Wilson Hyper Hammer

[Gonzalito17]

I noticed some very very good senior players use this sucker and they have great accuracy and shotmaking ability with the oversize head. What's the deal on this racquet? I never tried it but intrigued by seeing 3 high quality senior players having such success with it.

 

[SFrazeur]

Hyper Hammer was an entire series of racquets beginning around '98-'99. Hammer racquets in general from Wilson came out in 1990. Named for the weight being more throughout the head than in the handle/shaft. In around '93 Wilson had Sledge Hammers. Super-granny sticks with heads taking more of a triangular shape to raise and widen the sweetspot. There were also Hyper Sledge Hammers. This was back when Wilson still used their SI Scale. Usually 2.0, 3.0, etc.

A skilled player can use and play well with any racquet. The older one is the less weight they can use as easily. Although it it not unusual for me to see a Sr. court with 6.1 classics and hammer style racquets (from various brands) together.

 

[newpball]

I noticed some very very good senior players use this sucker and they have great accuracy and shotmaking ability with the oversize head. What's the deal on this racquet?

It is powerful, you don't have to swing as fast to get a powerful ball. Of course the downside is that you have less room for heavy spin and there is less control.

 

[AlohaTennis]

I'm a senior (sorta) at 51 years and a 4.5 level player. Found an old Hyper Sledge Hammer 2.0 earlier this year and am now a big fan. I'm a hard hitter and this racquet has added even more power to my game.

 

[joah310]

I dont know much about the hyper hammers but I have one with rollers? Anyone know what they are?

 

[PBODY99]

@joah310
Rollers were designed to allow greater string movement similar to Prince ports.
Worries about the rollers failing and the different feel lead to a short run in the market
I still string the yellow 6.6 95 sq in for a player; 60 lbs kevlar mains /55 1.35 nylon

 

[joah310]

@joah310
Rollers were designed to allow greater string movement similar to Prince ports.
Worries about the rollers failing and the different feel lead to a short run in the market
I still string the yellow 6.6 95 sq in for a player; 60 lbs kevlar mains /55 1.35 nylon

oh thats interesting. Thanks! probably wont play with it though.

 

[jxs653]

Those three quality senior players happened to use hyper hammers and I think they'd play well with just any frames.

Having said that, the 5.3 must be a fine stick since they are being sold after all these years.

 

[FedGR]

I played for a long time with the HH 6.6 and it's a very solid racket. Kinda light but that can be fixed easily. Great control, spin and comfort with the 16×20.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

The Hammers were an acquired taste, but a lot of people acquired that taste. Wilson topped worldwide racket sales in the 90s like Babolat has the past decade plus, and it was largely due to recreational players flocking to the Hammer series frames. (There were player Hammers, too, though.)

The sometimes extreme head-heavy weighting put the center of percussion way up high on the string bed, and while they had the normal range of swing weights, their power-to-weight ratio was really high. If you were entering a fast-serve contest, you wanted a Hammer.

The Williams sisters used Hammers early in their careers, and as far as I know they really were Hammers under the paint: Venus the Hammer 4 series and Serena the Hammer 6.

 

[PBODY99]

@Don't Let It Bounce
Serena used the 6.3 Hyper Hammer 110 { Yellow/ Black } Venus 4.2 Hyper Hammer 110 [ Blue/Black ]
While the paint changed, the frames remained the same until they switched to the Blade 104 v1

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Thanks for the clarification, PBODY99. All I'd heard from the Wilson people was that they really were Hammers; I didn't know which models. I thought the HH 6.3 110 was a fun hit, incidentally.

I was also told they'd both used the Hammer 6.4 110 Stretch (white/black/red, paint tended to come loose from frame in spots) before turning pro.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

A couple other Hammer/Rollers memories for the thread:

1. Sales reps and sponsored coaches were instructed, repeatedly, to always hand the racket to the customer/student head-first, never handle-first, so that they'd be impressed with how light the racket felt. (Light doesn't necessarily win, but light sells.)

2. I heard nothing but good things about how the Rollers rackets felt, but I never got to try one. They came out one year in the early 2000s just after Wilson-sponsored coaches made their annual order, and by the time next year's order came around they'd been discontinued! I was told they did not sell because customers thought they looked weird.

 

[PBODY99]

@BounceHitBounceHit
Richard Williams trained them with the 110 Profile and other oversize widebody power frames when they were young as he felt that it would force them to learn control as the frames were designed for players with shorter slower strokes.
The Rollers also were different to string as the cross string shift some while stringing , but nowhere near the level of a frame with ports.
I still have a Triad Rollers OS frame which I seldom hit with as it was not as nimble as my various Sledge Hammers I used during this time.

 

[jonnyscottslater]

I'm a 4.5 vetran, addicted to power. I have the 2.6 115 Rollers Wilson, in fact I have two, extra lead at 10 and 2 oclock. I love these gaget rackets. I can launch 130 mph serve with this weapon. It was also free..... Get some mini dumb-bells and work-out that serving arm. I have players rackets as well. Love both types. Your next should be Babolat Pure Drive Andy Roddick. Love these as well. Work on that first serve. With a cannon racket so many free points.