Federer needs to scrap that new racket - it has helped him ZERO

[sundaypunch]

Yes, they have. He's now using a bigger racquet. The result is fewer aces and lower serve speeds. No wonder Sampras stuck with his PS 85 for his entire career and continued to have the best serve in tennis until he retired.

And he now says that he regrets not switching to a bigger racquet.

 

[BreakPoint]

No, Safin used a Head racquet.

Safin? The GOAT? ROTFLMAO!!!!!

Only 2 Slams and a 2-10 H2H vs. Federer.

 

[BreakPoint]

And he now says that he regrets not switching to a bigger racquet.

And I regret not buying a lottery ticket because if I had of course I would have won. If Sampras had switched, he would have regretted switching. That's the thing about "regrets"- what didn't happen always seems to be better than what did happen. You always regret what you DIDN'T do, no matter what it is because you imagine how it would have turned out with rose colored glasses. Reality is a different story.

 

[BreakPoint]

Fair enough, but one important fact that you neglected to mention is that the 2012 Federer was 30, while the 2014 Federer is 32.

Well, isn't Djokovic also 2 years older? And I also neglected to mention that Djokovic also has a persistent wrist injury this year as well.

 

[BreakPoint]

Nobody uses the 90 for a reason.

You just can't sacrifice consistency for control anymore at that level. Yes, I know Federer was using it in his prime but he's not in his prime now and most of the top players have gone 98+ since 2004.

Yes, people are brainwashed and most pros did not grow up using a wood racquet or a Mid like the PS 6.0 85, like Federer did.

 

[BreakPoint]

I agree that it has hardly helped him, but there is no reason to switch back. The older racket was not going to win him Wimbledon yesterday either.

What this shows us is how ridiculous it is for amateurs (and former pros like BG!) to advocate for a bigger racket as if it would drastically help a guy who had won 17 slams with his older one. I remember the comments last year like "It is simple physics. Bigger racket=more power on serves". All of that seems so silly now. Federer's 1st serve is still like 115 mph range on average. He didn't hit a serve bigger than 127 mph this entire tournament. Not that it matters, Federer still has a fantastic serve, but the whole "extra power/easier power" nonsense was wrong. Amateur tennis rules don't apply to Federer.

Interesting fact, in the 2006 Wimbledon final Federer hit a 136 mph fault.

I still have bullet holes from all the attacks I've sustained on this board over the past few years for pointing out exactly this. It's nice to feel vindicated.

 

[Devilito]

it'll be a riot when at the US Open he uses a PS90 with a PS97 PJ just to not kill all the money Wilson dumped into this pig

 

[burn1986]

"What this shows us is how ridiculous it is for amateurs (and former pros like BG!) to advocate for a bigger racket as if it would drastically help a guy who had won 17 slams with his older one."

I still have bullet holes from all the attacks I've sustained on this board over the past few years for pointing out exactly this. It's nice to feel vindicated.

LOL, Love it!

 

[michaelscoots]

I think his fitness is better now than in 2012, so age isn't really a factor. And his mental toughness was on display in the 4th set. Amazing that he came back and won 5 games in a row to put it to a 5th set! Really incredible…so much respect for that man/player; perhaps even more now.

However, I have to agree; the forehand hasn't looked as lethal with the new racquet. And he's clearly not as confident in swinging out. I kept saying to myself, "I wish he never switched!"

The other thing I have noticed is that his slices aren't as penetrating in general. This is critical on grass…keep it low and driving and take time away from your opponent. Instead, many slices would sit up giving Nole a perfect ball to tee off on.

Yes, he had issues that he worked through on his back in 2012 and took both Nole and Murray at Wimbledon with the 90. Again, I believe his fitness is even stronger now having the right exercise routine to keep his back healthy. His gut was to stick with what has worked, was right. Here's hoping he goes back to it…I really think it will be to his benefit.