From the sound of it a lot of you are heavy into tennis.
I've never played in a tournament, for a school, been to camps, had lessons, etc.. -___-
Wish I had.. because of this I'm playing catch up. I would say my NTRP rating is a 2.5-3.0? XD
Not really sure on how loose/critical you are supposed to rate.
Well, I started playing tennis at my community college last semester.
A friend wanted to go play one day and I found my grandmas wooden Maxply McEnroe's that my mom had saved and ended up liking the game.
Two weeks later I signed up for beginning tennis. (Not that the teacher taught me much, I mainly learned by trial and error playing/watching friends and classmates.)
Kind of hard to critique every student when the class has 20+ people in it I guess.
I played with the same Maxply (4 1/2) up until a few days ago when I broke a string or two while serving, and ended up splintering the shaft as well.
Today was pretty much my first time using an oversized racket, the teacher told me to use her Prince Shark DB. (100sq in I believe, she always tells me I would be a lot better if I upgraded)
I only played with it for a little bit because my opponent wanted me to use my woodie.
I noticed a significant increase in the speed on my serves, more manuverability, more power, easier topspin.
I didn't have to set up as early for a shot, it was easier on my arm and quicker on the swing.. It was also more forgiving when I hit the ball, I could probably swing with my eyes closed and get it in. (It pretty much felt like I didn't have to try anymore)
The only thing I didn't like was that I couldn't feel the ball much anymore, on slices I couldn't get them close to the net and near the alley.. A lot of the control was gone.
Well, I've been using the 4 3/8 Maxply for the last couple of days and the grip feels slightly small. (The 4 1/2 felt a little big.. It's probably just in my mind)
I want to get a new racket before this one is out of commission too, and I want to play in a few tournaments before I'm an old man.
I feel that I can't compete with the top players in class using my woodie. A lot of the time they send it at my feet and I can't maneuver in time to get a decent shot off with a 65 sq. head.
Sooo, I'm not really sure what I want in a racket.
Definitely 90-100 Sq. inches, light, with as much feel as possible.
I just turned 20, I'm 5'11, I use a one handed forehand and backhand. Not sure on the grips I use because the guides are hard to follow.
The bone on my inner thumb rests where the lines are. Blue is my serve, Green is my forehand, red is my backhand, and the arrows are the directions I am swinging.
Not sure on the correct tennis terms, but I'll try to describe how I play..
I almost always hit the ball flat because it's hard for me to get both power and topspin to compete with other players using wood.
I'll use topspin if I'm closer to the net and need to get it over. I'll slice when I can on my backhand instead of powering it through because it's easier, I get better angles, and I like making people run.
(Not sure if this will matter in choosing a raquet)
Currently looking at the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick/+, AeroPro Drive Cortex/+, and Volkl Power Bridge 10. (Mainly because of reviews and I like the colors/design.)
I figure I might as well get a nice one that will last me a long time. I plan to demo them at ************** since their store is here in Houston.
The PB10 has a 18/20 string pattern and I'm not sure if the difference will really be that noticeable from 16/19. People say you lose power+topspin with a denser pattern, we will see.
Not sure on how big the difference in feel will be based on weight either.. 11.2 oz APdrive, 11.6 oz PDroddick, 12.1 oz PB10. (All strung)
So what are your opinions and racket suggestions??
I've never played in a tournament, for a school, been to camps, had lessons, etc.. -___-
Wish I had.. because of this I'm playing catch up. I would say my NTRP rating is a 2.5-3.0? XD
Not really sure on how loose/critical you are supposed to rate.
Well, I started playing tennis at my community college last semester.
A friend wanted to go play one day and I found my grandmas wooden Maxply McEnroe's that my mom had saved and ended up liking the game.
Two weeks later I signed up for beginning tennis. (Not that the teacher taught me much, I mainly learned by trial and error playing/watching friends and classmates.)
Kind of hard to critique every student when the class has 20+ people in it I guess.
I played with the same Maxply (4 1/2) up until a few days ago when I broke a string or two while serving, and ended up splintering the shaft as well.
Today was pretty much my first time using an oversized racket, the teacher told me to use her Prince Shark DB. (100sq in I believe, she always tells me I would be a lot better if I upgraded)
I only played with it for a little bit because my opponent wanted me to use my woodie.
I noticed a significant increase in the speed on my serves, more manuverability, more power, easier topspin.
I didn't have to set up as early for a shot, it was easier on my arm and quicker on the swing.. It was also more forgiving when I hit the ball, I could probably swing with my eyes closed and get it in. (It pretty much felt like I didn't have to try anymore)
The only thing I didn't like was that I couldn't feel the ball much anymore, on slices I couldn't get them close to the net and near the alley.. A lot of the control was gone.
Well, I've been using the 4 3/8 Maxply for the last couple of days and the grip feels slightly small. (The 4 1/2 felt a little big.. It's probably just in my mind)
I want to get a new racket before this one is out of commission too, and I want to play in a few tournaments before I'm an old man.
I feel that I can't compete with the top players in class using my woodie. A lot of the time they send it at my feet and I can't maneuver in time to get a decent shot off with a 65 sq. head.
Sooo, I'm not really sure what I want in a racket.
Definitely 90-100 Sq. inches, light, with as much feel as possible.
I just turned 20, I'm 5'11, I use a one handed forehand and backhand. Not sure on the grips I use because the guides are hard to follow.
The bone on my inner thumb rests where the lines are. Blue is my serve, Green is my forehand, red is my backhand, and the arrows are the directions I am swinging.
Not sure on the correct tennis terms, but I'll try to describe how I play..
I almost always hit the ball flat because it's hard for me to get both power and topspin to compete with other players using wood.
I'll use topspin if I'm closer to the net and need to get it over. I'll slice when I can on my backhand instead of powering it through because it's easier, I get better angles, and I like making people run.
(Not sure if this will matter in choosing a raquet)
Currently looking at the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick/+, AeroPro Drive Cortex/+, and Volkl Power Bridge 10. (Mainly because of reviews and I like the colors/design.)
I figure I might as well get a nice one that will last me a long time. I plan to demo them at ************** since their store is here in Houston.
The PB10 has a 18/20 string pattern and I'm not sure if the difference will really be that noticeable from 16/19. People say you lose power+topspin with a denser pattern, we will see.
Not sure on how big the difference in feel will be based on weight either.. 11.2 oz APdrive, 11.6 oz PDroddick, 12.1 oz PB10. (All strung)
So what are your opinions and racket suggestions??
