Why can't I settle?

[sstchur]

I have a disease I think. I cannot stop tweaking my racquet and/or considering other racquets.

It's not the racquet. It's not the racquet. It's not the racquet!

I know this. I've read "Technical Tennis." I know that the racquet makes very little difference. When I play poorly, it's because I am just not /that/ good. It's not he grip, it's not the string, it's not the head size. It's me.

I know this.

So why can't I quite fiddling with my racquet? I play with a Gamma T-7. And over the course of a year of using it, I've added lead tape to 10 and 2, then removed it. Then added it again, then removed it. Then added it to 3 and 9 and used it for a while.

Then I went crazy and added lead to 3 and 9, and the throat and the handle, enough to bump the racquet's overall weight up about 1.5oz! I was convinced that I LOVED it this way.

Today I am not convinced. I demo'd the racquet. I bought it b/c I liked it. So why am I trying to change it now?

Then I've played with grips, overgrips, multiple overgrips, shrink wrap sleeves, etc..

Does anyone else have this problem?

Sometimes I wish there were only a single racquet manufacturer who only made a single racquet and if you want to play tennis, you just use the only racquet in existence. Yes, that would be a wonderful world!

 

[DustinW]

It sounds like you've taken the first step.... admitting you have a problem.

 

[Sword]

I too wish there was only one racquet/string

 

[fattsoo]

I too wish there was only one racquet/string

how about balls? Penn? Wilson? Dunlop? Gamma?????

damnnnn it!

 

[klementine]

May Tod bless.

 

[spendor]

Every hobby IMO has two two types of enthusiasts: the OCDs and recovered OCDs. I happen to be a recovered audio hobbiest. How did I recover? I replicated what I remember being satisfied with. I've done the same thing with my racquets and returned to the sticks I played best with...no lead, no crazy string jobs, no BS. Once you achieve that, you'll be off the merry-go-round and play like a champ.

 

[Sword]

It's just the novelty of a new racquet, the new feeling, the new paint job, it's fun.

 

[charliefedererer]

At your first meeting of Racquetholics Anonymous be prepared to say "My name is sstchur, and I am a racquetholic."

Call their hotline at 1-800-rqt-holi

 

[sstchur]

At your first meeting of Racquetholics Anonymous be prepared to say "My name is sstchur, and I am a racquetholic."

Call their hotline at 1-800-rqt-holi

My name is sstchur, and I admit it: I am a racquetholic.

I am now sitting on my couch looking at my racquets and wondering "Should I remove all that lead tape? I want to get back that feeling I had when I first demo'd it. But what if I remove it and hate it? Well I can always just re-add it right? But my wife... she'll roll her eyes and tell me I'm ridiculous and that I'm wasting money on lead tape and grips. She'd be right. But I can't stop wondering if I should remove the lead tape anyway?"

I have a serious problem.

 

[Lefty78]

Sounds to me like you've caught your problem in its infancy. Believe me, things can get much more serious if you're not careful.

 

[eagle]

Pickup a medicated anti-racquetaholic patch available at your local drug store.

It's very effective. For best results, some suggest you apply the patch to both eyes.



r,
eagle

 

[fuzz nation]

You're a rebel in your own behind-the-scenes sort of way! Too much of the day to day grind demands that we settle on one thing or another, right? Not the case with a small collection of different racquets. Hey, I usually have two or three different frames in my bag... no biggie. If my forehand is squared away, it'll work just fine with one of the four or five different bats that I like to keep handy.

The good news is that, at least as far as I know, they don't get jealous of each other.

In case I go the route of the golfers and start carrying a fourteen frame limit in my bag on match day, then I'll probably own up and attend a meeting.

 

[Racer41c]

My name is sstchur, and I admit it: I am a racquetholic.

I am now sitting on my couch looking at my racquets and wondering

I have a serious problem.

A show of hands. How many of you have actually sat on your couch looking at your tennis gear?

If your hand is up, you'll need to join sstchur's club at the aformentioned phone #1-800-rqt-holi

 

[samster]

You are commitment-phobic.

 

[jms007]

The thing is, a lot of us at this level have a pretty inconsistent game from day to day. You may feel like you're hitting like a pro one day, only to be spraying balls all over the next one. In that situation it's very easy to start blaming the equipment. But you have to remember, If you played good with a racquet one day, then sure the racquet would play the same two days later! The only thing that changed is your game, be it late preparation, lazy footwork, losing eye contact with the ball etc. etc.

If you keep that in mind, it might eventually help you overcome this obsession. Screwing around with racquets, tape and grips just messes up your game even more because it doesn't allow you to get used to any given set-up.

Just pick a fairly comfortable set-up and stick with it, man! In time you'll groove to it and it will become the best for you. Partially because you can focus on your game instead of equipment.

 

[sstchur]

The thing is, a lot of us at this level have a pretty inconsistent game from day to day. You may feel like you're hitting like a pro one day, only to be spraying balls all over the next one. In that situation it's very easy to start blaming the equipment. But you have to remember, If you played good with a racquet one day, then sure the racquet would play the same two days later! The only thing that changed is your game, be it late preparation, lazy footwork, losing eye contact with the ball etc. etc.

If you keep that in mind, it might eventually help you overcome this obsession. Screwing around with racquets, tape and grips just messes up your game even more because it doesn't allow you to get used to any given set-up.

Just pick a fairly comfortable set-up and stick with it, man! In time you'll groove to it and it will become the best for you. Partially because you can focus on your game instead of equipment.

This is actually exactly what the local pro that I sometimes take lessons with told me: "You're over-thinking the racquet situation. Just pick a setup that feels comfortable and move on."

But it's so hard to do! I will keep trying.

 

[Deleted member 21996]

you are a Racquetizer... a racquet´s man... and you should be ashamed of treating your racquets like any "one match stand"...

racquets deserve respect... they have feeling too dont you know?

 

[julian]

A pro

This is actually exactly what the local pro that I sometimes take lessons with told me: "You're over-thinking the racquet situation. Just pick a setup that feels comfortable and move on."

But it's so hard to do! I will keep trying.

A good pro can evaluate you playing two DIFFERENT rackets

 

[KOtennis]

i must confess i have the same problem.

lead tape, replace grips, new racquets, SAME racquet with different head size.

i spend way too much time and money on tennis.
Yet i still do it.

But i always go back to my 2 main sticks. PST and Wilson AN95.

the ONLY constant for me is probably the Yonex Super Grap (white)

i need help

 

[fuzz nation]

You are commitment-phobic.

I know you are, but what am I?...

 

[LetFirstServe]

I have the same problem as you but not with raquets, but women. You are lucky you have a wife you committed to. If my problem was just raquets I wouldn't consider it a problem.

 

[mike53]

My name is sstchur, and I admit it: I am a racquetholic.

I am now sitting on my couch looking at my racquets and wondering "Should I remove all that lead tape? I want to get back that feeling I had when I first demo'd it. But what if I remove it and hate it? Well I can always just re-add it right? But my wife... she'll roll her eyes and tell me I'm ridiculous and that I'm wasting money on lead tape and grips. She'd be right. But I can't stop wondering if I should remove the lead tape anyway?"

I have a serious problem.

I don't get it, so what is the problem here? Doesn't everybody do this? My wife would think that anything I like is a waste of money, but that doesn't make her right. So how much do grips and tape cost anyway? Having several of the exact same racquet is a better candidate for being called waste, but I assure you (and my wife) that I need every one of them.

 

[DownTheLine]

It's just the novelty of a new racquet, the new feeling, the new paint job, it's fun.

I totally agree. You will always want something new, but you just have to get past it and focus on playing your game.

 

[acehole]

i fell off the wagon!! i have 2 mg extreme pros. i've had them since aug 08, and they've been restrung more than 30 times. i used an entire reel of sppp and dozens of synthetics to find my perfect set up. i have shaved the handles, weighted, matched, and balanced, washed and waxed....

a couple of months ago i hit 51lbs, mains and crosses and bells went off, rays of sunlight streamed from the clouds illuminating the outstretched wings of a choir of angels singing praises to the "perfect" set up in two perfectly matched rackets, custom fit to my hands. all was as it should be. i was not only reformed, i was reborn. i was content.

a couple of days ago, i cut a set out and strung up 6lbs. i hated it, and i hated myself. i cannot be trusted! why did i do it, why. i worked harder to find that racket, and that set up than i did to get through boot camp. why did i hike the tension!?!

and as long as i'm in a shame spiral, i will also admit that i considered trying 6 grams of lead in the upper hoop!!!

ITS AS THOUGH I'VE LOST POSSESSION OF MY VERY SOUL!

 

[SHUNGO]

OK, so youré one of us, we had the thread racquetocholicous anonymous some time ago, and we had a group therapy, that helped some of us, but I must admit some time after, I fell again.

You have all symptoms, anxiety, guilt, need to test new racquets syndrome, etc., allways expecting to find the holly grail.

I bet you spend minutes or hours almost everyday at this threads, reading other people experiences, identifying yourself with them, and "finding" your new weapon.

I have bought more than 2 dozens of sticks on the last 2 years, and can get worst if I did not made a great effort to stop myself, so now I mostly change between what I have, change grips, strings, etc, but still have the sickness.

What can we do? No drug has been invented yet to heal us, but I believe speaking about this can help, and also constantly talking to yourself until you get convinced is not the bow but the indian who makes the difference, I know it is hard, but we must help ourselves.

Hey even talking with the shrink may be needed:shock: however you seem to be in a initial phase, some of us are already locked up :mrgreen: so that´s how bad it can become.....

 

[acehole]

the worst part is that i love my rackets and they love me, but still i stray.

 

[WilsonFX]

Sword is right,its the feeling of having a new racquet,there's nothing like it.

 

[quest01]

Are you even any good.. I've tweaked my racquets a few times but I've been settled on a certain specs for a while now and don't intend on changing unless I ever change to a different racquet. If they came out with the APDC GT version than i would consider.