Scrambling my head to choose a new racquet!

[opes8]

Hey!

I am struggling trying to find out what racquets I should buy - and unfortunately it seems to be very hard to demo anywhere close to me(Oslo, Norway, TW-europe doesnt have a program here).
I am a returning player after a good 15 years of no play - finally found back to my youth passion of tennis now in my early mid 30s. I would say I'm a intermediate but with some clear signs off rust having returned to the game 5 months ago.

Trying to figure out what racquet to choose has led me down an endless rabithole of youtube vidoes and reviews, and if I could I'd demo 10 racquets but it seems hard todo around here. I am a fairly fit, tall (194/6'4) muscular guy. As for my playstyle I generally like to hit hard, deep flat balls and sometimes aggressively go in. Although to win I should problary stay back and power through to wins I play tennis for fun and theres few things more enjoyable then rushing to the net being offensive...

Currently playing with a Donnay Formula 100 Hexa - which I do enjoy, but I feel like it's bit too soft, unstable and low control for me. I can struggle keeping my balls in even though I feel like I'm hitting the exact sweetspot I want. It got abit better when I had it restringed, but generally the problem persists. Also it's and older used racquet I got second hand off a friend when I came back to the game - I generally want something new that I can develop with and buy a few racquets.

From what I've been reading and watching I have been interested in buying either the Percept 100D for what seems like good control combined with bit of power and not too high of a launch angle - or maybe going with the Speed MP 2024 as I sometimes read people say the Percept 100D is more for advanced players and I might be overestimating my own skills...

Anyway, any help or suggestions from more wise and experienced players would be greatly appreciated.

 

[shadow10]

I don't believe the Percept 100D will be too advanced for you. I have demoed it in the past, and it is a very solid, somewhat forgiving racket, especially with its larger head size. It is definitely more suited for flat hitters but still performs well in the spin department with the right string setup.

The Speed MP is a pretty balanced racket overall and may be a good fit for you. It's a little more forgiving and offers more spin than the 100D, I’d say.

You could also consider the new V9 Blade 98 16x19. I haven't hit with it myself yet, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. They stiffened up the frame from previous versions to give players a bit more power and spin than the earlier generations.

If you're looking for a super easy racket to play with, it's hard to go wrong with the Babolat Pure Drive, assuming you don't have any arm issues.

Tecnifibre also has the TF40 16x19 in both 305 or 315 grams, which are very good rackets.

Sorry that you don't have easy access to demo rackets. If you happen to meet other tennis players in your area who have any of the rackets you're interested in, perhaps they would be kind enough to let you try them?

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a racket is the weight of the stock frame, especially if you plan to modify it as you get more advanced. It's a fun journey, so enjoy the process and good luck!

 

[Soundbyte]

Honestly start with the Blade 98 16x19 and go from there. Its popular for a reason. Its got controllable power, is easily available, and has great re-sell value if you end up not liking it.

If you start there, and let us know what you like/don't like about it, it'll be easier to make recommendations for you.
If you want more control than the Blade, consider the Wilson ProStaff 97, Prestige Pro, Dunlop CX200 or CX200 Tour, or the Prince Phantom 100p
If you want more pop than the Blade, I'd consider the Pure Aero 98, Vcore 98, or Dunlop FX500

 

[jimmy8]

Blade 98 v9 16x19 is amazing. It's very stable and very maneuverable at the same time, and has very good control. If you want more forgiveness, I've heard the Blade 100 v9 is very controlled and a great all around racket.

I love the Wilson Shift 99 300, the best at everything for me. The most confidence inspiring for me.

 

[JayZi]

Hey!

I am struggling trying to find out what racquets I should buy - and unfortunately it seems to be very hard to demo anywhere close to me(Oslo, Norway, TW-europe doesnt have a program here).
I am a returning player after a good 15 years of no play - finally found back to my youth passion of tennis now in my early mid 30s. I would say I'm a intermediate but with some clear signs off rust having returned to the game 5 months ago.

Trying to figure out what racquet to choose has led me down an endless rabithole of youtube vidoes and reviews, and if I could I'd demo 10 racquets but it seems hard todo around here. I am a fairly fit, tall (194/6'4) muscular guy. As for my playstyle I generally like to hit hard, deep flat balls and sometimes aggressively go in. Although to win I should problary stay back and power through to wins I play tennis for fun and theres few things more enjoyable then rushing to the net being offensive...

Currently playing with a Donnay Formula 100 Hexa - which I do enjoy, but I feel like it's bit too soft, unstable and low control for me. I can struggle keeping my balls in even though I feel like I'm hitting the exact sweetspot I want. It got abit better when I had it restringed, but generally the problem persists. Also it's and older used racquet I got second hand off a friend when I came back to the game - I generally want something new that I can develop with and buy a few racquets.

From what I've been reading and watching I have been interested in buying either the Percept 100D for what seems like good control combined with bit of power and not too high of a launch angle - or maybe going with the Speed MP 2024 as I sometimes read people say the Percept 100D is more for advanced players and I might be overestimating my own skills...

Anyway, any help or suggestions from more wise and experienced players would be greatly appreciated.

Heavy hiting weapon:
1. Feel oriented - Older Prostaff - ncode with beefy swingweight
2. Modern/Stiffer/Crisp - Babolat PureStrike

 

[Dragy]

Hey!

I am struggling trying to find out what racquets I should buy - and unfortunately it seems to be very hard to demo anywhere close to me(Oslo, Norway, TW-europe doesnt have a program here).
I am a returning player after a good 15 years of no play - finally found back to my youth passion of tennis now in my early mid 30s. I would say I'm a intermediate but with some clear signs off rust having returned to the game 5 months ago.

Trying to figure out what racquet to choose has led me down an endless rabithole of youtube vidoes and reviews, and if I could I'd demo 10 racquets but it seems hard todo around here. I am a fairly fit, tall (194/6'4) muscular guy. As for my playstyle I generally like to hit hard, deep flat balls and sometimes aggressively go in. Although to win I should problary stay back and power through to wins I play tennis for fun and theres few things more enjoyable then rushing to the net being offensive...

Currently playing with a Donnay Formula 100 Hexa - which I do enjoy, but I feel like it's bit too soft, unstable and low control for me. I can struggle keeping my balls in even though I feel like I'm hitting the exact sweetspot I want. It got abit better when I had it restringed, but generally the problem persists. Also it's and older used racquet I got second hand off a friend when I came back to the game - I generally want something new that I can develop with and buy a few racquets.

From what I've been reading and watching I have been interested in buying either the Percept 100D for what seems like good control combined with bit of power and not too high of a launch angle - or maybe going with the Speed MP 2024 as I sometimes read people say the Percept 100D is more for advanced players and I might be overestimating my own skills...

Anyway, any help or suggestions from more wise and experienced players would be greatly appreciated.

Get out of the rabbit hole and pick some no-brainer you feel passion for:
- Speed MP to hit hard enough easy enough
- Blade 98 if you wanna program yourself like “I’m a big fit guy I need to tame my power with good control frame to be able to swing out of my shoes and have them land in”
- Ezone 98, if you want something in-between. Or 100, if you want power from the baseline

Don’t pick spin racquets unless you want to change to more spin game (although Pure Aero or Vcore 100 would be great for your situation). Don’t pick magical unique hyped racquets, not yet (PA98, Gravity Pro, RF01).

And definitely don’t go old-school heavy flexy small head, until you are back in shape, playing well with Speed MP, and really curious to try. But better not, even at that moment.

 

[opes8]

Honestly start with the Blade 98 16x19 and go from there. Its popular for a reason. Its got controllable power, is easily available, and has great re-sell value if you end up not liking it.

If you start there, and let us know what you like/don't like about it, it'll be easier to make recommendations for you.
If you want more control than the Blade, consider the Wilson ProStaff 97, Prestige Pro, Dunlop CX200 or CX200 Tour, or the Prince Phantom 100p
If you want more pop than the Blade, I'd consider the Pure Aero 98, Vcore 98, or Dunlop FX500

Interesting, however I am bit nervous of going to a 98, not entirely sure how I'll manage the smaller headsize. Would you suggest going for the 98 or testing the 100?

 

[opes8]

Get out of the rabbit hole and pick some no-brainer you feel passion for:
- Speed MP to hit hard enough easy enough
- Blade 98 if you wanna program yourself like “I’m a big fit guy I need to tame my power with good control frame to be able to swing out of my shoes and have them land in”
- Ezone 98, if you want something in-between. Or 100, if you want power from the baseline

Don’t pick spin racquets unless you want to change to more spin game (although Pure Aero or Vcore 100 would be great for your situation). Don’t pick magical unique hyped racquets, not yet (PA98, Gravity Pro, RF01).

And definitely don’t go old-school heavy flexy small head, until you are back in shape, playing well with Speed MP, and really curious to try. But better not, even at that moment.

How would the difference between something like Speed MP or a Blade 100 be?

The Percept 100D really only stuck in my head as I would like something thats not really spin oriented, with good control and some power. Not to mention the isometric shape has always had me wondering..

Again thanks for all the suggestions guys, much appreciated.

 

[Soundbyte]

I personally would take the Blade 100 over the Speed MP any day. I enjoyed the Speed PRO, but found the MP lacking. Blade 100 does everything the Speed MP does in a more forgiving and better feeling package

 

[jimmy8]

How would the difference between something like Speed MP or a Blade 100 be?

The Percept 100D really only stuck in my head as I would like something thats not really spin oriented, with good control and some power. Not to mention the isometric shape has always had me wondering..

Again thanks for all the suggestions guys, much appreciated.

So many people on this forum love the Blade 100 v9. I want to try it, but I'm trying not to be a racketholic.

 

[Stujames]

I was in a similar situation to you but I'm a bit older. I think the percept would be great. I have the Speed Mp and a Speed Pro as well as a V8 Blade 100. My preference is the Speed Pro, it has more control, more stable but still plenty of power. Mp is still good with some weight added to 3 and 9 , it's got more access to spin and a bit more launchy. The blade feels so plush to play with but I struggle to get enough topspin with it for some reason ...

 

[Soundbyte]

I was in a similar situation to you but I'm a bit older. I think the percept would be great. I have the Speed Mp and a Speed Pro as well as a V8 Blade 100. My preference is the Speed Pro, it has more control, more stable but still plenty of power. Mp is still good with some weight added to 3 and 9 , it's got more access to spin and a bit more launchy. The blade feels so plush to play with but I struggle to get enough topspin with it for some reason ...

I agree with you in that I would also pick the Speed Pro out of those 3 frames

 

[Trip]

@opes8 - Welcome to TT.

First off, as much as I know of the Formula 100, it's basically a softer, more comfortable, slightly lower-powered Pure Drive. So it could very well be that you already have a great option in your hands, that could be further tweaked to your liking with string adjustment and/or customization. I would at least try higher tension, thicker gauge and/or lower-powered and more firm strings, which will ramp up control and boost the feeling of stability, and make give you enough of an improvement that you don't need to switch frames.

Beyond that, for as much time as I'm sure you've put on the court and as excited as you are, it's only been 5 months... after a 15 year hiatus from the sport. So perhaps giving yourself some additional time to reacclimate to the game and/or maybe get some lessons (if you're not already) to solidify your technique, would help assure you that it's as much the racquet as you think it is, and less so yourself just needing more polishing and time.

If you really wanted to look at new frames, considering your bio and play style, I would look at slightly more controlled 100's, maybe certain easy-to-use, higher-power 98's and 99's, with denser central string patterns and boxier, more constant-width beams, all of which will make your harder, flatter hitting more controllable. I'm thinking of frames such as:

- Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x20
- Head Speed Pro
- Wilson Blade 100 v9
- Yonex Percept 100, maybe 100D

Hope that helps as a general guideline. Any questions, feel free.

 

[JayZi]

I was in a similar situation to you but I'm a bit older. I think the percept would be great. I have the Speed Mp and a Speed Pro as well as a V8 Blade 100. My preference is the Speed Pro, it has more control, more stable but still plenty of power. Mp is still good with some weight added to 3 and 9 , it's got more access to spin and a bit more launchy. The blade feels so plush to play with but I struggle to get enough topspin with it for some reason ...

Exactly, don't know the reason why people love the Blade, Speed is waay more forgiving and especially in offcenter hits where the racket feel so stable and smooth, noce dwell time with enough pace gemeration with You hitting no pace balls, really manouver and the topspin issue solver with some low string to string coefficent or just lowering tension or good hybrid

 

[opes8]

@opes8 - Welcome to TT.

First off, as much as I know of the Formula 100, it's basically a softer, more comfortable, slightly lower-powered Pure Drive. So it could very well be that you already have a great option in your hands, that could be further tweaked to your liking with string adjustment and/or customization. I would at least try higher tension, thicker gauge and/or lower-powered and more firm strings, which will ramp up control and boost the feeling of stability, and make give you enough of an improvement that you don't need to switch frames.

Beyond that, for as much time as I'm sure you've put on the court and as excited as you are, it's only been 5 months... after a 15 year hiatus from the sport. So perhaps giving yourself some additional time to reacclimate to the game and/or maybe get some lessons (if you're not already) to solidify your technique, would help assure you that it's as much the racquet as you think it is, and less so yourself just needing more polishing and time.

If you really wanted to look at new frames, considering your bio and play style, I would look at slightly more controlled 100's, maybe certain easy-to-use, higher-power 98's and 99's, with denser central string patterns and boxier, more constant-width beams, all of which will make your harder, flatter hitting more controllable. I'm thinking of frames such as:

- Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x20
- Head Speed Pro
- Wilson Blade 100 v9
- Yonex Percept 100, maybe 100D

Hope that helps as a general guideline. Any questions, feel free.

Part of the reason I was thinking about getting a new racquet is also that my Donnay is abit worn out by my friend who I bought it from - and generally I kind of just want something new and thats entirely my own to take care off. But I will for sure try to customize the Donnay going forward in combination of getting a new racquet. Having a few options seems good anyway.

So you'd suggest the Head Speed Pro instead of the MP? I have a friend with a Blade 100 v9 whos going to let me try out his racquet on monday - so we'll see how that feels. Right now I'm sitting between the Speed and the Percept 100D still, with perhaps the Blade coming in as an option after I've tried it out aswell.

Worst case I dont like the racquet and I'll have it in my bag as a spare, I've wasted alot more on alot less before... I am also going to start taking some coach lessons just to get some pointers on my game from being gone so long.

Thank you!

 

[Trip]

Part of the reason I was thinking about getting a new racquet is also that my Donnay is abit worn out by my friend who I bought it from - and generally I kind of just want something new and thats entirely my own to take care off. But I will for sure try to customize the Donnay going forward in combination of getting a new racquet. Having a few options seems good anyway.

Sounds like a decent enough plan, though hopefully you'll be able to settle on a single frame at some point, as that it ultimately best for the consistency of your game.

The reason I suggested the Speed Pro over the MP is for the additional control for your more flat technique, if indeed it is that flat. Perhaps test both, though, and if the MP gives you enough precision and control, then perhaps stick with that, as you'll gain additional ease-of-spin and launch height as well. And yes, definitely give the Blade 100 and Percept 100/100D a try as well. All told, that's a great group of demo's, and your takeaways will be very telling.

Interested to hear your updates once the time comes.

 

[born_hard]

Speed Pro is a great racket.

 

[ddonk]

Riksanlegget has a demo program, the shop on the ground floor.

 

[BHold81]

I'd recommend the Prince ATS Tour 98, Head Gravity Pro or Tour, and Diadem Elevate Tour. The Percept 100D would fit your game too, but I found the feel to be atrocious personally.

 

[JayZi]

Speed Pro is a great racket.

Best all round stick, yes

 

[Tranqville]

I am a fairly fit, tall (194/6'4) muscular guy. As for my playstyle I generally like to hit hard, deep flat balls and sometimes aggressively go in.

For someone tall and fit like you, I'd definitely suggest to learn about recoil weight. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/who-cares-about-recoil-weight.745506/ Applying the theory has been a game-changer for me in finding specs that allow for smooth, effortless groundstrokes.

So, the intermediate flat hitter, aggressive and strong. Head Radical MP is a great choice, as it supports flat hitting well, fits intermediates but has no hard ceiling on your growth - it can support you for years of tennis improvement journey.

Babolat Pure Strike Tour 3d generation is excellent for agressive flat hitters: it's such a rifle for flat attacking game, nothing compares to it. It's an outgoing model, maybe you can find it cheap. Not a safe blind buy, unlike Radical MP.

Some other manufacturers

Willson, Blade v9 98 16x19 - forgiving modern racquet with great feel - highly recommended. The new RFs and ProStaffs are too advanced.
Technifibre ISO Tfight 305 - fantastic modern racquet that does everything well and supports attacking flat game. Only caveat: 337 strung SW can be too much for some players. Often needs light customization (added 10-15g to the handle)
Yonex - to be honest, in its latest reincarnation it's more of a baseline grinder brands across all major 3 product lines. Some find head shape weird. Feel is greatly improved but still muted. Not a safe blind buy.

 

[z00]

Willson, Blade v9 98 16x19 - forgiving modern racquet with great feel - highly recommended. The new RFs and ProStaffs are too advanced.
Technifibre ISO Tfight 305 - fantastic modern racquet that does everything well and supports attacking flat game. Only caveat: 337 strung SW can be too much for some players. Often needs light customization (added 10-15g to the handle)
Yonex - to be honest, in its latest reincarnation it's more of a baseline grinder brands across all major 3 product lines. Some find head shape weird. Feel is greatly improved but still muted. Not a safe blind buy.

Any reasons you recommend blade V9 98 16x19 over 18x20? Every other review favors the 18x20.

 

[Tranqville]

Any reasons you recommend blade V9 98 16x19 over 18x20? Every other review favors the 18x20.

As an intermediate player, you will benefit from extra spin, power and forgiveness the open string pattern supplies. Most WTA players are happy with 16x19, and some of the top ATP players. As an intermediate player, you are perhaps not hitting even remotely hard enough to benefit from the extra control of 18x20. However, if you prefer the feel of 18x20, go for it and enjoy playing with it