Racquet Forum FAQ

[Fed Kennedy]

getsby- just make sure to specify you want the hard grommet installed: tw will do it. best way is to phone in your order.

 

[getsby]

Fed, Thank you, your phone is expensive, I'm not in America, I am in Russia also do not speak English. exchanged letters with the support-agreed that once the dial order, write them on email about the grommets. Hope racket will be delivered in the right form for me ... )))

 

[Enthu]

Could TW please tell me whether the headlite balance points indicated in ther specs are after stringing or before.
eg: BLX Tidal wave is shown as 6 points Headlite. After stringing does it become only 3 points lite?

 

[TW Staff]

All the specs are for strung racquets.

Tiffani, TW

 

[Paul B 40-15]

when you go to a sports shop to purchase a new racket, do you need to tall the person in the shop as much information about your game as possible in order for them to help you pick the right racket?
I haven't played for a while and I never really understood a few things.
I have no idea what my style of play is, I also have no idea what my swing speed is, what strings I prefer or what string tension best suits me.

any ideas please?

 

[three.dee]

Is there a way to filter rackets by review scores on the tw website?
Except watching the review on each one of the, of couse ...

Thank you!

 

[tmc5005]

In response to your FAQ question - What are some arm friendly racquets?

A brief list of arm friendly racquets (feel free to suggest additions)
Pro Kennex 5g/Ki5
Pro Kennex 7g/Ki5x
Volkl C10 Pro
Obviously this list needs work, suggestions please!

The 2 most recent additions on my list of top 10 arm-friendly racquets are:
Yonex Vcore 95D
Volkl Organix 10 325G

The 3 top selling arm-friendly racquets are:
Babolet Pure Storm LTD GT (95)
HEAD-Youtek-IG-Prestige-MP
Prince EXO3 Tour (100) 16 x 18

 

[tennis4811]

Does a custom paintjob change the flex or the feel of the racket?

 

[TW Staff]

tennis4811,

We’ve never tested this so we’re not sure. It likely has a minor affect on the specs. The difference is not likely to be as large as the spec variation between two frames of the same make/model.

Thanks,
Brittany, TW

 

[getagrip]

I did this to one of my racquets, completely ruined it, maybe i gotta read and follow this better

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

This is the Frequently Asked Questions thread for the Racquets sub-forum. Hopefully this will allow us to cut down on the stickies!

Q: How do I customize my racquet?
A: Customizing racquets is the process of making slight (typically) modifications to a racquet to suit a player. These modifications can be anything from adding lead tape/weights, to molding a custom grip shape! The varying methods of customization are too broad to discuss in a simple FAQ, but here is a good guide to get you started:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/Customizing/customize.html
After reading this guide, you can ask more specific questions in the forum!

Q: I read TW's guide on customization, would adding lead weight(s) to the handle lower the swingweight?

A: No, there is no way to lower swingweight by adding weight to a frame. You CAN, however, lower the swingweight by other means, such as removing material from the bumper guard. For more information see this thread:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=74681


Q: What effect will adding weight to my racquet have on its balance and swingweight?
A: Steve H. has made up a spreadsheet that will calculate these specs for you -- it can be found at http://www.hoboy.net/Hoboy/formulas.xls
Validity of these results has not been verified yet.

Q: What is the best racquet for X type of player?

A: Simply put, there is no specific formula to match a racquet to a player. The best advice you can get when searching for a new racquet is to demo, demo, demo. If there is no demo service available in your area (or if the local service does not carry the racquet you are looking for..) TW provides users an excellent method of demoing frames. More information can be found here:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/demoprogram.html
Charges range from ~$12 - 31, this covers shipping both ways, 4 racquets max at a time. The program is free, the shipping is not. More information can be found at the link

If you have NO idea to begin with, here is a good read on different types of racquets, and players they are "suited" for.
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/SelectingRacquet/SelectingRacquet.html


Q: I've been demoing, and I think i know what I like, how can I find all the current products on the market that are similar to my specs?

A: TW offers a racquet finding tool, found at: http://www.racquetfinder.com/

You can search by ranging the specs to very tight, or very loose tolerances. You are given the option to search only current models, but can also search discontinued models. This is an excellent resource when you know a ballpark idea of what you're looking for.

Q: What are some arm friendly racquets?
A: There are a ton of different opinions on this subject, so I won't try and list all "arm friendly" racquets. If you want to read about what makes a racquet arm friendly or not, check out this link:
http://racquetresearch.com/
DISCLAIMER: Racquet research (apparently) has stopped being updated because of incomplete/inaccurate formulations, leading to rankings that don't take into account human factors. Take all information read there with a grain of salt, and also do a quick search about any interesting racquets on the boards to supplement any findings you come across. Thanks J D for the input.


It's a little outdated, but it has some excellent information.
Edit (7/4/06): More information about racquet research can be found here:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=988646&postcount=12


A brief list of arm friendly racquets (feel free to suggest additions)
Pro Kennex 5g/Ki5
Pro Kennex 7g/Ki5x
Volkl C10 Pro
Obviously this list needs work, suggestions please!

More available here:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=77937

Q: What kind of specs are the pros REALLY using?
A: Check this thread here, it is an excellent resource:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=68263


Q: Is there a way I can search through all the Comparative Playtests?
A: Yes, there is!

The thread you're linking to for the pros specs is incorrect.

 

[diredesire]

The thread you're linking to for the pros specs is incorrect.

Fixed - updated to an archive.org link from 2007 or so.

 

[Novichok]

@TW Staff, does an extended length racquet improve serving? If so, in what way? I am asking for a comparison between a standard length and an extended length racquet (with swingweight and other specs being equal).

 

[TW Staff]

@TW Staff, does an extended length racquet improve serving? If so, in what way? I am asking for a comparison between a standard length and an extended length racquet (with swingweight and other specs being equal).

Check out our podcast on extended length racquets!

They talk specifically about serving at 10:55.

 

[Novichok]

Check out our podcast on extended length racquets!

They talk specifically about serving at 10:55.

In your opinion, how does serving with a Dunlop CX200+ compare to serving with an RF97 Autograph?

 

[TW Staff]

@Novichok,

I think I speak for most, but I definitely find it a bit easier to generate power. Even though it is just a half inch with most extended racquets, it seems to help create some added leverage, and I feel like I can pop the first serve with a bit easier pace, and helps me feel like I am clearing the net a bit easier, which I'll take all I can get being I am 5'8" in height. There is maybe a slight adjustment period, like on groundstrokes or what not, but once I have adapted to the extended length, I feel like power and shape on the spin serves is enhanced. I found the CX 200+ to serve a bit easier and I could get a little more cheap power from it compared to the RF97. I feel like the RF97 can generate a very heavy serve, but I feel like I really have to work and be at my best mechanics to find those serves.

Hope that helps,
Troy, TW

 

[Novichok]

@Novichok,

I think I speak for most, but I definitely find it a bit easier to generate power. Even though it is just a half inch with most extended racquets, it seems to help create some added leverage, and I feel like I can pop the first serve with a bit easier pace, and helps me feel like I am clearing the net a bit easier, which I'll take all I can get being I am 5'8" in height. There is maybe a slight adjustment period, like on groundstrokes or what not, but once I have adapted to the extended length, I feel like power and shape on the spin serves is enhanced. I found the CX 200+ to serve a bit easier and I could get a little more cheap power from it compared to the RF97. I feel like the RF97 can generate a very heavy serve, but I feel like I really have to work and be at my best mechanics to find those serves.

Hope that helps,
Troy, TW

Just saw your reply. Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[zus_greg]

this is a great forum, lots of info, thanks guys.

 

[TennisHound]

Edit

 

[mhkeuns]

Got mine today and it literally started raining 10 minutes later lol. I did get it strung up with the RPM .17ga at 50lbs. That may be a little tight but I’ll restring it with something else if it is.

https://imgur.com/a/bTE90fL

Nice! Wrong thread, though. Must be the excitement.

 

[TennisHound]

Nice! Wrong thread, though. Must be the excitement.

Haha, Man I just can’t seem to get to the Playtest thread lol rofl