wilson racquets going dead?

[bluescreen]

ive been playing with my n6.1 95's for about four years now and recently one of my friends told me his wilsons usually go dead after about four years. i played with one of his old tour 90s and it felt like spaghetti.

i havent really noticed any significant change in my n6.1s, but thats probably cuz the change is gradual. and i havent found anybody else that uses the racquet for me to compare to. do u guys think my frames r going dead and i should start buying new ones? these r the only racquets i have, besides a k90 i got in a trade last year. my game has gone down a little in the last couple months, but i doubt thats the racquets' fault.

ure probably all gonna tell me only i can make this decision, and thats true, but i just wanna know when u guys typically get new racquets and if u think my wilsons r past their prime.

 

[baek57]

if you have to ask they are fine.

 

[LanEvo]

how many times has ur racquets been strung?

 

[Deuce]

ive been playing with my n6.1 95's for about four years now and recently one of my friends told me his wilsons usually go dead after about four years. i played with one of his old tour 90s and it felt like spaghetti.

i havent really noticed any significant change in my n6.1s, but thats probably cuz the change is gradual. and i havent found anybody else that uses the racquet for me to compare to. do u guys think my frames r going dead and i should start buying new ones? these r the only racquets i have, besides a k90 i got in a trade last year. my game has gone down a little in the last couple months, but i doubt thats the racquets' fault.

ure probably all gonna tell me only i can make this decision, and thats true, but i just wanna know when u guys typically get new racquets and if u think my wilsons r past their prime.

So...
You are perfectly happy with your Wilson racquets until your friend tells you that he thinks that his Wilson racquets "go dead" after about 4 years - and now you're worried and wondering if you should replace the racquets you were perfectly happy with because you think they might be dead.

Sorry - but the kind of help you need you can't get on this board.

Just play the bloody game.

 

[bluescreen]

yeah, i dont know, i was just paranoid i guess. i had this vision of my racquets breaking in half while i was playing, lol.

i think i'll stick with 'em.

 

[Deuce]

Just play with them and enjoy them.
If they break one day, just replace them at that time - it's that simple.

If you worry about them in the meantime, you won't be able to enjoy the game.

 

[Pusher]

ive been playing with my n6.1 95's for about four years now and recently one of my friends told me his wilsons usually go dead after about four years. i played with one of his old tour 90s and it felt like spaghetti.

i havent really noticed any significant change in my n6.1s, but thats probably cuz the change is gradual. and i havent found anybody else that uses the racquet for me to compare to. do u guys think my frames r going dead and i should start buying new ones? these r the only racquets i have, besides a k90 i got in a trade last year. my game has gone down a little in the last couple months, but i doubt thats the racquets' fault.

ure probably all gonna tell me only i can make this decision, and thats true, but i just wanna know when u guys typically get new racquets and if u think my wilsons r past their prime.

My son uses the N6.1 and plays D-1 college tennis. If he used the same racquet all the time it would develop a noticeable stress crack around the throat area at around 3 months. Prior to that he would see little difference in playing characteristics. I would suggest that if you see no cracks then the frame is still good.

 

[Conquistador]

The racquet is not going "dead" This is just the belief that golf drivers suddenly go dead...Its not true--the onlyu thing that can wear on a racquet is the string

 

[TennezSport]

Racquet Wear..........

Bluescreen,

Racquets break down like any other material that suffers from molecular fatigue. Take a look at a slow mo vid of anyone hitting a ball and you will see how the racquet wobbles at contact; it's simple physics. Bend a piece of metal (or any material) enough times and it breaks. With racquets it starts as micro cracks and after X amount of time the racquet will go soft. Most pros go through 80 to 100 racquets a year because of this stress wear.

However most people do not play or practice as much as a pro or even a D1 player, so how long does it take for a racquet to break down??? There is no way to say in general because it's different for everyone. Racquet composition, players level, amount of play time, how often the racquet is strung, type of machine strung on, string and tension used; all of these things are factors. Most recreational players will never feel the change as they become accustomed to the new flex gradually over time.

So, if you have any doubts about your gear, simple rent a new racquet and compare for yourself. We have players here with racquets that are 10yrs old and no complaints. Are their racquets soft, most likely but they are happy. I have 6 racquets that I rotate and I get approx 4 to 5 years before they go too soft for me (as measured on a flex machine). BoL

Cheers, TennezSport

 

[Deleted member 21996]

there is a NGO institute in my closet dedicated to receive and help unwanted racquets and mistreated ones too. from all over the world racquets are being sent there to live in a farm and be happy playing with others of the same kind. if you have a racquet you are willing to abandon or give away for adoption or it is terminally fatigued, please contact the GIF-RA "Gorecki's Instituiton for Racquet Adoption".

just send them in...

 

[Racquet Man]

Bluescreen,

Racquets break down like any other material that suffers from molecular fatigue. Take a look at a slow mo vid of anyone hitting a ball and you will see how the racquet wobbles at contact; it's simple physics. Bend a piece of metal (or any material) enough times and it breaks. With racquets it starts as micro cracks and after X amount of time the racquet will go soft. Most pros go through 80 to 100 racquets a year because of this stress wear.

However most people do not play or practice as much as a pro or even a D1 player, so how long does it take for a racquet to break down??? There is no way to say in general because it's different for everyone. Racquet composition, players level, amount of play time, how often the racquet is strung, type of machine strung on, string and tension used; all of these things are factors. Most recreational players will never feel the change as they become accustomed to the new flex gradually over time.

So, if you have any doubts about your gear, simple rent a new racquet and compare for yourself. We have players here with racquets that are 10yrs old and no complaints. Are their racquets soft, most likely but they are happy. I have 6 racquets that I rotate and I get approx 4 to 5 years before they go too soft for me (as measured on a flex machine). BoL

Cheers, TennezSport

Thank you TennizSport, you succinctly summed this up beautifully. In fact, I think its fair to sat that many rec players (excluding those who frequent this board of course) don't and can't even recognize that their strings have died. How many people do you know that have played with the same set of strings for 1+years?

Unless your racquet has been strung misproperly and has been strung an inordinate amount of times (ex:many pros restring after each practice and game), you should not notice a huge breakdown of your racquet. Now, if you are stringing at very high tensions, that may be an exception.

As an earlier poster said: use your racquet....enjoy it....if you don't like your racquet anymore, because some new technology or graphic suits your fancy, change it. After all, we all want to support the tennis industry and retailers, don't we?

 

[gocard]

My son uses the N6.1 and plays D-1 college tennis. If he used the same racquet all the time it would develop a noticeable stress crack around the throat area at around 3 months. Prior to that he would see little difference in playing characteristics. I would suggest that if you see no cracks then the frame is still good.

Pusher, when you say "noticeable stress crack around the throat area" do you see little black lines that are fairly straight, but located right at the curved edge of the oval beam? I saw one small black mark along one curve and thought it was a crack, but it did not get any bigger. Then just the other day, I saw three more small black lines appear on the other side close to where it says Wilson.

Are those just stress on the paint or are these going to become actual cracks? Does anyone else see these on their well-used n6.1 95s? Thanks for the input

 

[Pusher]

Pusher, when you say "noticeable stress crack around the throat area" do you see little black lines that are fairly straight, but located right at the curved edge of the oval beam? I saw one small black mark along one curve and thought it was a crack, but it did not get any bigger. Then just the other day, I saw three more small black lines appear on the other side close to where it says Wilson.

Are those just stress on the paint or are these going to become actual cracks? Does anyone else see these on their well-used n6.1 95s? Thanks for the input

I believe they are actual cracks that will worsen with time. I've sent several back to Wilson and they have always given me a replacement. I've seen chipped paint but a crack usually shows up as a small line.

Hope that helps.

 

[TennezSport]

Well................

As an earlier poster said: use your racquet....enjoy it....if you don't like your racquet anymore, because some new technology or graphic suits your fancy, change it. After all, we all want to support the tennis industry and retailers, don't we?

Well, the industry and retailers (and I am one of them) should be there to support you, not the other way 'round. We learn as much as we can to make life easier for ourselves and our customers. We will give you all the info you need but the choice is up to you. As long as you are enjoying the sport half as much as we do, we are happy. It may sound hokie but it makes my day :wink:

Glad to hear our explaination helped, now go out there and have some fun.

Cheers, TennezSport

 

[TennezSport]

Spot on.............

I believe they are actual cracks that will worsen with time. I've sent several back to Wilson and they have always given me a replacement. I've seen chipped paint but a crack usually shows up as a small line.

Hope that helps.

Pusher is spot on as these are the first visible signs of racquet fatigue. Most companies will replace the racquet if within the warrantee period. BoL

Cheer, TennezSport

 

[Deleted member 21996]

Well, the industry and retailers (and I am one of them) should be there to support you, not the other way 'round. We learn as much as we can to make life easier for ourselves and our customers. We will give you all the info you need but the choice is up to you. As long as you are enjoying the sport half as much as we do, we are happy. It may sound hokie but it makes my day :wink:

Glad to hear our explaination helped, now go out there and have some fun.

Cheers, TennezSport

sir. if i was living near you i would be very glad to be your customer. you are the sort of person that makes this sport a wonder.

 

[gocard]

Pusher is spot on as these are the first visible signs of racquet fatigue. Most companies will replace the racquet if within the warrantee period. BoL

Cheer, TennezSport

Thanks Pusher and TennezSport - that's too bad... since my racquet is over 2 years old now, I wouldn't be able to get it replaced. I was hoping it would last me a longer time

 

[nickb]

When I used wilson I used a brand new racket every 7 games because they go dead so fast.