thommo77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > BTW Isner up to 95 aces. > > Numi, I have moved to a lighter racquet as I have > aged and transitioned into more of a part-time > player. I would try a few lighter racquets > because I think you will find the lack of control > and precision is not as bad as you think it is. I > think what you need is a lighter racquet, but keep > with the small head size so that you do not > entirely lose your precision and control. I have > found that I need the extra power of a lighter > racquet as opposed to the increased control and > precision of a heavier racquet. This is mainly > because I am getting older and my fitness level is > not the same as it was when I was a full-time > tennis player. Thus, the lighter racquets help me > in this regard. Thanks for the feedback, thommo. This is exactly how I feel. Until I have more time to play matches and exercise regularly, I’m going to go with a lighter racquet. I agree specifically with this comment of yours: “I would try a few lighter racquets because I think you will find the lack of control and precision is not as bad as you think it is… I have found that I need the extra power of a lighter racquet as opposed to the increased control and precision of a heavier racquet.” I played a three-set match last night and didn’t do very well. I’ve been pretty worn out the last few days anyway, but was matched up against a guy with similar but slightly better skill level (NTRP 5.0). I was hitting with good control, but many of my groundstrokes were way short and not clearing the service line by much, so my opponent was stepping in and crushing my groundstrokes even if directionally, I put the ball where I wanted to. The only times I ever produced penetrating shots was if I really lined up and set my body for the ball, which sometimes is hard to do these days since I’m not as fast as I used to be. Anyway, I think I have to accept the reality that I’m not able to play like I was at the college levels, so it’s time to look for a racquet that better matches my level of play and fitness today. I just decided to order a Yonex RQiS Tour 1 XL 95 (the Ana Ivanovic racquet; 11.6 ounces strung, 320 swing weight, 95 sq inch head, 6 pts head light). Compared to my other racquets (more like 12.1 ounces strung, 325 swingweight, 93 sq inch head, 10 pts head light), it’s a considerable a difference in terms of balance and weight. However, I think the Yonex should be much easier on my arm and I don’t feel like I have to try so hard to line up every shot. I’ll let you know how things go with the new stick! Thanks for the suggestions. By the way, when and where do you play these days? Do you still find tournaments where you can hit with former pro’s and good D1 players, or are you just playing purely recreationally these days?
> Thanks for the suggestions. By the way, when and > where do you play these days? Do you still find > tournaments where you can hit with former pro’s > and good D1 players, or are you just playing > purely recreationally these days? Numi, I am based in Orlando so there is quite a bit of tennis in this city as there are a few pros based in the area. I just sat the L2 exam so my tennis participation has been limited for the past 3 or 4 months. During the fall and early spring, there is a competitive league between the various country clubs in the area that I participate in. For example, Robert Kendrick (top 100) was on our team this year as well as another guy ranked in the top 300 in the world. Once I turn 35 (a few more years away), I will start playing some USTA tournaments. I am definitely a part-time player now as I am trying to establish my career in finance and devote some time to it. Tennis will always be there and I am still pretty fit and you never lose the ability to hit the ball. You do lose your fitness though so I am trying to keep this up. If you are ever in Orlando, give me a shout and we can hit some tennis balls.
Guys…thanks for your inputs. I’ve determined the following parameters Head Size: 100 Weight: upto 11 oz and 1 pt head heavy - like to play from the baseline Frame stiffness: flexible to medium-stiff (63-70) String pattern: open - use spin often String: Wilson K Gut - supposedly easy on the arm Tension: Low end (55-58) - to generate some power Comp Sci Kid - what replacement for the Pro Staff would you recommend? I start the search process. BTW, Tennis Warehouse has a nice racket finder tool.
cfaatsb, you probably don’t need a string like KGut…if I were you, I’d use a soft poly on the mains that retains good tension (like Pacific Poly Plasma or CyberFlash Topspin) and a common synthetic gut on the crosses, like Prince synthetic gut, Gosen OG Sheep Micro, or Forten. You’d be spending too much money on a string like KGut while not really being able to reap the benefits. At the 3.5 level, it really doesn’t make sense to put out money on a string like a KGut because it just won’t do all that much for you. Also, specifications are just one thing…you really have to demo the racquets. I wouldn’t recommend getting a head heavy racquet as the likelihood that you’ll continue to use head-heavy racquets once you improve is pretty minimal. Lastly, I disagree with the suggestion that you look into the Pro Staff 85. Racquet face is too small and the racquet will be way too heavy for you…you really need good stroke development and form to make the most of a racquet like that. Otherwise it will do your arm more harm than good.
Thanks numi…I appreciate the input.
Numi is right, ProStaff is very difficult to handle, but it is Samrpas raquet and Fed plays with a newer version of it…