Swiatek...countdown to racquet change

Subway Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Maybe; but with that particular model it might need someone more like Alcaraz? :-D

If Alcaraz went to Prince, i can just imagine what it would be like for him after matches....... half the crowd clamouring around him would be kids seeking autographs and the other half would be TTW raquetholics asking if he knows how to get the Japan only Tour model frames :laughing:
 

tata

Hall of Fame
It's a great frame. If someone wants a light frame it is probably the most stable in such weight class.
I should have grabbed the previous 100t version when it was out. I had a short demo with the 290 and find it not as whippy and fast. I also prefer the lower ra in the 100t version instead.
 

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Great to see my favorite player back at it!!!

Iga has a very clear preference for serving wide to both sides and that should continue for this season. Think she got obsessessed 2nd half of last year trying to find T-aces and her rhythm suffered because of it. Better for her to use middle/body as a "keep um honest" mix-up serve.

I'm still not sold on this 298 stick being the best for her. It is accurate, but just doesn't hit as heavy a ball for what she puts into the shot, imho.
 

Purestriker

Legend
Great to see my favorite player back at it!!!

Iga has a very clear preference for serving wide to both sides and that should continue for this season. Think she got obsessessed 2nd half of last year trying to find T-aces and her rhythm suffered because of it. Better for her to use middle/body as a "keep um honest" mix-up serve.

I'm still not sold on this 298 stick being the best for her. It is accurate, but just doesn't hit as heavy a ball for what she puts into the shot, imho.
She dominated today.
 

volleyandfun

Hall of Fame
Great to see my favorite player back at it!!!

Iga has a very clear preference for serving wide to both sides and that should continue for this season. Think she got obsessessed 2nd half of last year trying to find T-aces and her rhythm suffered because of it. Better for her to use middle/body as a "keep um honest" mix-up serve.

I'm still not sold on this 298 stick being the best for her. It is accurate, but just doesn't hit as heavy a ball for what she puts into the shot, imho.
Back in old days when she was serving faster (YES) most of her aces and winners were down the middle.
Her serving velocity dropped significantly (even those at T-line) the past year or so, when she focused more on out wide serves.
 

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Iga reaching her 5th straight 4th round at a major is currently the best streak going on the womens side. Yes, she does have a weak draw, but it is what it is.

Have to say, though, I cringe everytime an opponent hits a weak floater defensive shot and she RETREATS to the baseline to hit a Bh on the bounce! Should be hitting an authoritative overhead in this situation.

Also Iga needs to throw in a good, deep, low BH slice occasionally in rallys, ala Barty. Iga is just too predictable from the BH side right now. She does try dropshots some, but they really aren't very good, tbh.

Am still thinking she makes the finals, but then loses due to her tentative net play.
 

netlets

Professional
Many WTA players going to the Bab aero and having success, maybe Iga should follow suit?

She just made the semis of another Slam and is currently the most consistent player on tour - why would she want to switch racquets, especially one that Tecnifibre worked with her to create. She used to use Tecnifibre as a junior as well. The IGA racquet is way better than the aero IMO - especially for tour players that don’t need the racquet to generate so much free power which can lead to inconsistent play.
 
She just made the semis of another Slam and is currently the most consistent player on tour - why would she want to switch racquets, especially one that Tecnifibre worked with her to create. She used to use Tecnifibre as a junior as well. The IGA racquet is way better than the aero IMO - especially for tour players that don’t need the racquet to generate so much free power which can lead to inconsistent play.
The Aero is a valid option for literally any level of player. It's not a valid option for every individual though, and the reason for that is that we all play and swing differently and have different goals on court, different strengths and weaknesses and so on and so forth. She could probably use it quite well, the Aero, but I'll agree that maybe the IGA is better for her game, or a 100 version of it even. But that's not the same thing as saying she's too good for it. Shes not. Nobody is. And why a tour level player (and advanced and upwards non pros) may use the Aero doesn't necessarily come down to power (as in a primary reason in the way people think), and an Aero doesn't necessarily mean less control (for the right player, this type of racket can provide the most control).
 

netlets

Professional
The Aero is a valid option for literally any level of player. It's not a valid option for every individual though, and the reason for that is that we all play and swing differently and have different goals on court, different strengths and weaknesses and so on and so forth. She could probably use it quite well, the Aero, but I'll agree that maybe the IGA is better for her game, or a 100 version of it even. But that's not the same thing as saying she's too good for it. Shes not. Nobody is. And why a tour level player (and advanced and upwards non pros) may use the Aero doesn't necessarily come down to power (as in a primary reason in the way people think), and an Aero doesn't necessarily mean less control (for the right player, this type of racket can provide the most control).

I agree with several of your points. However, I never said she was too good for it (most pros don't need so much help from their racquet though) - the idea of her using a Babolat when she has been very successful with Tecnifibre comes out of left field. My belief is that most of the top tour players that use tweener racquets doctor it up and specialize it to their liking. I'm pretty sure Fognini isn't using a 10.6 oz unstrung Pure Drive. They become unstable when hitting a big ball from you opponent if you keep the same weight. The Pure Aero is used mostly by advanced players to increase their RPMs since it's a spin racquet. The thick beamed racquets have so much free power that it has to be reason #1 to switch to them as you are sacrificing control and feel. It goes without saying that any professional could adapt to a racquet by changing the balance, weight, strings, etc. It's just what is best for them - or sometimes it's what is best for their wallet.
 
I agree with several of your points. However, I never said she was too good for it (most pros don't need so much help from their racquet though) - the idea of her using a Babolat when she has been very successful with Tecnifibre comes out of left field. My belief is that most of the top tour players that use tweener racquets doctor it up and specialize it to their liking. I'm pretty sure Fognini isn't using a 10.6 oz unstrung Pure Drive. They become unstable when hitting a big ball from you opponent if you keep the same weight. The Pure Aero is used mostly by advanced players to increase their RPMs since it's a spin racquet. The thick beamed racquets have so much free power that it has to be reason #1 to switch to them as you are sacrificing control and feel. It goes without saying that any professional could adapt to a racquet by changing the balance, weight, strings, etc. It's just what is best for them - or sometimes it's what is best for their wallet.
Most of the WTA tour use 100 inch rackets like the vcore 100, pure aero, pure drive, and so on. Most WTA players aren't spin monsters either, but I can still see why such frames are so popular in this case (high launch angle (margin for error over net when targeting bigger spots), a lot of forgivness, more power from difficult positions, and so on and so forth). However, yes, a racket like the pure aero has been designed for spin, and a majority of atp players using such frames play with a lot of rpms. And for these players, that spin access can lead to more control when hitting big. Spin can be control.

With this type of racket you must bring your own control in the same way you must bring your own power with a thinner more flexy beamed racket with a smaller head. It goes all ways. I think sometimes we forget that every element within a setup (weight, swing weight, balance, beam thickness/shape/stiffness, head size/shape, and so on) will help and hinder different aspects of our games. A pure aero brings with it more inbuilt power than a blade, but a blade brings with it more accuracy and acts against the players swing to help them keep balls in. A pure aero is not a racket for a player that doesn't bring their own control (unless we're talking beginners to intermediates). And a blade isn't a racket, at least generally speaking (at largely at competitive levels anyway) for a player who can't bring their own power.

For advanced players all the way up to pros, the reasons to use a tweener are varied. Some players, even elite level ones, don't pack enough of a punch at their level so a racket like this can help them (same way that an erratic ball striker would be helped by a control racket or a short player being helped with an extended length racket). Some players play with lots of spin, and therefore a high launch angle and easy access to spin enhances their strengths and allows them to swing harder with more security, so it's less about power in the sense of helping hit winners and more about how that power goes into RPMs and makes for a heavy ball (I think in many cases you get more power, with proper technique, from control rackets, at least in terms of through court winner style power). In some cases it's building on an already powerful game to kind of go all in on that, like with Berretini for instance (Head Extreme), although in his case he's already benefitting from the high RPMs helping him keep those massive bombs in the court. I'm sure most wouldn't say that Berretini needs power or lacks it, or Ruud or Nadal and so on. There are other reasons a player may choose such a racket. But in most cases it's not because the player lacks power/needs help with power, the same way extended length rackets are popular among big servers for example (I don't think Isner needs help with his serve, but making it even more effective isn't a bad idea).

Feel is very subjective.

Re customising a racket/setup to their liking, most pros, at least higher end ones, will be doing that. I imagine it's very rare for higher ranked pros, let's say top few hundred, I don't know, to be using stock rackets. I also find it hard to imagine many players at that level swinging a 95 inch racket that weighs 305 grams and has a swing weight under 320 and an RA under 65 say. That's a recipe for no stability. Thicker stiffer beams and larger head sizes will generally provide more stability at lower specs, so they don't necessarily need to be as heavy. They are also powerful so they don't have to be as heavy to generate pace. On this note, most higher pros I'm aware of who use smaller head sizes and thinner beams have higher static and swing weights. Sampras with his 85 inch pro staff had a massive swing weight and static weight, so it was certainly not lacking in power. So the power with such setups can come from that, which is why commenting on the power of a pure aero at that level isn't so simple. If you've ever tried the RF97 for instance, it's more powerful than a stock 300g pure drive if you have the technique to swing to it.

With non pros, many at least, rackets are bought at similar specs and don't customise them. So control rackets and power rackets, I feel in a way there's more of a contrast there than for a top pro, where a top pro using a control racket might have beefy specs to give it that power and a top pro using a spin/power racket may use it at slightly less beefy specs to gain say more racket head speed and spin. Not necessarily like that though. As I said, styles and swing styles and such.
 
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yonexRx32

Professional
" acts against the players swing to help them keep balls in "... tennis racket psychobabble... Remember, the more you write the clearer it becomes to others what you know or don't know.
 
" acts against the players swing to help them keep balls in "... tennis racket psychobabble... Remember, the more you write the clearer it becomes to others what you know or don't know.
A control racket does act against your swing, at least from a certain perspective, at specs that aren't too beefy. A slower racket or setup in general tames your swing, somewhat, which can be great for a variety of advanced styles. A more launchy one may require more from the user in terms of bringing their own control, say with spin.
 
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netlets

Professional
A control racket does act against your swing, at least from a certain perspective, at specs that aren't too beefy. A slower racket or setup in general tames your swing, somewhat, which can be great for a variety of advanced styles. A more launchy one may require more from the user in terms of bringing their own control, say with spin.

I can swing my control racquet faster than the wider body racquet I just sold. Why? Because it has a lower swing weight and is more easily maneuverable due to it’s smaller head size and thinner beam. It weighs more overall - both racquets are 3pts head light.
 
I can swing my control racquet faster than the wider body racquet I just sold. Why? Because it has a lower swing weight and is more easily maneuverable due to it’s smaller head size and thinner beam. It weighs more overall - both racquets are 3pts head light.
Thinner beams with smaller head sizes tend to swing faster (other factors like beam shape, like how an Aero swings a bit faster than a pure drive when matched to same spec). So with a lower swing weight on top of that, yea, it wouldn't be surprising to end up with a faster swinging racket. Again, most of what I was saying was related to tour pros and their setups. They're unlikely to use rackets at low stock specs, especially more control oriented ones that, with thinner (perhaps more flexy) beams and smaller head sizes, they will probably lack power, stability etc at low specs relative to the needs of that level. So many tour pros using more control oriented rackets have them at beefier specs (not all of course, as it depends on what the individual player wants from the setup). But you don't necessarily need to go as heavy with a more modern thicker/stiff beam with a larger head size to attain decent levels of power, stability, and so on. So for a player who customises and wants to dial in on swing speed, a more modern 98-100 at a low spec might be what they're looking for.

But many stock rackets that are commercially available are within a similar weight, balance, and swing weight range, and most non pros don't customise. A stock Dunlop CX 200 Tour with a 305g weight or whatever it is, 32cm balance, 20.5mm beam, 63 RA, 95 inch head, and a 318 swing weight should swing faster than even a pure aero (aerodynamics being a big part of its image) with its 100 inch head, 300g weight, 324 swing weight, 23/26/23 mm beam, 67 RA, and 33cm balance. However, an advanced player may opt for more mass with the Dunlop to up it's stability/power etc, and that can in many cases counter that swing speed next to the Aero if the Aero is at a sufficiently lower spec.
 
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2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Alright, so the big change this year with Iga is her better BH. Circling in and taking it early, hitting it authoritatively for winners both CC and up the line.

Additionally, the nervous head twitches have been dissipated. They have apparently been displaced by a lot of hand touching to the cap and sweatband, but she is obviously a fast-twitch athlete and this is a better way to get that out of the system than the head tics!

Ok, so a shout-out to Ash Barty, why don't you come back to tennis? We are missing a great era of classic vs modern tennis matchups that you and Iga could provide.

Finally, I do have to note that Iga has this very sudden and mechanical wrist pronation about half-way up in her serve loop that is a bad rhythm breaker. Ideally, the wrist pronation should happen progressively on the uptake.

That said, all hail iga Swiatek!
 
Iga's contract with Asics and Tecnifibre ends this coming November right?! wonder if she'll switch to a new racquet if wilson/Head or someone will offer her a lot of money. though, she NEEDS to change from Asics haha. their tennis outfits are horrible. I hope Nike will get back into their senses and offer her a big sum of money to get back with them. Nike have the best looking tennis outfits in my opinion. Adidas are just as bad as Asics.
 

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
Iga's contract with Asics and Tecnifibre ends this coming November right?! wonder if she'll switch to a new racquet if wilson/Head or someone will offer her a lot of money. though, she NEEDS to change from Asics haha. their tennis outfits are horrible. I hope Nike will get back into their senses and offer her a big sum of money to get back with them. Nike have the best looking tennis outfits in my opinion. Adidas are just as bad as Asics.

I like her look
 

fox

Professional
Iga's contract with Asics and Tecnifibre ends this coming November right?! wonder if she'll switch to a new racquet if wilson/Head or someone will offer her a lot of money. though, she NEEDS to change from Asics haha. their tennis outfits are horrible. I hope Nike will get back into their senses and offer her a big sum of money to get back with them. Nike have the best looking tennis outfits in my opinion. Adidas are just as bad as Asics.
Only Asics, Tecnifibre signed with Iga for several years as she stated she wants to have the same racquet few years and not change again.
 

Lorenn

Hall of Fame
Iga's contract with Asics and Tecnifibre ends this coming November right?! wonder if she'll switch to a new racquet if wilson/Head or someone will offer her a lot of money. though, she NEEDS to change from Asics haha. their tennis outfits are horrible. I hope Nike will get back into their senses and offer her a big sum of money to get back with them. Nike have the best looking tennis outfits in my opinion. Adidas are just as bad as Asics.

I am expecting she will stay...just my guess. Nike issue wasn't directly money really. I rather she he stay with another brand and have them improve their look. I still have old adidas gear I love, but the new stuff I dislike the look and quality. Not sure any brand is making quality anymore:(

SO if I had to wager I would guess she won't change unless there is something she dislikes like the shoes etc. She did change her shoes in the middle of a match and she had two games against power hitters which seemed to challenge her. So who knows.
 

bobeeto

Hall of Fame
i think it’s foolish for brand like tecnifibre not to throw cash at her. they’re tempo line is gonna sell only because of Iga!
 

innoVAShaun

G.O.A.T.
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