When to change rackets

[Dan Huben]

Like many, I started out playing with a racket I bought from academy- the spin power dominator. When the tennis bug bit, and this forum let me know that no one who is serious can play with a $50 racket, I got another racket. This one had specs like it was white, and a picture of the joker on it, and it was optimally geared to the player that wanted to be awesome. It was light as a feather, with shiny plastic strings and a 106 head size.

Again, I consume information and I practice, and then learn that only serious people play with small head sizes, so I buy a demo racket with super stiff construction and a 93 head size. And again I practice and really learned how to frame a ball.

Of course my evolution led me back to the promised land of an aerodrive with a 99 head strung with pure poly. And I improved at the cost of my elbow. Then I learned about dead strings and restringing thanks to my internet family and really blew up my elbow.

Then I finally matched a racket to my ability and have played with them for two years and actually am learning the game and equipment relationship. The rackets are flex and strung to support my recovering TE that I got in the Bab days.

I bought a project racket on ****, a vokyl c-10 and added a new grip, hybrid strings and just really liked the heft. My current rackets are V’s too, but lighter and weighted differently.
I play with it from time to time in warmups because the weight helps me warm up my arm for the lighter rackets.

I played with it all last night, besides the work that my coach and I have invested in my game recently, I really felt a difference in my game. My serve and fh volleys weren’t so good, but everything else was in a very good place. My arm was tired at the end.

So. To the point. I’m thinking that I am approaching a point where a change in equipment will be measurable in terms of my development and may start looking at heavier options. My current rackets are 305 but are head light. I liked how the c-10 heavier feel felt.

No driver outside a killer bee ever helped my golf game but other clubs did.

Does anyone have a thought on this or am I guilt of imagining a result and mental narrative to support my thought.




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[r2473]

Years ago, I went out to TW's demo program and ordered racquets from each "category". Lots an lots of racquets. Some I'd hit for 5 minutes and know they were way wrong for me. With trial and error, I figured out the basic specs I wanted. Then I tried most all of the racquets within that small category. Finally finding the racquet I like.

If I were to change racquets, I'd go through the same process again.

In fact, I was toying with the idea of looking at "game improvement" type racquets this spring. I actually did this with my golf clubs. For years I played "old school" Honma muscle back irons. I demoed some clubs a few years ago and just loved how consistent I was with some ridiculous "old man" game improvement clubs. So I switched.

I'm wondering if the same might be true for tennis (or if I'll just end up hurting my arm with some light stick that's the size of a fishing net).

 

[Paul Y]

Like r2473 mentioned, I highly suggest demoing as many racquets as possible to find the right one for yourself. As you demo keep a list of racquets you like and redemo them as you narrow the list down, there are so many racquets out there so take your time. Once you got your racquet you should look at strings as from reading your post you should probably look at multifilament for a softer feel just for your elbow.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Years ago, I went out to TW's demo program and ordered racquets from each "category". Lots an lots of racquets. Some I'd hit for 5 minutes and know they were way wrong for me. With trial and error, I figured out the basic specs I wanted. Then I tried most all of the racquets within that small category. Finally finding the racquet I like.

If I were to change racquets, I'd go through the same process again.

In fact, I was toying with the idea of looking at "game improvement" type racquets this spring. I actually did this with my golf clubs. For years I played "old school" Honma muscle back irons. I demoed some clubs a few years ago and just loved how consistent I was with some ridiculous "old man" game improvement clubs. So I switched.

I'm wondering if the same might be true for tennis (or if I'll just end up hurting my arm with some light stick that's the size of a fishing net).

I find game improvement clubs and rackets reduce mishit penalties but at the expense of control on sweet spot hits. So I'm always better finding something in the middle than heading to either extremes. That being said I'm playing very nice tennis with a Phantom 93P which would be closer to a muscleback iron than to a midsize cavity back. in golf terms. But admittedly its easier to use than a PS85 or a Wood frame racket.

 

[r2473]

I find game improvement clubs and rackets reduce mishit penalties but at the expense of control on sweet spot hits.

It works for me for golf, because from any distance outside of 100 yards, I'm just aiming at large targets. I kept my old irons for anything inside of 100 yards.

I don't think it will work for tennis. But I was going to demo a few this spring. Just to see.

 

[sureshs]

Ultimately it is all about feel. Unfortunately, none of the rackets today have any feel because they don't use high quality graphite. I use 20+ year old frames which I bought new and unused which had been sitting in a warehouse.

 

[Dan Huben]

How about another question, does a game noticeably change such that different rackets are important or is it a developed feel.


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[sureshs]

Eliminate rackets which are too heavy or too light to cause pain. Eliminate rackets which are too headlight for you to generate power or too head heavy for comfort. Eliminate rackets which you cannot swing fast - by using those rackets, you will never improve your swing speed - you are not Federer. Eliminate rackets which have too small a head size for you to visibly know that you are putting out weak shots to opponents comparable to you - you will not get better till you can handle the frame, because you are not playing as much as Sampras.

 

[GeoffHYL]

I have gone through a similar thing recently, and am still in process at this point. The main racquet I started using last year is the Volk V-Sense 10 Tour, 11.5 oz strung. After playing a few months I decided to try a heavier racquet, bought a couple of older Volkls, a C10 Pro and a C7 Pro Precise, both in the 12 oz range. Decided to try even heavier, RF97A. While I like all of these racquets, serving with them takes more effort than the 10 Tour. Recently bought a new TFight DC 315 Ltd., which is about 11.7 oz. strung. This seems about the right weight for me, but only time will tell.

The thing that concerns me for you is:

I played with it all last night, besides the work that my coach and I have invested in my game recently, I really felt a difference in my game. My serve and fh volleys weren’t so good, but everything else was in a very good place. My arm was tired at the end.

Don't hurt your arm! You might consider weighting up your current racquets incrementally and see if that works better than just switching outright to a heavier racquet. I'm no expert on modifying racquets, but if you add weight near the balance point the balance will stay similar, but swingweight will increase.

 

[fuzz nation]

How about another question, does a game noticeably change such that different rackets are important or is it a developed feel.


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I often overshare my Volkl story around here, but your situation is interesting for me. I think that it's reasonable to keep two different models from the same label in your bag (similar grip shape is a big plus), but it's probably helpful to at least have their balances tuned somewhat close even if their weights are a bit different. That should at least give them similar handling and swing behavior - I'm convinced that the "right" balance gives any of us a more familiar fit with any racquet regardless of its static weight.

Yes, I think our games change with different racquets. I play with two Volks; the C10 and O10 325g, which weigh 12.6 oz. and 12.7 oz. respectively. My strokes and serves are dependent on that heft and inherent power. I've tried to get along with more "middleweight" frames through recent years, but they just didn't work for my game. Trying to compensate with faster swing speeds only got me injured. I'm not asserting that lighter racquets are bad. They're not. I've just been using heavier gear for long enough that these sort of frames are what work for me.

By the way, my C10's have weight added to their handles to get them balanced up around 11 pts. HL (no lead added to their hoops). They work MUCH better for me with that balance - perhaps worth a try.

I think that the good news with your other Volkl, the 305g model, is that there's room to do a little of your own tailoring with lead tape if you want to, while keeping a leaner package than the C10. If your arm gets tired after a long outing with the C10, that's probably an issue of stroke preparation and swing timing. Not easy to change in a hurry without some deliberate work, but certainly do-able in terms of a long-term goal with your development. Maybe restrict your C10 use primarily to the practice courts and once the fatigue creeps in, swap it out for your lighter rig. If you love its feel like I do though, it should work great as a sort of "trainer" and even be fun for playing points, but just not all the time if it's wearing you out.

If you tune a little more heft and stability into that lighter alternative, it could give you plenty of decent feel and performance that you like with the C10. The hoop flex of the C10 seems to give it a certain feel can be tough to replicate in another racquet, but stability or "plow through" is generally something that's easy to recognize. Even if the 305g frame ends up at only 10-20 grams lighter than your C10 after tuning, I'll bet that it's a substantially easier player compared with the C10, even with added weight (and similar balance).

 

[esgee48]

Sounds like you {OP} are learning the benefits of using a heavier strung frame. More mass means better shock absorption, more plow thru the ball and actually easier on the arm since you do not have to swing as hard to drive the ball back. My preferred spec are 645 cm^2 [100 in^2], 337-340 grams, balance 31.7-32.0 cm and SW 337-340. I have 6 frames with basically theses specs and switching between them is a non-event. I will say that these are my long term final specs since whenever I switch to something less massive or lower SW, my game deteriorates, timing etc goes away.

 

[Curious]

If you hit with Head pro tour 630 once, you won’t be looking for a racket again!

 

[Dan Huben]

I have gone through a similar thing recently, and am still in process at this point. The main racquet I started using last year is the Volk V-Sense 10 Tour, 11.5 oz strung. After playing a few months I decided to try a heavier racquet, bought a couple of older Volkls, a C10 Pro and a C7 Pro Precise, both in the 12 oz range. Decided to try even heavier, RF97A. While I like all of these racquets, serving with them takes more effort than the 10 Tour. Recently bought a new TFight DC 315 Ltd., which is about 11.7 oz. strung. This seems about the right weight for me, but only time will tell.

The thing that concerns me for you is:

Don't hurt your arm! You might consider weighting up your current racquets incrementally and see if that works better than just switching outright to a heavier racquet. I'm no expert on modifying racquets, but if you add weight near the balance point the balance will stay similar, but swingweight will increase.

It was a 3 hour clinic with heavy hit drills with a dubs match set at the end. My arm would not have been that tired.

The night before I did legs for The first time in 9,000 years with upper body sprinkled in. I have a lot going against the arm. It wasn't just heavy frame.

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[Hmgraphite1]

If you hit with Head pro tour 630 once, you won’t be looking for a racket again!

If you hit with Head pro tour 630 once, you won’t be looking for a racket again!

What are the specs of that racquet?

 

[aimr75]

If you hit with Head pro tour 630 once, you won’t be looking for a racket again!

Yes, very nice frame.. a classic. I have a pt57a and the feel is great

 

[Curious]

What are the specs of that racquet?

Head size:98 sq. in. / 630 sq. cm.
Length:27 in. / 68.6 cm.
Strung weight:12 oz. / 340 gr.
Balance:8pts Head Light
Swing weight:320
Stiffness:58
Beam width:20mm Constant Beam
String pattern:18 Mains / 20 Crosses

 

[Curious]

It's an elbow healer and protector!

 

[Hmgraphite1]

It's an elbow healer and protector!

Saw some on **** for $300. Seems to hold its value well. I bummed out , I order some things on tw but forgot to get the evolution

 

[FiReFTW]

When you break it haha.

 

[Daniel Waters]

Like many, I started out playing with a racket I bought from academy- the spin power dominator. When the tennis bug bit, and this forum let me know that no one who is serious can play with a $50 racket, I got another racket. This one had specs like it was white, and a picture of the joker on it, and it was optimally geared to the player that wanted to be awesome. It was light as a feather, with shiny plastic strings and a 106 head size.

Again, I consume information and I practice, and then learn that only serious people play with small head sizes, so I buy a demo racket with super stiff construction and a 93 head size. And again I practice and really learned how to frame a ball.

Of course my evolution led me back to the promised land of an aerodrive with a 99 head strung with pure poly. And I improved at the cost of my elbow. Then I learned about dead strings and restringing thanks to my internet family and really blew up my elbow.

Then I finally matched a racket to my ability and have played with them for two years and actually am learning the game and equipment relationship. The rackets are flex and strung to support my recovering TE that I got in the Bab days.

I bought a project racket on ****, a vokyl c-10 and added a new grip, hybrid strings and just really liked the heft. My current rackets are V’s too, but lighter and weighted differently.
I play with it from time to time in warmups because the weight helps me warm up my arm for the lighter rackets.

I played with it all last night, besides the work that my coach and I have invested in my game recently, I really felt a difference in my game. My serve and fh volleys weren’t so good, but everything else was in a very good place. My arm was tired at the end.

So. To the point. I’m thinking that I am approaching a point where a change in equipment will be measurable in terms of my development and may start looking at heavier options. My current rackets are 305 but are head light. I liked how the c-10 heavier feel felt.

No driver outside a killer bee ever helped my golf game but other clubs did.

Does anyone have a thought on this or am I guilt of imagining a result and mental narrative to support my thought.

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If you're frame is causing you discomfort or elbow issues or just hard to swing, then that is a good reason to consider making a change. If you're frame is very light, you certanly could consider moving to a frame that has more weight to it, assuming you are able to swing the heavier frame comfortably. A heavier frame will deliver more force and do more of the work for you (and probably be better on your arm long term).

Other reasons to consider switching frames might be if you are looking to improve a certain area of your game where a change in frame may directly impact it. For instance, many players stop playing singles and just play doubles, so making a change to a new frame that is more maneuverable for doubles play might be appropriate. Another area might be trying to improve a specific stroke. Given the importantce of the serve in today's game, switching to a frame that is able to provide more spin and power on the serve might be worth switching to (this assumes you are able to utilize that free power and spin). Of course, you're not going to go out and buy a frame that you can serve great with if you can't hit a ground stroke with it, but every racquet is going to have ranges of what they are good at and bad at for each player.

For most players, the equipment is fun to talk about and tinker with, but it probably has less of an impact than we'd like to believe. I've hit with 5.0 players that could pull a wooden frame out and play just as well with that as their modern frames. But I stll like hitting new racquets because this is a hobby and I enjoy tinkering with new frames!

 

[ONgame]

Yea I also went through the mass demo phase. I didn't end up buying any of the racquets I demo'd but I figured out the spec range I wanted. I was almost going to pick up a pair of either vcore 97 (310g) or PS97.
Bought a used TC95 at the same spec out of curiosity and it felt really good so I'm sticking to it now..But I'm sure I would've been happy with the other two racquets as well.

 

[Dartagnan64]

It works for me for golf, because from any distance outside of 100 yards, I'm just aiming at large targets. I kept my old irons for anything inside of 100 yards.

I don't think it will work for tennis. But I was going to demo a few this spring. Just to see.

Yes game improvement clubs work really well for Woods and long irons where the targets are larger and you are more concerned about consistent distance. But inside a 7 iron I want a more classic iron for more precision shot making.

Sadly in tennis, you can't change rackets for different shots. If so I'd likely serve first serves with a PD+, second serves with the 93P, Hit FH with my APD, BH with my Serena Blade 104, and volley and overhead with the 93P. You are either stuck with game improvement racket or control racket or tweener for every shot even if its not technically the best at all of them.