Tennisspieler
Rookie
Looking at the characteristics of recently released 104/105 sq. inch racquets, I do have the impression that a cautious surge of more "ambitious" oversize racquets for advanced level players can be observed.*
Over the past two decades, oversize frames were primarily designed for beginners and recreational players with short, low-powered swings. Consequently, standard OS racquets are typically very light and head heavy, featuring high beams and head sizes of around 110 sq. inch.
Also, the fact that currently only a few professional players are using oversize frames might explain their small overall market share as well as the predominant lightweight design of today's OS racquets. After an early honeymoon period back in the 1990s, when several Pro players were endorsing oversize frames (like Michael Chang, Gabriela Sabatini, Andre Agassi), professional players have eventually abandoned these sticks.
However, racquet manufacturers recently release more and more "ambitious" 104/105 sq. inch head size frames which tend to aim at more advanced players, at least at the club level. These new oversize racquets are "ambitious" in the sense that while still having (moderately) enlarged head sizes and often sligtly extended (27.2-27.5 inch) lengths, they otherwise resemble their siblings in the 100 sq. inch tweener department in terms of weight, balance, beam design, stiffness, string pattern, etc.
Reviews and customer feedbacks seem to indicate that a growing number of players like these racquets, while many of them swear that previously they would never have touched anything bigger than 98 sq. inch. You will hear quotes as "It does feel like a smaller racquet" or "I never thought I would like a racquet of this head size". Also on this board these racquets slowly seem to get a better reception. It appears that the mental "100 sq. inch barrier" is gradually eroding and more people are getting used to the idea of hitting with a racquet that has a three-digit head size.
I would count a number of racquets in this evolving "ambitious" OS racquet category, such as the new Volkl Organix 7s, ProKennex Ionic Ki 15 PSE, 2013 ProKennex Kinetic Ki Q15 (300 g), Wilson Steam 105 and 105 S, Wilson Blade 104, Gamma RZR 105, Donnay Pro One OS Ext, Prince EXO3 Red 105, Prince EXO3 Rebel 105, Pacific X Force Comp, Pacific Speed and Head YOUTEK IG Extreme S 2.0, with some of these sticks certainly still being too light and head heavy in stock form. Maybe Agassi's Head Radical OS also falls into the category of these new OS frames, though being on the market for quite some time already and therefore serving as something like an early trendsetter for a more ambitious oversize racquet range.
I think the new Volkl Organix 7s, the ProKennex Ionic Ki 15 PSE and 2013 Kinetic Ki Q15 (300 g) as well as the Wilson Steam 105 serve as best examples for these new oversize racquets: They appear like a merger of the ever more popular 100 sq. inch tweener racquet department and the classic OS frame section. If you will, they are "Tweener Plus" racquets, "OS Tweeners" or "OS Merger" racquets: tweeners with a tad more – slightly bigger head size, slightly extended length and slightly increased swingweight.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this will in any way be the next evolutionary step in racquet design. But as an increasing number of players at all levels are becoming more and more used to their spin-friendly 100 sq. inch racquets, my guess is that soon there might also be more interest to try out moderately bigger frames that have weight, balance, power and stability characteristics similar to the current bestsellers.
* (Note: I am aware that TW still ranks 104/105 sq. inch frames as "Midplus" racquets. However, I think they look, feel and play closer to an oversize racquet than for example a traditional 95 sq. inch so called "player's racquet" which would also be listed as an "Midplus" frame. Donnay for instance marks its 105 sq. inch version of the Pro One officially as "OS". Hence to me it feels more appropriate to call these frames oversize racquets, "Tweener Plus", "OS Tweeners" or maybe "OS Mergers")
Over the past two decades, oversize frames were primarily designed for beginners and recreational players with short, low-powered swings. Consequently, standard OS racquets are typically very light and head heavy, featuring high beams and head sizes of around 110 sq. inch.
Also, the fact that currently only a few professional players are using oversize frames might explain their small overall market share as well as the predominant lightweight design of today's OS racquets. After an early honeymoon period back in the 1990s, when several Pro players were endorsing oversize frames (like Michael Chang, Gabriela Sabatini, Andre Agassi), professional players have eventually abandoned these sticks.
However, racquet manufacturers recently release more and more "ambitious" 104/105 sq. inch head size frames which tend to aim at more advanced players, at least at the club level. These new oversize racquets are "ambitious" in the sense that while still having (moderately) enlarged head sizes and often sligtly extended (27.2-27.5 inch) lengths, they otherwise resemble their siblings in the 100 sq. inch tweener department in terms of weight, balance, beam design, stiffness, string pattern, etc.
Reviews and customer feedbacks seem to indicate that a growing number of players like these racquets, while many of them swear that previously they would never have touched anything bigger than 98 sq. inch. You will hear quotes as "It does feel like a smaller racquet" or "I never thought I would like a racquet of this head size". Also on this board these racquets slowly seem to get a better reception. It appears that the mental "100 sq. inch barrier" is gradually eroding and more people are getting used to the idea of hitting with a racquet that has a three-digit head size.
I would count a number of racquets in this evolving "ambitious" OS racquet category, such as the new Volkl Organix 7s, ProKennex Ionic Ki 15 PSE, 2013 ProKennex Kinetic Ki Q15 (300 g), Wilson Steam 105 and 105 S, Wilson Blade 104, Gamma RZR 105, Donnay Pro One OS Ext, Prince EXO3 Red 105, Prince EXO3 Rebel 105, Pacific X Force Comp, Pacific Speed and Head YOUTEK IG Extreme S 2.0, with some of these sticks certainly still being too light and head heavy in stock form. Maybe Agassi's Head Radical OS also falls into the category of these new OS frames, though being on the market for quite some time already and therefore serving as something like an early trendsetter for a more ambitious oversize racquet range.
I think the new Volkl Organix 7s, the ProKennex Ionic Ki 15 PSE and 2013 Kinetic Ki Q15 (300 g) as well as the Wilson Steam 105 serve as best examples for these new oversize racquets: They appear like a merger of the ever more popular 100 sq. inch tweener racquet department and the classic OS frame section. If you will, they are "Tweener Plus" racquets, "OS Tweeners" or "OS Merger" racquets: tweeners with a tad more – slightly bigger head size, slightly extended length and slightly increased swingweight.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this will in any way be the next evolutionary step in racquet design. But as an increasing number of players at all levels are becoming more and more used to their spin-friendly 100 sq. inch racquets, my guess is that soon there might also be more interest to try out moderately bigger frames that have weight, balance, power and stability characteristics similar to the current bestsellers.
* (Note: I am aware that TW still ranks 104/105 sq. inch frames as "Midplus" racquets. However, I think they look, feel and play closer to an oversize racquet than for example a traditional 95 sq. inch so called "player's racquet" which would also be listed as an "Midplus" frame. Donnay for instance marks its 105 sq. inch version of the Pro One officially as "OS". Hence to me it feels more appropriate to call these frames oversize racquets, "Tweener Plus", "OS Tweeners" or maybe "OS Mergers")