Are You Playing With the Wrong Tennis Racquet? | My Recommendations for the Rec Level
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Are you playing with the wrong tennis racquet? In today’s video, I recommend which racquets you should be using at the recreational level.
0:00 Graphite Racquets
3:30 Two Types of Players
9:44 Recommendations
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talking straight facts. i like that a lot. 🙂
This video helped me realise it’s true, I have been playing with the wrong raquet. I’ve been playing with my buddy John’s raquet for over a year now and he’s been playing with mine! 🤷♂️
| Gewicht (Gramm) | Balance (mm) |
|—————–|————–|
| 260 | 340 |
| 265 | 337,9 |
| 270 | 335,7 |
| 275 | 333,6 |
| 280 | 331,4 |
| 285 | 329,3 |
| 290 | 327,1 |
| 295 | 325 |
| 300 | 322,9 |
| 305 | 320,7 |
| 310 | 318,6 |
| 315 | 316,4 |
| 320 | 314,3 |
| 325 | 312,1 |
| 330 | 310 |
Vielleicht sollte dieses Gleichgewicht gegenüber dem Gewicht der Rakete gewahrt bleiben. Vielleicht sollten die Saiten etwas anders sein!? Polyester mit einer Dicke von 1,15 – 1,20 Millimetern. Macht ein solides Monofilament in der Taille nicht überflüssig, dass der Rahmen mehr als 98–100 Zoll groß sein muss? Eine Frage von Labortests und auf dem Platz. Gehen Sie mit ihren Kameras und Statistiken voran und machen Sie vielleicht Fortschritte bei der Optimierung.
I guess I am the type that can play with any racquet unless the weight is too much or too light. This is recreational play. It only takes a bit of adjustment to get used to a racquet.
The best racket I ever played with was undoubtedly the Head Liquid metal instinct.. Great solidarity and manoeuvrability !
I have been a 4.5 (College) & a 4.0 player for the last 40 years and played the Head Pro and other similar heavier 90-inch heads. I tried changing to a 98 & dropped down to a lighter 310 weight (Head Extreme Pro & a FibreTech DC315 – 21mm beam head-light) after I turned 55 some 7 years ago. I have been missing the "pocket" I used to have with ground strokes and the solid feel on my volleys so am considering moving back to a heavier 330-335 weighted thicker beam. Thanks for the video but not certain it gave me any guidance in this particular search. May just have to go to the pro shop and pick up 5-to-10 rackets to play with 2 or 3 times to weed out what might work best for me at the ripe old age of 61. I am playing in a 7.5 combo league so will have some competitive rounds to play and would like to get that old feel back from when I was a stronger player.
this applies to cyclist too, 😅..with an expensive bikes carbon etc..
I strongly disagree with his theory. The play style and the racquet compliment each other. If your theory is right, Roger doesn’t have to create his own specs. Maybe a very small percentage of players could be insensitive to properties of a racquet and string, and tension. But majority of players choose a racquet that suits them or adapt to a racquet by practicing longer. If your theory is really right, no one would have to play test or demo the racquets before buying one. This advice could only apply for very negligible amount of players, and cannot be normalized. Just my thoughts.
Is there any scientific proof for old rackets actually losing stiffness? In my understanding of physics and mechanical engineering (which I studied), there shouldn’t be any difference between a 1 and a 100 year old racket. A 100 year old metal plate – that hasn’t oxidized – will have the exact same properties as a 1 year old. Same should apply to graphite frames. I can’t see how they would lose stiffness over years.
There are no bad rackets, only bad players =)
As a guy beginning tennis, who is an advid golfer and likes to tinker with clubs, you explained this well. Thank you
What do you think about extended racquets?
I am a beginner but found a used pro staff wilson for a good price and bought it. but its 315grams? can i still play with it?
I have been Yonex E Zone 100, 300 gram for almost a decade now.
Dropped a grip size eventually as I found my wrist inhibited.
Tried a few strings, stiffer ones set my elbow off, found one I liked and now I have my combination for a few years, hopefully 2-3 years.
I know my weight, I like thicker tapered beams.
Yeah but no. Try to pick up a pro raquet as an intermediate/beginner and swing it through the air. Maybe try to hit with top spin and then you tell me. Spoiler you won’t be able to spin because they are so heavy that without perfect technique you won’t be able to generate any racquet head speed…
You should not recommend racquets to other ppl. Your picks are to light racquets that can hurt ppl and cause by some injuries. Please inform ppl before they follow you in here.
Ok what if I’am playing with Wilson pro staff RF97 340g
I like how he gets into the pyschology of it all, talking about tennis personalities
These two are quite similar rackets.
When I was playing a lot in high school I could feel the differences in rackets but it wasn’t enough to bother me much. The exception was grip size. If the grip size was off that would bother me. The grip size is crucial for me for how the racket feels, the rest of it I can usually adjust to.
Excellent advice and very very true for me. The weight recommendations at 9:44, are they STRUNG or UNSTRUNG weights? In your earlier video you would mention unstrung.
Are you referring to strung or unstrung weights please?
Glad to hear that a different racquet wouldn’t hurt your game. Del Purcell popped the strings on all of his Head Professionals when he played in the finals of the Cape Open. He asked the crowd if anybody had a Head Professional he could use and I loaned him mine. He lost the final and I blamed myself for that.
For an all court game for a player that hits more flat and fast (Sampras , steffi graff type forehand ) what crisp (not plush ) racquet would you recommend . ?
for me the most important thing is the sound they make when they hit the ball
Grip size test: 14:01
Do you have a suggestion on the best way to increase grip size, if my hands are too large for a 7 5/8? I have used heat shrink sleeves but was wondering if there was a better way.
actually, i dont care what kind of raquette while playing for sure i prefer my own raquette but its not mandatory to play with specific kind its not huge deal for me
There is no good compendium of racquet characteristics, only sales pitches.
My String Recommendations 👉 https://youtu.be/3CyNgcHE_uo
What do you think of plus size, I see you play the extended could you do a video on this concept. People say it’s not as maneuverable and volleys take a hit.
Hahah amazing u popped 5 strings and won the match! Nice work man !! Btw have u tried the babolat Evo drive? Ur thoughts?
Great video! Last weekend, I picked up a racket for the first time in over 20 years and have been watching your channel. Athletes are superstitious in general, regardless of the sport. Everything needs to be perfect and as-is to repeat past successes. Very much mental I believe.
is this the strung or unstrung weight?
String pattern can be very tight too (16/19s are not all the same and can make a big difference) – advice is mostly "too high" in shops–>standard market is pushed to a too high level of rackets due to habits and good players are selling rackets like if it was for them (also due to higher price and margin for the shops for heavier rackets): e.g: blade 98; 300g rackets; 100 inches rackets, flexible low-powered rackets…
head size is important if you miss sweet spot frequently – indeed generally rackets are too heavy and too small (head size) for many players – the question is also not to consider oneself intermediate level too quickly and thus stay within 250-270g longer
Are these weight for racket that strung or unstrung?
I have been using the Roddick Pure Drive (337g) for 10 years which I picked up when living in FL playing everyday.. I moved to SC a few years ago and I am just getting back into tennis be it much older now @55 …Trying to decide on a new racket similar in scale …5’11 185 Any suggestions or recommendations?
hi Nikola, thanks for this video!
Question: Do the tennis racket weight recommendations include the string, damper and overgrip? From my experience they can altogether add a whole ounce or 30+ grams or more to the total weight.
If gear didn’t matter then Rafa wouldn’t use his same racquet spec from like 2002
Well I am 64 now and i played my best tennis with Blades 2015 v5 & then V6 CV. That was over ten years ago! I found them to be quite high in SW, as I got older late 50s I found i couldn’t handle them anymore over 3 sets! I play singles and doubles (I also played with Prince TT 100p ) Then I tried all sorts of rackets (all court player) Since I have had surgery on my shoulders and right Elbow (tennis) couldn’t find the right combo of control power and comfort! I felt open string patterns on some not suiting my flat game, I tried an Angell react 0.25" extra length, I found this at 305g strung a great racket! 18×19 21mm beam, however found that it was just under 300 SW unstrung RA60! Now whilst I could really hit great hard serves and ground strokes, i found it tiring and I am now suffer a little with my wrist and shoulder! Prior to this i was using Prokennex Ki 5 295g 290SW unstrung RA64 (strung) 100" 22mm beam tight 16×20. This is heavier, however its less tiring! Not quite as powerful but control was just as good as the Angell 99" So for the moment will go back to this! I also tried the speed mpl with lead to bring it to 301g strung with overgrip, found it hard to control with flat shots! So now thinking either Prokennex Q5+ 280g unstrung or the Ki 5 270g both have the same SW both 16×20 however the Ki 5 is 1HH unstrung aprox 4 HH strung both SW 315 strung. The 270 will allow me to modify the weight if I think its too light! Another one I am considering is the Prince 290g tour! Although this is 16×18 I did dome this a month ago and was impressed! Didn’t think it would suit my style, the only thing was i did spray the odd flat shot! Not many but enough to leave a little doubt in my mind! In general though thought it was a good racket that would suit a lot of styles!
completly agree with explan,
This is 3 years old video, but very nice thx for the info. I am a man, not very strong, I am 38 years old and I have returned to playing tennis after 20 years. I’m between an Evo aero (or second-hand pure aero) and a Pure drive Team. What do you think?
Man … when I was young in the late 70s and early early 80s, when we used woods, we’d always differentiate ourselves into players who used "flexible" wood rackets versus "stiff" wood rackets. It was like are you a Bloods or a Crips? 😂 Example: Tracy Austin’s or Vitas’ wood Wilson Jack Kramer "Advantage" was a "stiff", while McEnroe’s wood Wilson Jack Kramer "Pro Staff" was a "flexible". McEnroe then switched i think in 1981 to the classic wood Dunlop Maxply Fort which I think was a flexible but more stiff than the wood Kramer Pro Staff — Mac had Dunlop add a graphite overlay onto the wood Maxply racket around 1982 to stiffen it, before switching to the 100% graphite you showed. If I remember correctly, the Dunlop graphite racket still had a flexible feel to it , I think because it was graphite layered over an aluminum core (I could be wrong), so not really 100% graphite like the old old school black Prince Graphite or Wilson Ultra PWS. BTW: I believe in the early 80s Mel Purcell used the 100% graphite Wilson Ultra PWS back in the day, which I vaguely recall in conjuring in my mind old images from Tennis Magazine. 😂
My point: I dont hear people talking these days like we used to back in the olden time 😂 "Oh, man, no way I can play with THAT racket. I use ‘flexible’ rackets, not ‘stiff’ ones." Instead, I think people use of rackets is relatively interchangeable because everyone today uses a variation of a "stiff" racket.
This is strung weight for rec players riggt?
Wow. I was using a 333g Wilson nCode six-one as a skinny high school kid🤐 I had a big serve but the rest of my game suffered. Now it’s clear that thing was way too heavy…thanks coach!
sensitivity matters alot, , if you don’t notice subtleties , you are cruder
I kind of agree and appreciate the underlying intent of your summary, but not wholeheartedly with your generalization. I came back to tennis in 2017 after nearly 25 years not having played. My last racquet was a Wilson Robertson that I loved back in the 90s. My return to tennis was with a Head Radical, didn’t like it, and started a roller coaster of buying about 20 different racquets, from Wilson, Dunlop, Yonex, Babolat, Mantis, Prince. I discovered that I preferred thin beams, hence the Dunlop, Prince and Mantis were ones I favoured, I hated the Wilson Burn and BLX, but wanted to love my Camo Burn. I also prefer a 95 or 98 over 100sq in.
So in general, my experience with your claim that all racquets are basically the same, did not hold true for my experience. I will admit part of my seeking new racquets, was not wanting what everyone else has, Prince was not common at my club, Mantis was an unknown and Dunlop was seen as the cheap beginners brand , but I truly believe I played better with those. I’ve now settled on a CX200 V2.
I learnt after about 2 years that total weight, string plus overgrip between 325 and 330g is my sweet spot. I loved my my mantis 295g for its maneuverability, but its weight was a problem for heavier balls.
Strings were the hard part to work out, and are what, for me personally, makes the biggest difference in feel. I went through many, and have friends that can’t tell the difference in worn or new, low tension or high tension, poly or hybrid or synth. I can do, and am quite sensitive to it, and having moved to a colder climate recently also notice string tension affecting my game on cold winter nights, like sub 10c. So I have settled on a couple of strings now too, and always have both racquets strung different, especially in winter when the black widow doesn’t play well in the cold, but the MSV hex does.
Its taken a good 7-8 years to learn, with several thousand $$$ spent find that out.
Thanks for sharing. Is the weight recommendation mentioned in the video for use with string or without string?
I remember when I first started playing tennis I used a Maxply racket that I see were 395g rackets. Years ago in the 1980s I started playing again as an adult and I think my racket was a Wilson with a huge head area. I really did not like this racket very much. Now I am in my 60s and want to play again. Racket technology has again changed tremendously. I will demo some rackets such as the Wilson Clash 100 and perhaps Yonex Ezone. I know that these rackets are heavier around 313g than you recommend but swinging them in the shop they seemed comfortable to me. I guess hitting with them will be more important. Thanks for your tips. I used to be an intermediate player now I am much older, it will be interesting. I never had any discomfort playing with any of my rackets. New subscriber.