Great instructive video from Wilson Innovation Centre and Tennis Warehouse on how to make a tennis racket. Interesting stuff! Who wouldn’t want one of those blacked-out frames?

Head’s version of how a tennis racket is made:

Joey Hanf of the excellent blog Tennisnerds (not affiliated with this one! :)) wrote a good post about the first day at Roland Garros where he, among other things, said he was baffled that Wilson hasn’t come up with a paint job for Federer’s new racquet yet.

I have wondered the same for quite some time. Maybe they haven’t come up with the design or maybe his racket is so similar to the Blade 98 or they can’t come up with a name yet, but they must be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars for every month Federer is playing with an unknown racquet.

Like Hanf writes in his post, the Wilson Pro Staff 90 would probably have been a very rare occurrence on the courts if it wasn’t for Federer using it (or a paintjobbed/customized version of it). It’s a hard racquet to handle which I can testify to myself, a lover of mid-sized racquets and an advanced player myself. Despite its wonderful feel, I had to give it up. Too many shanks and I’m not talking about lamb shanks here.

And I think Federer would agree, that head size is difficult for the kind of racquet head speed we need to hit with in the modern game. Still, he won 17 slams with that racquet…

So why, Wilson, are you waiting on this new bestseller of tennis frames? Will you go black like the blades or white and red like the Pro Staff lines? We’re all dying to see and obviously test this new offering.

Okay, I admit it, I’m a racquetaholic.

It’s not as bad as many of my racquetaholic buddies at Stringforum and TT Warehouse but I’ve tried plenty of racquets and string setups in my so called tennis “career”. It’s been a fun ride, and that’s the point of it all I guess, but I’ve realized there will never be one holy grail racquet and I’ll become a lot better player using the time I do reading and reviewing new racquets on working on my footwork.

Obviously, footwork training is less fun than buying stuff and that’s while I’ll probably keep fiddling with racquets and strings and lead and leather grips until I’m 70.

So what’s my journey been like and where am I currently at and is there at least a few holy grails for likeminded racquet seekers? All will be covered below in a lengthy and rather unfocused post.

Well, I’ve always been a Wilson man since the Pro Staff Classic. The stick I’ve played in most iterations is the Six-One 95 in the 18×20 pattern. If I would have a top five of racquets I’ve played it would definitely be there. A solid, crisp and control-friendly workhorse.

Another favourite has been the Prestige MP, especially the IG version. Which I leaded up to 370 grams and thought I’d found perfection with. But no, like fellow racquetaholics know, you always end up finding faults with your stick of choice. My main issue with the Prestige IG MP was that it didn’t move through the air fast enough for me and felt a bit clunkish on serve.

So I moved back to a mid, the currently much beloved Wilson Blade 93 which requires no lead, just a leather grip. Loving it on so many shots, the only issue I have is a slight arm pain I’ve developed after my sessions. It is a stiff stick (RA 67), but not THAT stiff!?

Hence, I’m currently entering another period of playing around. I have a few interesting frames lying around at home:

It’s a Head Radical Pro Tour MP (“Candycane”), Head Prestige Tour 600 and Head iPrestige mid. Three allegedly great feeling sticks. The problem is that they’re all in plastic and I feel reluctant to rip them up and play with them.

Especially since I have another couple of interesting racquets to try, specifically the Head TGK 237.1 that’s on the way to me. I will start there and then move on to another “classic”, the Fischer Vacuum Pro mid. Will keep you posted how things go.

As you can see I’m in mid heaven/hell. Due to the following reasons:

* They move quicker through the air.
* They give you the possibility to swing out properly.
* They have “feel.”

But with the good comes also the bad:

* It’s a small frame which will lead you to one or more “shank”.
* When you get tired and stop moving your feet they don’t give you anything extra.
* You won’t be hitting heavy top spin forehands like the Bull from Manacor.

For a long time (in relative, racquetaholic terms) my stick of choice was the Wilson K90 and then later the Pro Staff BLX 90 because of the absolutely beautiful attacking tennis you can play with it. I had to put it on the shelf though because of a lacking defense. Once I lost the initiative in a rally, I was usually dead meat.

Still, I ended back in mid-land, first with the Völkl Powerbridge 10 mid and now with the Wilson Blade 93 (all matched to 360 grams strung with smiley dampener). Why I didn’t stay with the soft and friendly German? Hard to say, my backhand slice suffered for some reason. Maybe it’s too flexy, maybe there’s something else, but it’s now for sale. It’s a shame really, because I’ve never hit a better serve or forehand with any other stick. I will possibly regret selling it.

It looks like this by the way (e-mail me if you’re interested in any of the sticks I post at tennisnerdnet_at_gmail.com

As you can see I’m not much into colorful graphics on a racquet. Some of the frames they produce today look like some kind of design disaster. I much prefer the clean Prestige 600 (what a paint job!) or this:

The Blade 93 is strung with Völkl Cyclone 17 in “crazy green” because I needed a contrast. The Cyclone is, by the way, my favourite string ever, tied with Babolat RPM Blast (the Cyclone maintains tension longer).

Back to topic, yes, it’s all about mids right now. I’m very keen on trying the RF 97 Autograph, but I’m worried about two things there:

* It’s too stiff.
* 97 inches of stringbed will make it too heavy to swing.

But, it’s a must-try somewhere down the stretch. If you have one lying around and are interested in trades, I have a few “New Old Stock” racquets that I’m willing to sell/trade. Check my ad at Stringforum.

Until I get my hands on a RF97, I also have some Biomimetic 300 Pro stocks that are next on the list after the Head prestige mid pro stocks. They are also 97 inches, but more flexy which should hopefully help my arm a bit.

One thing I learned by going back to the mids is that I’m much more comfortable with my one-handed backhand (arguably the most beautiful shot in tennis, sorry Agassi/Djokovic/Murray fans) because you can really whip it through and even with less than energetic footwork you can get your racquet on the ball in good time.

That’s why it’s a shame that current racquet manufacturers seem to be giving up on the mids completely. I understand that you can dial in control even with a Yonex AI 98  (artificial intelligence? – everybody seems to want this particular stick after the luscious Tennis Warehouse review)  or other mid-plus racquets, but there are also aerodynamic factors that come into play in swinging a racquet and that’s why mids deserve to be around.

I haven’t tried the Prestige IG Mid, but have heard great things about it, but I guess Head couldn’t muster enough sales to keep it around. Same goes for my beloved Wilson Blade 93. So the mids are soon no more. A shame.

What strikes me when watching college/junior tennis is that most kids seem to be swinging their oversized and stiff Babolats like there’s no tomorrow. It’s all bashing and dashing. I wonder if their elbows hurt at the end of the day (sorry Babolat, you’re fantastic at marketing, but your racquets are not yet for me or my body).

There are in fact studies on the harshness of the new stiffer racquets and what they might do to our limbs in the end. I read a pdf-report a while ago, but can’t seem to find it again, if I do – I will post it here.

Jeez, time flies when you’re writing about tennis. Got other things to do, but for now I give you my top 5 racquets of all time (from the 30+ sticks I’ve tried):

* Wilson Blade 93 2013
* Head Prestige Mid (Classic, etc)
* Head Prestige IG MP
* Wilson K90
* Wilson Six.One 95 Ncode 18×20

Will try to update this blog a bit more often, time permitting. Comments always help to keep me inspired. Let’s keep each other going during the “off-season”.

PS: Had some fun recently with the Wilson Six-One 95S. (First spin effect frame I’ve played with), but I feel it’s lacking a little control (I’m Mr 18×20) so it’s for sale if anyone wants to have some spin fun. DS.

After some buying, selling and trading I currently have 17 rackets in store, many of them for sale. Here’s a bunch of images and info around these sticks. Don’t hesitate to e-mail me your interest at tennisnerdnetatgmail.com (replace “at” with “@” of course).

Wilson Six.One 95S  

A great stick with the fabled Wilson “Spin Effect Technology”. A great mix of control and spin. Got a 18×16 string pattern and strung with Luxilon 4Gs. High on my list of favourite racquets, but not quite there with my current stick of choice Wilson Blade 93.

Here are the reviews:
Tennis Warehouse
Tennis.com

Specs:

Wilson Blade 93

This could very well be the finest frame I’ve ever held, swung, played. With its 93 inch head size it’s not very forgiving, but for a mid-size racquet I would say it has a pretty decent sweetspot. This racquet does wonders for swinging out on my one-handed backhand and one of the best things about it is that I didn’t need to add any lead tape. The racquet is stable as is and weighs 360 grams after putting a Völkl Leather Grip on it (a thicker grip than Wilson leather or even Head Calfskin). I string it with Völkl Cyclone 17 and it’s a combination made in tennis heaven.

Here are the reviews:
Tennis Warehouse
Tennis.com

Specs:

Head Prestige 600 Tour

One of the “classics”. A version of the famous Prestige 600 classic that has similar feel, but is slightly flexier (RA 58!) with its special suspension grip. A great feeling stick, perfect for people who want to play with touch and some serve/volley. Wouldn’t recommend it to baseline bashers though!

I have two: one used in grip 3 and one brand new in grip 4 (plastic on the grip).

Specs:
Length: 68,6 cm (Standard)
Gripsize: L4 (4 1/2)
Weight: 328 g unstrung and without basic grip
Balance Point: 31,9 cm
Construction: 19 mm straight beam with Graphite/Fiberglass/Twaron
Head Size: 600 cm² (93sq. in.)
String Pattern: 18 Mains / 20 Crosses

Head TGK 237.1 (Microgel Prestige Mid paint job)

A pro stock! (see the above picture for the exact pro stock code – in this case TGK 237.1) What is a pro stock then? It is a racquet with a lighter frame/hairpin that can be customized to a professional player’s specs. You usually put silicon in the handle and lead under the grommets to get the weight up. There can also be differences between a pro stock and a retail racquet in flex.

Happy  to have two of these that I’m playtesting at the moment.

Specs: 358 grams strung
RA: 60
String pattern: 18×20
Head size. 93 sq inch (really 89.5 for Head racquets since they measure differently)

PS. Read the Head pro stock code list here DS.

Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 Tour pro stock

The Dunlop 300 tour series have long been a favourite among control-oriented players. It’s said to be built to mimic the hailed Head’s PT 280/630 and it is truly a nice racquet. The pro stock version of these racquets are flexier in the build-up and allow for customization like silicone in the butt cap and lead under the grommets.

standard length
338g strung with Wilson leather grip
57 RA flex
L3
headsize: 97 sq.in
18/20 pattern

Dunlop Biomimetic 300 Tour pro stock

I also have three of the Dunlop 300 mold pro stocks but in the Biomimetic 300 paint job (very good paint job). It’s very similar except for one or two points stiffer. Again, great sticks that you can find cheaper than the Head PT57As etc.

Head Radical Pro Tour “Candycane” (TT)

The Head Radical Tour MP (twin tube and called “candycane”) is hailed by many as the best of all time in the Radical line-up. I haven’t played all of them, but I know there are players on the tour that still play with these racquets, that’s how good they are. It’s solid, yet comfortable and has a good sweet spot as well. Just a great performer for all styles of tennis. I’m going to think twice about selling the one I have.

Specs:
Head Size: 98 sq. in. / 630 sq. cm.
Length: 27.00 inches / 68.58 cm
Strung Weight: 353 gr
Stiffness: 58
String Pattern: 18 Mains/20 Crosses

Fischer Vaccum Pro Mid

A beautiful stick that was wielded by Michael Stich when he won Wimbledon in 1991 (not this actual racquet though, but the same model) I’ve just strung this up with a German hybrid string (Völkl Psycho) and I’m very keen to test it. Since I have a lot of racquets, it could well be for sale, but it depends on how much I like it. Reading on forums people rave about it, but it could be more of a serve/volley stick and I need something versatile. It’s in pristine condition and comes with the original covers so I think it could be something of a collector’s item.

Specs:

Weight: 330g unstrung
Headsize: 90 sq.
Balance: 309 mm
Beam Width: 19 mm constant
Flex: 61
Pattern: 16×20

Prince Rebel Exo 95

Most tennis fans like Gael Monfils, the energetic French showman who seems to choke a when it comes to major results. Before he moved to Wilson he used to swing this colourful model. Haven’t played with it yet, but I’ve heard many good things about it.

Specs

Head iPrestige mid

This beauty is still in plastic. Derived from the Prestige Classic 600 but with a stiffer layup, the iPrestige mid is supposed to be a very solid mid-size racquet. I have yet to play it myself, but found it in a local guitar shop a while back and am going back and forth between selling it, keeping it as it is or playing with it. But then again, I’m more of a player and enthusiast than a collector.

Völkl Powerbridge 10 mid

A brilliant mid-sized racquet that I played with for a while, but had to concede it to the crisper Wilson Blade 93. Great look, superb feel, and surprising power and forgiveness for a 93-inch frame. Recommended.

Specs:

Length 27 inches 69 centimeters
Head Size 93 square inches 600 square centimeters
Weight 12.1 ounces 343 grams
Balance Point 12.2 inches
31 centimeters 10.4pts Head Light
Construction 19mm Straight Beam
Composition Graphite
String Pattern 16 Mains / 19 Crosses
Babolat RDC Ratings
Score Grade
Flex Rating 59 Range: 0-100
Swing Weight 320 Range: 200-400

If you’re interested in any of these racquets – don’t hesitate to comment or e-mail.

I have the following models for sale at good prices: message if you’re interested.

2x RF97 Autograph. 16×19. Grip 3. Roger Federer’s popular model. SOLD.
3x Wilson Six-One 95 18×20. (2014) Grip 3. TWO LEFT.
3x Wilson Six-One Blx 95 18×20. (2013) Grip 3.SOLD.
Wilson Six-One 95S. 18×16. Grip 2.SOLD.
Prince Exo Rebel 95. 18×20. Grip 3. STILL HERE.
Head Prestige Tour 600. 18×20. Grip 4. Brand new classic! STILL HERE.
Head Prestige Tour 600. 18×20. Grip 3. Used. STILL HERE.

All good sticks looking for a loving home. E-mail tennisnerdnetATgmail.com for more info and pics.

A lot of players choose their racquets based Tennis Warehouse reviews. This is not a stupid idea, since I think their reviews are usually quite spot on, but it’s obviously a good idea to test the racquet yourself before you commit to a particular model. After all, a new tennis racquet isn’t cheap. If you can get a lightly used one, you’re usually better off.

Anyway, a racquet who gets a glowing review like this, certainly deserves a play test.

So now I have two Yonex AI 98 at home, strung with the excellent strings Völkl Cyclone and Yonex Poly Tour Pro (added some lead tape to one of them too).

You can buy Yonex AI 98 or the strings mentioned either at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Express or Racquet Depot.

Will report my findings in a few weeks.

I’ve been playing a lot of racquets lately, which is not a great strategy if you want to focus on your game, because too much attention is given to how the racquet plays and not how YOU play.

Anyway, it is really important if you’re serious about your tennis that the racquet feels good in your hand. I had that feeling, and results to boot, with the beautiful Wilson Blade 93. But something happened that I hadn’t experienced before, wrist pains. My assumption was that it was due to the racquet’s stiffness rating (67) and that that together with the small head size and tight string pattern made me mishit more and therefore put more strain on the wrist.

So I decided to sell my racquets and move on to other pastures. First in line was the most talked about racquet ever (at least hyped in the launch stage) the Wilson Roger Federer Autograph.

I don’t really know what I was thinking to test a racquet weighing around 360 grams strung with a RA (stiffness) value of 68 which was even higher than my beloved Blade, but when you’re a Fed fan curiosity gets the better of you.

How does it play then? Well, if you’re fine with swinging a heavy stick, it’s very nice. The ball pockets nicely, you get decent control (although it’s not as good as the 90-inch pro staff) and there is AMPLE power. It takes time to get used to and you really need to have proper technique and prepare your shots in due time, but once you do it can do amazing things, like hit a lot of serve and forehand winners.

The RF97 has many things going for it, but I ended up having too problems. It felt a bit too powerful and with its high launch angle (16×19 pattern), it felt a bit unpredictable, but this could have been due to tired arms and late preparation. Power can be harnessed by changing strings and increasing tension, but I still didn’t feel a hundred percent at home with it, although it did offer massive spin.

What I should have seen coming was the wrist pain. The RF97 is not as head light as the Blade and even stiffer so it didn’t take long for me to get uncomfortable. Like with the Blade, this was a shame since I really enjoyed the racquet.

If you don’t have any arm problems and don’t mind heavy racquets, I can really recommend it. It’s remarkably solid, has enough power to satisfy most people and does most things really well.

The RF97 told me that I wanted a similar feel in a more head light frame and flexible frame. Luckily I’ve managed to find this in the pro stock frame TGK 231.3 which is a rare 16×19 string pattern Microgel Radical MP (much talked about frame with lots of options for customization). I actually managed to acquire Marin Cilic’s actual frame, which was incredibly lucky and really plays great.

The TGK 231.3 has a RA of 58 and weighs in around 348 grams with silicone in the handle and some lead at 12 o’ clock. It’s solid, powerful, but not so tough on the arm (haven’t experienced any pain yet), so I’m sticking to it for time being.

But you know how it is with tennis racquets…

If you’re interested in a brand new RF97, let me know at tennisnerdnetATgmail.com. 

Maybe the word “review” is not a fair statement when I’ve only played the stick a few hours, but here are my first impressions of the highly reviewed Yonex Ai 98.

First of all, it’s very easy to get used to. It moves briskly through the air and is still remarkably arm-friendly which I don’t find in a similarly playing racquet like the Aero Pro Drive (ouch!). This is obviously key in the modern game where you need massive racquet head speed to create spin on the ball.

Secondly, it’s quite stable for its weight. Some players who prefer players’ sticks in the 360 gram range (like me), might still find it too light, but it’s definitely not unsubstantial or “flimsy” and will give most players a really solid and nice response.

From what I’ve gained so far is that it benefits from a co-poly string, but strung low to get the nice pocketing effect and some extra power. On the other hand, I’ve never enjoy polyesters strung high so maybe that’s just me. (Wait, no it’s not – most people play low tension polys these days!).

It doesn’t offer the same power as an Aero Pro Drive, but definitely more than most player racquets and you can always control the power level by how you string the racquet. It would be interesting to try it with a hybrid setup for example.

What it does offer in comparison to the APD is more control and better feel (highly personal, but I think the higher flex contributes). The APD is more powerful and I think I get more spin with it despite both being 16×19 string patterns, but for my game the Ai 98 is close to as good as it gets. It won’t be my first racquet of choice, but of the ones that have come out in the last few years, it’s in the top three on my list.

So try the Yonex Ai 98, it’s a highly recommended racquet that I think will fit a wide variety of players. Let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Stiff or flexible – don’t break your racquet in rage like Baghdatis does in the pic.

I’ve tested loads of racquet during the years. For review purposes as well as “could this be the Holy Grail?” purposes. I’ve wandered from 90-inch to 100-inch head sizes, from stiff, light and powerful frames like Babolat Aero Pro Drives to flexy, heavy and control-oriented sticks like the 20-year old Head Pro Tour. It’s been a fun, but also frustrating ride. Racquet testing/collecting can become a drug and even though it’s fun also contra-productive to improving your tennis. Which is what’s hopefully at the top of your mind.

Before I started really researching around tennis equipment I had no idea what flexible, stiff or RA ratings meant. I didn’t know what a multifilament string or a co-poly meant for the racquet. I strung all my racquets too high because I thought I couldn’t control the ball otherwise. Now, after many years of testing and playing, I’ve made some learnings around racquets. I will list some of them below, if you disagree – let me know!

* Stiff racquets (high RA rating) can be bad for your elbow/arm/wrist. But this depends on a lot of things – what strings you have in the frame, how solid your technique is, if you’re tired when you play and mishit a lot, the size of the sweetspot of the racquet, etc. etc.

* A “modern” racquet is usually a light, stiff and powerful racquet. The idea is that power and spin makes you feel like a race car or ATP pro player when you hit a good shot. But what it can do is teach you improper technique – aka “arming” the ball, AND give you tennis elbow, tender wrist etc. It doesn’t have to work like that and you’ll find professionals that use relatively light sticks (Nadal for example), but you should be aware of this IF you feel pain.

* A heavy and flexible racquet can be more demanding to play with as you need to put more into your shot. However, it teaches you to hit more with “your body” than your arm and it gives you a feeling of “cupping” the ball (dwell time in the string bed), which to a lot of players is described as “better feel”.

I do worry about a whole generation of young players growing up playing with light and stiff frames. There is a large risk that this will contribute to arm/elbow/wrist problems which might reduce a tennis career quite a bit. Now that most larger manufacturers seems to lean towards these kind of racquets, we need to educate players about the risks of what might seem like a fun ride, but could end up with injury.

So my advice is typically traditional. Play with a flexible frame (lower RA than 65, myself I like even lower than 60) that feels good in your hand, that you can wield for 90 minutes of play without problems but that has the most heft you can handle. Don’t believe the marketing hype about fantastic technologies that will improve your game. The fact is that most ATP professionals use frames that are at least ten years old if not more. It’s the frame they grew up with and they’re obviously not changing such a big part of their life every year. That’s what’s called a paint job.

If you want advice on what model you should buy or demo, don’t hesitate to write your question in the comment field. And last but not least, enjoy your tennis! (Injury free).

I’ve sold almost all my racquets and kept “only” five of them to focus more on my game. It’s simply too difficult to keep switching racquets and still play consistently. So, I’ve decided to have two different racquet setups, just in case the switching bug hits me again.

My main racquet will be the Head TGK 231.3 (Youtek Radical MP paint job and IG Radical MP paint job). I managed to get two that have belonged to Marin Cilic and they fit me almost perfectly. With the 16×19 string pattern you get a little more spin than the 18×20 and the Radical frames are inherently powerful. Something that I’m slowly getting used to, having always been a control frame guy.

Here are a few pics of one of the TGK 231.3.

Mold code TGK 231.3 (Microgel Radical MP with 16×19 string pattern) and player sticker B132801 in the pic.

Great sticks. At the moment they are around 355 grams with silicone and lead in the handle, some lead at 12 o’ clock and a little bit at 3 and 9. Will need to play around some to find the perfect setup but liking this so far. The adjustment I’m considering is going down in weight, because for long sessions the arm might get a little tired.

My second stick of choice is the well-known and now over 20 years old, Head Pro Tour 630, made famous by Thomas Muster, but used by lots of tour players today in different paint jobs. The lighter hairpin version of today is called PT57A and Gilles Simon and Andy Murray are among the top pros using it with their own modifications (amount of lead, silicone, stiffness rating etc). But through a racquet nerd friend of mine, I got a pair of Tommy Haas’ old sticks from 1996. Here are some pics of this beautiful racquet.

They could make beautiful racquets 20 years ago!

For many racquet nerds and collectors, it’s important that the old school Head racquets are “Made in Austria”. Not sure how much this plays in or if the quality is better on a racquet from Austria than one from China or the Czech Republic. But that seems to be what most people want anyway. In general, I prefer the rule of thumb that you should play with what you like and play best with, even if it’s manufactured on the moon.

In the picture below you have Tommy Haas’ initials. Racquet number 5 in his batch. I have nr 4 and 5.

So below is the pile I’m bringing to the courts. Strung mostly with Völkl Cyclone, although I also have one strung with One String Carbon NRG, which is an excellent string.

PS. Following the retro trend my “for-loan” racquet is a Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 Classic. Another awesome oldie-but-goldie racquet! A bit beat-up but plays great. DS.

(Not mine in the pic – great looking paint job by the way).

There is always a desire for more information around your game and something that has popped up recently is tennis racquet sensors – giving you stats about your play on court. Here is a brief overview of what is available right now. I haven’t tested any of these myself, but aim to do it soon.

Zepp has managed to sign up Milos Raonic as an ambassador and quite fittingly so since the brand is lime green and Raonic has been famous for often sporten a similar colour on court. He seems quite nervous in the video material on the home page though, but otherwise it seems like a reasonable choice for $149

Zepp Tennis Sensor
Official website

Reviews:
Tennis.com
Tennis Warehouse

Sony has moved on to the tennis sensor market as well with a product called “Sony Smart Sensor”. It looks rather similar to Zepp (limited room for innovation since the sensor needs to be placed in the handle) but supports far less racquet models (compatible with 2015 racquets from Wilson, Head, Prince and Yonex – see the list for racquet models). Also the price is $199 but the app seems a bit more developed than Zepp and less obtrusive.

Sony Smart Sensor app
Official website

Reviews:
Tennis Warehouse reviews Sony Sensor app (embedded below for your convenience)

Besides Zepp and Sony Smart Sensor there is also the Babolat Play Racquets where the technology is actually integrated in the racquet. Rafa plays with a Aero Pro Drive Play racquet (I’ve seen the blue light blink during his matches) so it must be completely unobtrusive during…well…play.

Official site:
Babolat Play

Reviews:
Babolat Pure Drive Play on Tennis.com
Tennis Warehouse

Summary:

Like I wrote earlier I haven’t tested any of these products yet, but I’m eager too. Just reading about them gives me the feeling that with the video feature, the Sony Smart Sensor might be the most useful for me right now, but I’m obviously hampered by the number of racquet models I can use since I play with a 20-year-old model (Head Pro Tour 630) and for me it wouldn’t make sense to use another racquet just for the purpose of tracking my practice.

As soon as I get my hands on one of these interesting new ways to work on your tennis game, I will get back to you. Meanwhile I hope you find the above information useful.

I’ve been play-testing many racquets lately and had lots of fun with it. However, it gets to a point where your game starts to suffer from all the different setups you’re playing with. And if you’re main point is improving your tennis (it is for me), it’s not a good strategy. The racquet is your tool, but it’s supposed to feel like an extension of your arm, and if you have a foreign object there half of the time, you’re never going to get to the point where you stop worrying about your racquet and focus on your technique.

Just look at Grigor Dimitrov (the picture in previous post tells it all), he’s in a process of changing racquets for some reason (I assume he’s looking for more power than in his previous 93-inch racquet), but it takes quite some time to get used to a new racquet and that shows in his rather mediocre results lately. If I was his coach I would urge him to go back to what he played with before and focus on his main weakness – his mental consistency.

So stop chasing that holy grail and don’t blame your racquets, strings, etc for your results. Find a string/racquet combo you like and put your money into lessons with a good coach and some more time on court instead.

You can thank me later

A few months ago I stopped my racquet search (for the time being, you racquetaholics know exactly what I’m talking about) to go back to a racquet I used to play on and off years ago – the Head Pro Tour 630.

The Pro Tour 630, or PT630, or PT57A as it’s called in its pro stock mold form, was created in 1995 and marketed heavily by Thomas Muster and Gustav Kuerten among others.

It’s a 95 inch control racquet with a distinctive flex (usually measured as an RA rating) and after Muster’s and Guga’s victories, it’s still popular today with players like Murray (16×19) version, Simon, Haas and many more.

The PT630 is very different from the modern sticks of today. It’s heavier in stock form than most racquets (around 325 grams unstrung) and with the way it flexes it isn’t very powerful. Still, it has a unique feel that players can’t get enough of and that’s why many pro’s are not looking to change their racquet – only the paint job.

Head Pro Tour 630 offers an almost unique feel and should appeal to players looking for control and arm-friendly racquets. This is far away from the norm of today’s modern tennis racquets which are usually stiff, light and large (100 inch headsize)

Babolat created the niche of stiff, light and large racquets used by so many young players today and other manufacturers (such as Wilson and Head) have followed suit trying to cram more power into their racquets. However power comes at a price.

Power and speed are things that attract people to tennis so this makes sense from a marketing point-of-view – just compare it to cars – but the problem with powerful and light racquets is that they can contribute to players learning the wrong technique and arming the ball instead of getting the whole body involved in hitting a relaxed, yet powerful shot.

It’s not easy to control all the power in a Babolat Pure Drive for example. You need to make sure you create a good amount of top spin due to racquet head speed to make a racquet like that thrive. Most professional players add silicone to the handle, lead tape to the head and then balance and weigh each of their racquets identically to suit their preferences. You won’t find many professionals playing a retail racquet without any sort of modification or customization.

So a lot of what you see players using on the court is a form of marketing. It’s painting over older models with the paint job of new ones and sell technologies that sound great, but who rarely has actual value when it comes to racquet performance. That’s why I play with a 20-year-old racquet, because I like the weight, the feel, and I think it makes me play better. It is also refreshingly “technology free”.

More to come on tennis racquet technologies…

Got two sets of racquets for sale so if you’re interested – send me an e-mail at tennisnerdnetATgmail.com

First pic is 2 Babolat Aero Storm Tour. Super popular racquet on tour (Troicki, Janowicz, Sock, Bolelli, etc). A more control-oriented Aero Pro Drive that weighs 320 grams unstrung. I have two with new grommets but some wear. Let me know if you’re interested in buying or trading.

I went a bit bananas amassing the fabled Head Pro Tour 630 (Made in Austria). So I have five when in essence I need three. So you can buy two from me in excellent condition. These are collector items and a fantastic stick to play with. Weight around 325 unstrung. Very arm-friendly (even with a polyester string – although it shines with hybrids or all gut) and a fantastic feel. So many players play with this stick (pro stock is called PT57A) Simon, Haas, Murray (16×19) – the list is long.

I’ve written a lot about this subject. Why? Because it’s such a big deal to many players. It has been to me, partly because I’m genuinely interested in tennis technology and partly because it actually does make a difference when you’re a hundred percent confident with what you wield on the tennis court.

There are many things to consider:

• Price (often an issue)
• Weight
• Head size (in sq. inches)
• Stiffness (RA rating)
• Balance (measured in balance points, head heavy or head light)
• Strings (a COMPLETELY different and VAST topic)
• String Tension
• Your own level/game

I’ll tackle them one by one.

1. Price
First of all, price doesn’t necessarily mean quality, but that doesn’t mean you should go out and buy a racquet at Walmart or the local gas station (if they carry racquets). Don’t go for the current marketing hyperbole and instead look for racquets that are either used (if in good condition) or a model one or two years back. You’ll get two for the same price by just going a year or two back and believe me, you won’t lose anything from it.
If you look for used racquets these are the usual suspects: TT Warehouse for sale forums, Stringforum, Ebay, your local used goods online site. Or if you don’t mind paying a little extra (because they care more about the margins): your local tennis club.

2. Weight
The game is moving from heavier and more flexible racquets towards lighter and stiffer. Why? To get faster swing speeds which will equal more spin. What is the issue with this? That stiff and lights usually means arm problems and also that most recreational players can’t really muster the swing speeds of more advanced tennis players. What do you get with a heavier racquet: more help to get the ball across the net since you’ll get a healthy “plow-through” effect and less twisting of the racquet when you hit the ball. That doesn’t mean you should play with a racquet that is the top range in weight – it means you should play with the heaviest racquet you can swing comfortably. Unless you are a kid I wouldn’t suggest playing with a racquet below 300 grams unstrung.

3. Head size
Racquets are getting bigger and bigger. The standard head size these days are around 98-100 square inches. You don’t see a lot of racquet below 95 inches. This is a big shift from only 10-15 years ago when most people were playing 85-90 inch racquets. What do you get with a bigger head size:

Bigger sweet spot – means that even if you hit outside the center of the racquet you will be okay.
More power – the ball catapults from the massive string bed.
Travels slower through air – the smaller the head size the easier it cuts through the air which will help you swing it.

For the average recreational player I would recommend 97-100 square inches. Advanced players can definitely play any size in the spectrum. Myself, I’m comfortable with 95 and don’t appreciate larger head size racquets. But this is personal.

4. Stiffness
Stiffness means that more power is transferred to the ball and the arm instead of the racquet. If you have a flexible racquet, the racquet will pick up more of the vibrations. Lots of racquets on the market are very stiff these days. Because it means more free power and tennis has definitely become more of a power game. The problem with a stiff racquet (RA above 67) is that you can get arm problems. Lots of tennis elbows are created from playing the Wilson Burns and Babolat Pure Drives (good examples) that are so popular in tennis clubs around the world. Not only RA affects how your body will take to a racquet, but I would never recommend a racquet of 70 RA or more. It will play stiff and can potentially be harmful to you in the long run.

5. Balance
The balance of the racquet is important. A head-heavy racquet will be heavier to swing which will influence the swingweight (the weight it takes to swing the racquet) but will increase the power and plowthrough of the ball. A head-light racquet will be easier to swing, but will give the ball a little less impact.

6. Strings
The strings on your recently store-bought racquet are likely shit, if you excuse my French. The selection of string these days is immense. You can have the same racquet and greatly change the playing characteristics by changing two things: strings and string tension. So don’t give up on your racquet too early. Since I don’t intend this to be a book, I will try to give you the basics:

Co-poly strings that are popular today are better for spin and control, but are often stiffer. A stiff string in a stiff racquets will likely create arm issues down the line. What you can try is a thinner co-poly (1.15-1.10 string gauge) because it will play softer. The only issue is that it will break sooner too.

Multifilament strings are softer and more elastic and will give you more comfort and power but less spin and control. For most players a multifilament string is absolutely fine. If you hit with a lot of racquet head speed however, the multifilament is likely too powerful and will send your balls long.

Gut strings back in the “good old days” most players used natural gut. You’ll get a tremendous arm-friendly feel for the ball with natural gut, but the durability and spin is not great and they are quite expensive.

Hybrid a lot of top players are trying to get the best of two worlds by combining a natural gut string with a co-polystring to get decent spin, but still enjoy a comfortable experience.

7. String tension
The tension of your string setup depends on a LOT of things: weather, type of string, if you look for more control or more power, etc etc. A general guideline:

If  you want control – string tighter. If you want power – string looser.

It’s very popular these days to use co-polyester strings and string them loose, around 22-23 kg. That way you still get the ball to “pocket” more into the racquet which will make it more comfortable and give you more “feel”.

If you use a multi-filament – string a bit tighter. Try 24-25 kg. With gut, you can go up to 25-26 kg.

8. Your game
The racquet you chooses obviously depends a lot on your game and your ambitions.

If you’re a fit person with a faster swing speeds, you can definitely try a slightly stiffer and lighter racquet with a large head size (still not below 300 grams unstrung) with a co-polyester or hybrid string setup.

If you’re a person that are into more of a touch/feel game where you vary spins and move to the net, you should look into a slightly heavier racquet with a 95 inch or smaller headsize. 315-320 grams unstrung I think is perfect for that kind of playing style.

Summary
With all this in mind don’t worry too much about the racquet. It’s fun to buy new stuff and a racquet can add some vitamins to your inspiration, but it’s definitely more important to work on your game. However, if you experience pain or really bad performance from the racquet – this is something you should solve to be able to relax around the gear and focus on technique. Some questions that I get:

How many racquets do I need?
I suggest to always carry at least two of the same kind with similar strings and tensions. In case a string breaks, you’ll get a similar performance for other one. If you can get three so that you can give one to the stringer while you’re carrying the other two to the court – even better.

I’m a beginner, should I play with the lightest racquet possible?
No. This can definitely teach you the wrong technique and you’ll start “arming” the ball instead of using your core to get power. Power doesn’t come from the arm – it comes from the entire body and how good your technique is.

Should I go for a racquet that accentuates my strengths or diminishes my weaknesses?
Difficult question to answer. If I take myself as an example, I hit a much better backhand with smaller head-size racquets (85-90 inches), but my bread-and-butter shot – my forehand – is better with a 95-inch racquet. And I need this shot to win more matches – so this is what I’ll use. This means I’ll work on my backhand with a racquet that works best for my forehand.  So get the one that accentuates your strengths and work on the rest with that racquet.

Can you list some good racquets that would fit different player characteristics?
Sure. I’ll try to keep it short.

Advanced
Wilson six-one 95. Any year or model. Very popular racquet on the tour. For advanced or ambitious players.
Head Prestige MP. Any year or model. Great control. Not as powerful as the Six-one 95 but more comfortable.
Prince Tour 95. Any year or model. Great control. Not as powerful as the Six-one 95 but more comfortable.

General characteristic: Medium head-size. 320-330 grams unstrung. Völkl, Dunlop, ProKennex, etc all offer a few great models in this category.

Intermediate
Babolat Aero Pro Drive. One of the most popular models on tour. Great for juniors or players with fast swing speeds. Spin-monster that does most things well.
Wilson Blade 98. Very popular racquet that is a bit more arm-friendly than Aero Pro Drive. Good mix of power and control.
Prince Tour 100. Arm-friendly and spin-friendly.

Beginners
I would actually never buy a beginner racquet (don’t really believe in them) – buy a racquet for intermediate players and work on your game.

Hope this gives you some guidance in the racquet jungle. Any questions – just write your comments below and I will try to answer them when I get a chance.

I have three brand new Wilson Six One 95 in 18×20 string pattern for sale (grip 3 and 4). Ranked 85 points overall in the Tennis Warehouse review, which is one of the best scores for a tennis racquet of all time. A classic racquet (Pro Staff Classic heritage) used in some form by Pospisil, Bautista-Agust, Del Potro, Nieminen, Kohlschreiber and many, many other players.

Available at a great price! E-mail me if you’re interested (replace AT for @): tennisnerdnetATgmail.com

A lot of players choose their racquets based Tennis Warehouse reviews. This is not a stupid idea, since I think their reviews are usually quite spot on, but it’s obviously a good idea to test the racquet yourself before you commit to a particular model. After all, a new tennis racquet isn’t cheap. If you can get a lightly used one, you’re usually better off.

Anyway, a racquet who gets a glowing review like this, certainly deserves a play test.

So now I have two Yonex AI 98 at home, strung with the excellent strings Völkl Cyclone and Yonex Poly Tour Pro (added some lead tape to one of them too).

You can buy Yonex AI 98 or the strings mentioned either at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Express or Racquet Depot.

Will report my findings in a few weeks.

Pre-season tournaments have started with Mubadala World Tennis Champs (pretentious name!) in Abu Dhabi. First match was between Ferrer and Tsonga and ended with a royal beating. Ferrer won 6-1 6-1 (highlights here) and looked supremely confident with what appeared to be a surprising racquet switch – a Babolat Pure Drive Plus (specs might be slightly different than retail) instead of his trusted Prince Exo Tour!

Why is this switch surprising?

1. Ferrer is late in his career, a switch is always dangerous because it might throw him off completely without much time to recoup.
2. A Pure Drive is a FAR stiffer and harsher stick than the perhaps over-buttery Exo Tours that has the O-port system which allows for maximum string movement and an arm-friendly but muted feel. It’s, in short, a BIG change since the feedback is different.
3. I doubt Ferrer’s game will benefit a lot from a more powerful racquet, but here I’m perhaps wrong. Maybe this is exactly what he need to win quicker points?

No matter what, very interesting to see how the Babolat Pure Drive Plus will work for Ferrer in 2016. He sure got off to a good start!

PS. Tsonga had kinesio-tape on his arm, so he’s likely suffering from some kind of injury. DS.

In the pic below Ferrer is holding his Prince, but on the overview of endorsed materials, we find the Babolat Pure Drive Plus.

Roger Federer has ditched his old RF97 Autograph for something larger in time for Brisbane. New season starts tomorrow!

I’ve got more Wilson Blade 98 (2014 green model) than I need, hence I’m selling two of them. Great stick for control that still has a modern feel and generates lots of spin. I can add a leather grip or synthetic grip to it if you want (I generally prefer leather, but it does make the racquet heavier and more head light).

Here is the Tennis Warehouse review which really recommends this stick very highly.

I’d really recommend stringing it with a soft poly string like Solinco Tour Bite Soft or a hybrid poly like Champions Choice or RPM Blast+VS Touch (one of the racquet comes freshly string with this excellent combo).