Do you have a preferred brand you feel some loyalty to?

My preferred racquet brand that I feel loyal to is:

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socallefty

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
Simple poll question. Do you have a preferred RACQUET brand that you feel a strong loyalty to where you are more likely to buy their models over other brands?

In my case, I’ve developed some loyalty to Babolat racquets after using them for 24 years. Have liked and used primarily the Pure Control, AeroStorm Tour and Pure Strike Tours in that period. I demo’d other brands and their >11.7 oz offerings when I switched to the PC, the AST and the 1st Gen PST, but didn’t try other racquets when I moved to the G3 PST which my wife uses now also.

I’m more likely to demo or buy outright new Babolat racquets when I’m in the market to change models. It is not a rational affiliation, but more that brands you use for a long time get entertwined with your identity and it happens for me with other products I use in my life also. If a brand keeps me happy, I don’t look around. Others have racquet brand preferences like that?
 
No real loyalty for me, I used Babolat and Head rackets coming up, now use Wilson primarily, and have come close to switching to Yonex from time to time. Curious about Prince, and my first racket in high school was Pro Kennex. Anything and everything, whatever works at the time. Same with strings, grips, dampeners, and bags. They're all pretty good, they all have some really good products and some products I don't love. That's why they're big brands -- they have a broad enough appeal to survive. But I'm not more likely to buy one brand's racket over another -- it's all about the demo for me. I demo it, and if I like it, I'm on it.
 
I don’t have a preferred brand, but I‘m more interested in certain rackets. For me, any updates of Prestige Pro, Pure Strike Tour, Blade 98 18x20 and Prince Tour and Phantom series interest me the most, Lately, I’m loving the CX 200 Tour 18x20 and will be trying out the new updated CX 200 line soon.
 
used to be wilson, now its Prince, the textreme tour 100 310g just seems to have a nice balance of all i want in a racquet, could be a bit better for flat serves but no racket is perfect, is good for spin serves tough, i also use prince overgrips, theyre ok and the price for the pack was good, i like to match my bag with my rackets as its what i always have seen on tv from the players, so i use the prince 12 racket bag too, i guess im a prince guy xD
 
I love and have used Pure Strikes, Prestiges, Speed Pros, and the old school Princes decades ago, but when one of my Speed Pros came in so out of spec it was hilarious, I went Yonex, as long as they keep the quality going I'm staying Yonex.
 
I buy racquets based on demo, but I've played a lot of Wilson over the years.

I have an irrational dislike of Prince. It's because of their goofy oversized frames in the '80s. Never played one, but I hated looking at them. Also the big ugly "P" logo. As I said, irrational.
 
In past 17 years, it's been Volkl, Wilson, Yonex and Technifibre, so I voted no loyalty. I do favor these brands but would consider other brands based on how they play.
 
Dunlop. Well, loyalty in so far as I liked the M-fil/MW95 racquets. Then, as my stock dwindled, I found the CX 200 Tour to play just as good, switched and bought a whole bunch (and grommets) so I never have to buy another racquet again.
 
emhtennis said:
Angell. I've always rooted for the underdog in most everything.

I currently own 5x Angell frames and wish I owned more. They are the biggest serving rackets I may ever play which is my favorite quality about them. I also love how their gloss paint feels in the hand.
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Somehow I own more Angell frames now (5x) than the next closest (Babolat with 4).

They are a great company.

But I have no loyalty. If Walmart makes the best racket for me, I'm in!
 
I’ll always take a look at what Head has first, so in that sense I’m loyal to Head. Once I find a rackets in the line up I jive with, I look for similar rackets elsewhere to see if I like them more.

I grew up with their stuff and if I’m looking to change I first look there, but I don’t see a reason to be loyal to a racket brand if they don’t pay me. I’ll hit with whatever I play best with.
 
I’m a lot into Head, but I’m not sure how it happened: maybe there’s a reason I first fell in love with skis, I have my expert level ski boots and my slalom pro stocks from them…

And Head racquets kind of happened to be great for me. Although I consider other options, I always hope for Head one to appear better and matching my needs, after all ;)
 
I have too many Babola’ rackets. I own multiple rackets in every iteration of their lineup. I’m a sucker when it comes to their marketing. I see someone on television with a Babola’ racket, and I’m like, “Yup, that’s my next racket.” And that’s how I have too many Babola’ rackets.

I kind of feel the same way towards Head rackets, but not as much. Sometimes I see Sinner ripping those forehands, and I think to myself, “Do I get the MP or the PRO?”
 
Soundbyte said:
But I have no loyalty. If Walmart makes the best racket for me, I'm in!
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Did you ever play with the Kirkland 98 Tour from Costco? That thing is a beast. Buttery feel but with put-away power, total spin monster on kick serves, and the dense spacing of the 8 mains in the throat means it has pinpoint control. Go for the 2013 model not the 2017.
 
TwinCinema said:
Did you ever play with the Kirkland 98 Tour from Costco? That thing is a beast. Buttery feel but with put-away power, total spin monster on kick serves, and the dense spacing of the 8 mains in the throat means it has pinpoint control. Go for the 2013 model not the 2017.
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You joke but knowing Costco, if they did this it'd probably be OEM Head pro stocks straight out of Austria...


... But no one would believe them because they sell them for $99 each.
 
Wilson all the way. My first junior racquet was one, then I moved up to a 5.5 Pro Staff 110"

Then a Hammer 6.2 95 when I was about 13, then in HS a PS 6.1 95", then a PS 4.2 95"

Then when I came back to tennis I started playing with friends and just inheriting their racquets and buying new copies. PK7G from 2009-2014, then Prince Warrior from 16-20, then TF40 from 20-21. Tore my rotator cuff and came back with a Clash 98 and I've never played better. I built my game with Wilson mid-sizers and I just haven't been happy with anything else.

Now I own a 6.0, a 6.1, two RF97A, six Clash 98 and I'm looking to dump 4 Warriors and 3 TF40. I learned my lesson, Wilson only from now on.
 
As I have been involved in the tennis industry for a long time I have had arrangements and deals with various companies and retailers and built up lots of friendships and loyalties but in the last few years this has not been happening as much as companies have scaled back how they deal with various stakeholders, some of the local
retailers shut down and moved on, and the exchange rate and cost structures have changed so much that ordering particular brands has become very prohibitive,
At present I do like what Tennis Warehouse and its Australian sister shops do and I order a lot of gear through them along with some other local suppliers for various things.
 
I have some childhood nostalgia for Dunlop. But it has faded somewhat as I have not demoed a Dunlop racquet that I wanted to make my racquet for several years now. Not that they don't produce good sticks, but partially because I don't like customizing, and they refuse to put out a heavier racquet that isn't 95".

I have some affinity towards Babolat as the first racquet I chose on my own after extensive demoing was a Babolat (Pure Strike)

And I have some affinity towards Yonex as I've been playing with one for the past couple years.

But really, I enjoy finding "the one" more than satisfying any brand loyalties I might have. In general, I tend to have "must demo" model lines, "maybe will demo if I get around to it", and "probably ignore unless it changes drastically", not brand-specific.
 
It’s been yonex for me for a long time despite playing with a lot of frames of most brands.

However I’m at dilemma where I kind of want to just sell all my rackets and buy 4 POG’s and grind. holicism innit
 
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I’m attached to certain brands from different time periods...it’s like a time capsule to use older frames.

The golden era of babolat (for me at least) is 1999-2005 when they established them selves as more than string/gut manufacturers. (Swirly & Team generations) talking about quality of the sticks & not pro endorsements) also love the 2014 PC95+)

Prince: right now are producing some bangers (phantoms, Tours, Twistpower, Synergy)

Tecnifibre: TF40s play great

Yonex: Dual G from a couple of years ago are amazing

Bridgestone & Toalson: no one else uses them and a couple are absolute gems (me being a tennis hipster)
 
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I had a babolat loyalty after using pure storms in middle school and high school, and then pure strike in early adulthood. But that loyalty got wrecked after I started having wrist issues with the pure strike when I came back from a break that went away as soon as I tried someone’s Speed. So the ghost of Babolat Pain haunted me away from trying other Babolat frames (though I would like to try one of the new Pure Strikes).

I thought I might become a Dunlop loyalist because the feel is great and I generally enjoyed every single thing I tried from them, but nothing felt just right. Playing the TT310 quite happily but it’s hard to be a Prince enthusiast with the company’s future constantly in question.
 
I have an affinity but not loyalty to Wilson.
Used the RF97 awhile then the Ultra Tour for a long time then Ultra Pro (16M). Also liked the Pro Staff 97 that was black with the red at 3/9. (Shoulda stuck with that)

I think all brands have their unique feel and I enjoy Wilson's, but some of their recent models have grown more muted, which I'm not a fan. Holding out for a V9 Blade 18x19 release.
Currently on the Pure Strike VS ('22) and will be for awhile unless something disastrous happens.
 
Rosstour said:
Wilson all the way. My first junior racquet was one, then I moved up to a 5.5 Pro Staff 110"

Then a Hammer 6.2 95 when I was about 13, then in HS a PS 6.1 95", then a PS 4.2 95"

Then when I came back to tennis I started playing with friends and just inheriting their racquets and buying new copies. PK7G from 2009-2014, then Prince Warrior from 16-20, then TF40 from 20-21. Tore my rotator cuff and came back with a Clash 98 and I've never played better. I built my game with Wilson mid-sizers and I just haven't been happy with anything else.

Now I own a 6.0, a 6.1, two RF97A, six Clash 98 and I'm looking to dump 4 Warriors and 3 TF40. I learned my lesson, Wilson only from now on.
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I played high level doubles for 2 years with two guys who had been playing Wilson exclusively for almost 40 years.

Ones evolution was from the PS85 thru various generations of Prostaff

The other was 6.1 original then Tour, Burn, and now the Ultra Pro.

Both of them can volley like demons, haha
 
For the past 5-10 years, I have developed a brand loyalty to Yonex racquets, but that certainly wasn't always the case. I have also owned Wilson, Head, and Prince frames too. For the most of the 1990's, I played with a Wilson Sledge Hammer, and in the 2000's, a Prince Triple Threat, and for part of 2010's, a Radical.
 
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emhtennis said:
I played high level doubles for 2 years with two guys who had been playing Wilson exclusively for almost 40 years.

Ones evolution was from the PS85 thru various generations of Prostaff

The other was 6.1 original then Tour, Burn, and now the Ultra Pro.

Both of them can volley like demons, haha
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This thread made me look on the big auction site and now I have a Hammer 6.2 on the way.
 
Yonex always gets my attention first. I switched frames a lot when I was a teenager, until I got my first Yonex. Loved the feel, it was the first frame I ever really stuck with. When I came back to the game, I demoed a whole bunch of racquets but made sure to try all the different Yonex lines first.

In the end I'm not really "loyal" to them, if something helps me play better then I'm always open to it. Wilson and Dunlop are the other brands that always catch my eye, and I've played more over the years.
 
Not loyalty per se but there are definitely some brands (Head, Yonex, Technifibre for some unknown reason) that excite me more than others so are more likely to get my attention and consideration. If there is any loyalty without excitement it would actually be to Wilson, since I learned the game playing their racquets.
 
Used to love Yonex but my racket preference changes over time and now it's more like the type of racket I choose.
Owning Wilson, Head, Dunlop and Artengo at the moment so I voted no brand loyalty.
 
Yonex.

Partly it's because I like that they have relatively few and well defined racquet lines. Unlike some other brands where there are so many lines that overlap and don't each have a clear identity.

But mostly it's because they have great quality control. I've been burned by other brands where I ordered a racquet following a demo, and then ended up with something different to the demo stick. And where I've bought more than one, getting sticks that don't feel and play the same.

Whereas I've bought multiple Yonex frames over the last 6-7 years or so, and have not had any negative experiences.
 
I’d have to lean towards Yonex as I’ve been on-again off-again for 45 years. Started with the R-27, then R-50, then a couple of their widebodies in the early 90s, one of the Cyborgs, then RD Power 10 Long, Ti-50, VCORE Pro (first version), then Dr-98, multiple lines of VCORE 98s.
 
Wilson and Yonex if I had to pick, but I play with everything and love Heads and Babolats and TFs too. So I guess a long way of saying, kind of, not really, maybe, a little.
 
I've always had a soft spot for Wilson, though I will buy other racquet brands readily. My preference is to find something I enjoy and then stick with it.

Wilson was the ubiquitous brand in the 90s, my formative tennis years. Their racquets were everywhere, from the many Pro Staffs and Profiles and later the Hyper Carbon models — and the paintjobs were often very good and eye-catching. And as I later discovered when I tried the 6.1 95 and Blades (older gens), I enjoy the crisp feel Wilson is known for.
 
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Spec driven purely. Started with low RA Wilson when most worried about elbow. Then Yonex when I wanted whippy. Then Prince when I got into maneuverable18x20. Now Head gpro for thin beam big sweet spot. Will likely stay with gpro for a few years.
 
Interesting that all the poll options so far in terms of named brands are about even while Babolat is way smaller. Surprising as you see a lot of Aeros and Drives at most tennis courts and they are amongst the bestselling racquet models.
 
I’d say I have a superficial loyalty to Yonex. I’ve had three racquets so far: Aero ‘16, VCP ‘21 and Aero 98. I like the performance of my current Aero 98 (although I might have to switch due to arm health issues), but the VCP just felt like a much better product overall. Holding both at the same time, the Babolat feels cheap, honestly. I’m considering experimenting with a Head Gravity MP, looking for that forgiving controlled profile and low RA. I’m really into cosmetics and a little into endorsements, so that also counts for me and made me not go for EZONE or VCORE when switching for the 98sq inch frame from the VCP. Maybe the Gravitt will change things.
 
socallefty said:
Interesting that all the poll options so far in terms of named brands are about even while Babolat is way smaller. Surprising as you see a lot of Aeros and Drives at most tennis courts and they are amongst the bestselling racquet models.
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you're not allowed on these forums if you don't have an affinity for control and classic feel. all of us can generate our own power and don't need help from our sticks. we're also all 4.5s here.
 
Somewhat to my own surprise, and delight, actually, I've become a Babolat guy. Not that I was really ever an anything guy before (tried 'em all at this point), but I'm definitely squarely in the Babs camp now.
 
socallefty said:
Interesting that all the poll options so far in terms of named brands are about even while Babolat is way smaller. Surprising as you see a lot of Aeros and Drives at most tennis courts and they are amongst the bestselling racquet models.
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IMO Babolat captures a lot of new players, and once you start developing, your preferences change and they don’t have the product breadth of Wilson/head/yonex/etc.

I use a Babolat currently, but if I look to move back to a control racket it’ll probably be a blade/radical/speed rather than a pure strike
 
I’m partial to the Head box beam racquets from the 90s and their re-issues. The “newer” racquets I buy tend to be from the smaller brands like Diadem, Angell, etc. but what I always return to are the classic Head racquets.
 
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