Racket advice please

[JABB]

I have never got beyond a game or two with friends and wish to get back into tennis and more seriously.
I am 6' with shoes, medium build ( 36" waist )

I am looking on **** and here for a new to me secondhand racket which will help me enjoy tennis, help me learn and not hinder me. ( I am watching a Wilson Pro Staff Kevlar on the bay, but fear it may be too stiff? )

So the brief is, up to £50. No more than 5 years old in reasonable condition.
Have played with Dunlop, Wilson and Prince before. Never played with Bobolat but hear great things.

Over to you for advice please.... Thank you

 

[gmatheis]

If you truly are beginning tennis you really won't know what kind of racket is right for you and any decent tennis racket will do.

some general guidelines you might consider
- If you truly want to learn to play stay away from oversized heads but you aren't ready for a mid either 95-105sq inches is a good place to start
- Don't try to save too much money because a cheap racket is just that, but also don't bother spending $200 since your game will develop as you learn and if you keep playing you will likely change rackets within the next couple years as you develop as a player and learn what you want in a racket.
- Buying used can be a good idea .. but many of the online retailers will have rackets that are a bit older at a really good price and will only charge you the cost of string to have nice fresh strings put in where you may have to get a used racket restrung right away adding $25 in cost.

Just a quick look here on TW and I saw this
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Dunlop_Aerogel_4D_100_1Hundred/descpageRCDUNLOP-D4D1.html

It is only a 90sq inch head but looks like a nice racket for only $60

or look at some others all priced below $80 here
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/liq...=men&cat=liqracs&sref=&maxprice=79.99&x=6&y=5

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

You should try the Racket forum rather than this forum:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

It really comes down to indivisdual needs/preferences. Som ppl love Babolat, in general, while others hate them (and find that most of them are a bit too hard on the arm/shoulder). Same goes for the other brands -- they all make good (or bad) racquets.

Difficult to suggest a suitable racquet w/o know your personal needs/prefs. Make sure that you get the proper grip size for your hand. Try to go with the heaviest racquet, not the lightest, that feels confortable for you. If you want a very good new racquet rather an older one, consider this midplus version of the Prince O3 Hybrid Shark. It is about £50 and would proably be much better than most 4-5 year old used rackets.

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

Oops! Just noticed that the price on this racquet has gone up for a single frame (but very good price if you buy two). Still a good bargain tho'. You might shop around a bit if you want a good deal.

 

[JABB]

Good points, thanks for taking the time to link. Will have a look

 

[lightthestorm]

Hey everyone, I've been in a hunt for a new racket...

I'm 5 ft 9 (still growing), 150 pounds, with a relatively topspinny (if thats a word) forehand and a flat 2hbh. I've been using the prince exo3 black team for the past year... just need something a little heavier with a little more control.

How good would the graphene instinct mp suit me?

 

[lightthestorm]

For some reason, I can't seem to edit... but I would also appreciate a little more touch than my current racket too...

 

[spinovic]

Coming from a guy in a similar position - I would recommend something in the 100 in head size range. I demoed a few different ones and found the HEAD Extreme Pro 2.0 is my favorite of the ones I've tried currently. Perhaps if my game advances enough, I'll want something different, perhaps not. The thing about those racquets are they're good for people like us who aren't that advanced, but they can also be used by guys who are advanced. Its a win-win if you buy one, IMO.

Extreme Pro 2.0
AeroPro Drive
Volkl Organix V1 Midplus
Pure Drive
etc.

There are plenty of good options. And, some good deals on the sale forum if you don't want to spend so much on a new one. And, TW sales used racquets as well. By all means, demo a few racquets though. Don't buy without play testing.