Can racquet/string types be used to change ones stroke?

[Robert F]

Has anyone used a particular type of racquet or string job to help change one's mechanics?

I've noticed if I play with a low powered string set up, it makes me drive more and swing more aggressively. So would there be a benefit to use a really low powered set up to help me hit out more?

Conversely, I've had some string set ups that increased the ball angle and height and in order to correct that I have to hit a much flatter style of swing?

Or would playing with a small racquet head actually force one to hit the ball more consistently?

Then it makes me wonder if bad racquet choices might reinforce poor swinging habits. Too high powered racquets might make people swing through less and racquets that are too heavy might make have a similar effect although for different reasons?

Would someone with a powerful racquet feel great with their groundstrokes but then can't hit a volley in, so then they avoid the net like the plaque despite the racquet might be a contributor to their weakness at the net?

 

[bbrown]

I'm wondering about the Wilson "spin" racquets. Do they really help hit better topspin? I have heard complaints about the bigger heads making volleys more difficult. I also have been reading lately about how some of the pros string their racquets at 45 lb's for more power. All personal preference obviously, but with so many options one can get dizzy.

I'm using an old (2002) Wilson Hyper Hammer and it seems to do it all.

--Bill In Virginia

 

[Tennisanity]

Worrying about myriad string/racquet setups just prevents your technique progress. Ask @Shroud.

 

[AngryGermanGuy]

@Shroud told me that stiffer strings make the shot trajectory lower, reducing depth. This means a stiffer stringjob might encourage you to drive through more to compensate. Beware, stiff string tensions send more vibration to the arm, especially on poly strings

 

[Robert F]

Worrying about myriad string/racquet setups just prevents your technique progress. Ask @Shroud.

I agree that overthinking racquet/strings just gets in the way. But I also wonder if certain extreme setups might allow someone to develop their stroke differently. In some cases this might be positive, in others it might be negative. If someone was really struggling to get the concept of topspin, would it benefit to put them in a larger, lighter racquet with an open string pattern for a whiel?

If you took 100 juniors and they all has to play with Fed's Old 90 and another 100 Juniors got to play with a light Babolat Pure Drive. How much would the racquets contribute to their development? Would the 90 be more precise and hit flatter and would the PD's wind up having loopier spinnier swings?

 

[Tennisanity]

I agree that overthinking racquet/strings just gets in the way. But I also wonder if certain extreme setups might allow someone to develop their stroke differently. In some cases this might be positive, in others it might be negative. If someone was really struggling to get the concept of topspin, would it benefit to put them in a larger, lighter racquet with an open string pattern for a whiel?

That could also work against you. If those spin friendly racquets end up giving you more spin than a generic racquet then you might become satisfied with the amount of spin you're getting even with wrong technique (false sense of security). Conversely with a very spin unfriendly racquet the only way you will get any decent spin is with proper technique.

 

[PittsburghDad]

Spin friendly rackets aren't going to just add spin with garbage technique. You still gotta spin the ball. This stuff is so overblown. If you hit spin, you hit spin with any configuration. If you don't, you don't.

 

[Chotobaka]

There is spin, and then there is spin. I cannot count the number of players I have seen who really work hard on their own to develop more spin, only to wind up spinning damn near sitters. Not all eventually overcome this.

Regarding "over-training" with smaller sticks, although I am no longer up to playing with them on a regular basis or for extended periods of time, I do like to occasionally train with 90 inch (or smaller) 12 ounce plus racquets. I don't think this is an approach that is universal, but it does work for me -- probably because of my familiarity and comfort with these racquets from a former life. It's a tune up for me.

 

[Bender]

Spin Effect racquets: Yes, they do increase spin, but I've found it to increase spin by percentage of your original rpm. So if you've been hitting flat like old school McEnroe this entire time, you aren't suddenly going to become Nadal by switching to a PS97LS. However, if you already hit with a true modern FH and already hit with a lot of spin, you will get outrageous spin when playing with a Spin Effect racquet. On a good day, my FHs using my PS90 can bounce to about 170 cm, but with my PS95S, similar forehands can bounce right over the head of my opponents, sometimes even if they are hitting 2-3 m behind the baseline (NB: I hit very deep, with quite a bit of net clearance). Slice and mediocre kick serves become slice-ier and average-Joe kick serves. Flat serves get affected a little however (loses power), and the strings break very, very quickly.

Strings: The post somewhere above that says stiff strings results in lower trajectories is correct--at least from my experience. I recently switched from a Tecnifibre ATP Razor Code (blue) mains + ALU crosses to Luxilon Element mains + ALU crosses, and have found that the latter setup is far more softer with fantastic feel at the expense of power. This does allow me to swing for the fences with more safety (which is in itself both a good and bad thing), but more importantly affects my net clearance even though I haven't made any conscious decision to change it. With the Element, my clearance is a lot higher and therefore lands deeper despite not hitting as hard, while the Razor Code setup rockets off the strings but clears the net by a whole foot lower and lands short quite often. But I wouldn't take this as final, since the feel of the strings you use does seem to have a huge effect on how you play your shots--my BH has improved leaps and bounds using the string as it reminds me to let the racquet do all the work, but my forehand and first serve have worsened due to the decrease in power. This could be technical, however.