To switch or not to switch (racquets that is)

D

dadbodBH

New User
Finally jumped on the RF97 wagon and had my first hit yesterday.

Played a few groundies and a set, now I’m torn between switching to this and keeping my Yonex Duel 97.

I also need to figure out how to play consistently outdoors again after being spoiled by the bubble in the background.
 
IMO if you play a lot of tournaments / matches, you should go for the frame that plays better when you're not in good form, and work on improving your best level with that stick.

There's always the option to lead it up if / when you "outgrow" the frame, so to speak.
 
Changing racquets is the biggest enemy to performing your best.
But who cares about performance? It's more important to have fun trying different racquets.:)

I know I'm not in the position to say this, but....
 
Change is good. Also it played better with some lead at 12oc. I find it could do with bit more SW. It's touch lacking in SW for its mass.
 
You seem to be hitting fine with it. It is a racquet that takes a while to get used to as many, in the playtest, reported a little unpredictability in hitting shots and I found that too. But your movement and game look good enough to adjust to any racquet. BTW, I like the straight back and forward motion on the backhand.
 
Dragy said:
Is it wobbling?

Also, doesn't this belong to the Racquet section of the forums?
Click to expand...

Yes it was quite windy (seeing the clouds go fast forwarding is quite fun) so wobble wobble. Also quite fun on the inside when the when the winds pick up.. until the structure comes down one day.

Ah, I’m a talk tennis acolyte, this should probably be in another section
 
One hit is way too early to judge a racket. You've developed a ton of motor memory with your previous racket that needs a firmware overhaul before it adapts to a new frame. You either commit to a change or only demo rackets that are close to the specs of your previous racket.

I'm pretty good at adapting to new things but there are people on this board who lose their strokes entirely if one of their rackets is a few gms off spec. If you are one of those types, racketaholism is a bad problem. You are best just sticking with the same old frame and stay out of the rabbithole.
 
Curious said:
Dont know about that but excessive racket change is a disease. It reinforces the abnormal behaviour of blaming the racket.
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Blaming the racket?! I got 100 other things to blame - I blame the balls, the strings, the court, the sun (indoors too), the wind (also when I’m indoor), the other guy’s strings, the crack on the other court, Heineken and the Halal cart, my shoes, hell even the other dude’s shoes etc.. before I get to the racket.

That said, I totally blame RF for all my backhand shanks on that day ;)
 
Fangda said:
Finally jumped on the RF97 wagon and had my first hit yesterday.

Played a few groundies and a set, now I’m torn between switching to this and keeping my Yonex Duel 97.

I also need to figure out how to play consistently outdoors again after being spoiled by the bubble in the background.
Click to expand...

Becareful with wison rackets, they arent all the same. Even the matched ones, they do it by grams. One of mine had stuff in the handle, the other didnt (factory). Yonex on the other hand are great with qc.
 
No need to choose in a hurry if you're so undecided about those racquets. Both are potentially quite decent rigs and since you own them both, just take your time. You'll get things sorted out soon enough.

The pros are playing for their lunch money pretty much every day, so those folks need a LOT more consistency with their equipment than the rest of us, I think. Even relatively serious amateur players have pronounced excursions between their good days and bad, but that's not about any variations with their gear. We just don't have technique that's as highly developed and repeatable compared with the pro killers.

Now consistency with our equipment can certainly be a good thing, but I also think that trying this or that racquet can be fun. This just in: fun is good, especially for those of us who pretty much play for... yep... fun. I make some money teaching and also coaching high school teams, but I wouldn't do it if it wasn't a lot of fun. Enjoy the racquets for now and you'll probably learn a thing or two about what different gear can offer along the way. If the indecision becomes a chronic distraction though, just leave one at home for maybe a week and then do the same with the other.

I keep two different racquet models in my bag full time and this has helped me dozens of times. One is generally much easier to use for teaching or doubles, but the other is much easier for me to use when pounding at full speed. Sometimes when I'm not feeling exactly right with the one model, I'll immediately get a bump in the right direction when I switch to the other frame - maybe it wakes up my tennis synapses or something. These frames are from the same label, so the grip shapes are almost identical. That - along with similar weights and balances - makes it very easy for me to switch off between them.

No wrong answer here. Don't assume that you should only have one model in your bag, but don't let me talk you into keeping a collection on hand all the time either. Since you're not in the rushed demo cycle of having both of those racquets on hand for only one week, you can use them in different settings and also maybe try some different string layouts in each one. Huge luxury having some extra time on your side!!
 
Fangda said:
Finally jumped on the RF97 wagon and had my first hit yesterday.

Played a few groundies and a set, now I’m torn between switching to this and keeping my Yonex Duel 97.

I also need to figure out how to play consistently outdoors again after being spoiled by the bubble in the background.
Click to expand...
I've demoed the red/black rf97a and though it is stable and powerful, the stiffness was too much for me even with prince hybrid touch. The yonex vcore duel g (330) is moderately stiff (65-66) but that made a huge difference for me, though it's easier to produce spin with a 16x19 vs 16x20. Sw ~ 335 in both Plus the duelg is slightly lighter stock but since I added a leather grip to mine it's about 357 grams anyway but overall the yonex worked better for me (groundstrokes, touch shots). The red rf97 a wins in power though. Not sure how different the tuxedo version is.
 
Fangda said:
Finally jumped on the RF97 wagon and had my first hit yesterday.

Played a few groundies and a set, now I’m torn between switching to this and keeping my Yonex Duel 97.

I also need to figure out how to play consistently outdoors again after being spoiled by the bubble in the background.
Click to expand...
Use whatever serves better for you.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
 
I have and use both. The RF97A was too heavy for me (it's 360g not 340 as it should be). I play double and I found the RF amazing at blocking serve returns back and for some reason the balance just really helps with my backhand, it is solid as a rock. Everything else I find the Vcore better for.

Which do I play with? The RF97A, because I play doubles only and on the Ad side, I find despite the limitations it is more effective at winning games for me. I would suggest play testing in a match situation to decide, as there is more to a racquet than just being able to crream your forehand, which is what I find most people do when demoing a racquet.
 
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