Diary of a Racketaholic

SupahMan5000 said:
i mightve misunderstood, the way the comment was written sounded like they weren't sure what it was haha
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Yeah, I think you were right. And yeah, it might be very mean and stupid by me to think that, but if you do not know about "inside-in" forehands, you shouldn't really be here entertaining racquet searches.
However, yeah, whatever, do whatever you want of course, I am sorry, didn't have the best day...
 
BPlain said:
Observations from 2023 VC95 land...

1) @tim-ay is so right. Playing indoor hard courts part of the year is cheating compared to playing on outdoor har-tru the rest of the year. Not a new realization but one I'm appreciating and embracing more.

2) This stick reminds of the sticks I liked when I was under 40. It also brings back the muscle memory of my under 40 self. However, this does not mean I still have the RHS necessary to execute those same shots i.e. hitting heavy topspin replies to balls that are bouncing above my shoulders. But this is an over 40 problem, not a racket problem.

3) Higher sweet spot really serves my forehand side well but does my backhand, especially on a slower court, no favors due to my lower contact point comparatively speaking. This isn't really an issue indoors as the speed of the court helps but on a slower har-tru court, I struggle to consistently find my slice backhand or two-handed topspin range. Adjustment has been having to consciously try and hit the ball higher on the racket and/or playing a more neutral or defensive ball off of what used to be my better wing all things considered.

All this being said, I think this is still my stick for now. It's been the best compromise considering my split indoor hard / outdoor har-tru seasons that I can find. And if I focus on serving well and setting up my forehand wing well, the limitations are minimized. You know, customized mind and all...
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I only say that because I'm jealous. The usual reason people say stupid things. I love, love, love playing outdoors, but playing indoors is so incredibly clean. It's like sanitized tennis. Granted as one of our Euro brothers pointed out, I have a severe lack of play time on carpet. Both w/ tennis and er... with... er.... forget it. That joke already failed miserably.
 
tim-ay said:
10 can give you a major endorphin buzz tho. Like going over independence pass on a bike.

Meant to add that I think a century is tougher than running 10. But hey, both are awesome. I put a century more like running 20. Of course everything is down to intensity, but given who you are I don’t think you’re doing a century in zone 2. Lol. Guys like us aren’t wired that way.
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Yeah I forgot to reply and say I ran a lot of 5ks in Miami down brickell ave on off days. I'd try and finish in 20 minutes or less. I just am not wired to do the long, patient runs.That said, I believe that is a weakness in tennis where slow and steady can very well win the race. I won my UTR division match ($15 coupon from TW!!! my goodness) by playing that way. The other guy came out playing super hard and I just picked my spots and wore him down. It is not a natural instinct for me, but I have been revamping my style. Whats insane is how you can lose it and not even realize it for weeks. I went on a short losing streak again because I went back to old habits and did not realize it.

Point is, I want to be able to run 10 miles. I think that would evolve my tennis game a lot more. So that is something I am going to work on. I already cycle now without logging on strava or with a bike computer in front of me. The bike computer just makes me want to go faster, which is not always ideal. Like you said, its more about zone 2-3 than zone 4-5 - ideally.

Also loving wozniaki on the comeback. She plays incredibly smart tennis, I hope she gets deep into a tourney so we can see her super safe style match up against a big hitter like Keys or Sabalenka.
 
Not sure if this is an abomination or actually pretty cool

BKJlzTr.jpg
 
Power Player said:
Yeah I forgot to reply and say I ran a lot of 5ks in Miami down brickell ave on off days. I'd try and finish in 20 minutes or less. I just am not wired to do the long, patient runs.That said, I believe that is a weakness in tennis where slow and steady can very well win the race. I won my UTR division match ($15 coupon from TW!!! my goodness) by playing that way. The other guy came out playing super hard and I just picked my spots and wore him down. It is not a natural instinct for me, but I have been revamping my style. Whats insane is how you can lose it and not even realize it for weeks. I went on a short losing streak again because I went back to old habits and did not realize it.

Point is, I want to be able to run 10 miles. I think that would evolve my tennis game a lot more. So that is something I am going to work on. I already cycle now without logging on strava or with a bike computer in front of me. The bike computer just makes me want to go faster, which is not always ideal. Like you said, its more about zone 2-3 than zone 4-5 - ideally.

Also loving wozniaki on the comeback. She plays incredibly smart tennis, I hope she gets deep into a tourney so we can see her super safe style match up against a big hitter like Keys or Sabalenka.
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It's so true. I have to relearn that lesson of playing smart, 60-75% tennis all of the time. Screwing around with rackets hurts this as does playing around on different surfaces (HC back to clay back to HC , etc.). It's like your brain forgets to adjust right away and the unforced error count goes up. You've been grooving and then a day comes and nothing is working. You can salvage a match by getting back to 'feet, focus, smooth' strategy then ramp back up as it comes. I've learned this 1000 times and yet still repeat the lesson also. This is another reason the robots will kill us.

Match play is just so different than rallying. It's easy to overcook in match play and just dialing it back until you have rhythm is so key on off days. Consistently winning is really playing so much that you can groove and keep that in the frontal lobe of your brain.

Or maybe just drinking enough to kill all of the smart brain cells. The smart ones get us into trouble and make us overthink and act stupidly. Irish whiskey might be the magic elixir (just kidding.....).
 
tim-ay said:
It's so true. I have to relearn that lesson of playing smart, 60-75% tennis all of the time. Screwing around with rackets hurts this as does playing around on different surfaces (HC back to clay back to HC , etc.). It's like your brain forgets to adjust right away and the unforced error count goes up. You've been grooving and then a day comes and nothing is working. You can salvage a match by getting back to 'feet, focus, smooth' strategy then ramp back up as it comes. I've learned this 1000 times and yet still repeat the lesson also. This is another reason the robots will kill us.

Match play is just so different than rallying. It's easy to overcook in match play and just dialing it back until you have rhythm is so key on off days. Consistently winning is really playing so much that you can groove and keep that in the frontal lobe of your brain.

Or maybe just drinking enough to kill all of the smart brain cells. The smart ones get us into trouble and make us overthink and act stupidly. Irish whiskey might be the magic elixir (just kidding.....).
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That was me last night. Felt good in warmups and the 1st few games. Then it all fell apart. I know days like that happen so I don't stress about it too much. It's on days like that though where I'm tempted to switch to the C10 Pro. The slower swing seems to fix a lot of my timing issues and the extra mass forces me to follow through each shot.
 
Vicious49 said:
That was me last night. Felt good in warmups and the 1st few games. Then it all fell apart. I know days like that happen so I don't stress about it too much. It's on days like that though where I'm tempted to switch to the C10 Pro. The slower swing seems to fix a lot of my timing issues and the extra mass forces me to follow through each shot.
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I really think this is a key observation especially in light of all the discourse around maintaining racquet head speed. I too find that heavier, more "stable" racquets help with consistency and smoothing out inconsistencies in my play and technique. You also hear this a lot in baseball but I also find that some days I can see the ball super clearly including its rotation, both incoming and coming off my racquet, and other days it's just a blur I can barely track.
 
Vicious49 said:
That was me last night. Felt good in warmups and the 1st few games. Then it all fell apart. I know days like that happen so I don't stress about it too much. It's on days like that though where I'm tempted to switch to the C10 Pro. The slower swing seems to fix a lot of my timing issues and the extra mass forces me to follow through each shot.
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The Racket - The Teacher
 
tim-ay said:
It's so true. I have to relearn that lesson of playing smart, 60-75% tennis all of the time. Screwing around with rackets hurts this as does playing around on different surfaces (HC back to clay back to HC , etc.). It's like your brain forgets to adjust right away and the unforced error count goes up. You've been grooving and then a day comes and nothing is working. You can salvage a match by getting back to 'feet, focus, smooth' strategy then ramp back up as it comes. I've learned this 1000 times and yet still repeat the lesson also. This is another reason the robots will kill us.

Match play is just so different than rallying. It's easy to overcook in match play and just dialing it back until you have rhythm is so key on off days. Consistently winning is really playing so much that you can groove and keep that in the frontal lobe of your brain.

Or maybe just drinking enough to kill all of the smart brain cells. The smart ones get us into trouble and make us overthink and act stupidly. Irish whiskey might be the magic elixir (just kidding.....).
Click to expand...

Yep, I haven't rallied at all in months besides ball machine practice. It's just not really tennis to me, since tennis is so mental anyway. I can come out and hit the snot out of the ball in a rally but that really means nothing if I can't do it in a match under pressure. Plus I need the mental reps of point play more than anything. When I use the ball machine I focus more on putting the ball into spots I need to run to and then recovering back to the middle. A good setup for me is to aim the ball where I was having trouble the last match and then keep the feed speed normal enough so I'm not gassed after 10 balls. I slowly increase that over the course of an hour. But my aim is to hit as relaxed as possible while being on balance and transferring my weight into the ball. It needs to feel relaxed up top and all the energy needs to come from my legs. Thats what works for me at least. When I am playing well, that is how I play and the sound of the ball off the frame is loud, plus I hit the sweetspot constantly.

Its just a totally different mentality then going out and bashing someone in football or lacrosse. It's much more of an endurance spot, and that is tough for some folks (like myself) to naturally do. But I did run track in HS. Of course I was a sprinter, but I still had to run 5+ miles to warm up, so that relaxed zen is in me, it is just tougher to channel.
 
Fed Kennedy said:
I don’t understand how the same company can put out glossy pro labs sticks with iridescent paint and super clean design and then drop this ms dos clip art pj at the height of the tennis season
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There is nothing wrong with Blue and White. Looks very marine, like I accidently walked into Annapolis.

The strings and overgrip are making it seem worse than it is.
 
Richard Pioline said:
Cool photos!
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Thanks RP! Appreciate it !!

naturalexponent said:
Love everything. The photos, the racquet selection thought process, report on the tournament, etc. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you my friend!! Was hoping some of you guys would enjoy reading about the selection process. Wasnt super sexy for me or rooted in anything other than what the rackets were telling me.

Ultimately that’s what made for the most logical choice, not feel, cosmetics, what my fav player uses, etc. all those traps I’ve fallen into before but logic prevailed this time !
 
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tim-ay said:
Woz rocking that 19' PA. Do you think she got them on sale so didn't upgrade to the '23?
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Probably likes the open string pattern and free power/spin. I know multiple PA 2019 players who think the 23 is a total POS (toy, they said). The 23 need lower tension to produce the same power and I dont think touches the spin of the 2019 at the rec level anyway.
 
SupahMan5000 said:
one of the most productive practices in a bit:

decided to go for the flat serves, take any ball thats slow and change direction or hit through, go for way bigger second serve kicks

felt super confident in everything and feeling pretty prepared for my next match in the men's open
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In prep for my tourney I probably spent 60-70% of my court time serving. It’s such an underrated variable in the prep process
 
gold325 said:
Probably likes the open string pattern and free power/spin. I know multiple PA 2019 players who think the 23 is a total POS (toy, they said). The 23 need lower tension to produce the same power and I dont think touches the spin of the 2019 at the rec level anyway.
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I love the 23 but the 19 is good. Funny I get plenty of spin from either, but the 23 lets you hit targets. And it feels way better.

Of course mine are 330 SW so that changes characteristics with weight in the handle also. but that’s true for a 19 I have in a bag somewhere also. I think the 19 is great though, not really knocking it…. I can see why a certain type of player would prefer it.
 
Started this year searching for a new racquet and eventually finding one after searching and testing for weeks. Bought the Gravity Pro and had to come to the conclusion that it was just too heavy for me and my lazy footwork. Urgh back to the testing phase. Starting with an FX500 tour and a CX200 to find what I like and what not. Urgh
 
Lasse1910 said:
Started this year searching for a new racquet and eventually finding one after searching and testing for weeks. Bought the Gravity Pro and had to come to the conclusion that it was just too heavy for me and my lazy footwork. Urgh back to the testing phase. Starting with an FX500 tour and a CX200 to find what I like and what not. Urgh
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I really wish they made the GPro in a 98sq head size and just a smidge more HL. I think that would be perfection for me.

While not sexy, check out some of the 100sq in 16x20 or 18x20 ProKennex’s. Many have 21mm constant beams. They are a ton easier to play with than the GPro but you still get that massive sweet spot, 20 crosses for control, and a thinner more classic beam.

I was actually going down that rabbit hole earlier today. I think it was the Ki-5 that caught my attention but would need a little weight.
 
EggSalad said:
I really wish they made the GPro in a 98sq head size and just a smidge more HL. I think that would be perfection for me.

While not sexy, check out some of the 100sq in 16x20 or 18x20 ProKennex’s. Many have 21mm constant beams. They are a ton easier to play with than the GPro but you still get that massive sweet spot, 20 crosses for control, and a thinner more classic beam.

I was actually going down that rabbit hole earlier today. I think it was the Ki-5 that caught my attention but would need a little weight.
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The PK rabbit hole is the way. It took me too long to see the light.
 
tim-ay said:
genius. unless you like rectangles. then madness.

I really like the TK82S, it's as close to a Dunlop as you can get without buying a Dunlop.

Have I mentioned I love the '19 SX 300 Tours? Bwaaaa.
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That’s kind of what I’m thinking. (Apologies to @Richard Pioline ). I’m going to have to play them with the tk76 to make a decision.

It’s funny, I bought the LM Radicals new back in the early 2000s, which was post college (4 year break from tennis) but then after a few months, sold them and focused on my not so amazing basketball career.

I’ve now gotten so used to the modern head, Wilson, Dunlop grip shapes that my brain is a scrambled up bowl of spaghetti.

All common sense says just string them up with synthetic gut, keep the tk76 and let the good times roll. But I lack that level of common sense.
 
gino said:
In prep for my tourney I probably spent 60-70% of my court time serving. It’s such an underrated variable in the prep process
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keeping first serve percentage high and double faults to a minimum does wonders for confidence. even if they blow you out on a first serve return every once in a while, making them feel like theyre not catching a break on your serve can be nervewracking
 
Forgot to mention, tonight is the first test of Gripnrip overgrip from tru pro. It’s supposed to be a more durable Tourna. this will be the night to test it.
 
tim-ay said:
Forgot to mention, tonight is the first test of Gripnrip overgrip from tru pro. It’s supposed to be a more durable Tourna. this will be the night to test it.
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Is it a darker shade of blue than Tourna? I ordered some Tour Status recently and they threw one of those grips in my package. Looks really intriguing. Looks like it might have a little more tac than regular Tourna too.
 
SupahMan5000 said:
My whiteouts are getting pretty weathered and dinged up and I love it. Been a while since I took a racket through its paces

And yes I’m a slice slammer. My racket gets smacked hard when I go for a slice. I like to hit them at their reasonably lowest point. Don’t lend me your Regnas
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Definitely not! I rescind my previous offer.
 
SupahMan5000 said:
Also Tecnifibre Champion balls

2 cans have lasted and are still usable after 3-5 hours

Most recent experience:
1.5 hours hitting
1 hour lesson
1.5 hours hitting again
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Damn the local tennis store told me the Court balls were the premium ones I tried 2 cans and they were good BUT not this good.

I have switched to lively regular duty balls as I want to practice with the fastest ball possible to improve my prep - also easier to hit winners since they go BOOM!

Im going to try the Champions next now that they have your endorsement!
 
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