@Underdog - You've gotten glimpses of the whole answer across several posts, but I'll tie it all together for you.
First off, the player. Yes, footwork, cognition and stroke mechanics need to improve. But that goes without saying, in almost any case. Beyond that, those who are discounting the racquet entirely are missing out on being able to at least hedge the bet in the player's favor. The racquet, or at least the way it's been customized, is very much contributing to her inability to execute. I'll explain why below:
Presuming that 100L v7 is on-spec and the only mods are just one over grip and 6g of lead at 10 and 2, strung spec should be 312g/34cm(1ptHL)/~330sw/15.2tw/150rw/20.36mgr/i . Positives: static weight, recoil weight and twist weight are likely close to appropriate enough for her. Negatives: primarily, the MGR/i is likely far too low to allow for easy/early-enough timing and frontal-enough contact, and secondarily, the 330 swing weight is probably a bit too much for her endurance and brute strength levels as well. For the unaware, see
this MGR/i educational primer by Impacting Tennis -- I'll quote the implications of a high or low MGR/i on stroke mechanics and timing below, of which I've bolded the most important points as they are relevant to your friend, including the last sentence, which overall is the most important:
So, what needs to be done? Primarily, we need to increase MGR/i and ideally lower the swing weight.
Starting with the Blade 100L v7, there's only so much you can do, but for starters, I'd peel off the lead at 10 and 2 -- yes, sacrificing the newfound twist weight boost -- and relocate it (or just trash it and use a single 24" piece) onto the base grip pallet, wound in a spaced-out enough spiral that the lead winds its way from the top of the butt cap taper to just before where the pallet tapers towards the neck; or, replace the stock base grip with a 5-7g heavier one, like a Gamma Hi-Tech or similar, then re-apply the over grip. This will give you a racquet that has the same static weight but will be more maneuverable, easier to accelerate from zero (with a 316 swing weight) and easier to make contact with out in front (from an MGR/i of ~20.6, versus 20.36 previously). Whether all of that together is enough to help her nail her timing to a satisfactory level, you'll only know by trying. That said, it will come at the price of less lateral stability, free power and stroke guidance (from the now-removed hoop lead), but at least she'll be able to time and wield the thing with more ease, hopefully.
For something even more timing-optimized but also laterally stable in stock form, I would look for a similarly-weighted stick, but a stock strung swing weight of <=310, strung balance <=3pt HL (>=33.3cm) and strung twist weight of ideally >=15. If you were willing to use a platform frame, I would actually consider the
Wilson Pro Staff 100 Team v14. Why? Because of all the sticks in that weight class, it has by far the highest stock strung MGR/i (at 21.1!), albeit a very low swing weight and recoil weight, so it will require customization, but you'll be able to get her to exactly the spec that will play best for her. In particular, I would add 5g of lead at 10 and 2, plus 8g of weight under the butt cap (7.5g of tungsten putty inside a .5g cotton ball) and an over grip (~6g). Strung spec will be: 317g/32.4cm(~6pts HL)/306sw/15+tw/147rw/21mgr/i -- perfect recoil and static weight for her size and physical condition and a way better mgr/i for allowing her to time properly and hit out front. The only question mark will be the low swing weight, which, yes, will produce a much lower-powered serve and ground stroke, but if it's timing we're really after here, then something has to give, at least for now. I would counter that with a full bed of springy, high-powered, comfortable multi (for her wrist as well), something like X-1 Biphase or similar, strung around 50, maybe low-50's. That should add some power back in, and make for an overall very playable, pretty comfortable setup.
Hope all of that helps. Any questions, feel free.
