5 posts categorized "April 2010"
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisors will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
I'm thinking of buying a new racquet and I’m sure a lot of them are bought because pros endorse them. But do they really play with the racquets they endorse or do they just paint over their old ones?
—Kevin
 Do they or don’t they? That’s been the No. 1 gear chat board debate ever since Steffi switched from Dunlop to Wilson. Sure, some pros probably have disguised their old racquets with their new endorsers’ cosmetics in the past, and some probably still do today. But it would be a real deal-breaker to tell us, don’t you think? The only exception I know of came from a first-hand encounter I had once with Thomas Muster (right). He was in the middle of posting an amazing 111-5 record on clay when, sometime in 1995 or 1996, he suddenly switched racquets from a Head to a Kneissl. When I asked him why he was messing with success, he just smiled and held up his new namesake, the Kneissl “Tom’s Machine,” and said with amazing candor: “Old racquet, new paint job.”
But the more important question is why should we care what the pros use? Their racquets are usually so highly customized and beefed up it would require most recreational players to use a two-handed forehand to get them around. The best way to pick a stick is to do your homework—read the reviews, talk to your teaching pro and playtest at least a half dozen of various head sizes, weights and balances.
I’ve found that my Head MG Prestige Midplus just doesn’t produce the spin of my old racquet, the Wilson K 6.1 Tour. Can you recommend a string to help me get the max spin on my lovely MG?
—Lewis
The reason you’ve lost some spin is most likely because you’ve gone from an open (16x19) with the K 6.1 to a closed (18/20) string pattern with the MG (MicroGel). To get some of that back, try the Babolat RPM Blast co-polyester string, which just hit the stores this month. Our tests show they take spins to a new dizzying level. RPM Blast strings have an octagon shape, which bites the ball like a pit bull, creating maximum loop on topspin forehands and backhands. Another benefit of RPM is it’s the easiest on the arm we’ve seen yet in an otherwise harsh field of co-polyesters.
My 7-year-old daughter has played for two years with a junior racquet and we’re wondering if it’s time to move her up to an adult racquet. She didn’t like any she’s demoed, with the exception of the Babolat Drive Z Lite. But we’re not sure if we should get it for her. Can you suggest us some light mid-size alternatives without breaking the bank?
—Nenad
The Drive Z Lite is a great racquet for smaller intermediate players, but we think a 7-year-old would be better off sticking with junior racquets unless she’s as strong as a 12-year-old with solid stroke mechanics.
“I teach a lot of accomplished 8- and 9-year-olds, and none are ready for an adult stick,” says Bruce Levine, TENNIS.com racquet advisor. His advice is to observe her with the Drive Z and see if she’s hitting a little late or without much power. If so, have her try one of the premium junior racquets. Babolat makes the Aero Pro Drive Jr. that has the same 100-square-inch hitting area as the Drive Z, but its stationary weight is an ounce lighter and, more importantly, its swingweight is much less, largely because it is shorter in length (26 inches) than an adult racquet. It also has the GT technology for comfort and control which Babolat puts into its adult premium frames. It won’t break the bank either—it’s about $50 cheaper than the Z.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisors will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 I've been playing with a Wilson n5 for four years. I’ve been told it has exceeded its life expectancy, and that I would see a major change in my game if I played with a new racquet from the new Wilson BLX series. Your thoughts?
—Jean
We think Wilson devotees should give BLX a playtest whirl because of the technology: basalt (volcanic ash) fibers woven into the frames significantly improve stability and comfort without sacrificing the touch that characterize Wilson player frames. While Wilson doesn’t make a BLX version of the n5 (like it does with its Six.One player line), the BLX Khamsin Five should feel familiar to you, because it has a similar weight, balance and length with your current racquet. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Bill, I’m looking for more toe and forefoot room in my shoes. Where should I be focusing my search?
—Waimon
There’s nothing worse than being distracted by your too-tight shoes during a tight match. Start with the New Balance CT 1004s, which come in wide (2-E) and extra wide (4-E) sizes. It’s a lightweight shoe (13.8 ounces for a size 9) with good ventilation, which you’ll really appreciate when you heat up the hardcourts this summer. While you’re at the store, TENNIS.com shoe advisor Dr. David Sharnoff thinks you should also try on the K-Swiss Defier DS and the Head Speed Pro. But you should avoid Adidas, because all of its shoes run a little too narrow for a wide foot.
How and why did racquets evolve from having the single solid piece throat to the open throat design?
—Marc
Racquet designers experimented with the open throat in the clunky wood racquets of 1930s, but Head really nailed it in 1978 with its “Vilas” composite racquet, which proved to be a genuine game-changer. All racquets today have the roughly triangular open throat that branches out into a “Y” shape from the shaft to the head. It provides torsional stability, which makes the racquet less likely to twist on off center hits.
Prince briefly brought back the single solid-piece throat, calling it the “mono shaft,” in 1994. Jimmy Connors endorsed that heavyweight stick, but it took somebody with Connors’ ability to find the racquet’s sweet spot and keep it from twisting. The Connors mono did, however, pave the way for two other Prince models, as its designers used the mono concept to improve aerodynamic maneuverability and compensate for the extra swingweight of its 29-inch Longbodies, the Mach 1000 and Ripstick. When racquet lengths came down, Prince went back to the open-throat design on all of its models.
Do racquets wear out at a microscopic or non-visual level? I can feel when tired old skis lose their spring, but I don’t know a similar measure for racquets. What do you think?
—Dennis
Unfortunately, there’s no battery-light indicator on a racquet. But there is a subtle way to tell when it has worn out, says TENNIS.com racquet advisor Bruce Levine. If you get your stick restrung but can’t feel any improvement whatsoever in playability, then it’s time to seriously consider sending Ol’ Faithful to its final resting place.
I play four times a week—three times on hardcourts and one on clay—and use a Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 5.0 with Prince Pro-blend strings. I'm basically a counter-puncher. Nothing is better for me than playing a hard-hitter; the worst is a pusher on clay. I need a little bit more power when I play this one particular opponent on clay because his ball just sits up, so I can’t use his pace. Would it be useful to use a different tension or even a different racquet when I play him? Otherwise, I do well against him on hard courts.
—Jorge
Wow, you must really hate losing to this guy to be thinking about making a drastic gear change. But if you want to add some more punch without sacrificing control, you might swap out the Pro Blend, which has deader-than-a-doornail Kevlar in the main strings, for a slightly more resilient co-polyester in the mains with nylon crosses. We assume you don’t have any injury issues, given your arm has been weathering the Kevlar, which is as harsh as you can go—even harsher than co-polyester. Let us know how you make out.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisors will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
Are there any racquets out there that are illegal for use in USTA League play? I recently saw a man on court with a racquet with a head size that appeared to be half as big as he was. I found out that it was called a “Weed” racquet and wonder how big a racquet could be and still be legal.
—Elaine Kenzie
Great question, Elaine, because it touches on the longest-running controversy in tennis, one that predates Jennifer Capriati teenage meltdowns, John McEnroe you’re-the-pits-of-the-world rants and anti-doping programs.
It goes back to 1975, when Prince unleashed the oversized racquet that launched the debate over whether racquet technology is ruining the game.
At the center of every storm has been the International Tennis Federation, the governing body of the game, responsible for determining what gear is legal and what is “non-conforming” for organized play, including USTA Leagues.
We’re happy to report that after looking into it, there are no illegal racquets being manufactured today, at least by the dozen or so reputable brands. Even the Weed you mentioned is legal, even though its humongous 135-square-inch face is about 25 percent larger than today’s norm.
Actually, the Weed is well under the limit imposed by the ITF rule. Head sizes could legally be stretched all the way up to 178 square inches, about the size of a baby elephant’s head. To achieve a racquet head that size, all the main strings would have to measure 15.5 inches and the entire set of cross strings would have to be 11.5 inches. The result would make it in the shape of a perfect rectangle, like the late Bo Diddley’s “mean machine” electric guitar on steroids.
Another problem is the ITF could ban such a racquet after a company has spent big bucks in r&d, production and marketing, because the sport’s governing body doesn’t investigate suspect racquets until after they’re in the marketplace. Dennis O’Reilly, owner of the small Columbus, Ohio, company that makes the Weed, says he’s made prototypes of models with up to 150-square-inch hitting areas, “but I’m afraid to put them out there for fear the ITF could change the rules on head size and knock me out of business.”
Some companies take that risk and pass ITF scrutiny. Two notable survivors: the weird two-sided Blackburne racquet, which has a separate stringbed for the forehand and backhand, and the “Natural,” a two-handled racquet that looks like a divining rod. Both are legal.
But others have been sent to their graves. Here’s a short history of frames the ITF has banned since it put its rules for equipment into words in 1978:
1978, the Werner Fischer racquet: The Werner Fischer had three planes of non-intersecting strings with only five or six cross strings on top, that looked like a plate of spaghetti. The combination produced so much spin on the ball, it would’ve been easier to hit a Frisbee than a ball off the Werner Fischer. The ITF banned "the spaghetti racquet" a year after it was introduced.
1982, the Dynaspot Movable Mass Racquet: The inside of the hoop contained a free flowing liquid that would change the weight distribution during the playing of a point. It could, for instance, go from a head light to a head heavy balance in mid-swing. Interestingly, the 1995 the Pro Kennex “Kinetic” used a similar technology, but used bb pellets instead of fluid. It was determined to be legal.
1997, the Head TI S7: Its longest main strings exceeded the ITF’s mandated cap of 15.5 inches.
2000: The Big Bubba and the Dunlop Max Superlong +2.25: During the long racquet craze of the late 1990s, the Dunlop Superlong pushed extended length racquets to 29¼ inches. Gamma pushed even further to the then ITF-mandated cap of 32 inches. But the pair of Frankensticks scared the ITF bosses who feared they would be so powerful they’d reduce the game to a boring fast-serving and quick-kill-shot contest. “We don’t want all the tennis players at the club serving like [Mark] Philippousis with nobody being able to return the ball,” said ITF President Brian Robin, referring to the Scud’s blazing service missiles. “We believe [we] are correct, but we’re not able to prove [it].” The ITF decided to reduce maximum length to 29 inches, effective 1997 for league players and effective 2000 for pros. (Dunlop dropped the Max Superlong, but Gamma reconfigured the Bubba to keep it in line with the rule change.)
But the ITF’s lack of any hard evidence that the Superlong is unfairly powerful led TENNIS back in 1997 to do its own speed-gun test, arming the Scud with the Max Superlong outlaw and his regular standard 27-inch racquet. The top speed was the same – 127 mph – but Philippousis’ accuracy went up with the Superlong, from 52 percent to 80 percent. Test results with recreational players were similar. Our conclusion: Longer racquets improve serving accuracy, which could alleviate the most boring moments in tennis – the wasted time between first and second serves.
We felt the ITF’s “racquets make the server” claim trivialized the dedication of players like Philippoussis and the years of practice it took him to acquire his scud serve.
A lot readers agreed with us. But not the ITF. The 29-inch rule still stands.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisors will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 Do dampeners really protect arms and elbows, and do string savers actually prolong string life?
—Mike
No to the first, and yes to the second part of your question, Mike. The great dampener debate has been going on since the legendary Rene Lacoste first wedged the little plastic (or rubber) device between the strings at the base of the frame 50 years ago. Our view, which is supported by a recent study by the University of Birmingham in the U.K., is that they don’t reduce racquet-frame vibration to the forearm. But we like them for their acoustic merit—inserting them changes the sound of the ball hitting the strings, a little like the difference between a shrill power chord on an electric guitar and the soft resonance of a 12-string Martin. They also make nifty lucky charms.
On the other hand, our experts give a big S.O.S. (Save Our Strings) thumbs-up to string savers (a.k.a., string holders or string-a-lings) inserted around a racquet’s sweet spot. They’re a viable life extender, especially if you use pricey and highly breakable gut. Bob Patterson of Racquetmaxx.com tells us they definitely reduce friction of the main and cross strings that takes place while the ball dances on the string bed.
Roger Federer uses string savers in his hybrid combo of gut and co-polyester, but the poster boy for the device is Pete Sampras, who incessantly fiddled with his gut strings between points. The rationale was that gut plays best the closer it gets to breaking, says his personal stringer, Nate Ferguson—it becomes grittier after it sheds its protective coating and bites the ball better, producing more spin. The string savers let Sampras prolong that optimum feel.
If you want to try string savers, you may have a tough time finding them at your local pro shop, which is in the business of selling string, not preserving it. But they can be found online—Babolat, Gamma, Power Key and Unique produce them—for under $7. They look like a Pez dispenser, acts like a stapler, and are easy to use. Click here for a demonstration.
I’m a recreational player from Bogotá, Colombia, a city 8,530 feet above sea level. I recently played in San Antonio (772 feet above sea level) and my racquet felt dead—no power. Did the lower altitude change my string tension?
—Carlos Narvaez
The only way your string tension would have been affected is if you had your racquet stowed in the non-pressurized cargo area of the plane on the trip to San Antonio. That would certainly knock the tension out of whack. But a dramatic altitude change (from high to low, or low to high) doesn’t affect strings. However, it does play havoc with the ball. The thinner air you have back home produces less ball resistance, so it bounces higher and flies farther, even if you use lower-compression, high-altitude balls. It appears to have helped your countryman, Alejandro Falla, whenever he heads home—five of his eight tournament wins came in Colombia.
I'm a beginner thinking about buying either a Babolat Pure Drive Roddick or Rafael Nadal's AeroPro Drive GT. Which one should I choose?
—Ronnie
You might be biting off a bit too much by using your favorite players’ sticks, Ronnie. Both the Roddick and Rafa racquets would be cumbersome for you to handle until you get your strokes grooved. But the good news is that Babolat makes light versions of both frames that are much more maneuverable and will help you get around the ball easier, as you develop control. Try the Babolat Pure Drive Lite GT and the Babolat AeroPro Lite GT—same cosmetic combos of the player sticks, but a lot friendlier for the beginner.
I’m at the end of my rope. I’m a 62-year-old 4.0 player. After my instructor talked me out of my Prince Speedport Black, I started developing elbow problems. I am slowly working through therapy, but I need—not want—a really arm-friendly racquet. Can you help?
—Ken
We don’t know why your teacher suggested switching from the Speedport Black, because it’s one of the arm-friendliest racquets on the market. It has “ports” (super large grommet holes) that allow the strings to move more freely on impact, which delivers a soft, damp feel. TENNIS racquet advisor Bruce Levine suggests you either go back to it, or try its updated version, the Prince EX03 Black. You probably should also string with gut at a low tension and upsize your grip a little. Both are good for your arm and elbow.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisors will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 My Wilson nTour 95 has a gigantic 5 3/8-inch grip, made with two black heat-shrink sleeves, plus several layers of masking tape on the handle. The problem is that these added components upped the weight of the racquet from 10.6 oz to 12.3, and the balance changed from dead even to a full inch head light. Is there a “lighter” way to build up grip size?
—Gus
The “Shrek”-size grip pretty much went out with Pancho Gonzalez and the stiff-wrist, wood racquet era. Grip sizes have been tumbling ever since to today’s average, which is 4 3/8 for men and 4 ¼ for women, which helps produce more topspin in today’s open-stance, wristy game. But you obviously don’t want to get on that bus, Gus, and it’s probably because you’ve got a real set of “man hands.” So we turned over your question to Nate Ferguson, who customizes top pros’ racquets. Ironically, when we called Nate, he had just gotten off the phone with a client, Ivo Karlovic, who had Nate build him a 5 3/8 grip a few years ago.
Here’s what Nate had to say about your dilemma:
“An extra-large handle needs extra material, and to keep the weight down is quite difficult, if not impossible, as Gus has discovered. There is one exception to the rule, and that is to have a mold made—it would cost him about $500 to make a mold, and $150 per racquet for complete customizing. The only other way would be for to tear apart the entire existing handle, try to dig out any lead weight buried beneath it, and re-make another handle from scratch. Although I can make it to the desired size easily, the net- weight gain depends on the amount of weight I can remove prior to building the new handle.”
Nate doesn’t usually customize racquets unless your name is Federer, Djokovic or Murray. But if your big bank account is as big as your hands, you can contact him via his web site, http://p1tennis.com/contact.
I had shoulder surgery last May and have just started hitting again. What’s the best string for my recovering arm?
—Manuel
Assuming you’ve got your doctor’s blessing to return to the court, you should definitely use gut. It’s expensive and breakable, but your all-encompassing concern is to protect that shoulder. Also have it strung in the lower tension range for even more padding.
I have been using the Luxilon Big Banger string for the last year now and absolutely love it. Recently, I switched frames from the Wilson nSix-One 95 to the heavier Six.One BLX Six-One Tour. Lately, I have been having elbow pain and I've been warned that Luxilon increases the risk. Do you think it’s the strings or the heavier racquet?
—Eric
Since the Lux didn’t bother you before you switched frames, our advice is to take a hard look at the new racquet. Even though the BLX is more dampened and withstands more shock on ball contact, your elbow problems could be from dragging the extra weight around, causing you to swing late. The Six.One also has less inherent power, so you may be stressing your arm by swinging harder. In short, you might consider retrieving Ol’ Faithful—the nSix-One 95—out of the hall closet.
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