try and use extreme grips now which I think is the main reason.
 
arm

I had elbow issues for about 20 years. I tried everyting and a few things helped a litle but y far what helpedmost was buying a pro kennex 5g.
I was willing to play with a racquet that did not preform as well to get some relief but was playing better with the 5g than frames I had been using in the past.

They really worked for me and enabled to hit with out pain.
Just go for it and heal you arm.
 
BigHitterSE said:
You need to demo the ProKennex Ki5 before you lock yourself into the specs you described. ProKennex is the only racquet company with the technology to cure and prevent tennis elbow. Just read the reviews...
Click to expand...
What is it about the Pro Kennex frames that makes them so effective for TE? It's not an issue for me, thankfully, but I'm curious.
 
Blask said:
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
Click to expand...

Why not just try putting some more lead on Prestige Pro first?

it's a medium-flex racket already, you add some more stability to it and you have a racket that is as good as it gets against TE.
 
16x19

I played the 5g and Ki5 for a decade, but now love the Volkl Tour 10 Gen II. It is perfect blend of power and comfort. Still keep a 5G for my memories. Good luck
 
Anton said:
Why not just try putting some more lead on Prestige Pro first?

it's a medium-flex racket already, you add some more stability to it and you have a racket that is as good as it gets against TE.
Click to expand...

I've definitely thought about this. Where do you recommend I add the lead? I prefer a HL stick if that helps. I guess if I add weight at 3&9 for stability I would have to also add it in the handle to keep the same balance.
 
Blask said:
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
Click to expand...

Head youtek Radical Pro that is 16x19, with 58 flex. sounds like a good one to try although I couldn't comment on it. Also Volkl dnx 10 mid is sub 60 flex with 16 mains. Then use the right strings, good to go.

So yea, not much out there... But two is better than none so go for those?

edit: notice you like head light, the DNX is 7pts headlight... hmm I almost want to demo that now too.
 
Last edited:
Blask said:
I've definitely thought about this. Where do you recommend I add the lead? I prefer a HL stick if that helps. I guess if I add weight at 3&9 for stability I would have to also add it in the handle to keep the same balance.
Click to expand...

3 & 9 helps most with torsional stability - you don't need too much either - four 3"x0.25" strips (about 3 grams) will make very noticeable difference. About 2 grams somewhere towards the end of the handle should balance it out.

But personally I like to spread out the lead via small bits from about 8 to 4 - I feel like I get more solid results that way, like the stringbed is more uniform that way, maybe it's just me.
 
Last edited:
Blask said:
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
Click to expand...


pro kennex is well known for it's arm friendly rackets, the 5G is one of the best. also fischer M pro 105.
also the stiffness is a factor - anything under 60 is good.
strings - natural gut or syn gut multifilament
grip size is important also - most people use too small a grip size. i have used 4 1/2 for years but really am a 4 5/8" - i changed to a 4 5/8" recently.
hope this helps.
 
Blask said:
Slowly moving my way toward a more arm friendly setup after dealing with TE for over a decade. I was a long time Wilson 6.1 series user and I just can't get by with it any more. In the last 6 months or so I moved to the MG Prestige Pro and that took a while to dial in my game. I'm still dealing with some elbow/arm issues and want to keep moving to something that is a little bit more arm friendly.

What recommendations do you have?

I'd like the head size to be between 95-98 sq in
I'd like the string pattern to be either 16x18 or 16x19

I looked on the racquet finder and didn't see much out there.
Click to expand...

Pure Drive.

String:definitely try out NXT 17.
 
DO NOT GET THE PURE DRIVE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. It is very stiff and can hurt your arm even more if wrong. Even if you hit the ball correctly, babolat is a master at having a little shock in the racquet when the ball makes contact, especially with the pure drives. Do not get it. It is pure crap. Rather get the pure storm.
 
Blask - just curious whether you're looking to solve the stiffness/harshness issue with your gear or if there's anything else going on like too much heft in your frame. I got to try out a MG Prestige Pro a couple of weeks ago, but had no fun with my demo. For me, it felt too light, but also hit way too harsh, probably due to a really bad string set up - a very clunky poly job that seemed old and dead.

If you're out to find something in a familiar range of weight and balance, the Volkl C10 Pro 98 could be a good fit. I liked this frame right away when I got one out to the courts and was definitely more comfortable with it at the baseline than with my old 6.1 Classics. This racquet is not just a soft alternative to the 6.1's - it certainly has its own personality, perhaps due in part to its more flexible hoop.

The Yonex 002 Tour is easily one of the nicer serve and volley or doubles weapons around in my opinion, but I liked the C10 a good deal more in terms of overall performance (better spin and control with my strokes). I'd say both are worth consideration and if you get your hands on a Volkl, don't be surprised if you need some trial and error to get the strings right for you.
 
asianoutcast87 said:
DO NOT GET THE PURE DRIVE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. It is very stiff and can hurt your arm even more if wrong. Even if you hit the ball correctly, babolat is a master at having a little shock in the racquet when the ball makes contact, especially with the pure drives. Do not get it. It is pure crap. Rather get the pure storm.
Click to expand...

^^^ +1

someone should start marketing them with flexbars
 
Frank BD said:
^^^ +1

someone should start marketing them with flexbars
Click to expand...

This may have been true with the pre-cortex Pure Drives, but many have noticed that the PDGT is fairly comfortable despite its lack of flex. The Cortex apparently does work, even if I thought it took away a lot of feel from the racquet. That being said, I would only suggest the PDGT to someone who needs max power out of their racquet and is willing to sacrifice control and feel. If not, the Pure Storm line is better suited.
 
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