Hi guys. I am searching for a better racket for me. I'm 14 years old and I have a shoulder injury.
I'm looking for a racket that is:
Armfriendly
A bit powerful
Light (<300g)
Not oversized
I already saw some good rackets like the Yonex DR 98 (285g), but it is almost nowhere available.
Some people say the Head Graphene Touch Extreme Lite is great too. What do you think about this stick?
Hopefully you have a good go with the Yonex if you get that. I'm a Volkl fan and I recommend a look at their offerings, too.
If you are still mending that shoulder injury now, I wish you a full recovery. Something to consider down the road is a switch or at least some trials/demos with heavier racquet options, especially if you haven't used anything with a little beef to it at this point. A relatively heavy racquet only requires more efficient (earlier) swing preparation compared with a lighter frame that can let us get away with delayed swing setups more often.
If you want power, you'll probably get that from a heavier racquet without swinging as hard as you might need to compared with giving the ball a ride with a lighter frame. I say this because I've used heavier racquets for a long time and they've never hurt me, but lighter ones have. I did it to myself again this past fall when I decided to try some lighter rigs for a little while. The lighter and less powerful frames I tried tricked me into over-swinging to compensate. I've talked with several locals through recent years who have done the same thing - gotten hurt when they switched to something lighter.
Don't do it if your shoulder can't handle it. But if it's only about swinging without rushing the racquet to stay comfortable, you might get more of what you want down the road from swinging something with extra mass that will do a little more work for you.
Last thought: If you need relatively easy power, stay away from poly strings in any racquet you use, at least for now.
