Does a powerful racket make it easier to generate ball speed?
- Thread starter yitian78
- Start date
not exactly sure. but when I see racquet reviews people always say whether a racquet is more power or control oriented, guess that's what I'm referring to
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Power is essentially defined as the ability of the racket to deliver swing energy to the ball. So rackets that don’t absorb energy are powerful. And that means you need to provide less swing energy to get the ball moving as far.
esgee48
Legend
[1] Da Player
[2] The racquet
[3] The strings and its tension
All three components determine how well or unwell you play this sport. Since you mentioned item 2, it should be considered in the context of items 1 and 3 being the same. A 'more powerful racquet' will drive the ball deeper. That deeper shot could be related to how high the ball is when it clears the net. It could also be related to increased velocity when the ball leaves the racquet. Note that there is no mention of increased accuracy or precision.
The posts above are ways to look at what makes a racquet powerful. Another way is to say that you are using a powerful racquet is when you do not have to put as much effort into the kill shot as you normally would. However, what makes a racquet powerful is also dependent on item 1. A granny stick in the hands of an advanced player, NTRP 4.5+, would be too active for that player to use their advanced technique. A 95-98 in² racquet would allow such players to utilize their technique. What constitutes a powerful racquet is very dependent on the player.
Don't get me started on strings......
[2] The racquet
[3] The strings and its tension
All three components determine how well or unwell you play this sport. Since you mentioned item 2, it should be considered in the context of items 1 and 3 being the same. A 'more powerful racquet' will drive the ball deeper. That deeper shot could be related to how high the ball is when it clears the net. It could also be related to increased velocity when the ball leaves the racquet. Note that there is no mention of increased accuracy or precision.
The posts above are ways to look at what makes a racquet powerful. Another way is to say that you are using a powerful racquet is when you do not have to put as much effort into the kill shot as you normally would. However, what makes a racquet powerful is also dependent on item 1. A granny stick in the hands of an advanced player, NTRP 4.5+, would be too active for that player to use their advanced technique. A 95-98 in² racquet would allow such players to utilize their technique. What constitutes a powerful racquet is very dependent on the player.
Don't get me started on strings......
SinneGOAT
Hall of Fame
A stiffer racquet with a thicker beam and a larger headsize produce a more powerful ball. A softer stringbed will also produce more power.
With the reviews, I think you have to take shot speed with a grain of salt. They adjust to lower powered frames by swinging harder or flatter to get the shot they want. The spin data might be a bit more reliable....but again that assumes they're trying to hit the same way with the review racquet as they do with their racquet "of choice" $.02Funny how the average speed of shot by the playtesters on the TW reviews is roughly always the same regardless of the racket though
They might also be adapting the string as well. When I play with various racquets the speed/power(of ball) is often similar. The difference is how much effort I applied to get it there. ) Powerful racquets I reduce my power greatly unless I can add extra spin. Racquets with less power I increase the power by taking a full swing.
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Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
I play with a number of different frames all varying in power levels and I certainly notice that I adjust to the racket in two ways:
1) Swing plane (hit more vertical vectors with the powerful frames to add spin)
2) String tension (higher tension in more powerful frames)
So my shot depth and pace will be very similar. The difference will be the spin levels. I'll get more spin and a loopier ball with the power frames and I'll get a flatter more precise ball with the control frames.
Power Player
Talk Tennis Guru
Sometimes yeah. That’s why I personally look at effort more than anything now. It’s not an exact science but I wear an apple watch and look at my average heart rate over the course of a few weeks using one racquet versus another in similar conditions. What I found was that I could hit as hard with a power racquet as a control frame, but it took less energy to do so. Sometimes my average heart rate was 10beats less, which is pretty substantial. I’d always feel that I was using less energy but that’s super anecdotal so it was nice to have some data behind it as well.Funny how the average speed of shot by the playtesters on the TW reviews is roughly always the same regardless of the racket though
Dartagnan64
G.O.A.T.
Are the control frames same static and swing weight as the power frames in your comparison? Most of my control frames are a bit heavier so it definitely takes a bit more effort to swing them. That being said I tend to play shorter points with control frames as I go for my spots more than I do with a power frame where I'm more conservative in my targets. But depth is the same for me with either frame.
I will say a control frame, is harder to serve many games with. That causes me more arm fatigue than any other aspect of using them. Again likely heft is the issue.
Power Player
Talk Tennis Guru
In order to get power out of a control frame I find I need a little higher SW and static weight. That is another reason for energy advantage, I can use a lighter frame with a lighter SW and generate more power.