Has anyone noticed a lessening of arm or shoulder problems when serving with a midsi

[RyanC]

Im not saying that midsize racquets are best for your shoulder or anything like that (im sure someone else has said it, but that isnt what Im talking about). What I mean is, Ive been having shoulder problems last month of so (only when I serve and at the front of the shoulder). My first thought was that my technique had gotten sloppy. Usually my results drop when my technique fails but that hadn't happened. Even so I had a coach give me the once over to see if there was a glitch. He didn't see anything and thought it all looked sound. Next I tried dropping tension and switching over to natural gut. No help there although it sure did feel better than my usual multis (I never use poly or any stiff string). Then i started messing around with racquets to see if a different stick with a different set up (more weight here, less weight there - that kind of set up) could help. Tried some heavier oversize racquets then tried some lighter ones. Did the same with the midplus sticks - heavy and lighter. No luck until I got to some old midsize racquets I had laying around. Prince Graphite 90, Volkl C10 Mid, and a Head iPrestige mid. No troubles in any way at all when serving with them.

So why is that the case? Why would those two midsize racquets be more comfortable for me than the equally heavy Prince Graphite OS, Avery M5, k95, n6.1 95?

Trouble is, I don't volley as well or hit my groundstrokes as well with a mid as I do with a midplus or oversize. But, the mid doesn't hurt my shoulder. Catch-22.

 

[Power Player]

I think heavier is better because it keeps you from overswinging to generate pace. You spend years grooving your swing with the heavier racquets, and then you try to blast serves with ~an 11 oz racquet, and it changes your technique. JMO.

 

[baek57]

playing pain free is the only way to go. use the mid and adapt your strokes to it.

 

[backhand]

There have been some long threads recently on this; lot of disagreement. Try a search.

As a former mid player switching to lighter larger, I'd say that heavier racquets FEEL better, especially if you mishit. And smaller heads are definitely easier to serve with. But no longer sure that over time they're friendlier to the shoulder. Maybe to the elbow and wrist. And anyway suspect it's more about the HL nature of heavy mids than their actual weight or size. Our joints like really HL sticks...

 

[matchmaker]

I have the exact same experience. I am a terrible TE case and when I play with my Wilson Reflex mids I hardly feel a thing.

Explanation? Maybe mids force you to economize your movement and put thus less strain on the body.

 

[AndrewD]

As a former mid player switching to lighter larger, I'd say that heavier racquets FEEL better, especially if you mishit. And smaller heads are definitely easier to serve with. But no longer sure that over time they're friendlier to the shoulder. Maybe to the elbow and wrist. And anyway suspect it's more about the HL nature of heavy mids than their actual weight or size. Our joints like really HL sticks...

Agree about the HL balance being of greater benefit but I don't think it's a simple as that. I've also got shoulder problems and have considerably less discomfort when swinging an old (circa 1987) Head Prestige Pro mid, despite the fact that it is only around 4pts HL. Over the course of a day, the weight might tire my shoulder but not hurt it in the way I experience with other frames. Unfortunately, like the OP, I don't play my best with a mid and am a bit too competitive to just accept that there isn't a midplus or oversize that will help me out.

 

[MTChong]

Im not saying that midsize racquets are best for your shoulder or anything like that (im sure someone else has said it, but that isnt what Im talking about). What I mean is, Ive been having shoulder problems last month of so (only when I serve and at the front of the shoulder). My first thought was that my technique had gotten sloppy. Usually my results drop when my technique fails but that hadn't happened. Even so I had a coach give me the once over to see if there was a glitch. He didn't see anything and thought it all looked sound. Next I tried dropping tension and switching over to natural gut. No help there although it sure did feel better than my usual multis (I never use poly or any stiff string). Then i started messing around with racquets to see if a different stick with a different set up (more weight here, less weight there - that kind of set up) could help. Tried some heavier oversize racquets then tried some lighter ones. Did the same with the midplus sticks - heavy and lighter. No luck until I got to some old midsize racquets I had laying around. Prince Graphite 90, Volkl C10 Mid, and a Head iPrestige mid. No troubles in any way at all when serving with them.

So why is that the case? Why would those two midsize racquets be more comfortable for me than the equally heavy Prince Graphite OS, Avery M5, k95, n6.1 95?

Trouble is, I don't volley as well or hit my groundstrokes as well with a mid as I do with a midplus or oversize. But, the mid doesn't hurt my shoulder. Catch-22.

The only theory I have on this (pure intuition mind you, not anything scientifically tested so keep that in mind) is that the mids cut through the air better, and especially on a serve where you're putting a lot of shoulder into it, it'll put more stress on the shoulder to use a bigger racquet.

Compounding that issue is the fact that an oversize, even if a heavier racquet like the POG OS, will twist more than a midsize. For instance ,say we have two racquets, a mid that weights 12.2oz and the POG OS that weighs 12.2oz (don't know if it actually does). The Oversize has more surface area and thus, in terms of mass density, the POG OS has less mass density than a mid -- especially in the hoop. Now, if the balances are equal to each other and headlight, as heavier racquets traditionally are, it seems to me that the POG OS would be more prone to twist on off center shots. That can cause an additional strain on your forearm, elbow, shoulder, etc.

Finally, because of the aforementioned lesser manueverability of the oversize frames, it may throw your timing off a little. It's possible that the coaches can't spot the small differences, or that you're actually muscling the ball more to get the racquet to cut through the air like a mid.

Just my thoughts. And once again, it's all speculation.

 

[2nd_Serve]

Well...My K90's definately played a bit more friendly to my arm than my Babolat Pure Drive.

 

[m1stuhxsp4rk5]

it could possibly that because a midsize is smaller it may swing better and feel more comfortable and that a oversize is more sluggish going though the air so it doesnt feel as smooth. just a thought

 

[superstition]

Twist from off center hitting is a bigger problem as the head size increases from what I recall from racquetresearch.com

 

[anirut]

I think (yes, I only think and it's not a fact) that the reason you find mids forgiving on serves is because mids are usually head-light with lower SW (in relation to the racket weight).

This is just an "idea" and yet to be proven.

 

[pfchang]

well there is a slight generalization about mids.
they're ripped and they are usually flexy.

most of the mass will absorb any unwanted shock, and a more flexier stick will probably help benefit that as well.

 

[pianotennis]

From my personal experience I think it has more to do with flex of racquets rather than head size. I never had TE or shoulder problems, but one of the reasons that I switched back to Dunlop Max 200G after playing PS85 for many years is that my arms and shoulder do feel much more comfortable with 200g. Also in comparison with PS85, I feel more comfortable with Prince Magnesium 90, although it has bigger head size. I think balance or weight are also factors, but it seems to me head size has little to do with it.

 

[RyanC]

I dont mean arm comfort due to less vibration - not flex.

What I guess i'm driving at is that Ive found midsize racquets put less strain on my shoulder while serving than all other racquets with larger head sizes. Im not talking about stiffness or vibration or anything like that. All i mean is that mids seem to lessen the strain on my shoulder. The only mid I have had any trouble with was the volkl dnx10 midsize but I didn't like that racquet in any capacity and it did seem kind of big and awkward for a mid.

 

[backhand]

Agree about the HL balance being of greater benefit but I don't think it's a simple as that. I've also got shoulder problems and have considerably less discomfort when swinging an old (circa 1987) Head Prestige Pro mid, despite the fact that it is only around 4pts HL. Over the course of a day, the weight might tire my shoulder but not hurt it in the way I experience with other frames. Unfortunately, like the OP, I don't play my best with a mid and am a bit too competitive to just accept that there isn't a midplus or oversize that will help me out.

Interesting. Don't know much about the Heads from then, but if like early 90's, has lots of flex (58 or so?) and maybe their version of Kevlar (Twaron). Hard to isolate what's helping. I do know that I never had any arm issues with my ancient PS 85, even though it was stiff, heavy, and a lot better than I was. Ditto with my old Volkl Gen I mids, which were very flexy. My Diablo Mid gave me a few wrist twinges, but nothing serious, and it was a 66-67 flex. Problem is that none of them were helping me stay in games against guys with PD's...

 

[woodrow1029]

AndrewD, I just came across a post of yours from last year saying that you called lines at the Aus Open for 12 years. Im wondering which 12? I am a chair umpire from the US and worked at Aus. Open in 2002-2005. Send me an email.

 

[ratm355]

The older rackets are likely a lot more flexible than the modern rackets. If you're looking for a shoulder friendly racket, lighter and more flexible is the way to go. From my experience, it's best to just do some shoulder/rotator cuff strengthening along with rotator cuff flexibility exercises. After that, you'll probably be fine with most rackets. As far as the service motion, it might help to stand more sideways so your shoulder rotates more internally. You can toss it lower if necessary. Remember, that the power should not be coming from your shoulder...it's just along for the ride.