I need a racquet recommendation.

[tin]

I'm female 23. I play with a Head Nano Ti.tornado. Pretty heavy racquet. The thing I noticed is I can't really play for a long time with this racquet. My shoulder gets sore after a while practicing my serve. And I find it difficult brushing the ball (esp. forehand where I only use 1 arm) after a while playing. I think I need a lighter racquet that's easier to swing.

My game is pretty standard. Semi-western grip, DH backhand and One handed forehand.

I've been looking at some racquets here in TW and I'm not sure what to get.

 

[Babolatbarry]

Do you like everything else about the racquet?
Cause there are many racquets that are probably much lower in weight but similar in all other specs.

 

[Hi I'm Ray]

Being very general, I see some girls doing pretty well with the Pure Drive, PD Team, AeroPro Drive, and Yonex VCore 100s - they are very similar. I would say the Volkl Organix v1 fits right in with those but unlike the others it is easy on the arm. The PDGT 107 IMO is a great frame, is very powerful, and surprisingly arm friendly as well.

 

[Torres]

Have a look at the TW playtesters page and see what the female playtesters like Siobhan, Tiffany and Brittany hit with. That will be a good starting point.

In fact if you look at what the top WTA players use that will also give you some ideas, Pure Drive, Juice, Blade Team etc. They use pretty accessible racquets.

Then its just a case of demoing a load of them.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

How heavy is your Nano Ti Tornado racquet? I found some specs for a Head Ti Tornado racuet but I am not sure if it has the same specs as the Nano version that you have. (Not certain if the following link for the Tennis Depot will work)

http://www.tennis-depot.com/head-ti-tornado-16-19-tennis-racquet

This page shows that the Ti Tornado (with strings) weighs about 10.5 oz which is a little bit less than 300 grams. It also indicates that it is slightly head-light (almost evenly-balanced) unstrung. With strings, it is probably somewhat head-heavy. If your racquet specs are close to this, then it is not really very heavy at all. A cheap racquet like this one might have a lot of variation in its specs -- your racquet might actually weigh a lot more or a lot less than the published specs

If you have a long fast swing, you probably don't really want to hit with a strung weight that is less than 300 grams. If you hit hard or play with other people who hit hard, then a lighter racquet may not be good for you at all. However, if you have short to medium swing lengths and slow/medium swing speeds, a lighter frame may be ok for you unless you are playing with heavy hitters.

It might be that your racquet has a balance that is too head-heavy for you. It also might be a frame that is delivering too much frame shock to your arm.

Or is could be that you are using your arm too much to generate swing speed. You should be using your legs (with a knee bend), hip rotation and upper body rotation on both your groundstrokes and your serves. If you are not bending your knees and using body rotations, then you may be putting too much stress on your arm and shoulder.

The Volkl V1 Classic is a racquet that is one of the most arm-friendly (and shoulder-friendly) racquets available on the market. It has a very soft feel and delivers very little frame shock to the arm/shoulder. It is a head-light frame and weighs only about 308 grams (strung).

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Volkl_V1_Classic_Midplus/descpageRCVOLKL-VCVN1.html

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Being very general, I see some girls doing pretty well with the Pure Drive, PD Team, AeroPro Drive, and Yonex VCore 100s - they are very similar. I would say the Volkl Organix v1 fits right in with those but unlike the others it is easy on the arm. The PDGT 107 IMO is a great frame, is very powerful, and surprisingly arm friendly as well.

Not sure about the Babolat racquets mentioned here. Most of the Babolat line seems to be hard on shoulders and arms according to many of the posters on this message board and the customer reviews on TW. The PD 107 GT mentioned might be better than some of the other Babolat frames (but at least one customer review complained about arm issues).

The Yonex VCore 100s is probably better for your arm than most, if not all, of the Bablolat racquets mentioned here. The Volkl Organix V1 is probably the best for your arm of the ones that Ray has mentioned. tin, do you really need or prefer an OS or super-oversize frame? If not, I would suggest the MidPlus version of the Organix V1 over the OS version. The oversize version is more than 1.5 cm longer than the MP. The extra length bothers some players, particularly on serves. Also, the OS head size often produces a mushy or trampoline feel on volleys and other strokes.

I would probably still pick the V1 Classic (MP) over the Organix V1. The older Classic version seems to produce less shock than the Organix series from my own experience.

There are also a couple of cheaper Prince frames that I might suggest. I find that my Prince O3 Hybrid Shark (MP) frames are very easy on the arm. TW is selling it for a mere $75. It is head-light and weighs in at about 11 oz, which is not considered heavy by most players here. The Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet is similar to the Shark but is a bit lighter and has a lower swingweight (an indication of how easy it is to swing the racquet). However, I have not used the Hornet very much so I don't know if it is as easy on the shoulder/arm as the Shark. Again, I would suggest the MP version over the OS versions of these Prince frames.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Prince_O3_Hybrid_Shark_Midplus/descpageRCPRINCE-PO3HS.html

 

[tin]

How heavy is your Nano Ti Tornado racquet? I found some specs for a Head Ti Tornado racuet but I am not sure if it has the same specs as the Nano version that you have. (Not certain if the following link for the Tennis Depot will work)

http://www.tennis-depot.com/head-ti-tornado-16-19-tennis-racquet

This page shows that the Ti Tornado (with strings) weighs about 10.5 oz which is a little bit less than 300 grams. It also indicates that it is slightly head-light (almost evenly-balanced) unstrung. With strings, it is probably somewhat head-heavy. If your racquet specs are close to this, then it is not really very heavy at all. A cheap racquet like this one might have a lot of variation in its specs -- your racquet might actually weigh a lot more or a lot less than the published specs

If you have a long fast swing, you probably don't really want to hit with a strung weight that is less than 300 grams. If you hit hard or play with other people who hit hard, then a lighter racquet may not be good for you at all. However, if you have short to medium swing lengths and slow/medium swing speeds, a lighter frame may be ok for you unless you are playing with heavy hitters.

It might be that your racquet has a balance that is too head-heavy for you. It also might be a frame that is delivering too much frame shock to your arm.

Or is could be that you are using your arm too much to generate swing speed. You should be using your legs (with a knee bend), hip rotation and upper body rotation on both your groundstrokes and your serves. If you are not bending your knees and using body rotations, then you may be putting too much stress on your arm and shoulder.

The Volkl V1 Classic is a racquet that is one of the most arm-friendly (and shoulder-friendly) racquets available on the market. It has a very soft feel and delivers very little frame shock to the arm/shoulder. It is a head-light frame and weighs only about 308 grams (strung).

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Volkl_V1_Classic_Midplus/descpageRCVOLKL-VCVN1.html

That could be it (the one I set in bold). I don't really need an Oversize racquet. 98-100 would be fine. I've been considering getting a Yonex VCore 100s or a Head Youtek Instinct. However, I was able to demo a Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 Tour and I liked that one but I heard they phased out those already. I heard the VCore is crappy in stock form but I'm clueless as to how to modify it.

I've found the Instinct for sale here locally. The VCore on the other hand, I haven't seen yet in my local sporting goods store. There seems to be a lot of VCores traded here on TW but shipping costs to send it here to the PH is pricey!

 

[filphil]

That could be it (the one I set in bold). I don't really need an Oversize racquet. 98-100 would be fine. I've been considering getting a Yonex VCore 100s or a Head Youtek Instinct. However, I was able to demo a Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 Tour and I liked that one but I heard they phased out those already. I heard the VCore is crappy in stock form but I'm clueless as to how to modify it.

I've found the Instinct for sale here locally. The VCore on the other hand, I haven't seen yet in my local sporting goods store. There seems to be a lot of VCores traded here on TW but shipping costs to send it here to the PH is pricey!

Rackets have to be fit to an individuals tastes and preferences. Depending on the who you play against and how you play the 100s may serve as worthy racket for you.

Since this is tw someone will suggest looking at your technique. if your shoulder is hurting then you may be using too much arm on your serve. Try to get a weight measurement so we can help you better. Another thing is I can see you're from the Philippines. My girlfriend is from there and the sun may just be beating on you too hard resulting in fatigue.

 

[fesman]

I know this is a really old post, but I have the exact same question...I have used a Ti.Tornado pretty much exclusively this year and last time I was actively playing. Measurements below are strung with Kirschbaum Blackshark 16 gauge, Head leather grip and Wilson comfort overgrip. Things I like about it are head size (just over 100 sq inches 103 based on my measurements), its pretty stiff and I get great feedback from it, but it does vibrate the heck outta my arm compared to higher end racquets. Mine strung are 323 grams, balance point is 12-7/8" from the butt cap, but remember its a 27.5" extended frame...not sure exactly what that does to the HH/HL measurement but its definitely head light. I get excellent power from this frame, but also is my best control/touch racquet. I'm trying to find a better quality racquet with the same specs/feel to help my hand/elbow out. I've tried: Ti Radicals (too heavy, not extended frames), 2x Pure Drives (2006 cortex (terrible grip shape and way muted feel) and 2018 blue frame (this one was just OK, didn't feel like I had the same touch as with the tornado and power was less). I tried a cortex AeroPro Drive (2009 I think), it was too heavy on swing weight, its less head light than the tornado/ pure drive.

Open to recommendations...I'm looking at Solinco Blackout or an older Wilson ProStaff Surge X, but then I'm out of ideas and am just gonna stick with my junky tornados!

Thanks in advance!

Fred

 

[fesman]

I found a perfect replacement for the Ti.Tornado (Black red white version; the orange yellow silver version is ~ 10-12 grams heavier and slightly diff balance). The Head Graphene XT Radical S is almost identical head shape...very slightly different but 99.9% same, it is about 6 grams lighter than my Ti.tornado as outfitted in my previous post and is so much more accurate! I had to extend it, but it was pretty easy with a TK82 pallet off of **** for $25 and a heat gun and it was 27.5". I absolutely love this racquet...serve has even more pop (in-spite of the weight being less) my ground strokes are more accurate and I can really aim for the lines and hit them more consistently, especially on returns. Also, I'm getting even more spin...for any Head Ti.Tornado fans or devotees, I highly recommend this racquet as a higher end replacement! Way more solid, no vibration, but still has the same touch and pockets the ball the same HTHs someone!