Should I be using a "tweener"

The width of the racket face is all that matters. There's been a link to an article that analyzed the head tilt factor and the conclusion was that the optimal width is 10 inches for a wide-beamed racket. 9 inches is too small for SW/W grips (however, a thin beam compensates for that), and 11 inches does not lead to further improvements over 10.

The width of 6.1 tours is exactly 9 inches (just for comparison).
 
SHUNGO said:
Reading this thread I agree with most of you guys, my case is very similar, used to play allways with "true players" frames, but lately got tendinitis on my forearm, so today a friend lend me his TI-S6 Head frame, very light 8.8 oz. and felt great, was incredibly soft and accurate, big hitting was possible, so incredible!!

So my question will be, what can happen if I buy a couple of this or the Hyper-carbon Wilson's, famous hammer, which buy the way are at US$ 60 levels, or the Prince Triple Threat Scream, and keep them in the bag as an option for those tired days?? Anyone has tried this option or has experience with mentioned very light frames? BTW they seem exteremely popular, will appreciate your ideas and comments. Thanks-
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Please be careful. The comfort of a frame is not an indicator of its elbow-friendliness. Light weight is one major contributing factor, and high stiffness is another, and those are the distinguishing features of the racquets you mention. (I wouldn't normally be so alarmist, but if you've already injured your arm, these are important considerations for keeping you in the game for years to come.)

I'm in a similar boat, but it is sailing from the opposite direction. After years of Hammers and other ultra-light, ultra-stiff howitzers, tendon health is now a consideration for me. However, I crave the forgiveness of a 100-sq-in-or-more head, so tweenerish player racquets (Tour Diablo MP, Ozone Tour, Vantage 100, etc) with lower flex and higher wt/swingwt are appealing these days. It shouldn't be too hard to find a spec that is safe without being exhausting to wield.
 
just wanted to update everyone...

I am going with the Youtek Instict. I wasn't expecting to like this stick as much as I have and it just suits my game so perfectly right now. Power with control and light swingweight without feeling flimsy. The 18/19 pattern is a nice bonus for me, since I hit somewhat flat anyway. It kind of plays like a lighter and more powerful Radical MP. Several of my hitting partners remarked that I have been playing better that ever. The extra pop really did wonders for my 2hand backhand also. I am hitting crosscourt winners for the first time in my life.

I wanted to like the London better, but it just didn't perform as well as the Instinct for me. Nice stick though...soft feeling and unbelievably solid and stable for a 11 oz'er. Beautiful paint job too.

So for the time being, I am sticking with my "tweener" of choice...The Head Youtek Instinct
 
Jack what is the drill spacing on the instinct like? Despite being 18x19 would you say they are spread out like say a speed or compacted towards the middle. Cheers
 
AirK said:
Jack what is the drill spacing on the instinct like? Despite being 18x19 would you say they are spread out like say a speed or compacted towards the middle. Cheers
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The spacing is slightly more open than a typical 18x20 like the Dunlop 300 tour.
 
JackB1 said:
just wanted to update everyone...

I am going with the Youtek Instict. I wasn't expecting to like this stick as much as I have and it just suits my game so perfectly right now. Power with control and light swingweight without feeling flimsy. The 18/19 pattern is a nice bonus for me, since I hit somewhat flat anyway. It kind of plays like a lighter and more powerful Radical MP. Several of my hitting partners remarked that I have been playing better that ever. The extra pop really did wonders for my 2hand backhand also. I am hitting crosscourt winners for the first time in my life.

I wanted to like the London better, but it just didn't perform as well as the Instinct for me. Nice stick though...soft feeling and unbelievably solid and stable for a 11 oz'er. Beautiful paint job too.

So for the time being, I am sticking with my "tweener" of choice...The Head Youtek Instinct
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Great choice & good luck! Instincts have always seemed to fly a bit under the radar but IMO they are fantastic frames.
 
JackB1 said:
just wanted to update everyone...

I am going with the Youtek Instict. I wasn't expecting to like this stick as much as I have and it just suits my game so perfectly right now. Power with control and light swingweight without feeling flimsy. The 18/19 pattern is a nice bonus for me, since I hit somewhat flat anyway. It kind of plays like a lighter and more powerful Radical MP. Several of my hitting partners remarked that I have been playing better that ever. The extra pop really did wonders for my 2hand backhand also. I am hitting crosscourt winners for the first time in my life.

I wanted to like the London better, but it just didn't perform as well as the Instinct for me. Nice stick though...soft feeling and unbelievably solid and stable for a 11 oz'er. Beautiful paint job too.

So for the time being, I am sticking with my "tweener" of choice...The Head Youtek Instinct
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As a racquetaholic (yes I see your posts) , you're entering that special moment where your stick and you become one. May it last a long time!
 
Nice to see another member coming to the HEAD side.

I really wish I had tried them sooner, it turns out I absolutely love flexy frames, and that's pretty much their whole line.
 
pyrokid said:
Nice to see another member coming to the HEAD side.

I really wish I had tried them sooner, it turns out I absolutely love flexy frames, and that's pretty much their whole line.
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Not sure I would think of Head first for flexy? Dunlop, Volkl, Prince all have very flexy frames too. Head's Youtek line isn't really "flexy"...it's more like "flexy crisp" IMO. But for my YT Instinct it works well. Feels firm when I swing out and feels soft for drop shots. I couldn't pull of touch shots with the EXO3 White or the BLX Open like I can with the Instinct.
 
JackB1 said:
I should have just consulted Fedace and been done with it :)
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Ok, what happened, I see you are looking for a Babolat Pure Storm now, and you are offering an Instinct up for trade ?? Did Rabbit's post put some doubt into your head ?
 
atatu said:
Ok, what happened, I see you are looking for a Babolat Pure Storm now, and you are offering an Instinct up for trade ?? Did Rabbit's post put some doubt into your head ?
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Not anymore. The Pure Storm GT is one racquet I never tried, but I actually got to try one today against a wall and it felt a little heavy and sluggish to me...probably was the 1 pt HL balance and the higher swingweight (325). I didn't care for it much. I am sticking with the YT Instinct for now and also trying out a Becker London shortly. I will stick with one of those. I am a little leary of the Instinct now because it has been giving me a little elbow pain the last couple of times I used it. Nothing major, but I have to be careful it doesn't get worse. The London felt softer to me, but I only had one brief hit with it so far.
I may also try stringing the Instinct with full multi, instead of multi/copoly hybrid I have now.
 
JackB1 said:
Not anymore. The Pure Storm GT is one racquet I never tried, but I actually got to try one today against a wall and it felt a little heavy and sluggish to me...probably was the 1 pt HL balance and the higher swingweight (325). I didn't care for it much. I am sticking with the YT Instinct for now and also trying out a Becker London shortly. I will stick with one of those. I am a little leary of the Instinct now because it has been giving me a little elbow pain the last couple of times I used it. Nothing major, but I have to be careful it doesn't get worse. The London felt softer to me, but I only had one brief hit with it so far.
I may also try stringing the Instinct with full multi, instead of multi/copoly hybrid I have now.
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I just sold my London. What's ironic is that it gave me forearm pain, how can a racket with a 63 RA rating give me arm pain ? On the other hand the PB 8 315 with a 70 RA did not bother my arm at all, very strange. At the moment I'm trying a BBDC Pro strung with gut at 52 lbs.
 
atatu said:
I just sold my London. What's ironic is that it gave me forearm pain, how can a racket with a 63 RA rating give me arm pain ? On the other hand the PB 8 315 with a 70 RA did not bother my arm at all, very strange. At the moment I'm trying a BBDC Pro strung with gut at 52 lbs.
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Yup, it's a big mystery. Please post back with your impressions of the BBDC.
 
i find you are either a) a beginner or b) very good if you play with a tweener. you need the power to keep balls deep or have the technique to tame the power with tons of topspin. i'm not good enough!
 
atatu said:
I just sold my London. What's ironic is that it gave me forearm pain, how can a racket with a 63 RA rating give me arm pain ? On the other hand the PB 8 315 with a 70 RA did not bother my arm at all, very strange. At the moment I'm trying a BBDC Pro strung with gut at 52 lbs.
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It just shows that the numbers are just a guideline. Since all racquets are measured in the same spot, it doesn't give the total picture on how the entire frame will impact your arm/elbow. I think the "vibration" number that TW has in their tools, is perhaps a more useful number.
 
latest update.........

I think I am all set with the Instinct. I really wanted to like the London because the specs seemed perfect and the paintjob is so nice, but I just play much better with the Instinct. It gives me better power and it's easier to swing. I don't know why, but the Instinct feels much lighter through the air than the London. They are both about the same static weight (11 oz) and are supposed to have the same swingweight (312), but the London is noticeably sluggish to me when I play them both side by side.
When I measured the 2 racquets on the machine, the London showed a sw of 324 and the Instinct showed 310, so either the Instict is rated too high or the London too low?

Either way, I found everything I need in the Instinct to play my game. Light weight without feeling flimsy. Power on tap with some control. Very accurate due to the 18x19 pattern. Nice surprising touch for a tweener. My dropshots are as good as they were with "players racquets" and my defensive game and 2HBH have improved quite a bit. Anyone looking for the same qualities in a "tweener" should not let the Instinct pass by without a demo. It is very much like an easier to use Radical MP. I really can't find anything wrong about it, except for the Head pallet shape, but I did a DIY number on the handle and now it feels fine to me. Hopefully I can stick with this racquet for a good while or at least until next year's new models come out :)
 
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atatu said:
I just sold my London. What's ironic is that it gave me forearm pain, how can a racket with a 63 RA rating give me arm pain ? On the other hand the PB 8 315 with a 70 RA did not bother my arm at all, very strange.
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Perhaps you grip tighter and swing harder on all your strokes with the London, to compensate for the lower power level, in comparison to the PB 8 ?
 
atatu said:
I just sold my London. What's ironic is that it gave me forearm pain, how can a racket with a 63 RA rating give me arm pain ? On the other hand the PB 8 315 with a 70 RA did not bother my arm at all, very strange. At the moment I'm trying a BBDC Pro strung with gut at 52 lbs.
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Hey, how's the testing going with the BBDC?
 
using tweener racquets

hi jack read you post yes use should use a tweener racket playing singles , doubles you get winded , tired , playing in hot weather 90 degrees plus
3 sets or more , racquets tend to get heavy in third sets or more some times
you lost your stroke ,volley ,serve , need a little lighter racquet say 10 oz to 11oz medium power , size 100 to 107 sq in , not to flexible you `ll still have vibration going into you arm ,,weather you like head light , hh or even balance.
need more topspin , slice bh slice serve wide string pattern 16 x 19
you should try head , babolat dunlop wilson prince racquets try testing your friends racquets a little also go onto tennis warehouse learning center
that will help you an the description of of the rackets ntpr rating say 3.0 to 4.5 ntrp remember you can add lead tape in desired areas this will also help your stroke too raquets i can recommend babolat pure drive gt lite
wilson surge , wilson k factor fx four dunlop areogels prince o3 series
head microgels head lm , these slould help with your game and your foot work should get better and you will be ntpr 4.0 soon
hope i help you ok gjr
 
JackB1 said:
latest update.........

I think I am all set with the Instinct. I really wanted to like the London because the specs seemed perfect and the paintjob is so nice, but I just play much better with the Instinct. It gives me better power and it's easier to swing. I don't know why, but the Instinct feels much lighter through the air than the London. They are both about the same static weight (11 oz) and are supposed to have the same swingweight (312), but the London is noticeably sluggish to me when I play them both side by side.
When I measured the 2 racquets on the machine, the London showed a sw of 324 and the Instinct showed 310, so either the Instict is rated too high or the London too low?

Either way, I found everything I need in the Instinct to play my game. Light weight without feeling flimsy. Power on tap with some control. Very accurate due to the 18x19 pattern. Nice surprising touch for a tweener. My dropshots are as good as they were with "players racquets" and my defensive game and 2HBH have improved quite a bit. Anyone looking for the same qualities in a "tweener" should not let the Instinct pass by without a demo. It is very much like an easier to use Radical MP. I really can't find anything wrong about it, except for the Head pallet shape, but I did a DIY number on the handle and now it feels fine to me. Hopefully I can stick with this racquet for a good while or at least until next year's new models come out :)
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Thanks a LOT Jack !!!!!....I just added ANOTHER stick to my far too long list!!!!!!:confused:
 
OldButGame said:
Thanks a LOT Jack !!!!!....I just added ANOTHER stick to my far too long list!!!!!!:confused:
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lol. The Instinct is a lot lighter than all the others in your signature, but I think it a great, unique tweener! It's a rare light and powerful stick that still has good touch for drop shots and volleys. Great serving stick too! Let me know how u like it.
 
0d1n said:
One of the best tweeners available in my book. I've only tried the LM and Flexpoint...between those two I would go with the LM. Much more comfortable, similarly or slightly less powerful than the FXP, and more stable.
Think about it as a more control oriented and much more comfortable pure drive :).
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Od1n,
I am getting interested in the instinct. Are you talking about the regular LM instinct or the XL version, and what's the difference if you have played both? Also, you said, it is a more controlled PD. what about the flex? Is it a lot more flexy?
 
The regular LM Instinct is definitely lighter than the LM Instinct XL Tour version. Regular is ~ 11 oz 18 mains, Tour XL is ~11.8 oz, 16 mains. I play with the XL version and find it has a lot more power with basically the same feel.
 
esgee48 said:
The regular LM Instinct is definitely lighter than the LM Instinct XL Tour version. Regular is ~ 11 oz 18 mains, Tour XL is ~11.8 oz, 16 mains. I play with the XL version and find it has a lot more power with basically the same feel.
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Interesting... Do you feel you have better control with the lighter 18M one?
Also, I imagine the Tour version is more stable? Have you tried to lead up the regular LM instinct?
 
Demo'ed both a long time ago. Found that the LM Instinct was too light and lack the put away power of the XL. Play against typically hard hitters, so I opted for the heavier stick so stick would not get pushed by heavy balls. Found it better for me on groundstrokes, volleys and serves. The XL string pattern is also dense in the middle of the mains with wider spacing towards the last 2 outer mains. The middle of the XL is almost as dense as the regular Instinct.
 
newton296 said:
how did you like the BBDCP? its price is reduced so was thinking of buying but having trouble getting a demo.... @_@
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I like it, but I just have too many other racquets right now :)
It's in the classified section if you wanted to buy it to playtest.
 
Not a big fan of the Tour XL Instinct. I had one for awhile and it just didn't inspire confidence like a tweener is supposed to do. I know it's cliche, but honestly Babolat has their stuff together when it comes to tweeners, so I would try everything you can get your hands on from them. I play the Prince EXO3 Tour, which I suppose might be considered a tweener since it's 100in, so maybe check that one out as well.


Please excuse me if this information has already been posted in this thread, I didn't have time to read through 12 pages and just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.
 
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