My main point was that this equation of pace + spin will be different for everyone and is mostly dependant on technique, not the racquet.
But technique is heavily influence by the racquet. To ignore the relationship between the racquet and technique is like ignoring the relationship between shoes and movement. If your shoes are causing foot pain and tripping you up you wouldn't blame your feet alone for your movement problems. You'd first find shoes that free you to move as well as you can instead of restraining your full potential. So it is with the racquet which is probably an even move complex fitting process than the shoe but which is also more likely to be ignored given its complexities.
What hits a "heavy ball" for one, may produce a feeble shot for another. That's why these threads are interesting but really don't produce a lot of value.
Fully agree there, see my point above and in my first post. Each individual needs to find the heaviest frame they can wield safely to achieve their maximum efficiency. I CAN use a lighter frame to hit topspin but then I lose pace unless I increase RHS to a point that my consistency falls. I CAN hit with more pace using an even heavier frame since swinging a 10 oz frame and a 13 oz frame isn't too different when hitting casually. But under pressure of a match you need your frame to fit like a glove for maximum efficiency and smoothness.
IMO, unless you are 5.0 or above, you are much better off focusing on hitting a consistent and deep shot with medium pace without making UEs, than focusing on how "heavy" of a ball you can hit.
Fully agree there which is why so called "pushers" win easily at 3.0 to 4.0 (4.5 seems sort of transitional). I know some folks disparage "pushers" but they're playing within themselves as even the pros do. The difference is that lower level players lack the skill to consistently hit winners with amazing pace and precision even off "easy" balls. More often than not we're going to dump in the net or hit the back fence when we try that.
Which is why, imo, it's even more important to find a good fit with a frame and strings. With a good fit you're free to take a moderate, consistent stroke and get a consistent result with respect to depth, placement, and pace. With a poor fit you're doing at least one of two things: having to use excessive RHS to get the ball deep and over the net or having to restrain your swing to avoid spraying balls.
Recently I've found that the best approach to "racquet tuning" is a bit like artillery fire. Based on your most comfortable, smooth, natural stroke form and speed you need to find a frame that produces a consistent shot depth and placement with pace adequate for your level (too low and higher level opponents can exploit it...fortunately at 3.0-4.5 you don't need much pace to keep opponents from beating you).
Your body and natural form are the baseline for this equation and the frame is a tool that with a proper fit drops your shots on target consistently, just like the shell size, gun elevation, and powder charge in an artillery piece consistently and accurately drops a shell on target.
Whether hitting a tennis ball over a net and onto a point between the service line and baseline or firing an artillery piece at a specific target over an intervening hill, consistency and accuracy are ballistics problems. If we assume that the goal of the human machine is to achieve a consistent stroke (i.e. good technique) then that stroke/technique, by definition, needs to be married to a racquet with specific characteristics if it's to drop a ball onto a specific point on the other side of the court with consistency and accuracy.
In other words, you can't talk about stroke production without paying close attention to the technique + tool equation since changing the variables present in the tool necessitates changes in technique. And if the those changes feel uncomfortable or unnatural then the player can't play his best tennis since he isn't playing naturally and smoothly. Instead he's introducing artificial hiccups into his technique to get it to conform to the ballistic characteristics of his frame.
