Do people who say “its the player not the racquet” simply have ham-fisted nervous systems?

[Djokovicfan]

Im not saying there arent people out there who obsess too much over getting the perfect racquet, but i would be amazed if any very high level tennis players would be so numb and uncoordinated to say the right racquet doesnt matter a tremendous amount. Another thing to consider is different racquets vary alot in how much they force you to improve your game/technique.
The people who keep repeating “its the player not the racquet” seem to have no concept of how small and sensitive equipment tolerances are at the top level in any sport.
If you cant tell the difference between 2 racquets then your degenerate nervous system probly would never have let you become a very good player in the first place.

 

[Subway Tennis]

What they mean is that the skill of the player is far more important in the greater scheme of things than the equipment.

For instance any one of us on here could have 6-7 perfectly matched Aeropro Drives with the most dialled in string setup possible and the clothing / shoe combination of our dreams, and we would still not get a game against Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova or Andy Murray, even if they were playing us barefoot with a Jack Kramer woodie.

 

[WarrenMP]

Racquets have improved a lot and they vary greatly. Some are better at producing power, control, spin and or combination of everything. I agree with your point because of the Pros. They do not change their racquets often. They are not playing with the most up to date technology. They are playing with a racquet and string set up that suits their game.

 

[TagUrIt]

I agree to certain extent, but (most) of us here aren't playing at such a high level. Of course there are differences between racquets, string types, string set ups, etc. But I still think a players skill or lack thereof has more to do with the ability win matches as opposed to what racquet they're using.

 

[ron schaap]

Im not saying there arent people out there who obsess too much over getting the perfect racquet, but i would be amazed if any very high level tennis players would be so numb and uncoordinated to say the right racquet doesnt matter a tremendous amount. Another thing to consider is different racquets vary alot in how much they force you to improve your game/technique.
The people who keep repeating “its the player not the racquet” seem to have no concept of how small and sensitive equipment tolerances are at the top level in any sport.
If you cant tell the difference between 2 racquets then your degenerate nervous system probly would never have let you become a very good player in the first place.

You seem to state that very good players are intolerate to racquet changes. So do how we interpret the change from the famous Bryan brothers from their flexible small headed Prince 95 low powered players stick to the opposite, a powerfull 100 inch Babolat?
Or Chang who changed too from flexible Prince to stiff Pure drive?
Or McEnroe who changed from his wooden Dunlop maxply to eventually midplus sized Head racquets?
Are all these topplayers who won many grandslams so numb to different type of racquets, or would we conclude that players are well able to adapt to wide range of racquets with which all play very well?

 

[stingstang]

Racquets have improved a lot

They are not playing with the most up to date technology.

Strings, big time. Frames, really? Wilson rollers and Flexpoint were quite innovative I suppose

 

[PBODY99]

@WarrenMP

Ported frames are just about the only engineering difference in the last 25 years that stayed around.
Layups of the graphite in modern frames transmit a different feedback than the lower modulus layup of late 1980s - 1990 frames.

 

[Djokovicfan]

You seem to state that very good players are intolerate to racquet changes. So do how we interpret the change from the famous Bryan brothers from their flexible small headed Prince 95 low powered players stick to the opposite, a powerfull 100 inch Babolat?
Or Chang who changed too from flexible Prince to stiff Pure drive?
Or McEnroe who changed from his wooden Dunlop maxply to eventually midplus sized Head racquets?
Are all these topplayers who won many grandslams so numb to different type of racquets, or would we conclude that players are well able to adapt to wide range of racquets with which all play very well?

why would you assume you have to be numb to decide to change racquets? You can be very sensitive to a racquets specs and still decide to change racquets. your argument relies on something i didn't imply in my op and it's pretty ridiculous.

 

[FedLIKEnot]

You seem to state that very good players are intolerate to racquet changes. So do how we interpret the change from the famous Bryan brothers from their flexible small headed Prince 95 low powered players stick to the opposite, a powerfull 100 inch Babolat?
Or Chang who changed too from flexible Prince to stiff Pure drive?
Or McEnroe who changed from his wooden Dunlop maxply to eventually midplus sized Head racquets?
Are all these topplayers who won many grandslams so numb to different type of racquets, or would we conclude that players are well able to adapt to wide range of racquets with which all play very well?

I think you are missing the point and I will not speak for others. What my assumption and thoughts are as follow, the pros you , mentioned are incredible. They are in the top 5% of the tennis players of all time at their respected crafts. So a racquet change for them would be made smoother by their skill level. The intuitiveness and ability to adapt for them is at a whole other level than you or I.

I will use the local tennis pro at my club as an example.....they club was sponsored by Wilson than they switched to Head. Now part of the deal among gear, strings, bags, clothes, etc was 4 racquets a year and a wholesale price for any extras you wanted. In his time at the club he went from the Wilson Blade 93, Wilson Blade 98 18/20, RF97, Head Radical Pro, Prestige Rev Pro. So me being apart of this online community I am a gear head and was curious I asked him how he was able to switch to all those different racquets and still maintain both his ability to teach but also his play. He said that after about an hour so with each racquet he knew what small changes needed to be made to keep his game the same and with a little time he could learn what the racquet offered that could maximize his game. You or I likely dont have that ability to blend back and forth with the racquet we need it to do what we need it to do and not have any guesswork. Or on the flip side some hunt for the racquet that will push their game forward.

Why some pros change racquets is they are looking for a slight tweak that will give them that 5% more of something. However by and large pros use the same racquet so there is no variance after so much time their is strength in knowing if I do this than that will happen. So they fight off the change for as long as they can. Pete Sampras talks that if he changed to his gear he couldve made a bigger run at the French. And he isnt wrong. If he goes to eve a 93 head size that is 8 more sq inches to work with slightly different strings to help with spin and pace and boom who knows. But he fought it. Federer saw this so as he got older and his racquet he saw was holding him back a little he made the change. And no one can argue that after the change it has helped to keep him at the top and won some majors likely we wouldnt have won otherwise.

But to the OP point I have seen pros at the local challenger throw a tantrum over string tension not being just so, of course they cant compete or sustain the same level of performance if youre handing them a different racquet every year. As I said with the pros they have in most cases used that racquet for years since there days as a junior. When they change or when they stay with the same racquet it is because that racquet maximizes their skills the best. Why would I want to re learn that process year in and year out. Shoot I am a measly 3.5 and I cant seem to change racquets for the life of me.

 

[yoonit78]

Im not saying there arent people out there who obsess too much over getting the perfect racquet, but i would be amazed if any very high level tennis players would be so numb and uncoordinated to say the right racquet doesnt matter a tremendous amount. Another thing to consider is different racquets vary alot in how much they force you to improve your game/technique.
The people who keep repeating “its the player not the racquet” seem to have no concept of how small and sensitive equipment tolerances are at the top level in any sport.
If you cant tell the difference between 2 racquets then your degenerate nervous system probly would never have let you become a very good player in the first place.

You seem to really go for the hot takes... if not outright trollery... eh?
You take folks that say "it's the player not the racquet" a biiit too literally... but maybe that's intentional

At the highest levels of the game, the margins are so thin, that the difference between winning and losing could certainly be down to confidence in one's gear. But reaching those echelons is down to player ability not the gear. I think this is the general point being made by the "It's the Indian not the arrow" crowd.
Also, rather than the actual spec numbers, I'd think the consistency of the specs is most important to a pro.
e.g. I think if Stan and Rafa were to swap sticks (2 pros on opposite ends of the spec spectrum) and have ample time to adjust, I think both could still be successful ATP pros.

 

[Djokovicfan]

You seem to really go for the hot takes... if not outright trollery... eh?
You take folks that say "it's the player not the racquet" a biiit too literally... but maybe that's intentional

At the highest levels of the game, the margins are so thin, that the difference between winning and losing could certainly be down to confidence in one's gear. But reaching those echelons is down to player ability not the gear. I think this is the general point being made by the "It's the Indian not the arrow" crowd.
Also, rather than the actual spec numbers, I'd think the consistency of the specs is most important to a pro.
e.g. I think if Stan and Rafa were to swap sticks (2 pros on opposite ends of the spec spectrum) and have ample time to adjust, I think both could still be successful ATP pros.

Doubtful on your last point. Unless rafa and murray had years to readjust to eachothers sticks, they would suck.
I think if someone like verdasco had found the perfect racquet for him as a young lad he would be a better player today. Pros usually stick with the same racquet they used growing up because they devote millions of nerve cells to every single millimeter of their racquets characteristics.
There were probably groms out there who could have made it to the atp but grew up getting used to a racquet that didnt suit them or didnt allow their game to improve.
Racquets matter a lot.

 

[yoonit78]

Doubtful on your last point. Unless rafa and murray had years to readjust to eachothers sticks, they would suck.
I think if someone like verdasco had found the perfect racquet for him as a young lad he would be a better player today. Pros usually stick with the same racquet they used growing up because they devote millions of nerve cells to every single millimeter of their racquets characteristics.
There were probably groms out there who could have made it to the atp but grew up getting used to a racquet that didnt suit them or didnt allow their game to improve.
Racquets matter a lot.

I'm not saying they would have the same level of success w/ different gear, but I don't think they would "suck." Though I have no idea what you mean by suck.
Pros certainly have exacting preferences in their setup, but I will still contend it is the consistency of spec of "pro stock" products that is most important.

 

[Djokovicfan]

I'm not saying they would have the same level of success w/ different gear, but I don't think they would "suck." Though I have no idea what you mean by suck.
Pros certainly have exacting preferences in their setup, but I will still contend it is the consistency of spec of "pro stock" products that is most important.

2 racquets with identical specs can play very differently.

 

[TennisHound]

OP, This is one of those topics you have to work out on your own, while using some common sense. A sensible person would understand that technique, exercise, and proper footwork matter and are very important - as well as a good racquet. Yes, having a racquet you feel confident with and will hold up well, is important.

 

[KG32]

Hows phonics going illiterate boy?
I know your mommy tells you your special because you cant read,
But not being able to read other peoples posts on the internet, making assumptions based on false
Opinions, and putting words in other peoples mouths just makes you look inept.
But by all means, keep tossing insults.
Turbos like you think having a big ego excuses the fact youre a comprehensively uninteresting person.

Oh man, I counted on at least a decent comeback and what I got is merely a ******** trash talk
Btw, in all your posts you make some "mommy" references. Is there something you wanna talk about?

 

[TennisHound]

The racquet matters.

 

[JoelDali]

Was playing corporate league mixed years ago and former Ivy League number one guy only had two raquets with him. After breaking strings he borrowed some 100 junker from his 4.0 female partner and he continued to dominate as if nothing happened. Raquets that are compostionally around the same are essentially meaningless for high level players. This is why they can switch to Yonex from Wilson and so forth without much adjustment.

 

[Djokovicfan]

.

 

[Djokovicfan]

Was playing corporate league mixed years ago and former Ivy League number one guy only had two raquets with him. After breaking strings he borrowed some 100 junker from his 4.0 female partner and he continued to dominate as if nothing happened. Raquets that are compostionally around the same are essentially meaningless for high level players. This is why they can switch to Yonex from Wilson and so forth without much adjustment.

The pros probably spend 100 hours or more tweaking a new racquet with their adopted sponsor.
And yeah, a good player will dominate with anything, just like a race car driver can hop in your car and take it around a corner faster than you have floored it on an empty freeway.
If djokovic was playing his best and beating nadal 6-0 6-0 5-3, and you forced him to pick up nadals racquet, the end result would be 6-0 6-0 5-7 0-6 0-6 with nadal coming back.
Your idea that a pro who has spent about 100 thousand hours getting his entire nervous system used to a certain type of racquet can switch and just “adjust” make you look like you dont have a clue how small the tolerances are at such a high level of competition.[/QUOTE]

 

[JoelDali]

The pros probably spend 100 hours or more tweaking a new racquet with their adopted sponsor.
And yeah, a good player will dominate with anything, just like a race car driver can hop in your car and take it around a corner faster than you have floored it on an empty freeway.
If djokovic was playing his best and beating nadal 6-0 6-0 5-3, and you forced him to pick up nadals racquet, the end result would be 6-0 6-0 5-7 0-6 0-6 with nadal coming back.
Your idea that a pro who has spent about 100 thousand hours getting his entire nervous system used to a certain type of racquet can switch and just “adjust” make you look like you dont have a clue how small the tolerances are at such a high level of competition.

Suresherer.

 

[hurworld]

That would be cool and interesting match to watch. Don't tell the players before hand, once they get into the court, ask them to swap racquets to play.

 

[Pistol10]

Players pick rackets...not the opposite.

 

[Big Bagel]

Getting a racquet within the right ballpark for what you should be using is extremely important. Getting it exactly right is not, but it will still help.

You give a top pro a different companies version of their racquet, customized similarly, they will still be a top pro. You give a top pro a completely different (but still quality) racquet customized to the same specs, and they will drop down some, but they'll still be a high level pro. You give Federer a 137" Big Bubba and Nadal a $20 Walmart special Spongebob racquet and they will still beat everyone (or at least almost everyone, can't say everyone's level on here) on this forum, but will no longer be a top-100 player in the world.

Some pros are sensitive to equipment changes, others aren't. Michael Chang could feel 1 unit difference in swing weight. David Goffin will accidentally play with a stock Blade and not notice the difference.

 

[Dags]

Federer beat Stepanek in the 2008 Masters Cup, 7-6 6-4. Nothing too unusual there, except...

Federer was supposed to play Roddick, who withdrew the morning of the match. Stepanek stepped in as the alternate as he was on holiday nearby and the highest ranked player who could get there in time, but had to borrow kit and racquets from other players.

(apparently Federer had a dodgy stomach the day before, but still...)

 

[mellowyellow]

You seem to state that very good players are intolerate to racquet changes. So do how we interpret the change from the famous Bryan brothers from their flexible small headed Prince 95 low powered players stick to the opposite, a powerfull 100 inch Babolat?
Or Chang who changed too from flexible Prince to stiff Pure drive?
Or McEnroe who changed from his wooden Dunlop maxply to eventually midplus sized Head racquets?
Are all these topplayers who won many grandslams so numb to different type of racquets, or would we conclude that players are well able to adapt to wide range of racquets with which all play very well?

Are you suggesting everyone that switches is playing a shelf spec frame stiffness? You have inside knowledge of the specs of all said frames to be stiff or flexible? Lol ok...

 

[WestboroChe]

Getting a racquet within the right ballpark for what you should be using is extremely important. Getting it exactly right is not, but it will still help.

You give a top pro a different companies version of their racquet, customized similarly, they will still be a top pro. You give a top pro a completely different (but still quality) racquet customized to the same specs, and they will drop down some, but they'll still be a high level pro. You give Federer a 137" Big Bubba and Nadal a $20 Walmart special Spongebob racquet and they will still beat everyone (or at least almost everyone, can't say everyone's level on here) on this forum, but will no longer be a top-100 player in the world.

Some pros are sensitive to equipment changes, others aren't. Michael Chang could feel 1 unit difference in swing weight. David Goffin will accidentally play with a stock Blade and not notice the difference.

That's right. The equipment matters when the competition is close. If I play any tour pro they could beat me easily with a broken string and junior racquet. But not against another touring pro.

Just curious where you picked up the info on Chang. Noticing a 1 unit change in SW seems like a stretch and it must have made it difficult for him to match frames since even a gram or two at the end of the hoop would make serious difference in SW.

 

[WestboroChe]

I think sometimes we forget that these guys also sometimes start playing with a frame and want to stick with it as long as it works. At the risk of bringing down the wrath of the tech heads here I was always under the impression that the racquet Becker used was just a cheap retail frame he started using as a junior and he just stuck with it to the point of getting his own frames made when they were no longer available.

Don't shoot the messenger, that's what my German friend told me years ago. I know nothing about Puma racquets.

 

[a12345]

We all need different rackets because we all play differently and also have different physiology.

Even on basic attributes like height and weight.

Djokovic 6"2 - 80kg/176lbs
Federer 6"1 - 85kg/187lbs
Nadal 6"1 - 85kg/187lbs
Del Potro 6"6 - 97kg/ 213lbs
Cillic 6"6 - 89kg / 196lbs
Murray 6"3 - 84kg / 185lbs

For example theres this tendency to say pros play with heavy rackets - well they tend to be big and heavyish people on average as well so you have to factor that into the equation.

 

[dominikk1985]

Well it is the player, Federer would beat most rec players with a frying pan.

But at the highest level tiny differences can make a difference and especially feel, so it does matter for pros to get the last 1-2% of performance out of their racket and especially feel comfortable with it. A lot of what pros need is just a good feel, I doubt they analyse that scientifically like many do here. That is also why many play paint jobs of old rackets, they want familiarity. Very few pros tinker around with their setup a lot.

 

[Kevo]

Im not saying there arent people out there who obsess too much over getting the perfect racquet, but i would be amazed if any very high level tennis players would be so numb and uncoordinated to say the right racquet doesnt matter a tremendous amount. Another thing to consider is different racquets vary alot in how much they force you to improve your game/technique.
The people who keep repeating “its the player not the racquet” seem to have no concept of how small and sensitive equipment tolerances are at the top level in any sport.
If you cant tell the difference between 2 racquets then your degenerate nervous system probly would never have let you become a very good player in the first place.

So much to say, but after writing and deleting a long reply detailing all the things that could be said about this post, I'll just say this instead:

Please start a new thread with a clear thesis statement and reasoned supporting statements to back it up. This post is surely not your best effort considering you must have an advanced nervous system.

 

[ReopeningWed]

Im not saying there arent people out there who obsess too much over getting the perfect racquet, but i would be amazed if any very high level tennis players would be so numb and uncoordinated to say the right racquet doesnt matter a tremendous amount. Another thing to consider is different racquets vary alot in how much they force you to improve your game/technique.
The people who keep repeating “its the player not the racquet” seem to have no concept of how small and sensitive equipment tolerances are at the top level in any sport.
If you cant tell the difference between 2 racquets then your degenerate nervous system probly would never have let you become a very good player in the first place.

I can tell the difference between two different rackets but I just don't care. If I'm playing badly it's not my rackets fault, just give me four of the same stick and the same string and I'll start doing work.

Whatever racket I pick up, I just think "well that's how it is now" and I run with it. Maybe it's different at the top level but I imagine the sponsorship and the money matter more to the vast majority of top 500 ATP players.

 

[axlrose]

Djoker struggled when he switched back to his Radical MP PT113B from his H22 under K Blade Tour PJ, no?

 

[smalahove]

What they mean is that the skill of the player is far more important in the greater scheme of things than the equipment.

For instance any one of us on here could have 6-7 perfectly matched Aeropro Drives with the most dialed in string setup possible and the clothing / shoe combination of our dreams, and we would still not get a game against Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova or Andy Murray, even if they were playing us barefoot with a Jack Kramer woodie.

I acknowledge your overall point. I wouldn't bet against Murray barefoot with a wooden racket, as his touch is top knotch.

But Williams and Sharapova barefoot with a 65 sq inch wooden frame? You def. underestimate how much advantage a shoe gives you compared to playing barefoot, and how much the women's game depends on the real estate of the string bed. I'm a 4.5 and I'd easily win several games against them with these restrictions. Give Serena back her frame and shoes, and I'd get bagel'ed.

 

[SeeItHitIt]

Gear always makes a difference. It’s crazy to not tweak it to your advantage, but the saying is akin to giving Clapton or Jimi ‘any’ guitar. They’d still sound like Clayton and Jimi.

 

[stingstang]

Unless the racquet is really poorly suited to your game, the difference in performance using one instead of another is gonna be miniscule. You adjust to it.

A racquet which you like the feel of and enjoy playing with is a nice thing to have though.

 

[jsm1373]

For me personally it is more about muscle memory that develops from using the same setup repeatedly... If you took away my Six.One 95 and replaced it with a Babolat, I could adapt and eventually play well - but wouldn't have the same confidence knowing that X shot hit from Y place will roughly equal Z location on the court.

 

[Shaolin]

Fed could take any wooden racquet with broken strings and triple bagel me with it.

Player not racquet.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Well, I play bad tennis at a very high level, so the racket matters to me.

 

[lelopez]

I’ve always evaluated my tennis based on how the following are doing, in order of importance:
1. Footwork
2. Timing
3. Hand-eye coordination
4. Fitness
5. Heart / Desire
6. Equipment

....so my racquets are important, but not THAT important, relatively speaking.

 

[a12345]

I think the racket is more important than you think. Especially once youve got to the stage where you can sustain a rally. Lets put absolute beginners to one side.

Ultimately you have to ask yourself does the ball go where you intended it to go.

Now you could play the exact same stroke 20 times and if i put a different racket in your hand each time with different string patterns, weight , stiffness, head size, different strings, that ball will land in a different place each time.

It will change the launch angle, flight, spin, landing spot, speed of that ball. The ball will even land to the left and right differently with each racket, as the weight of the racket will affect your timing.

So you do need a setup that suits you and everyones stroke is different.

Its possible to find a racket setup where, whilst not necessarily making you a better player per se, the ball simply behaves more closely to how you intended it to go, which is the most important thing.

 

[lelopez]

I don’t disagree that equipment is important for players that are perhaps 5.0 and above and have solid #’s 1-4 that I’ve stated above. But for players without these sound qualities (footwork, timing, hand-eye, etc) the scenario you’ve described would indeed be all over the place, but not primarily due to the racquet.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I will use the local tennis pro at my club as an example.....they club was sponsored by Wilson than they switched to Head. Now part of the deal among gear, strings, bags, clothes, etc was 4 racquets a year and a wholesale price for any extras you wanted. In his time at the club he went from the Wilson Blade 93, Wilson Blade 98 18/20, RF97, Head Radical Pro, Prestige Rev Pro. So me being apart of this online community I am a gear head and was curious I asked him how he was able to switch to all those different racquets and still maintain both his ability to teach but also his play. He said that after about an hour so with each racquet he knew what small changes needed to be made to keep his game the same and with a little time he could learn what the racquet offered that could maximize his game. You or I likely dont have that ability to blend back and forth with the racquet we need it to do what we need it to do and not have any guesswork. Or on the flip side some hunt for the racquet that will push their game forward.

I would say you don't have to be a pro to have that experience. I've gone from cheap Walmart rackets to Babolat APD and PD's to Wilson Blade 104 SW to Prince Phantom 100 to Prince Phantom 93P. All very different frames but every one of them only took me a few sessions to develop a feel for and my results never change no matter what racket I use.

My switches were mostly done for feel and comfort not performance. Performance relies on me, not my racket. Even now i can switch between a POG 107 and a Phantom 93P on different days and see similar outcomes. The nervous system is wonderfully adaptive for those that let it adapt. Too many folks let preconceived notions or bias determine their racket choices and are far too narrow in their spec margins.

 

[Dartagnan64]

So you do need a setup that suits you and everyones stroke is different.

An tennis stroke is not one thing. Every stroke is minutely (or majorly) different from the next just as every racket is different from the next. A properly working nervous system will compute these differences in an instant and make the appropriate compensation. The characteristics of the racket will be quickly stored in the brains computer to be conjured as "muscle memory" the next time you swing. It won't take that long for the brain to understand how to swing any new racket you by. It won't be instantaneous but it will be fast.

 

[andymaratkimi]

Pros‘ rackets just like racing cars,highly modified and very different from road cars.

 

[axlrose]

Fed could take any wooden racquet with broken strings and triple bagel me with it.

Player not racquet.

Fedr has played better after moving to the current PS97, no?

Racquets does matter, even at the highest level.

 

[a12345]

An tennis stroke is not one thing. Every stroke is minutely (or majorly) different from the next just as every racket is different from the next. A properly working nervous system will compute these differences in an instant and make the appropriate compensation. The characteristics of the racket will be quickly stored in the brains computer to be conjured as "muscle memory" the next time you swing. It won't take that long for the brain to understand how to swing any new racket you by. It won't be instantaneous but it will be fast.

Do you want to compensate your game to suit the racket though?

Lets say in your head youre looking to hit flat shots a lot of the time and you use an open string pattern that loops the ball upwards all the time.

Do you adjust your swing and game to the racket, or do you find a racket that behaves as you think it should?

Or the complete opposite - you want a baseline , high launching top spin game and you use and 18x20 racket. Do you want to adapt your technique to the closed pattern racket or do you want a racket that naturally suits your game and behaves the way you want it to?

 

[Shaolin]

Fedr has played better after moving to the current PS97, no?

Racquets does matter, even at the highest level.

Very true..when you get to where both players are close in skill level that is more evident. In general terms though it is the player not the racquet which is why there's a saying.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Players on the ATP Tour can play with any racquet and be pretty good! But most stick with the racquet they had when they were juniors. The players know the racquet, have been using the same racquet that has made their career where it is now and have other things to worry about then to go out and test a new racquet....unless their career has been on a slide!

 

[big ted]

Players on the ATP Tour can play with any racquet and be pretty good! But most stick with the racquet they had when they were juniors. The players know the racquet, have been using the same racquet that has made their career where it is now and have other things to worry about then to go out and test a new racquet....unless their career has been on a slide!

they asked isner why he uses an extra long frame when he's already so tall and he said its only because thats what he grew up with and that feels normal to him. he said if he grew up using a standard length racquet he'd prob use one today

 

[Djokovicfan]

An tennis stroke is not one thing. Every stroke is minutely (or majorly) different from the next just as every racket is different from the next. A properly working nervous system will compute these differences in an instant and make the appropriate compensation. The characteristics of the racket will be quickly stored in the brains computer to be conjured as "muscle memory" the next time you swing. It won't take that long for the brain to understand how to swing any new racket you by. It won't be instantaneous but it will be fast.

Nah, pros get more hardwired to their racquet than your argument suggests.
Thats why pros like verdasco cant get their **** together with all the switching of racquets hes been doing.