What makes a good high level doubles racket? What are good ones,best volley rackets?

[2ndServe]

been mostly a singles player but I work long hours and am venturing to a dubs league. Just bought me a few KStaff 88, great singles racket, very heavy though so after 2 weeks I bought 2 BLX six one tour 90 rackets. Still like the 2nd heaviest racket but it swings light and volleys very well. My dubs partner thinks I need to go even lighter and slightly bigger. And I don't think a very light racket is a great idea, yes for reflex volleys but it makes a terrible racket against high level fast, heavy spinning players.

 

[LeeD]

Kinda depends IF you can swing a heavy racket.
Me, at old age and really skinny, my 12 oz Dunlops feel like a log after 3 doubles sets, so I switched to slightly bigger and 2oz lighter rackets for all my play.
Since I play s/v and go for winners from the baseline, the lightness doesn't bother me as I don't hit enough balls where the weaker, pace could hurt me. And given the few baseline rallies in my game, I can hit loopy topspin lobs and flicky shots much easier, in addition to being early enough to hit relatively flat forehands.
Now I WISH I could wield a 14oz racket, but little skinny guys seldom do.

 

[Fuji]

Use the heaviest racket you can for a full game without tiring. I play 8.0 mixed doubles and 4.0 singles with an all court/net game. I use a Wilson Prostaff 6.1 Classic, leaded up to 13.4ounces. Great stick for doubles and net play. You just have to be able to wield it comfortably for it to be your best stick!

The only think you have to worry about in doubles with a light racket is getting really pushed around by better/stronger/heavy shot type players. I know I can't use my pure drive in doubles for the sheer fact that if I mishit any volley at all, I'm going to be pushed around for an error.

-Fuji

 

[LeeD]

I do agree with the idea of using the heaviest stick you can wield for a while.
But I don't agree a lightweight stick only hits soft weak balls. First of all, a light stick can hit plenty MORE spin, with less ballspeed. Sometimes that is a good strategy, sometimes a losing strategy.
For me, a weak and skinny guy, a light stick (10.3 oz), improves my overall PLAY, but detracts from my rallying and hitting with better players. When I play for points, I don't rally.

 

[bcart1991]

For quick volleys, you want something a little stiffer through the head. I like my HPS 6.1 or Dunlop 200s, but sometimes it's a little soft on reaction off-center volleys.

My wife's nTour does a better job getting a little extra pop on these type shots, while still having decent heft and spin for ground stroke rallies.

I also like my Speedport Black for doubles more so than singles, for the same reasons.

 

[cork_screw]

At the us open there were a lot of dubs players hitting with the BLX 95 pj. I don't know if that means they were playing with alterations of the BLX in different string patterns and customizations or if it meant they were hitting with a pj of the ps 6.0 85/95. But I've always felt Wilsons were the superior racquet for doubles. If you watch what Michael Llodra can do, there's a few shots that would be more difficult to perform given other racquets. The slice and the chip and volleys seem a bit more natural with the Wilsons. I personally like the PB10 Mid as well. But certainly try the BLX 95 18x20, that is one fine dubs stick.

 

[Jonny S&V]

At the us open there were a lot of dubs players hitting with the BLX 95 pj. I don't know if that means they were playing with alterations of the BLX in different string patterns and customizations or if it meant they were hitting with a pj of the ps 6.0 85/95. But I've always felt Wilsons were the superior racquet for doubles. If you watch what Michael Llodra can do, there's a few shots that would be more difficult to perform given other racquets. The slice and the chip and volleys seem a bit more natural with the Wilsons. I personally like the PB10 Mid as well. But certainly try the BLX 95 18x20, that is one fine dubs stick.

They're just racquets, jeez. It's the users that make a good doubles team, and one particular brand, much less a racquet, being specifically good for doubles is not correct in the least.

 

[kiteboard]

K blade strung with vs team 17g/blackcode 18g 55/52.

 

[fuzz nation]

I've enjoyed some soft 'n hefty mids in recent years for singles slugging with an extra significant component of control, but I don't hit a whole lot of strokes in doubles. More of my shots are "punched" around the court as I'm always looking to press the net. A soft, stable frame is okay for this sort of play, but I'm much more confident with a livelier alternative.

I grew up playing serve & volley and for many years I've had a great time with my ProStaff 6.1 Classics. While they're hefty and rather stiff with some healthy pop which is great for me around the net, they're also a bit hot in a singles setting where I need to produce more consistent strokes. A more flexible alternative like the Volkl C10 Pro or my Prince NXG's (mid or midplus) makes all-court play with extra baseline action much more manageable for me.

While a K90 could be potentially great for your doubles, another frame with enough stability, decent handling, and good pop could allow you to be quicker and snappier, especially around the net. Trouble is, you only know if it's right or wrong when you feel it (hello confidence).

Something from the different 6.1 95 models that Wilson has produced could be worth a try. Others possibles could include the Prince Ignite 95 (sort of their version of the 6.1's), a current Yonex like the RDiS 100 mid-plus (or even the mid!), or who knows what else. For my tastes, a good doubles option needs enough weight to feel inherently stable, enough HL balance to have good maneuverability, and enough backbone (not too flexible) so that my blocked returns of serve and my volleys have enough zip and authority.

You may actually have no need for a separate doubles specific racquet, but you'll probably only have a better sense of that once you've done your own "Pepsi Challenge". If you can do a little trial and error, you may find something useful, but the process might even reinforce the confidence you have with your current gear.

 

[alidisperanza]

Head Vilas

Best volleying racquet I own (That is if you can deal with 68 sq inches of pure fun!)

 

[eliza]

Interesting threads, I wander too.
I noticed that my babolat APD cortex works best for singles, while in dubs the Pure Drive is best (OK, for me)..............

 

[Tennis Dunce]

Kinda depends IF you can swing a heavy racket.
Me, at old age and really skinny, my 12 oz Dunlops feel like a log after 3 doubles sets, so I switched to slightly bigger and 2oz lighter rackets for all my play.
Since I play s/v and go for winners from the baseline, the lightness doesn't bother me as I don't hit enough balls where the weaker, pace could hurt me. And given the few baseline rallies in my game, I can hit loopy topspin lobs and flicky shots much easier, in addition to being early enough to hit relatively flat forehands.
Now I WISH I could wield a 14oz racket, but little skinny guys seldom do.

Hey Lee are you using a more even balance these days along with your lighter sticks or are you still headlight?

 

[LeeD]

Much more even balance, so the actual swingweight is not nearly as drastic a change as specs would have anyone believe.
The change is from LMRadMids and Mfill and Aero 200's to Aero500. I know the specs show huge differences in swingweight, but if you just swing the rackets feeling them, it's barely a difference in actual swingweight. Also, swingweight seems adjustable by how and where I actually hold the grip.
I used to choke up maybe 1" on the heavier rackets, and can now occasionally hold down at the butt.

 

[gamesetmats]

Try Yonex RDiS 100 Mid . It's pretty solid in volleys

 

[Meaghan]

I moved from a kps88 to a custom Vantage 95, plays very similar but a little more forgiving. S&Vs superb and is easier than the 88 from the baseline esp topspin.

 

[bigburn]

I've preferred and played dubs for most of my tennis life, and have played with KBlade98 for the past few years, great stick, but after reaching age 40, looking for a bit more help. Love the Wilson BLX PO, has great control/feel, plus a bit more spin. Waiting to demo the Volkl Organix 8 in a few weeks and will go from there. Definitely look for something that is a bit more maneuverable at the net, plus feel = Wilson.