increased ball pace with 18X20 racquets

ionutzakis

Semi-Pro
As I play mostly on clay (semi-western grip) I always stayed away from 18X20 racquets thinking I would not be able to put sufficient spin on the ball to keep it in play.

The other thing is that I usually have trouble hitting flat on short high balls, 'cause I find it difficult ti hit flat with 16x19 (APD) or 16x18 (POG LB) racquets that I'm using. Therefore I end up with topspin ball but the opponent manages to get them due to the balls being slower.

But for couple of weeks I used for the 1st time a 18x20 racquet (PC600) and I was surprised to see that not only I managed to keep the ball in play easily, but also with extraspeed.

Not only that, but I was surprised to see how easy it was to pick up low balls near the net and give them a big cross-court whack with lots of pace, something I struggled for a long time with 16x19 racquets. Hiting down the line has never been easier for me, it's like I'm on autopilot. Also return of serve are more precise.

This 18x20 is a whole new experience, and I must admit a pleasant one. There is also a downside, my serve is not quite what it used to be, I dropped my 1st serve percentage, but probably I will adjust soon.

Anyone noticed the same thing?
 

joe sch

Legend
The best way to generate pace and spin is with racket head speed and more dense patterns provide better control for this needed acceleration. The 18x20 was common for woodies and even with those flexible and low powered rackets players were hitting lots of spin (Bjorn, Vilas, Nastase, Laver, ...) One of the other great benefits with dense patterns is that strings last longer
 

kevhen

Hall of Fame
Are you sure it's the string pattern and not the weight and balance of the frame and maybe string tension that is causing the differences? I am not sure how much string patterns makes a difference as I have never noticed it myself. Are both your racquets weighted, balanced, and tensioned the same with the same head size so that the only difference is the string pattern????
 

Pusher

Professional
ionutzakis said:
As I play mostly on clay (semi-western grip) I always stayed away from 18X20 racquets thinking I would not be able to put sufficient spin on the ball to keep it in play.

The other thing is that I usually have trouble hitting flat on short high balls, 'cause I find it difficult ti hit flat with 16x19 (APD) or 16x18 (POG LB) racquets that I'm using. Therefore I end up with topspin ball but the opponent manages to get them due to the balls being slower.

But for couple of weeks I used for the 1st time a 18x20 racquet (PC600) and I was surprised to see that not only I managed to keep the ball in play easily, but also with extraspeed.

Not only that, but I was surprised to see how easy it was to pick up low balls near the net and give them a big cross-court whack with lots of pace, something I struggled for a long time with 16x19 racquets. Hiting down the line has never been easier for me, it's like I'm on autopilot. Also return of serve are more precise.

This 18x20 is a whole new experience, and I must admit a pleasant one. There is also a downside, my serve is not quite what it used to be, I dropped my 1st serve percentage, but probably I will adjust soon.

Anyone noticed the same thing?

My son (jr player) just swithched to an Nblade 98 from a Npro surge. From a 16X19 to a 18X20 string pattern. I see the biggest impact on his volleys where the 18X20 keeps the volleys in court while the 16X19 seemed to spray them all over the place. The 18X20 really gives good control on all his shots.

I have seen no negative effect on top spin but power is muted with the 18X20which, in his case, is a good thing. The new racquet has really improved his game. His serves are about the same.
 

ionutzakis

Semi-Pro
I've played with a POG MID but I was not able to generate the same speed as 18x20, the're not the same.

Besides POG MID I played with more than 10 different 16x19 and 16x18 racquets, inlcuding PS 85, but the feeling is very different. I just cannot get the same speed and low trajectory as with this 18x20.

Strange as it seems, I'm keeping the ball more in play with this racquet, meaning less hitting the back fence.
 

FH2FH

Professional
I don't think you can make conclusive results trying one racquet for a brief time. Just keep playing w/ them. String type/tension and racquet weight/stiffness play major roles with spin and pace. Sometimes when I try a new racquet I'm much more focused at first, therefore my results are better.

Just read your last comment. If you're hitting the back fence I doubt you're consistent enough to make conclusions based on these minor differences. It's probably more in your head, which is not necessarily a bad thing! Just my $.02. ...unless your string types/tensions are VERY far apart.
 

kevhen

Hall of Fame
This 18X20 frame may have less power and more control due to the string pattern but also may be weighted with less power too and helping you to keep the ball in more. What is the weighting and balance of this frame?
 

ionutzakis

Semi-Pro
regarding the back fence, I do not actually hit the back fence, is just that with the 18x20 I seem to impart a lower trajectory on the ball, thus less balls outside the back line.

but you're right, I need to play some more with it

so that's why I'm asking you as to how were your expericences changing between 18x20 and 16x19.

Now I get it why they're more suitable for hard courts
 

FH2FH

Professional
The minor differences are spin and control. One is less, one is more, but these are only slight. I prefer 16x19 so I have more spin and power when I need it, but I would probably have (and prefer) more control if my strokes/placement were very consistent.

I have fast racquet head speed so it's easy for me to generate more topspin when necessary; or swing flat for some extra pop. Sometimes I get lazy and swing too flat on sitters or low balls. In those cases I think the extra spin helps. My 2H BH also is still slightly more flat than I'd like. I've found when I use an 18/20 pattern (same weight/flex/bal/etc) it forces me to exagerate the spin.
 

ionutzakis

Semi-Pro
I jus realized something, that the reason why I'm able to pick up low balls close to the net with ease is that the spin of the incoming ball doesn't have that much impact on my racquet since its strings are denser. Bingo
 
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