Help with Racquet options - getting back into Tennis

[Tigerarp1]

Hi all, well it's been about 8 years since I was active on this forum. I played tennis in college as well as taught as an assistant pro for about 2 years while in school. Back then I played at a 5.0 level. I had a chronic foot injury and a worn out shoulder after 4 years of college tennis, so I took a few years off in my early 20's. I started trying to get back into it about 4 years ago and developed some minor heart issues which kept me from doing anything athletic until now. It's been about 8 years since I really picked up a tennis racquet and honestly I'm pretty out of shape right now.

1 month ago i started trying to hit with my old Wilson nCode 6.1 16x18 racquets - and found them to be a bit stiff and jarring on my shoulder as well as feeling much heavier than I remembered. I tried out a buddies pure drive Roddick which really helped my slow, out of shape self quite nicely. I was able to hit with pace and spin without having to put SO much effort into every ball. However, after about an hour - my whole arm was hurting. Next, I tried out a Volkl c-10 pro as I remember it being a great, soft frame back when I was a 5.0. Now, while very comfortable - I had to work even harder to generate pace and spin than I did with my Wilson's.

So, I've been out of the game so long that I'm a bit lost trying to find frames to Demo. Can't seem to even find the current Wilson 6.1 frames. Yonex and Head frames all seem wildly different than I remember. So, I'm looking for frame advice. I'm needing something that helps me out a bit in the power and spin department like the Pure Drive Roddick but is softer and a bit easier to swing than my Wilson 6.1's.

Racquets I've played with:
- Head i. Prestige mid for 4 years in high school
- Vantage Custom 90's 63RA for 1 year in College (had them create a 16x18 version of my i. Prestige)
- Wilson nCode 6.1 95's for 3 years in college and sitting in storage for 8 years till now.

Any and all recommendations are appreciated!

 

[PhxRacket]

Hi all, well it's been about 8 years since I was active on this forum. I played tennis in college as well as taught as an assistant pro for about 2 years while in school. Back then I played at a 5.0 level. I had a chronic foot injury and a worn out shoulder after 4 years of college tennis, so I took a few years off in my early 20's. I started trying to get back into it about 4 years ago and developed some minor heart issues which kept me from doing anything athletic until now. It's been about 8 years since I really picked up a tennis racquet and honestly I'm pretty out of shape right now.

1 month ago i started trying to hit with my old Wilson nCode 6.1 16x18 racquets - and found them to be a bit stiff and jarring on my shoulder as well as feeling much heavier than I remembered. I tried out a buddies pure drive Roddick which really helped my slow, out of shape self quite nicely. I was able to hit with pace and spin without having to put SO much effort into every ball. However, after about an hour - my whole arm was hurting. Next, I tried out a Volkl c-10 pro as I remember it being a great, soft frame back when I was a 5.0. Now, while very comfortable - I had to work even harder to generate pace and spin than I did with my Wilson's.

So, I've been out of the game so long that I'm a bit lost trying to find frames to Demo. Can't seem to even find the current Wilson 6.1 frames. Yonex and Head frames all seem wildly different than I remember. So, I'm looking for frame advice. I'm needing something that helps me out a bit in the power and spin department like the Pure Drive Roddick but is softer and a bit easier to swing than my Wilson 6.1's.

Racquets I've played with:
- Head i. Prestige mid for 4 years in high school
- Vantage Custom 90's 63RA for 1 year in College (had them create a 16x18 version of my i. Prestige)
- Wilson nCode 6.1 95's for 3 years in college and sitting in storage for 8 years till now.

Any and all recommendations are appreciated!

As anyone on here might suggest...DEMO, DEMO, DEMO. I was in a somewhat similar situation and ended a nearly 6 month demo session buying a pair of customized and matched DR100s. Good luck.

 

[Tigerarp1]

As anyone on here might suggest...DEMO, DEMO, DEMO. I was in a somewhat similar situation and ended a nearly 6 month demo session buying a pair of customized and matched DR100s. Good luck.

Yes, 100% plan to Demo a lot of frames. I'm looking for recommendations to start Demoing.

 

[CopolyX]

So hard, it like me picking out a pair of pants for you to wear. Or an new car... You really need to dive in, do the research and narrow down a list to demo...No easy button on this one...

 

[PhxRacket]

So hard, it like me picking out a pair of pants for you to wear. Or an new car... You really need to dive in, do the research and narrow down a list to demo...No easy button on this one...

Maybe it is my YOLO lifestyle, but I had a broad DEMO list. I tried 18x20, 16x19 and a few exaggerated string patterns. I looked at it as an opportunity to see what was available and test drive new racquets every month.

 

[CopolyX]

Got to start somewhere....to make the list smaller....

 

[loosegroove]

Pure Drive Roddick plays great, but yeah, it can be jarring. If you want something in that realm, but more arm friendly, I'd suggest demoing a Pro Kennex Q5 315 or Volkl Super G 8 315 (haven't tried the newest iteration). The PK being the more arm friendly of the two.

 

[JOSHL]

Yonex dr98. People love that stick.

 

[Tigerarp1]

Thanks, thats what I'm looking for. I've been out of the game so long, I don't even know what to Demo. I'd never even considered Pro Kennex, but actually looks like it might be a great fit. The Yonex Dr98 seems like a good option as well. Only Yonex I ever tried out was the RDX 500 mid- which was a really sweet frame - probably too demanding for me now unfortunately.

 

[Tigerarp1]

So, after a bit of research the first 4 I think I will try will be the following:
1. Yonex DR 98
2. One of the Pro Kennex Frames (still deciding which one)
3. Babolat Pure Strike (the new white one) Supposedly plays like a softer Pure Drive
4. Babolat Pure Aero Tour - a bit worried about stiffness, but its lower than the pure drive

Thanks for the pointers, and if you guys think of anything else that should be considered - please chime in!

 

[Ft.S]

I would highly recommend looking into the Angell frames. They are foam-filled and have a wonderfully balanced flex without compromising control or power. It is a very long thread, but you may want to start looking at: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/the-official-angell-users-club.549091/

These frames are superbly old school players' frames with updated tech, and being able to customize the spec gives you the best of comfort and playability. I am a huge fan as many others.

 

[fuzz nation]

So, after a bit of research the first 4 I think I will try will be the following:
1. Yonex DR 98
2. One of the Pro Kennex Frames (still deciding which one)
3. Babolat Pure Strike (the new white one) Supposedly plays like a softer Pure Drive
4. Babolat Pure Aero Tour - a bit worried about stiffness, but its lower than the pure drive

Thanks for the pointers, and if you guys think of anything else that should be considered - please chime in!

Strongly recommend keeping quick notes on the different impressions you gather as you sample this and that. They can be a huge help with figuring out what we prefer in terms of weight, balance, flex, and whatever else seems to factor into the mix for you.

Reading your first post got me thinking that Yonex should definitely be on your list of possibles. I haven't dried the DR 98, but it has a layout that includes a firm hoop and soft throat. These can combine to give good feel/feedback along with the control of a softer frame - I have this same layout with my Volkl O10 325g's (tuned with some lead tape). The DR 98 may not be quite as hefty and solid through the ball as some frames you've played in the past, but that's very easy to alter.

The square-ish shape of Yonex racquets makes them seem to play a little bigger than their head size, at least compared with more traditional oval hoops on other frames. You may find the sweet spot on a 98" Yonex to seem especially easy to find, certainly compared with something like your 6.1 95. Not necessarily good or bad, but they always give me that unique impression - I've owned a number of Yonex rigs over the years and still have a couple of them.

The other frame in my bag is the Volkl C10 with lead on the handle for more head-light balance. Not a racquet for everyone, but I've had a few of these for several years. Maybe you've heard the AC/DC tune "Love at First Feel"? Their current 10-series model that might be worth a look is the V-Sense 325g. Actually the Super G 10 325g that preceded this one is on sale at TW, but I don't know what's left for grip sizes.

Volkl nerd out... Good luck with the hunt.

 

[TennisCJC]

try:

Volkl sg v1 pro
Prince Textreme 100P
Wilson Blade 104: add 2 to 4 grams under the bumper and counter with 2 to 4 grams on the handle pallet. This racket is 27.5 so extended length. I know a few teaching pros in area that use this one
Volkl sg10 295: but you'll need to customize. Try 2 to 4 g under the bumper and handle weight to get to around 4 to 6 HL. disclosure: this is my racket of choice.

If you like the comfort of the c10 pro, you could get easy power by reducing tension and/or adding 2 or 3 grams under the bumper. Also, don't wimp out and say it's too heavy because you'll get used to the weight in a few weeks. c10 pro if you bump the SW up a bit and lower tension to low to mid 50s should give you good combo of power, comfort and control.

 

[JOSHL]

I also think the Prince textremes are great!

 

[Tigerarp1]

Interesting to get 2 more mentions of the Volkl c10 pro. I had another hit with it last night to really hone in on what I'm not liking about it. The big issue I believe is that the sweet spot feels much higher in the string bed than any racquet I've ever used. If I really focused on contacting higher in the string bed then it was a really great combination of feel/power/control, but the last thing I want to do is to try and change my contact point. No point in reinventing the wheel for a racquet.

As far as not wimping out on the weight - Yep, thats what I used to preach. However, my personal situation is that I've got some minor heart issues and can't do the training necessary to get in great shape. I know how fit I need to be to correctly and efficiently use my 12.7 oz Wilsons and that will be tough for me - at least right now. My future in tennis is mostly in doubles and playing maybe once or twice per week. This is why I want something that will help me out a little bit. The pure drive Roddick did exactly this, but was too stiff. Obviously the stiffness is what yields much of this easy power, but I'm hopeful that I can find a happy medium between the Pure Drive Roddick and my Wilsons.

As for Angell - Did Vantage rebrand? I was a sponsored Vantage player for a year using custom Vantage 90's 63RA. Those were great frames, but I dumped them for the wilson 6.1's as the Wilson was just a better doubles racquet and in College I needed a racquet that was great for Singles AND Doubles. I also felt that the 63RA 90" was a bit underpowered back then. I've currently also got the same racquet with a 70RA which is just a tad too stiff and still underpowered. This makes me wonder if an Angell 97 with the 66RA might be a really fantastic fit. Will have to dig into this a bit more... Thanks all!!

 

[JOSHL]

For a 10.8oz frame the textreme 100T is very solid and stable fwiw.

 

[TennisCJC]

Try Volvo v1 pro and Volkl 8 315. Both have s touch more power. 8 series is like pure drive but more comfortable due to Volkl dampening. V1 pro sits between players frame like your Wilson and c10 but lighter with more easy power. You could also try a Volkl v1 which is also similar to pure drive with more comfort. Wilson blade 104 will also give you more pop and is fairly soft

 

[Zavist]

I think you would like the Pure Aero Tour. The SW is close to the Roddick's and I feel it's way easier on the arm. If you strung with a soft poly it would be very plush. I hit with the PAT for a couple of months but it was just a bit heavy for me. Decided on the Pure Aero and am now loving it.