asifallasleep
Hall of Fame
When Pete was winning all those titles, NO ONE overpowered him. In fact he was overpowering everyone, Andre included with his little 85's. Everyone else had larger and more powerful racquets but Pete still won.
Fed does rather well with his low/mid powered 90's while everyone else wields larger and way more powerful racquets.
So this argument that the smaller frames can't handle the larger more powerful frames i think is a product of what the industry has put in everyone's hands. People have grown accustomed to playing with the larger frames as that is now the standard. Everyone uses them. Larger, more powerful racquets are easy to many as that is all they've known. They don't have to be fundamentally sound to hit the ball.
The tennis industry began creating larger more powerful racquets to enable people who otherwise would not be able to effectively play to enjoy the sport. They sought to make it easier and more available to the masses. It wasn't done at the request of the pros. Most pros continued to use their old frames and painted them. The industry wanted to sell more racquets and grow the sport.
If you're fundamentally sound, you can beat loads of people with a 85 or a 90. No problem. If you're not their yet, getting there with a smaller racquet will make you fundamentally sound.
All you guys who complain that the smaller racquets are too difficult and that the sweet spots are too small or that you can't handle players with the larger more powerful frames I say rubbish. You're lying to yourself, you can learn to play with a smaller racquet, and would become an even better player in the process.
Players today are bigger, stronger and faster. If all junior coaches taught their students on smaller frames and then perhaps switched them many years later to a larger one or not, the players would get even better.
Playing with a smaller racquet will make you a better player. And yes you can find the sweet spot.
The two most accomplished players in the history of the sport (Fed with his 90 and Pete with his 85) used little racquets and are two of the most fundamentally sound players ever.
They are consistent, balanced and powerful. All with little racquets against bigger racquets.
Fed does rather well with his low/mid powered 90's while everyone else wields larger and way more powerful racquets.
So this argument that the smaller frames can't handle the larger more powerful frames i think is a product of what the industry has put in everyone's hands. People have grown accustomed to playing with the larger frames as that is now the standard. Everyone uses them. Larger, more powerful racquets are easy to many as that is all they've known. They don't have to be fundamentally sound to hit the ball.
The tennis industry began creating larger more powerful racquets to enable people who otherwise would not be able to effectively play to enjoy the sport. They sought to make it easier and more available to the masses. It wasn't done at the request of the pros. Most pros continued to use their old frames and painted them. The industry wanted to sell more racquets and grow the sport.
If you're fundamentally sound, you can beat loads of people with a 85 or a 90. No problem. If you're not their yet, getting there with a smaller racquet will make you fundamentally sound.
All you guys who complain that the smaller racquets are too difficult and that the sweet spots are too small or that you can't handle players with the larger more powerful frames I say rubbish. You're lying to yourself, you can learn to play with a smaller racquet, and would become an even better player in the process.
Players today are bigger, stronger and faster. If all junior coaches taught their students on smaller frames and then perhaps switched them many years later to a larger one or not, the players would get even better.
Playing with a smaller racquet will make you a better player. And yes you can find the sweet spot.
The two most accomplished players in the history of the sport (Fed with his 90 and Pete with his 85) used little racquets and are two of the most fundamentally sound players ever.
They are consistent, balanced and powerful. All with little racquets against bigger racquets.
