To open or not open my unused replacement rackets?

[Arjuntino]

Background:
I use head Youtek IG Radical pros.
I currently have 2 in the rotation that is are ~10 years old now. Have been playing pretty consistently, on average 2.5x/week. Overall in good condition, typical wear and tear on the grommets (I replaced them once), some customization, maybe 1-2 minor paint chips etc.
I had acquired 2 new, unused ones over the past couple years, and they have been sitting in the closet waiting for the old ones to break.
In my playstyle, the only time I touch the ground is by accident. I won't hit the side on the ground for low half volleys etc. One of my friends has gone through 4 Wilsons prostaffs in the same time frame, from just normal wear and tear and a slightly less risk-averse playstyle.


Would you replace your 10-year-old rackets with unused (new) copies of the same model and keep the used ones as backup, or save the unused sticks until the used sticks break?

Option 1: Open the new ones and keep old ones as backups
For the old ones: 5 hours/week *52 weeks *10 years/2= 1300 hours of play per racket at ~4.0 level
I haven't really heard if there is recommended lifespan X hours. (anecdote: For running shoes 400 miles the insole collapses)

Option 2: Use old rackets till failure
- the two old rackets are playing fine as far as I can tell.
-New ones might retain some resale value, but I am not planning on selling

Option 3: Bring all 4 into rotation

 

[Crimsonchen]

The only thing I'm thinking about is strings. Do you run through strings pretty quick? When I have matches coming up, I usually make sure I have a freshly strung frame on hand in case I'm needing a bit more control. Having more racquets means you can rotate them depending on tensions. That'll also mean your string jobs will last longer if you rotate racquets. Since you're not going to sell them in the future, you may as well use em imo

 

[Crocodile]

I think it depends on whether you think you will keep playing with the same sticks. Maybe in a few years time you may find something much better to buy and therefore you will get good money selling your new old stock.
One another note, new racquets right now are quite expensive so when you bought your racquets you bought them with yesterday’s money. If you keep using the same model you will save money by storing the other 2 and then stringing them up when the time comes.
At the end of the day it comes down to your individual circumstance;

 

[TagUrIt]

Life is short use your racquets, especially if you play well with them. Also more racquets allow you to try new strings and new setups.

 

[Irvin]

I bought 2 PT280s and liked them so well I bought 2 more back in the day. I played with the first 2 and put the other 2 in the closet. I played with Polylon mains and TOA Gold crosses and seldom broke any strings. But them string was so cheap I strung them about twice a month just to keep them fresh and crisp. Long story short I decided to get the 2 out of the closet and string them up. I figured they would last twice as long and I always had 3 backups. I strung the second pair A&B and played with them exclusively the string 1&2 and played with them for 2 weeks. In my way of thinking the rackets were going to last twice as long. Didn’t work though, because I moved on to other rackets and sold all four. But the four I had were all in good shape.

 

[Arjuntino]

The only thing I'm thinking about is strings. Do you run through strings pretty quick? When I have matches coming up, I usually make sure I have a freshly strung frame on hand in case I'm needing a bit more control. Having more racquets means you can rotate them depending on tensions. That'll also mean your string jobs will last longer if you rotate racquets. Since you're not going to sell them in the future, you may as well use em imo

I can burn through the multi-filaments in ~15 hours of play. I use multi one 1 racket (Head RIP control), and poly (Genesis Typhoon) on the other. Whenever the poly breaks, I switch the main racket.

 

[mpournaras]

Stringing and cutting out old strings places a substantial amount of wear on the frame. Odds are while the pain is nice... 10 years of play has done some work. String up a new one and see if you like them more. You may find more pop and stability from the very same model just a newer example. I would say a racket realistically has 25-30 string jobs in it before its pretty noticeable regardless of the paint damage to the frame

 

[Crimsonchen]

I can burn through the multi-filaments in ~15 hours of play. I use multi one 1 racket (Head RIP control), and poly (Genesis Typhoon) on the other. Whenever the poly breaks, I switch the main racket.

If that's the case, I would use those spares too. Your strings will last a bit longer if you rotate and you'll be able to switch tensions/string types between matches. It'll also give you the chance to try more string set ups

 

[Goof]

Open them. I still swear I have an unopened Pro Tour 280 buried somewhere in my parents' basement from 20 years ago that no one can find.

On second thought, this might be an argument for not opening them, if you might discover a hidden unopened one somewhere 25 years later.

 

[PBODY99]

I have four Speedports that are NOS.
The ones I used for over ten years held up well & I am not good enough to notice a drop off.
I would stay the course.

 

[mhkeuns]

Maybe you can try one of the new ones just to compare the feel with the ones you have been using.

 

[TennisHound]

Background:
I use head Youtek IG Radical pros.
I currently have 2 in the rotation that is are ~10 years old now. Have been playing pretty consistently, on average 2.5x/week. Overall in good condition, typical wear and tear on the grommets (I replaced them once), some customization, maybe 1-2 minor paint chips etc.
I had acquired 2 new, unused ones over the past couple years, and they have been sitting in the closet waiting for the old ones to break.
In my playstyle, the only time I touch the ground is by accident. I won't hit the side on the ground for low half volleys etc. One of my friends has gone through 4 Wilsons prostaffs in the same time frame, from just normal wear and tear and a slightly less risk-averse playstyle.


Would you replace your 10-year-old rackets with unused (new) copies of the same model and keep the used ones as backup, or save the unused sticks until the used sticks break?

Option 1: Open the new ones and keep old ones as backups
For the old ones: 5 hours/week *52 weeks *10 years/2= 1300 hours of play per racket at ~4.0 level
I haven't really heard if there is recommended lifespan X hours. (anecdote: For running shoes 400 miles the insole collapses)

Option 2: Use old rackets till failure
- the two old rackets are playing fine as far as I can tell.
-New ones might retain some resale value, but I am not planning on selling

Option 3: Bring all 4 into rotation

Option 2

 

[Arjuntino]

Haha thanks for the input.
Seems like a pretty even split. Maybe once the weather gets better, I'll open one of the NOS sticks and see how it feels, then decide about the second.

Or see if I can find a 3rd NOS racket for testing.

No plans on switching (have to stay loyal to the radicals , but who knows what is around the corner?) So far the head graphene rackets have been a disappointment, haven't been able to find the same flexy feeling.

 

[snoflewis]

i have a pair of TGT 260.4s that are the retail pro stocks of the IG radical pro if interested. 4 3/8 grip in 9.0/10 condition with new grommets and head calfskin leather grip.

 

[Steve Huff]

With your (as you say) risk averse style, I doubt you'll ever really "wear out" the rackets. More of a chance that you'll move on to another frame. So, if you don't break strings often, 2 in your rotation may be enough. I usually carried 3 in my bag, and there were a couple of times I'm glad I did. Depends too on the string you use. If you use a poly and you're not a stringbreaker, that just means you'll have strings in your racket for a longer period of time. If you don't break strings much, I'd keep the 2 in the closet in as good of shape as possible because the chance of changing rackets and wanting to sell them is probably greater than the chance of wearing out your older ones.

 

[Turbo-87]

I bought an extra Prince Hydrogen Chrome, but for a different reason. It sits new in the closet and I bought it because the racquet is discontinued and I won’t be able to ever get orange grommets for it. They do not exist. The perils of buying a limited edition racquet.

 

[zaskar1]

Background:
I use head Youtek IG Radical pros.
I currently have 2 in the rotation that is are ~10 years old now. Have been playing pretty consistently, on average 2.5x/week. Overall in good condition, typical wear and tear on the grommets (I replaced them once), some customization, maybe 1-2 minor paint chips etc.
I had acquired 2 new, unused ones over the past couple years, and they have been sitting in the closet waiting for the old ones to break.
In my playstyle, the only time I touch the ground is by accident. I won't hit the side on the ground for low half volleys etc. One of my friends has gone through 4 Wilsons prostaffs in the same time frame, from just normal wear and tear and a slightly less risk-averse playstyle.


Would you replace your 10-year-old rackets with unused (new) copies of the same model and keep the used ones as backup, or save the unused sticks until the used sticks break?

Option 1: Open the new ones and keep old ones as backups
For the old ones: 5 hours/week *52 weeks *10 years/2= 1300 hours of play per racket at ~4.0 level
I haven't really heard if there is recommended lifespan X hours. (anecdote: For running shoes 400 miles the insole collapses)

Option 2: Use old rackets till failure
- the two old rackets are playing fine as far as I can tell.
-New ones might retain some resale value, but I am not planning on selling

Option 3: Bring all 4 into rotation

AJ
the used racquets start to soften up and breakdown with normal wear and tear. if you play a lot after a couple of years
they will soften up
if you string up your new ones you probably will feel more pop and response,
but it really depends on you.
some people play the same no matter what stick they use.
one of my racquetaholic friends plays pretty much the same no matter which racquet he uses. he use to change frames every two or three months.
he is my demo program, as i get to try out all his retreds.
anyway, if i were you i would string one up and see if it makes a difference, if not option 2
if it does option 1
z

 

[1HBHfanatic]

-rackets do not hold resale value
-new models diminish the value of old racquets
-every 2 years you will see a new model come out
-string them all up into your rotation
-experiment with 4 different kinds of string types at once
-enjoy them before you decide to buy new models

 

[ichaseballs]

dr98 retained value, would have a profit if new

 

[1HBHfanatic]

dr98 retained value, would have a profit if new

-there is a new model of the ezones coming this Christmas 2021
-i believe thats the yonex line of the dr 98s ??!!,, i could be wrong, i was always more interested on the y.v.PRO line only/mainly
-from what i hear, (new 2021 ezone) it is different than the last version 2019 model, and not just the paint scheme