I need some help on advising one of my pupils on a new racquet?!

[JAY1]

One of my pupil's I coach is obessed about having the most powerful racquet made and is convinced this is the Gamma RZR Bubba
I've done quite a lot of research and have come to the conclusion the best racquet with the most power is a Wilson BLX One.
I'm not used to advising my players on this type of racquet as mainly the players I teach use small, stiffer frames etc.
Any help on a more powerful but playable racquet would really be appreciated.
I get the feeling the Gamma RZR Bubba is a real gimic and even though it may have power, it is pretty unplayable. Please help?

 

[dode]

If it is anything like the big bubba of previous generations, it is actually quite playable. I cannot serve with it, but it actually hits much better than you would expect in my opinion.

John

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

Yeah I would just tell them that their game is not going to go much farther if they use that racket. Ask them if they see any pros using anything that big...

 

[treblings]

describe the player. age, skills, technique. otherwise it´s really hard to give sound advice. what are the reasons for wanting to buy a powerful racquet?

 

[JAY1]

describe the player. age, skills, technique. otherwise it´s really hard to give sound advice. what are the reasons for wanting to buy a powerful racquet?

He's 54, good player, continental forehand, topspin backhand, good volleys, big serve. Wants to hit more power on all shots.

 

[seekay]

He's 54, good player, continental forehand, topspin backhand, good volleys, big serve. Wants to hit more power on all shots.

What about string? Depending on what he's using now, he might get a power boost from a springy multifilament or natural gut, especially in thinner gauges.

 

[esgee48]

If the player swings at anything, there will be a control issue. The Bubba and One are for players with short, slow compact strokes. May I suggest that he look into the Head Si.6 as it has less of everything and can be swung.

He could also try more powerful strings and lower tensions if in search of power.

 

[db10s]

Tell him to string at 20 pounds......

 

[Chotobaka]

He's 54, good player, continental forehand, topspin backhand, good volleys, big serve. Wants to hit more power on all shots.

What is he currently playing with? If he actually is a "good player" a super OS game-improvement racquet's charm will wear thin in a short time.

You might look at Babolat OS's -- I see very skilled older players looking for more pop and more real estate doing quite well with these. Alternatively, there are a ton of firm & lively 16x19 100 square inch racquets that will deliver the power and spin he wants.

I tend to move older fit players into slightly lower powered, more flexible MP racquets and they quickly learn to create their own power. Surprise -- their strokes also usually improve with the switch. This is especially helpful for those who did not grow up with the so-called "modern game".

 

[Tennusdude]

I think the most powerful racket ever made was the Original Wilson Profile 2.7 Oversize.
It weighs a ton though. I recently bought one off of **** and I was able to hit the ball extremely hard with it. However within an hour my entire arm, neck and back were killing me. It was also difficult to get topspin, it really took some effort since the racket was heavy and had suck a wide profile.

 

[Steve Huff]

What's he using now?

 

[treblings]

if he gets that powerful racquet, he will have problems controlling all that power. these kind of racquets are really for players without swings and technique
help him save money by explaining that to him

 

[JAY1]

He's using the Head Ti S6.

 

[Blitzball]

He's 54, good player, continental forehand, topspin backhand, good volleys, big serve. Wants to hit more power on all shots.

It sounds to me like he has more developed swings that are medium-long. The racquet he's using (Head Ti S6) is approximately 8oz, or under 9oz in stock when strung I believe. That's not going to be enough mass to plow through the ball well against heavier hitters. Many people are under the presumption that a lighter racquet will generate big power instantly-- well if you hardly swing the racquet, of course you'll get good power; but, if your swings aren't as compact as that of a person with very limited mobility and movement, then you won't have nearly enough mass and control to keep those powerful shots in. So, if he wants more power but expects to keep the ball in the court, he has to go with something at least 10.5oz in my opinion. Unless he has wrist issues, then at least 10oz I'd still say. Just think about it, that extra weight in the racquet, all that mass is going to provide more force when it makes impact with the ball-- it's common sense. One racquet that I can recommend, which was recently reviewed by Tennis Warehouse, is the Donnay Pro One OS Ext, which is 10.6oz strung and rated 97/100 for power, the highest rating I've ever seen for power on a racquet. The only concern with it might be that the racquet is slightly extended in length (27.5 inches), meaning there'd be an adjustment period. But if you think that's too heavy, you can call Tennis Warehouse and ask if they can find the lightest possible frame of that model because not all of them way exactly the same: the difference can be up to 0.4oz, even more sometimes according to forum posters. He can also use strings that are more reputable for being powerful like the Technifibre Biphase 17g, and lower the tensions to the 30's or 40's.

 

[Fuji]

Give him a KPS88, that's honestly the most powerful racket I've ever used from it's high stock weight and stiffness.

-Fuji

 

[Chotobaka]

He's using the Head Ti S6.

That is a stiff and powerful featherweight racquet for a "good player". Going to a different flavor of the same style racquet doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Why not have him demo some of the more popular tweener racquets and even get a taste of heavier "players" sticks. No way his strokes and all around game are going to develop swinging a 9 ounce giant fly swatter.

 

[NLBwell]

Since weight influences power, very powerful rackets are the Wilson k6.1 95 (16x18 ) and the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick. These are both more powerful than the Big Bubba using TW's racket trajectory calculator. You should also inform him that the difference the racket actually makes is only an inch or two in distance.

Tennisdude is right that the most powerful rackets ever made were the old widebodies like the Profile 2.7 oversize. The Head Genesis and Yamaha Secret 04 were similarly powerful.
If he really wants the most powerful racket, he can find one of these (if he's 54, he probably heard about them at some point). They probably would be better for his game than a Big Bubba.

Most likely, he would do slightly better with a Pure Drive than a TiS6, but would play much worse with a Big Bubba (though unfortunately, it might feel like he's doing better).

 

[pkshooter]

What about string? Depending on what he's using now, he might get a power boost from a springy multifilament or natural gut, especially in thinner gauges.

+1
10 chars

 

[hrstrat57]

Prince CTS 32 and prior to that the Thunderstick had amazing power...I had a CTS 32 (purple people eater) just for giggles and it hit amazing flat serves, huge increase in pace. I couldn't keep ground strokes off the back fence however - couldn't close the racquet face it was too thick and attempts to hit enuff topspin to keep the ball in often went straight up in the air.

Back to the OP question I think the player described is heading down the wrong path with a power stick as a new weapon of choice....he should take advantage of the TW demo program and get after it hitting different frames.