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Racquet Options
I had a great conversation with a parent wanting to purchase a racquet for a teenager. Selecting anything for a teenager is always risky but something as expensive as a tennis racquet is nerve racking!
Any parent wants to provide the best tools they can and finding a good tennis racquet can be expensive. So, my suggestion was to research and review tennis racquets of “last years” models. These racquets will generally be slightly different cosmetically and may not have the very latest “technology” but if they were good enough to offer last year they should be really OK for this year!
Most brands introduce new models every year and therefore must allow their dealers to sell last years models at really good prices. When this is the case you can buy a top end racquet at a reasonable price.
I believe it is important to get a really great racquet, that may be last years model, rather than purchase an “entry level” racquet that will probably need to be replaced if the player continues to compete.
Check with your local tennis shop to see if they have good deals on “discontinued” models.
If you have any questions about racquets please give me a call or comment here.
What is Important to You?
When you take your tennis racquet in for “service” what do you want to know from the “service provider”?
Do you simply want to say “string this thing at 60 pounds” and leave? Or, do you want to know what tension may be better for your playing style? Or, how about finding out that there is a brand new string that will make you a “better” player?
Maybe a little added swing weight can improve your game, too. How about listening too a brief presentation about “stringing frequency and value”? Do you want to be “automatically” alerted that it has been a specified length of time since your last stringing?
You see, there are many topics that are important to you and me. Over time I will have the answers to all of my questions regarding your preferences and these will be available in my RacquetRecord software. But, what if we could establish those preferences like we do when we use a new version of software? One of the first things we do in software is set our “preferences” then we rarely mess with them.
Just like with software, there are advances being made every day in the realm of tennis racquets and tennis racquet string.
This is the conundrum! How much information is enough but not too much! How much do you want to know? This is a serious question and I appreciate answers, please.
I will continue to write about things I think are important so when you come to, or send your racquets to, Racquet Quest, LLC, or any other racquet service provider, you will be prepared with your “preferences”. I want to take as much time as you feel is necessary to get the result you are expecting. You simply must let me know how much time that is, because, I can talk about tennis racquets and string for a long time!
Shape…what do you like?
We all like great shapes especially when it comes to ourselves! But what about the shape of your tennis racquet string?
With the increased availability of “shaped” polyester based string you need to know what, if any, advantages or disadvantages to expect. String shapes range from round to octagonal, and come in several gauges, or thicknesses, and twist angles.
Shaped and Twisted Polyester based string.
This is an image of a shaped and twisted polyester based string. The distance between the “shiny” is about .300 inches so that is about 3.3 twists per inch. The finished stringing should reflect about the same twist rate.
Most of the shaped strings we are talking about are easily produced polyester based that is simply extruded from a high temperature molten state to a cooled and finished string. It is easy to extrude this material in almost any shape, and sell it for almost any price! Make no mistake, some polyester based strings are very complex so the price you pay should be based on the complexity, and therefore, performance both proven and claimed.
What does the shape you select actual do? In the simplest terms the shape is intended to “bite” into the ball therefore creating more spin. As far as I know there is no comprehensive study that concludes that, under many circumstances, will a shape produce more spin. The movement of the polyester based string, even round, can influence spin. It seems, intuitively, that the very sharp edges would, in fact, bite into the ball. But, the sharp edges are soon gone due to the stretching during stringing and the “buffing” of the ball hitting.
Having said all of that, if you believe the string is creating more spin for you then absolutely use it.
Installing shaped string, especially twisted shapes, requires a different process to prevent the string from simply twisting itself into a non-performing condition. To install a radically shaped string it is my practice to make sure the string does not twist. This process takes longer but produces a much better, and, consistent result.
If you are using a shaped string take a look at some of the cross strings (the short ones) and see if they are tightly twisted or, hopefully, show a consistent straight condition.
So, when getting into shape do it the right way!
Should Tennis be Quiet…Part Deux
Last January I wrote “Should Tennis be Quiet?” That post elicited several responses and the overwhelming were “please stop the grunting/screaming!”
Now it is about six (6) months later and we have proof that you don’t need to grunt/scream to win a match. That proof came from Ms. Cilbukova with her win over Azerenska at the French Open. I hear that the WTA says it would required the grunters/screamers to learn how to play tennis all over again! The WTA does suggest, however, that newer players should be trained without the excessive noises.
What do you think?
Racquet Quest, LLC
