racket too heavy?

[slicekick95]

hi ... im 13 years old and i have been using the kzen, ive been using the k six one 95 for the past week. i absolutely loved the racket!!! btw im a 4.0. my coach is strongly apposed to me using the racket as he says it is too heavy for me. should i listen to him or should i buy the racket as i really likle it

 

[miniRafa386]

YES. listen to your coach, he would know. going from a kzen to a 6.1 is a HUGE change. if you want to go into the zens, try the 6.1 team. the zen is less than 10 oz while the 6.1 95 is more than 12. i highly, highly, HIGHLY suggest that you do NOT purchase this racket and try something inbetween the two, like the head microgel radical team.

 

[Jimmyk459]

slicekick... don't listen to minirafa. It is not such a big deal to change racquets. If you like the racquet and have hit with it extensively... there is no problem with you buying it. I would recommend however, that you play with it for atleast 2 hours so you know whether or not you can handle the heft of it over the time of a match.

Good luck and go with your best judgement

 

[Jimmyk459]

oh.. and i meant 2 hours CONTINUOUSLY

 

[brownbearfalling]

...it all depends on why you like the racquet. If it really makes you play better then maybe you should keep it. But in most cases, you should listen to your coach
________
PUBLIC GERMAN

 

[matchmaker]

If you are a 4.0 as you say, there should be no problem at all in playing with the 6.1. You can still keep the Kzen to hit some balls if the 6.1 tires you down.

It will be a change, swingweight and static weight are a lot higher on the 6.1, but you will have to make the step some day, so if you feel good about it, just go for it.

 

[mawashi]

100 replies 100 different answers, only u can decide for yourself if the frame is suitable for you.

I would say that you should take a vid of yourself using the frame including the serves and if it appears you are muscling your shots or your serves seemed forced, then even if you like the frame it is too heavy for you to handle especially the swing weight.

Check out this thread by J011lyroger on racquet selection:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=160692

Cheers,

mawashi

 

[slicekick95]

YES. listen to your coach, he would know. going from a kzen to a 6.1 is a HUGE change. if you want to go into the zens, try the 6.1 team. the zen is less than 10 oz while the 6.1 95 is more than 12. i highly, highly, HIGHLY suggest that you do NOT purchase this racket and try something inbetween the two, like the head microgel radical team.

the zen is actually 11.2 oz.. thanks tho

 

[slicekick95]

slicekick... don't listen to minirafa. It is not such a big deal to change racquets. If you like the racquet and have hit with it extensively... there is no problem with you buying it. I would recommend however, that you play with it for atleast 2 hours so you know whether or not you can handle the heft of it over the time of a match.

Good luck and go with your best judgement

yeah i just played a two matches with it, both three setters, it felt fine

 

[some6uy008]

I doubt anyone on this forum knows you better than your coach. I'm sure when the time comes, he will tell you that you need a heavier racket.

I think your coach has been around longer than 13 years and probably knows a thing or two more about tennis than you.

Edit to add: I had a Kzen not too long back and it is definitely a nice racket, don't be in such a rush to move on to the next new thing.

 

[paulorenzo]

oh.. and i meant 2 hours CONTINUOUSLY

definately dude. hefty frames feel like a dream to hit with for the first 30 minutes,
but if your not well conditioned,
you wont remain consistent throughout a match.

 

[topspin92]

Take more time to demo. 1-2 hits is not always enough to give a good impression. take a week or two, then decide.

 

[volusiano]

If you are a 4.0 as you say, there should be no problem at all in playing with the 6.1. You can still keep the Kzen to hit some balls if the 6.1 tires you down.

It will be a change, swingweight and static weight are a lot higher on the 6.1, but you will have to make the step some day, so if you feel good about it, just go for it.

I agree with this. If you're 4.0 like you say, you should be able to handle it. Yeah, your coach may know you, but at 4.0 level, you should know yourself better than your coach. If you have the $ and really like it and already spend enough time demoing it several times, what does it hurt to try it out? Worst case is you go back to the old racket and lose some $ on the new racket. Best case is your game is improved with the new racket and you can prove your coach wrong. Or use both like matchmaker says with the kzen as a backup when you're tired.

 

[slicekick95]

thanks for all the responses guys, i think my coach might have been right as i just played for about 4 hours today n my arm is a little tired. so im gonna use the kzen for now, lift some light weights for the next 1-2 months (10-20lbs) n then try the k six one again after ...... sound like a good idea??

 

[dcheng83]

i don't think there's any need to lift weights... especially at your age. just let it grow in, as you grow older, your body will be able to handle more weight.

 

[AznRamenDude]

good plan and thats a nice logical thinking. could also add a little lead to your racquet to help you get use to higher weights.

good luck on your journey

 

[pfchang]

no need to start pumping iron yet. Michael Phelps didn't even start until just last year.

as for the racket, it would be best to determine for yourself by demoing.
I have no idea how good you are as a 13 year old, but you do have to have some guns to be able to handle a 12 ozer consistently.

The biggest thing that happens when using a heavier stick is that the mass does much more for you. basically, the racket is doing the work while you should be the one doing so. This does not let YOU the player, progress as well.

but demoing is the real key if you want to switch. granted, the kzen isn't bad for a kid your age, but keep in mind that if you do switch, you don't need to jump a full oz.

 

[D. Dokas]

its a great racquet and u probly hit great with it although it will hurt your serve.

why dont u try something little lighter and when u turn 16 give then give it another go

 

[jazar]

thanks for all the responses guys, i think my coach might have been right as i just played for about 4 hours today n my arm is a little tired. so im gonna use the kzen for now, lift some light weights for the next 1-2 months (10-20lbs) n then try the k six one again after ...... sound like a good idea??

if you start doing weights at age 13 you are likely to do yourself some kind of injury

 

[phucng_10]

if you start doing weights at age 13 you are likely to do yourself some kind of injury

Definitely will. Still a bit too young and you're barely entering puberty. Plus, your growth spurt is barely developing.

 

[featherlight]

don force it let ur strenght naturally come in

 

[0d1n]

I agree with this. If you're 4.0 like you say, you should be able to handle it. Yeah, your coach may know you, but at 4.0 level, you should know yourself better than your coach. If you have the $ and really like it and already spend enough time demoing it several times, what does it hurt to try it out? Worst case is you go back to the old racket and lose some $ on the new racket. Best case is your game is improved with the new racket and you can prove your coach wrong. Or use both like matchmaker says with the kzen as a backup when you're tired.

Did you miss the part about him being 13 years old?? Did you "know yourself" that well when you were 13 ?? (if you are older than that currently that is ...).
There's no way in hell the k95 would be the best available racket on the market for any 13 yo out there.

 

[some6uy008]

Did you miss the part about him being 13 years old?? Did you "know yourself" that well when you were 13 ?? (if you are older than that currently that is ...).
There's no way in hell the k95 would be the best available racket on the market for any 13 yo out there.

I completely agree. Surprising how some people on these forums read some magical number like "4.0" and all of a sudden nothing else matters. When was the last time anyone here met a teen that knew what was best for him/herself?

No offense to the OP regarding age, but really at 13, take the word of someone you trust. You'll grow up soon enough, trust me on that.

 

[servelikesampras]

It doesn't matter if you're a 4.0 because changing racket does take a while to get used to. I switched to a heavier racket in coaching that I hadn't played much with and my level dropped noticeably. Switched back to my usual frame and was smacking the ball.

 

[Quikj]

It doesn't matter if you're a 4.0 because changing racket does take a while to get used to. I switched to a heavier racket in coaching that I hadn't played much with and my level dropped noticeably. Switched back to my usual frame and was smacking the ball.

Non of you guys played junior tennis, huh? We don't really have NTRP ratings, it's all age based. He's self rating himself to the best of his ability. A better way to find out if he's any good is to ask what his ranking in the 14s is in his section. Then you could make a better jugement about his capabilities in regards to wielding the k95.

I agree that 90+ of 14 and under juniors don't need a 12oz. racket, however who are we to say, definitively, that he cannot use a racket that he is confident hitting with.

BTW, the OP might want to reconsider the whole weight lifting idea. I was tiny until halfway through high school and was almost forced off of the football team for refusing to lift weights to put on muscle mass (I was an 135 lb. tailback). I came from a fairly large family and knew that I wa due for a growth spurt sooner of later. Between my junior an senior year I grew 5" in one summer. That growth may or may not have been stunted if I''d lifted weights when I was younger, but I didn't even give it the chance.

 

[slicekick95]

so what you guys say is best is to keep on using the kzen, and not lift weights or anything, and when i get little bigger i should use the k six one 95.... btw im not counting on any growth spurt because the tallest person in myy extended family is 5 10 , n the next tallest person is 5 7

 

[Trevor]

Weights are fine as long as you go for low weight and high repetition.

 

[pmata814]

yeah i just played a two matches with it, both three setters, it felt fine

Playing with the racquet for several hrs. might feel fine but sometimes, as it was in my case, you don't feel the negative sideffects until several weeks later. I played great when I switched to the Pure Storm Tour but playing with it several hrs. a day and 3 days a week turned out to be more than my arm could handle and I ended up with Tennis Elbow.

Having said that, I am a 3.5 and I'm sure my technique had something to do with it.

 

[jms007]

If you're 13, I don't recommend lifting weights. Just do push-ups and pull-ups and you'll be fine.

 

[slicekick95]

do you guys think that maybe the dunlop aerogel 200 is a good option to try

 

[Bundey]

do you guys think that maybe the dunlop aerogel 200 is a good option to try

Why do you feel you must change racquets? Also a 13 year old 4.0 is just woah...

 

[slicekick95]

well i think the kzen is a bit too powerful to me, a little stiff, and its not very stable

 

[slicekick95]

oh and also, my kzen is cracked, so im gonna need another racket either way

 

[volusiano]

Did you miss the part about him being 13 years old?? Did you "know yourself" that well when you were 13 ?? (if you are older than that currently that is ...).
There's no way in hell the k95 would be the best available racket on the market for any 13 yo out there.

I completely agree. Surprising how some people on these forums read some magical number like "4.0" and all of a sudden nothing else matters. When was the last time anyone here met a teen that knew what was best for him/herself?

No offense to the OP regarding age, but really at 13, take the word of someone you trust. You'll grow up soon enough, trust me on that.

I didn't miss the part about him being 13 years old. But just like you guys say "4.0" is not a magic number, it's just as hypocritical for you guys to treat 13 as a magic number, too. For all we know, this kid could be 5'7" at 150lbs or even bigger at 13 years of age. We don't know, do we?

Lacking that information about his physique, the only other information he gave was his rating. It is questionable that he's a 4.0, that's why I said "If you're really a 4.0 like you said you are". It's not a magic number, but it's an indication of his skill in tennis, and hence his ability to be able to judge whether a racket is good for him or not. And I still think his rating is more relevant than his age when it comes to choosing a racket for himself.

I do agree that he shouldn't be pumping iron at his age. But I don't see what the big deal is to try out a 12 oz racket that you guys have to tell him to avoid like a plague. It's only a couple of oz more, not like it's a pound heavier.

If anything, I'd prefer my own 13 year old kid to use a 12 oz racket for more mass to decrease the chance of catching tennis elbow compared to a lighter racket, even at the expense of decreasing his performance a little.

My wife and daughter are pretty small in physique, around 5' tall and 100-120 lbs. But they're using Head Flexpoint Radical Tour rackets which is 12.3oz strung just fine. They're only around 2.5 - 3.0 level, so they're not using this player racket because they're good, but because this racket is head light, low in stiffness, and have more mass, all the ingredients to help avoid tennis elbow in a racket. They never complain to me that their rackets are heavy. They just get used to it very quickly. And knock on wood, they haven't had any problems with TE so far.

 

[0d1n]

^^ I agree with you that generally skill level/rating is more important than age and even physique, but I tend to think that this is only "true" when talking about people who are over 15 (maybe 16). Yes, he could be 5.7 and 150 lbs as you say, but I wouldn't recommend something like the K95 even then.
It's not the weight I'm concerned with really ... it's the other specs.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a MG Prestige MP to a 13 year old boy (even if it's 12 ozish) if he can really play and I know a 15-16 years old junior who can whip my arse with his Flexpoint prestige MP, but you will agree that the specs are still a bit different.
A close to 70 stiffness coupled with a 340 SW are the specs I wouldn't recommend to any 13 years old regardless of his size. There you have it ...

 

[mawashi]

^^ I agree with you that generally skill level/rating is more important than age and even physique, but I tend to think that this is only "true" when talking about people who are over 15 (maybe 16). Yes, he could be 5.7 and 150 lbs as you say, but I wouldn't recommend something like the K95 even then.
It's not the weight I'm concerned with really ... it's the other specs.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a MG Prestige MP to a 13 year old boy (even if it's 12 ozish) if he can really play and I know a 15-16 years old junior who can whip my arse with his Flexpoint prestige MP, but you will agree that the specs are still a bit different.
A close to 70 stiffness coupled with a 340 SW are the specs I wouldn't recommend to any 13 years old regardless of his size. There you have it ...

0d1n you're right and even though I know of lots of guys who grew up using their dad's 13oz frames I think some the modern frames out there are really not suitable for kids.

I wonder how many kids using PDRs and K95s will be still playing at 18?

mawashi

 

[volusiano]

^^ I agree with you that generally skill level/rating is more important than age and even physique, but I tend to think that this is only "true" when talking about people who are over 15 (maybe 16). Yes, he could be 5.7 and 150 lbs as you say, but I wouldn't recommend something like the K95 even then.
It's not the weight I'm concerned with really ... it's the other specs.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a MG Prestige MP to a 13 year old boy (even if it's 12 ozish) if he can really play and I know a 15-16 years old junior who can whip my arse with his Flexpoint prestige MP, but you will agree that the specs are still a bit different.
A close to 70 stiffness coupled with a 340 SW are the specs I wouldn't recommend to any 13 years old regardless of his size. There you have it ...

0d1n, yes, I agree with you about the stiffness of 70 being a bit too stiff for a lot of people, heck, me included. So I do take it back and wouldn't generally recommend a stick that stiff to a 13 year-old.

Having said that, I didn't take the stiffness into the equation in the first place because his KZen is rated at 71 stiffness, even a little bit more than the K6.1 95 which is rated at 69. So from just the stifness perspective alone, if you don't recommend the K6.1 95 to him due to stiffness, you should also not recommend him using his existing KZen for the same reason.

But I do understand your concern and it was actually one of the big factors in my selection of the Head Flexpoint Radical for my wife and daughter: its stiffness rating is only at 58.

 

[0d1n]

0d1n, yes, I agree with you about the stiffness of 70 being a bit too stiff for a lot of people, heck, me included. So I do take it back and wouldn't generally recommend a stick that stiff to a 13 year-old.

Having said that, I didn't take the stiffness into the equation in the first place because his KZen is rated at 71 stiffness, even a little bit more than the K6.1 95 which is rated at 69. So from just the stifness perspective alone, if you don't recommend the K6.1 95 to him due to stiffness, you should also not recommend him using his existing KZen for the same reason.

But I do understand your concern and it was actually one of the big factors in my selection of the Head Flexpoint Radical for my wife and daughter: its stiffness rating is only at 58.

Yeh, that radical tour is comfortable even with full poly. My arm hurts even thinking about a k95 18x20 strung with full poly.......ouch.

 

[PimpMyGame]

Horses for courses. My 10 yo son has just "inherited" my nBlades, 325g (11.6oz) (strung + overgrip + dampener) and is handling them well playing 3 times a week for 1.5 hours a time plus matches.

 

[slicekick95]

i just had a private lesson with my coach, and this was actually the first time he saw me play with it. he said that i proved to him i could handle it but that he would not sell the racket to me until i played with it for a month or so

 

[ramos]

It´s not too heavy...

My sun is 11 yeas old and plays with a K90.
Never injuried...
Just a litlle dificulty to serve, yes, but all else ok!

Now we are testing a Yonex RQS 1, and its going ok with the serve.

K zen is very light ... don´t stabilize when you receve a bomb! Transfer all the chock to your arm...

 

[mawashi]

i just had a private lesson with my coach, and this was actually the first time he saw me play with it. he said that i proved to him i could handle it but that he would not sell the racket to me until i played with it for a month or so

That's good to hear but don't try to make yourself like the frame. It isn't good to hurt yourself just to prove a point.

Play naturally and if you're good enough, use the frame otherwise as the other posters have said, find a more suitable frame.

Cheers,

mawashi

 

[0d1n]

My sun is 11 yeas old and plays with a K90.
Never injuried...
Just a litlle dificulty to serve, yes, but all else ok!

Now we are testing a Yonex RQS 1, and its going ok with the serve.

K zen is very light ... don´t stabilize when you receve a bomb! Transfer all the chock to your arm...

Then he has an irresponsible coach. And you either don't know much about tennis equipment, or you are irresponsible also.
The third option would be that you're talking out of your arse.

 

[ramos]

So help-me...

What is the ideal for the 11 age boy racquet?

What is the meaning of the word ARSE?

 

[Rorsach]

What is the meaning of the word ARSE?

That's your gluteus maximus, also known as poop hole, or for the US based forumites: your ass.