Help finding a player's/doubles racquet

[chip&chrge]

I'm shopping around for a new stick.

Head Size: 93-100 sq in head size
Weight: roughly mid 11oz to low 12oz range
balance: head light
flex: somewhere in the middle

any suggestions...I'm sick of plugging stuff in the racquet finder and am looking for some personal testaments.

Currently my main racquet is a PS classic 6.1 strung at 60 lbs.

Playing style: Serve and volleyer who loves doubles....

 

[dminh01]

try APDC it is very nice on the net and serve. Also easy on groundstroke

 

[Pathy01]

Becker BB11

I'd recommend the new Boris Becker BB11 racquet. It fits right in with the criteria you mention. I myself previously used ProStaff 6.0 and 6.1s for the last 10 or so years before recently switching to the BB11. I have been very impressed with this racquet in all regards. It has a dense 18x20 pattern but I generate more spin, especially on the serve than with the ProStaffs. It has a very large hitting area, is stable and comfortable both from the baseline and at the net. I am a smash and crasher also and find it suits this game very well. I'd say it's definitely worth a try. I haven't found any faults with it yet.

 

[Fedace]

Prince speedport black. Bryans say it has made their serve unbreakable.

 

[Craig Sheppard]

3 rackets I've really liked in the last few months that I'd consider using for a doubles/all-court type racket are:

Fischer Magnetic Tour 100
Dunlop Aerogel 500 Tour
Wilson nPro Open X

First one is my favorite, but is rather flexible, although it still has good pop. 2nd is solid all around and is more comfy than the flex number would say, 3rd has a great feeling balance and you can just rip it, but it's 27.5" long if you can take that. All are very maneuverable. Each has their strengths, and each offers a different feel -- I'd try each one if I were you and see which one feels best.

 

[vkartikv]

Volkl Tour 10 Gen II and Dunlop AG 200G are right there as far as chipping and charging goes.

 

[iplaybetter]

npro open is a nice doubles stick in my mind

 

[martin8768]

Yonex RDS 002 is exactly what your looking for demo it now!

 

[Wilson6-1]

npro open is a nice doubles stick in my mind

Agree, the npro open is solid, as is the n/k six-one 95.

 

[nickb]

You sound like a good candidate for an ncode/k factor 95....very solid racquets from all areas of the court and great at net.

Nick

 

[tennisrules531]

I would go with the Vokl tour 9-V Engine. It has very solid volleys at the net, and the groundstrokes have great feel. I love this racquet for doubles.

 

[grass_hopper]

try the head microgel radical pro. it is low power and very fast swing for volley. same as your racquet.

 

[chip&chrge]

Thanks for all the great suggestions thus far, I'm going to take some of them for a test drive at my local shop's demo program...

Now you guys have me interested in the nPro Open and the KSix One 95

 

[Craig Sheppard]

Thanks for all the great suggestions thus far, I'm going to take some of them for a test drive at my local shop's demo program...

Now you guys have me interested in the nPro Open and the KSix One 95

I demoed the nPro Open and Open X back to back, I preferred the Open X... it didn't feel as harsh as the nPro Open...but you may not think so. It also felt more solid to me, something very sweet about the swingweight/balance. I'd demo both if you can.

 

[LuckyR]

Kind of depends what you are looking for in a doubles stick. Some seek a low swingweight stick so they can come around on volleys faster (I used to to go that route). Now I have a more stable, heavier but polarized baseliner stick (although I S&V almost exclusively) since I have much more pop on my volleys and off center hits are still controlable.

 

[Gmedlo]

try the head microgel radical pro. it is low power and very fast swing for volley. same as your racquet.

I think the Microgel Radical MP is a better fit for doubles. Tighter string pattern, lower powered, more manuverable (lower SW).

I just switched to it off of a PS85 and I can tell you that the MG radical's stability is up to par with the 6.0, which is very hard to find and makes it great for volleying.

 

[Keifers]

Kind of depends what you are looking for in a doubles stick. Some seek a low swingweight stick so they can come around on volleys faster (I used to to go that route). Now I have a more stable, heavier but polarized baseliner stick (although I S&V almost exclusively) since I have much more pop on my volleys and off center hits are still controlable.

Well said. I've found that a stable, heavier racquet makes a BIG difference in those all-important first volleys. (I prefer stick weighing 12 - 12.5 ozs, or more.) If the balance is head light enough, say, at least 6 pts, I can still maneuver the racquet the way I want in quick exchanges at net (the heavier the frame, the more HL it needs to be).

 

[chip&chrge]

still indecisive

this feedback has been very helpful thus far...

as I mentioned previously, my current stick is a PS 6.1 95 which seems to be going ok. I picked up an oversized Wilson Sting on **** for $20 to see if I like the oversize feel (possibly going for a POG if I liked it), but I'm not used to it.

Now I'm leaning towards either a lighter players stick than my PS 6.1 (perhaps a Dunlop mfil or aerogel 200/300) or a lighter Wilson (like the nPro Opens).

Are there more racquets out there that you all have used in the 11-12oz range that are headlight that you love?

 

[Lindros13]

.....

Are there more racquets out there that you all have used in the 11-12oz range that are headlight that you love?

I love my Volkl BB10's! Mine weigh about 11.3 or 11.4 depending on the overgrip and string.

I also really like my former racquet, the Bab AeroPro Control and/or the Bab Pure Control, but they're stiffer and a little heaftier but still within your weight range. They have much more solid hits through heavy balls, but I still like my BB10's the best right now.

 

[D. Nelson]

.......WOW !!!! it just goes to show....that one man's ceiling is another man's floor; you people are all OVER the place on the reccomendations !!?!?!!? OUCH !!

 

[Keifers]

.......WOW !!!! it just goes to show....that one man's ceiling is another man's floor; you people are all OVER the place on the reccomendations !!?!?!!? OUCH !!

True. I've grooved my strokes to HL racquets that weigh 12-12.5 ozs. With some minor adjustments, I can play with ones that are as light as 11.6 ozs and as heavy as just-under-13 ozs.

But when I stray out of that range, I have a real hard time of it. For instance, I demoed the Speedport Red (10.7 ozs w/overgrip and dampener) earlier this year, and my timing was off, my serves were powerpuffs -- it was not pretty. Very nice racquet, but just not in my usual weight range.

 

[007]

Yonex Ti80
Slaz X1
TF335 16x20

I'm a 4.5+ and play a lot of dubs and use and highly recommend any of these 3 frames. The X1 is the stiffest, but is probably the most 'natural' dubs stick you'll ever hit and swings like a very natural extension of the arm. Wicked spin on serves, enough pop, very maneuverable, stable and quick thru the air. It does not have a generous sweetspot though, but is a lethal frame for serious dubs. Most would say it feels lighter than its spec would suggest, but plays to its spec.

The Ti80 has a more generous sweetspot, is more flexy in the throat, and has much more raw impact feel than the X1. Excellent balance for dubs/ S & V. Good stability but quick in the air.

The TF335 16x20 is the heaviest of the three and is like an X1 on steroids in just about every measure. Very crisp, solid impact feel, but surprisngly quick thru the air for its spec. The ost 'beef' of these three frames

IMO all are great dubs frames, but are equally adept all S & V/attacking singles tennis for strong players.

 

[chip&chrge]

I have to agree D. Nelson, I am getting some very varied opinions on this one....

However I did get to swing a BB11 yesterday and kinda liked it, I'm not sure on the length 27.5.

Still leaning towards the npro opens, still entertaining ideas though.