How Many Racquets Do You Bring To A Match And Are They Identical?

[Cawlin]

So I have 3 racquets in my playing rotation - another one or two from my very beginning days that I never use anymore.

I started out with two, by necessity, in case of a random string break, but then they changed some minor details about my racquet (Babo Pure Aero Tour) for 2019 mostly it looked like a paind job only, and I found last year's model with the old paint job on sale cheap, so I bought it, to make a 3rd.

I have them all strung identically and in general, try to rotate them through playing sessions so that the wear is as even as I can make them. I get them all restrung at the same time. If I am having a bad day, I haven't found that having different strings or racquets will change any of that - which is perhaps a product of the low level of my game - and I wonder if other, higher level players have multiple racquets with different setups for different playing conditions, if their game is off on a given day, etc.

For matches, I just switch racquets for each set as this helps manage the sweatiness of the overgrips - it's annoying to have to change on overgrip during a changeover/set break.

When I only had two racquets, I would wrap a microfiber towel around the handle of the racquet I was putting in the bag, and pull out the dry one for set #2. If I had to play set #3, the first set racquet would generally have a dry grip by that time...

So what do you all do? Do you carry multiple racquets with you? Are they the same racquet? What about string differences?

 

[ChaelAZ]

I use two matched set of 2015 Blades, rotating sets to help with string wear and maintaining a bit of consistency in tension. I use a set until they start feeling dead, then I send those to the sohp to be restrung and play with the fresh set. That allows me to have two in the shop, but still two to play with. I use two to play with because I change racquet on every changeover. Sometimes I do change strung tension between sets just for testing, but for the most part I string all of them the same, depdning on time of year.

 

[brettatk]

I have 3 rackets that are pretty much identical. I use one until I can tell it needs to be restrung then I move on to the next one. That way I know I always have at least one fresh racket in the bag. Just the way I've always done it and it works for me. Everyone has their own routine that I'm sure works equally as well for them.

 

[Nostradamus]

do you mean matched rackets by babolat machine ? I don't have any. I have 3 rackets and they are probably all slightly different in specs. I have one I use all the time til string breaks or I am testing polys for Solinco or Luxilon.

 

[Cawlin]

do you mean matched rackets by babolat machine ? I don't have any. I have 3 rackets and they are probably all slightly different in specs. I have one I use all the time til string breaks or I am testing polys for Solinco or Luxilon.

Nah, I wasn't thinking of the machine matched pairs - just the same model...

 

[Nostradamus]

Nah, I wasn't thinking of the machine matched pairs - just the same model...

oh I see... lol. then those rackets are completely different specs. nowadays,, specs with each racket is so off that they could be 5 points head light diffence between rackets which is huge. the other day I bought a racket that is 14 points head light and another one was only 7 points head light........... Exact same model racket.............LOL. this makes huge difference in swing weight

 

[Dartagnan64]

5 Racquets in my bag. 4 Prince Phantoms (93P x 2, 100, Pro 100 18x20) and one POG 107.

Utilization:
Singles on HC or hitting for fun: 93P
Singles on Clay or need some added forgiveness in Doubles: POG 107
Doubles on any surface: Pro 100 18x20
Arm is bothering me: Phantom 100

I have little problem adapting to different racquets if they are at least in the ball park of similar static weights and swing weights. I come from a history of golf so playing with tools that swing differently on every shot is in my wheelhouse already so my brain adapts quickly. This allows me to bring out the best tool for the shots I'm mostly going to hit.

 

[Cawlin]

oh I see... lol. then those rackets are completely different specs. nowadays,, specs with each racket is so off that they could be 5 points head light diffence between rackets which is huge. the other day I bought a racket that is 14 points head light and another one was only 7 points head light........... Exact same model racket.............LOL. this makes huge difference in swing weight

I see! I had no idea there was so much variance between runs/lots/individual racquets of the same model... I am still not convinced that I notice it with my game, but I'm something far from a "benchmark" of anything...

 

[Idrayer]

I currently have 5 in my bag; I buy my rackets in pairs, and usually jump a generation or 2 between them. Right now my bag is 2x Flexpoint Radical MP, 1x Microgel Radical MP (gave the other one away to a friend who was just starting to play), and 2x Graphene Touch Pro Radical. I'll probably get a pair of whatever's newest in about 5 years.

 

[Cawlin]

So do you guys notice a racquet itself wearing out?

I read that you should be replacing them every few years - can't remember if it was 2 or 3 years, but...

Is this a realistic thing for us rec players? The oldest racquet in my bag is from mid 2017, the newest from early 2019 and I don't notice any functional difference between them that isn't accounted for by uneven string wear - i.e. when they're both freshly restrung, they feel identical to me...

 

[sureshs]

I used to like to bring different rackets because it was fun to play with different feels. Then I realized that as it is, I don't restring very often and hence there is a lot of variability due to that, and I should not add another variable during my limited time on court to mess up my strokes.

 

[ATLwc]

I'm always tinkering with my frames and strings/tension, so will almost never have two same-frame, same-string racquets in my bag.

 

[onehandbh]

Sometimes just one racquet but usually 2 or 3. 2 or 3 different racquets.

 

[weelie]

I am still planning on getting rackets of similar but different setups. So far, I have two pretty much the same. But I wish I had slightly different setups available, depending on how I feel. But I might add or take off a gram of lead midway, though.

 

[Dartagnan64]

I read that you should be replacing them every few years - can't remember if it was 2 or 3 years, but...

If I played with a single racquet for 2-3 years it would be beat up enough to need replacement for sure. But I play a lot and am hard on my frames. Rotating amongst 5 frames has kept them fresher so I'll likely be able to play 8 years or more with my current racquets easily if I want. But you never know when a frame will come out you will like better.

 

[Tennis Life Magazine]

I'm mostly a doubles player, and carry 3 identical racquets in my bag at all times, though 2 have white overgrips (for doubles), while the other has a black overgrip (for singles). The two racquets I use for doubles are also strung the same, so if I break a string mid-match, I have an identical replacement ensuring that my shots "feel" the same. The racquet I use for singles is strung looser for added power, and because I rarely play singles, I simply make do with one of the other racquets should a string break.

 

[Cawlin]

If I played with a single racquet for 2-3 years it would be beat up enough to need replacement for sure. But I play a lot and am hard on my frames. Rotating amongst 5 frames has kept them fresher so I'll likely be able to play 8 years or more with my current racquets easily if I want. But you never know when a frame will come out you will like better.

Yeah, this article I saw was speaking less about just "beating up" the racquets - chipping the paint job, wearing out the bumper, etc. and more about the actual frame itself losing its stiffness/flexibility/resilience/strength/etc. i.e. the frame actually structurally breaking down and losing whatever characteristics it had when it was newly made, just by virtue of so many thousands of actual hits...

 

[Matthew ATX]

I have four different models, all strung at the same tension with the same strings.

For some reason, sometimes, I just can't serve with the Pure Drive anymore. So having three more of that same stick in my bag wouldn't do me any good. When those times come, I pull out the Aero Pro and use that for a few weeks/months until I start sucking with that one, then I switch back to the Drive.

 

[J_R_B]

I have 3 rackets, all the same model, same strings, same tension. I typically buy a new pair every other year and replace the 2 most scratchiest/scuffed of the three in my bag, and then use the two new ones more heavily in the rotation. This year, it was time to buy a new pair and my racket model is both discontinued and sold out everywhere (TW and the other sites we're not allowed to mention). After the season, I'm going to have to demo a couple and move on. It's very distressing.

 

[J011yroger]

I have 30-40 identical frames, any given day I have around 12 in my bag, half strung with Luxilon for matches, the other half with cheap crap or something I am reviewing for teaching or hitting.

J

 

[J_R_B]

Yeah, this article I saw was speaking less about just "beating up" the racquets - chipping the paint job, wearing out the bumper, etc. and more about the actual frame itself losing its stiffness/flexibility/resilience/strength/etc. i.e. the frame actually structurally breaking down and losing whatever characteristics it had when it was newly made, just by virtue of so many thousands of actual hits...

I think this is the bigger problem with racket wear, but when I have to decide which ones to replace, I can't test that, so I just have to assume that there is a correlation between cosmetic wear and structural wear and replace the ones with the most cosmetic wear.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Two identical rackets and strings.

I have never broken a string, so I could probably just carry one. But I would be overcome worrying that I would break a string, so the second racket is a security blanket.

I was told to always keep them strung the same lest I start getting superstitious about this one or that one causing me to play poorly.

In fact, the reason I play poorly is because I play poorly.

 

[WalterSlovotsky]

Since I don't play high level competitive tennis anymore, I just grab whatever is handing. Which can mean anything from a 30+ year old PS 6.0 to a mid 90's Prince all the way up to a recent X-Blade. Not being a slave to my equipment is a nice feeling.

 

[R1FF]

Two rackets - Both identical in model, year, setup

I have them numbered. Always felt better serving with the second one. So it became my "match" racket.

Racket #1 is my practice racket for drills and whatnot.

 

[onehandbh]

I have 30-40 identical frames, any given day I have around 12 in my bag, half strung with Luxilon for matches, the other half with cheap crap or something I am reviewing for teaching or hitting.

J

Do you drive a caddy to the tennis court?

 

[Dartagnan64]

Yeah, this article I saw was speaking less about just "beating up" the racquets - chipping the paint job, wearing out the bumper, etc. and more about the actual frame itself losing its stiffness/flexibility/resilience/strength/etc. i.e. the frame actually structurally breaking down and losing whatever characteristics it had when it was newly made, just by virtue of so many thousands of actual hits...

That’s pretty hard to do with graphite. But I guess if you pound the ball with mid tension poly day in and day out and restring every week, something will give. For most rec players, it’s not an issue.

I’ve worn through the bumper and graphite in hollow frames before but that’s the only thing I’ve ever noticed.

 

[Matthew ATX]

Two identical rackets and strings.

I have never broken a string, so I could probably just carry one. But I would be overcome worrying that I would break a string, so the second racket is a security blanket.

I was told to always keep them strung the same lest I start getting superstitious about this one or that one causing me to play poorly.

In fact, the reason I play poorly is because I play poorly.

If you told me this was mostly why I start playing worse/better with one racquet over another, I wouldn't fight you on it. I think there's some relationship (that I don't understand) between the health of my shoulder and the stiffness/weight distribution of the stick, but, again, wouldn't fight you if you said that was BS.

 

[TagUrIt]

I have four Wilson Clash Tours all strung the same. I get them restrung two at a time. I like a consistent set up. I play 4/5 times a week and I rotate them each match. I restring about once a month. I also place a small sticker on the inside neck of the frame with the stringing date on them. I use different colored over-grips and name all racquets after my favorite tennis players to tell them apart. (hey don’t judge me lol)

I once had a match where I changed racquets three times because the overgrips were done from sweat. Really glad they all play the same.

 

[Cawlin]

That’s pretty hard to do with graphite. But I guess if you pound the ball with mid tension poly day in and day out and restring every week, something will give. For most rec players, it’s not an issue.

I’ve worn through the bumper and graphite in hollow frames before but that’s the only thing I’ve ever noticed.

That's kind of what I thought too while reading the article, so I was really asking if anyone had noticed what the article was speaking about.

 

[Cawlin]

Two identical rackets and strings.

I have never broken a string, so I could probably just carry one. But I would be overcome worrying that I would break a string, so the second racket is a security blanket.

Haha, yes, I used to string with NXT which actually wears very quickly for me, but can last a LONG time without breaking when it looks like it's going to go any second... then my game got to a point where I could actually notice the performance drop when that NXT started to look really worn, so having two (and now 3) racquets strung the same isn't just a "security" blanket... I'm definitely a "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" kind of guy.

I was told to always keep them strung the same lest I start getting superstitious about this one or that one causing me to play poorly.

In fact, the reason I play poorly is because I play poorly.

I will admit that if I have a bad service game in a match, I will switch racquets on the next changeover - it's part of my strategy to "let it go"... Maybe not SUPERstitious, but a littlestitious for sure.

 

[Cawlin]

I once had a match where I changed racquets three times because the overgrips were done from sweat. Really glad they all play the same.

This is the norm in GA - I switch racquets at minimum every set during a match due to the overgrip being soaked.

 

[Saul Goode]

I have 30-40 identical frames, any given day I have around 12 in my bag, half strung with Luxilon for matches, the other half with cheap crap or something I am reviewing for teaching or hitting.

J

Man, that’s slight overkill

 

[kevrol]

I have 3 identical. Don't get them all strung at the same time but do get them strung the same. One has some frame damage so is truly an emergency backup incase the first two have strings break.

 

[J011yroger]

Do you drive a caddy to the tennis court?

Golf cart.

J

 

[J011yroger]

Man, that’s slight overkill

Like.

J

 

[Saul Goode]

Like.

J

 

[OnTheLine]

I am a two matched sticks player. As in my thread in strings I am just now rotating them instead of all one followed by all the other ...

So, aside from your nut-job 5.0 players showing up with 12 frames .... I really don't see players in league at 3.5/4.0 carrying more than 3 ever .... Heck, watching league matches and waiting on the 4.5s to vacate the court don't really see them carrying more than 2-3 frames ...

@J011yroger have they yet named a frame hoarding disease after you?

 

[onehandbh]

This is the norm in GA - I switch racquets at minimum every set during a match due to the overgrip being soaked.

That's a good idea. My overgrip gets soaked and slipperly when playing in the middle of the day in a hot, humid climate.

 

[Cawlin]

That's a good idea. My overgrip gets soaked and slipperly when playing in the middle of the day in a hot, humid climate.

Yeah man, I take a ton of measures to control hand sweatiness - double width wrist bands, microfiber towels, full size towel, and switching racquets when the overgrip gets too slick - nothing much else you can do in GA... I know people swear by the rosin stuff, but I never was a fan of it for tennis. I liked it when I was pitcing baseballs in college, but not on my hands and grip for tennis... I buy overgrips by the 50-pack and will change them out after every match or at least once a week during the summer and fall.

 

[J011yroger]

I am a two matched sticks player. As in my thread in strings I am just now rotating them instead of all one followed by all the other ...

So, aside from your nut-job 5.0 players showing up with 12 frames .... I really don't see players in league at 3.5/4.0 carrying more than 3 ever .... Heck, watching league matches and waiting on the 4.5s to vacate the court don't really see them carrying more than 2-3 frames ...

@J011yroger have they yet named a frame hoarding disease after you?

J0llivitus?

J

 

[J011yroger]

I am a two matched sticks player. As in my thread in strings I am just now rotating them instead of all one followed by all the other ...

So, aside from your nut-job 5.0 players showing up with 12 frames .... I really don't see players in league at 3.5/4.0 carrying more than 3 ever .... Heck, watching league matches and waiting on the 4.5s to vacate the court don't really see them carrying more than 2-3 frames ...

@J011yroger have they yet named a frame hoarding disease after you?

J

 

[Cindysphinx]

Jolly's not a player.

He's a Play-ya.

There's a difference.

 

[winchestervatennis]

Three of the same frame all normally strung with same string. I’ll used the same two every match and switch between racquets every changeover to help with grip sweatiness. I’d rotate between all three but i get them mixed up. And the two i use normally break strings around the same time so its nice for the third to be completely fresh so i know it’ll last me to the end of the match.

 

[Saul Goode]

J

that’s kinda sexy

 

[FiReFTW]

Same racquet models, same setup and everything.

 

[sureshs]

I have never broken a string

LOL you must be a rec player with no power

Spoiler

Neither have I

 

[J011yroger]

Jolly's not a player.

He's a Play-ya.

There's a difference.

Why not both?

J

 

[J011yroger]

that’s kinda sexy

Jolly is bringing sexy back!

J

 

[sureshs]

The better the player, the fewer rackets he brings. He can just borrow any racket and defeat anyone. Only low level players bring dozens of frames.

 

[OnTheLine]

The better the player, the fewer rackets he brings. He can just borrow any racket and defeat anyone. Only low level players bring dozens of frames.

Shots fired!