Why do racquets with a small head size have such high prestige among some people?

It is funny we have numerous threads at "other equipments" reviewing tons of dampeners and how they feel differently, and yet we have ppl here who cannot even tell the difference of having one or not. I for one, will not care what researches say when I can feel the differences so obviously.

Yeah, fair enough. As I say, I used to use them. Ultimately, whatever you think works best. I don't think it makes any difference to me or my game, personally. Not like string tension, or type.
 

connico

Rookie
No racquet is going to allow you to beat a better player.

I don't generally lose to players I'm supposed to beat, and when I do it's not the racquet. I would lose to them more frequently if I were playing with a snowshoe instead of a racquet in the 90-95 sq in range, because larger racquets just don't feel right and I'm too old to totally reinvent my strokes. Big racquets just feel too much like trampolines, have too much power, and cause me to become tentative with my strokes.

Come to think of it, though, I just can't remember the last time I saw someone lose to someone they should beat because of a racquet choice.

I think this whole thing is simply the "eye of the beholder" problem.

I was referring to improvement... if you're already proficient and comfortable with an "small" head then good on you.

But I would suggest that you would be more consistent and ultimately a better player if you found a larger head and more modern tennis racquet. You just need to find the right setup. I'm not suggest everyone goes out and gets a 110sq racquet to play better. Tennis sticks are a fine balance of pros and cons.

I am to old, blah blah blah is just an excuse to stay with the same. If you don't want to improve that's your issue, don't go spewing that crap to others.

As players evolve, so to does tennis equipment; whilst I agree some marketing is all a big hype and replacing a perfectly proficient racquet setup is a waste of time and effort. Players need to realise that we have moved away from laminated wood, aluminium and 65 inch heads for a reason; the game has evolved.
 

connico

Rookie
The player with the 85 inch racket asking that question is silly. The real question is would that player play better with the 85 inch racket than the 100 sq inch racket that they are currently using.

Short answer is no, typically replacing a racquet that your used to is often perilous at best. It takes time and effort for any player to adapt and to get back to same level.

Long answer is yes, after they adjust; change their swing appropriately, there body and muscles adapt (muscle memory), after they fine the right timing etc will they be a better player.
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
It's pretty ironic, BP, that you say you don't believe in studies, yet here you are quoting them to make your point. So you believe some studies and not others? Not having a go, each to their own. Just a bit funny! Do you also not believe the studies that link smoking to lung cancer? If so YOU might be the one who starts smoking :eek:
I was making the point that not all studies should be taken as gospel because some studies are worthless. That's why I quoted a worthless study.

I don't need a study to tell me that smoking is bad for you. It's OBVIOUS!!! People die from from inhaling smoke during fires. Why would you purposely inhale smoke every day and think it won't harm you? You don't need a study to tell you something that should be common sense!
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
He is back on the senior tour and playing at a much much higher level relative to people on this forum.
But Sampras is not playing at a much, much higher level than he was when he was on the ATP tour, is he? Thus, he still played better with his PS 6.0 85 than he does now with his Babolat. :)
 

rst

Rookie
i dont know that small head rackets have any more prestige.

i hit crappy with a particular 90 but very well , for me, with a 94, 99 and 100 of other racket types.

it is probably other racket charaterisitcs that matter just as much as squin if not more so.
 

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
Would be interested if Barbie ever contemplated in making midsize racquets. Although, quite frankly owning the tweener market is in itself enough--to date!:)
 
Thanks for making my point. No one on this forum is ever going to get to his level, so whatever racquet they choose, won't make a difference.

Of course it will(imo). If using a smaller headed racket would be a detriment to even Sampras with his athleticism and hand-eye coordination then it will probably be one to someone who isn't as skilled.



Wrong. They will play just the same. If they are a 3.0, they will be a 3.0 with a 100 sq inch pure drive or a PS85. Neither racquet will make them any better.

See above.
Look anyone is free to believe what they want but don't try to pass off opinions as facts.
 
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drakulie

Talk Tennis Guru
Of course it will(imo). If using a smaller headed racket would be a detriment to even Sampras with his athleticism and hand-eye coordination then it will probably be one to someone who isn't as skilled.

wrong again. No 3.0 is facing the competition Sampras faced.


See above.
Look anyone is free to believe what they want but don't try to pass off opinions as facts.

Let me know when you have data of players mysteriously jumping up a level because of their racquet selection.
 
wrong again. No 3.0 is facing the competition Sampras faced.

Sampras is not facing the same intense competition he was facing before(despite facing the same players) and not for the same stakes. Even then, he switched to a bigger head size.
I personally feel that the recreational players who think that a 90 sq in racket gives them more control compared to a 100 sq inch racket are deluding themselves.


Personally speaking, I was one of those people who thought that a real "player" uses a player's racket and other rackets were for grannies. My opinion has changed.
 
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BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
Of course it will(imo). If using a smaller headed racket would be a detriment to even Sampras with his athleticism and hand-eye coordination then it will probably be one to someone who isn't as skilled.
Really? His 85 sq. in. racquet was a "detriment" to Sampras? That's news to me. How the heck did Sampras with his 85 sq. in. racquet beat Agassi with his 107 sq. in. racquet EVERY single time they played at both the US Open and at Wimbledon, which were a heck of a lot of times?
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
Sampras is not facing the same intense competition he was facing before(despite facing the same players) and not for the same stakes. Even then, he switched to a bigger head size.
I personally feel that the recreational players who think that a 90 sq in racket gives them more control compared to a 100 sq inch racket are deluding themselves.


Personally speaking, I was one of those people who thought that a real "player" uses a player's racket and other rackets were for grannies. My opinion has changed.
Exactly! Since Sampras now plays for fun and doesn't really care about winning, he feels he can now use a bigger racquet. If he was as obsessed about winning now as he was when he was winning Slams, he'd go back to his 85. :)

An 85 or 90 does indeed have more control than bigger racquets do. That's what shorter strings in the stringbed gives you. What advantage do bigger racquets give you? Power? I know guys that use 90 sq. in. racquets that hit the ball twice as hard as anyone else using bigger racquets.
 
Below 4.5 it just does not matter. My teammate last year in highschool switched to a BLX90 played exactly the same. What changed to make him better was not a racket but a coach he payed $75-$100/hour to fix and perfect his technique. RACQUET SIZES DON'T MEAN ****!pardon my french:)
 
Below 4.5 it just does not matter. My teammate last year in highschool switched to a BLX90 played exactly the same. What changed to make him better was not a racket but a coach he payed $75-$100/hour to fix and perfect his technique. RACQUET SIZES DON'T MEAN ****!pardon my french:)

Sorry, but I gotta disagree here.

You know from experience that while power wise, you are correct, the feel of the rackets a whole other can of worms. Some people, like you, like the feel of a small headed racket for reasons I can't imagine. To me, your rackets feel like aluminum, they vibrate a lot when hit on center, and feel hollow. To you, my oversize rackets feel like rocket launchers, but I like the bottomless pit feel I get from them. Because of those longer main strings, I feel the ball sink into the stringbed more, and it gives me more confidence to go for feel shots like slice and drop shots. So since these rackets give me more confidence to go for shots I wouldn't normally do, thus increasing the number of tools in my toolbox, I become a better player. So to a certain extent, it matters more for lower level players. Even when we realize that we can hit any shot with any racket, certain rackets still make it easier.

Now, to take the exact opposite stance.....rackets don't matter at all if you already know what your doing.
Also, I don't know where people come up with these stereotypes they have of people who use certain rackets, but all of them are pretty worthless imo.
@Breakpoint and Redsunset, did you ever think that maybe the reason that people play with those rackets is not because they are nonathletic, egotistical, or what have you, but because they play better with those rackets? An eastern drive (or WWFH) will not work as well with a modern (old school)racket. Maybe they have a certain shot that's strength is accentuated by the racket they are currently using. Why someone should change all their strokes to fit the needs of their racket to appease certain members of this board who believe that everyone should conform or die in some way or another is beyond any sane human being's reasoning.

Its a racket people. You hit the ball with it. Thats really all there is to it.
 
I was referring to improvement... if you're already proficient and comfortable with an "small" head then good on you.

But I would suggest that you would be more consistent and ultimately a better player if you found a larger head and more modern tennis racquet. You just need to find the right setup. I'm not suggest everyone goes out and gets a 110sq racquet to play better. Tennis sticks are a fine balance of pros and cons.

I am to old, blah blah blah is just an excuse to stay with the same. If you don't want to improve that's your issue, don't go spewing that crap to others.

As players evolve, so to does tennis equipment; whilst I agree some marketing is all a big hype and replacing a perfectly proficient racquet setup is a waste of time and effort. Players need to realise that we have moved away from laminated wood, aluminium and 65 inch heads for a reason; the game has evolved.

I 100% agree regarding hitting with a midplus/OS racquet. If I were a better player, I'd play with a bigger, more powerful racquet, because I could use it properly. I can't. I don't have any plans to change my favorite shot, a rather flat one-handed backhand drive, to deal with the excessive power a 100+ sq in frame would have. I like it. I'd be too inconsistent with a larger frame and it'd cost me confidence. Been there. Done that. Didn't like it...

Also, the difference between the 93 sq in racquet I play with and a 100 sq in racquet, in terms of head size, is not particularly large, so your comments about ancient racquets don't really stand up. I don't play with a 65 sq in racquet, which is considerably smaller, though if someone re-introduced the Lendl GTX Pro I hit with in the 80s, I'd probably be willing to go back to the 80 sq in or so that measured. ;-)

And by the way, IMHO recreational players haven't really evolved that much... The pro game is an entirely different beast.
 

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
Exactly! Since Sampras now plays for fun and doesn't really care about winning, he feels he can now use a bigger racquet. If he was as obsessed about winning now as he was when he was winning Slams, he'd go back to his 85. :)

So do you play for fun or professionally for a living? Do you think a 3.5 plays for fun or for a living? :)
 
So do you play for fun or professionally for a living? Do you think a 3.5 plays for fun or for a living? :)

okay, rhetorical question right? well since we already know he most likely doesn't play for a living than does it really matter what he swings? like not everything has to be a complex of some sort. As easy as we can say that the person swinging the mid has "something to prove" we can easily turn it around and say that the person swinging the oversize is trying to compensate for lack of finding a sweet spot. let's just not judge anyone by what he swings but on how. We would probably enjoy the game more.
 

drakulie

Talk Tennis Guru
Sampras is not facing the same intense competition he was facing before(despite facing the same players) and not for the same stakes. Even then, he switched to a bigger head size.

and again,,,, what does that prove? He still faces players on the Champions Tour that no 3.0 will face.


I personally feel that the recreational players who think that a 90 sq in racket gives them more control compared to a 100 sq inch racket are deluding themselves.

and I know for a fact that anyone who thinks playing with a 100sq inch vs a 90 sq inch will jump them from a 3.0 to a 4.0 is fooling themsleves, and in for a big dissapointment.

and if you seriously think a larger frame gives more control than a smaller one, you have no idea what you are talking about. If this were true, every pro in the game over the last 30 years, would be using 135 sq inch frames.


Personally speaking, I was one of those people who thought that a real "player" uses a player's racket and other rackets were for grannies. My opinion has changed.

and you're still fooling yourself. and btw, in my book, there is no such thing as a "players frame" or "tweener frame". There's just simply different frames for different folks.
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
And by the way, IMHO recreational players haven't really evolved that much... The pro game is an entirely different beast.
I totally agree.

A lot of recreational players, myself included, still serve and volley and are very successful doing it. But serve and volley obviously doesn't work as well anymore like it used to in the pro game.
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
So do you play for fun or professionally for a living? Do you think a 3.5 plays for fun or for a living? :)
Of course I play for fun. Which is why my racquet choice doesn't really matter. I can play pretty well with almost anything but I do play better with 85's and 90's. :)

Sampras also now plays for fun, which is why he can play with anything he wants to even if it's sub-optimal.
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
Wow, what an arrogant, ignorant, ill-informed thing to say. :) Is your brain connected directly to the TT forum? :) You don't need to post your every thought here you know. :)
So what other reason do people choose to use 100 sq. in. racquets over 85 or 90 sq. in. racquets other than that it makes it easier for them to get the ball over the net? And if they had the eye-hand coordination and athleticism of Roger Federer, would they still need a huge racquet to help them get the ball over the net? Of course I don't have the coordination nor the athleticism of Federer, but it's also not so poor that I need the assistance of a big racquet just to get the ball over the net. I had no problem (and still don't) getting the ball over the net with 65 sq. in. wood racquets for over a decade so why would I have any problems getting the ball over the net with a 85 or 90 sq. in. racquet? In fact, a 90 feels like a Big Bubba in my hands to me. :shock:
 

oragne lovre

New User
"A player's knowledge (right or wrong, fact or opinion) that he brings onto the court is the only lens through which he can observe and analyze events."
R. Cross and C. Lindsey, Technical Tennis, 2005.

I believe this observation holds true when you ask different players their opinions about different racquet sizes.
 
"Nope, I'm smart, just like baseball and swimming."

Haven't been on the forum long, but this is my favourite quote from that thread!
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster

connico

Rookie
I watched the Stosur-Sharapova match from Tokyo last night. The commentators said exactly the same thing I said in my thread from 2.5 years ago. They said Stosur takes advantage of the modern technology in strings and racquets more than just about any other player on the WTA Tour and that she wouldn't be able to play as well without them.

lol... if you gave all the players in the WTA and ATP a wooden racquet they all wouldn't play as well...

Seriously... WTF are you on about?
 

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
If, if the standard for today is a wooden racquet with 65 sq in face they would be playing better than the olden days because of their superior training, conditioning and nutrition. Needless to say however, they wouldn't be producing those wicked spins and bazooka serves with a Barbie!:wink:
 

BreakPoint

Bionic Poster
lol... if you gave all the players in the WTA and ATP a wooden racquet they all wouldn't play as well...

Seriously... WTF are you on about?
But some would play a lot worse than others due to the equipment change. It comes down to who maximizes the use of the modern equipment more.
 

Broly4

Rookie
Those who claim that it's more prestigeous, are just admiting that performance wise bigger heads are better.
 

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
A midsize isn't a Harvard degree, now. There's no prestige in a midsize. However, there is shame in an oversize.
 

Vcore89

Talk Tennis Guru
A midsize isn't a Harvard degree, now. There's no prestige in a midsize. However, there is shame in an oversize.

However, the biggest winner seems to be the mid pluses?:wink: I wonder what M. Chang is using at the Champions Tour (over 107?)?
 

Hi I'm Ray

Professional
There's no prestige in a midsize. However, there is shame in an oversize.

Riiight. So going by that load of BS, there's probably something wrong with this positive review that Chris gave the classic POG OS http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/GRO/GROReview.html & Agassi who was the first and only 1 of 2 male tennis players to ever achieve the career golden slam, should be ashamed of himself for playing with an OS.
 

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
Riiight. So going by that load of BS, there's probably something wrong with this positive review that Chris gave the classic POG OS http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/GRO/GROReview.html & Agassi who was the first and only 1 of 2 male tennis players to ever achieve the career golden slam, should be ashamed of himself for playing with an OS.

They really should be ashamed. Same goes for all the grown men playing granny racket. 110 sq in and 10 oz. Grow some muscle for crying out loud.
 
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