4 posts categorized "July 2010"
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisers will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 I've always been happy playing with Penn Championship tennis balls, but I just joined a tennis club that has Har-Tru courts and several players refuse to use anything but Wilson U.S. Open balls, regular duty for clay, of course. Is there a noticeable difference in ball performance between the two brands? We’re all 3.5–4.0 players.—Mike
The Penn vs. Wilson tennis ball debate rages on, and anyone who wants to weigh in, go ahead and comment below. I’ll start by pointing out that Mike’s not making a fair comparison since the Championships are Penn’s second-tier offering and the U.S. Opens are Wilson’s top-drawer performer. The real opponent should be the ProPenn premium ball because it’s made with better rubber and felt than the Championship, which means it will retain its bounce longer and won’t fluff up in the middle of the second set.
To be perfectly honest, I’m a 3.5–4.0 player like the guys in Mike’s group, and I can’t tell the difference between a ProPenn and Wilson U.S. Open—or a top-of-the-line ball from Dunlop, Prince or Gamma, either, for that matter.
Still, some ATP tour pros, particularly Andy Roddick, complain that constantly switching ball brands from one tournament to the next during the summer series leading up to the U.S. Open wreaks havoc on their fine-tuned games. And back in 2006 (before my watch), TENNIS Magazine proclaimed the U.S. Open ball to be “the greatest hits album” of a playtest group that also included the ProPenn, Dunlop Grand Prix, Gamma ProTour and Prince Tour.
Whatever differences there are, they must be quite minor since the International Tennis Federation has rigid specifications and testing for tennis balls. For instance, the ITF mandates that balls dropped from a height of 100 inches onto a horizontal surface must bounce up somewhere between 53 and 58 inches. Both Penn and Wilson told us yesterday their products register in the mid-to-upper range on that test, at around 56 inches.
Is one ball better than the other? Is it just perception or brand loyalty? Feel free to weigh in below. I think one thing we can all agree on, though, is that tennis balls are the best value in sporting goods—they cost about the same as they did 30 years ago.
I have the Yonex RQiS 1 Tour XL 95 and the Prince Ozone Pro Tour. Both are very flexible racquets, but I'd like to stiffen them up. While the flex is great for control and the backhand slice, I lose topspin on the forehand and the ball fizzes off the string bed if I don't find the sweetspot. What string setup would you recommend to increase power and topspin? I'm currently using a soft multifilament strung at 58–60 pounds.—Viv
String isn’t going to stiffen up your racquets, but it can make the string bed firmer, which should have a similar result. Plus, changing strings is also less expensive than buying a new frame. TENNIS.com racquet adviser Bruce Levine suggests replacing your string with a hybrid combination of Babolat RPM Blast co-polyester at around 62 pounds in the main strings and a multifilament in the crosses strung at around 65 pounds. The RPM at the higher tension will increase topspin and make the string bed feel firmer for spin, while the multifilament will help protect your elbow and arm from the harsh co-polyester.
I'm 50 years old, about a 3.5, and just started playing tennis again after a 25-year absence. I really like the Babolat racquets, but I’m having a difficult time picking and staying with one model. The Pure Drive Roddick hurts my arm. The Aero Storm doesn't give me enough power on days that I don't feel particularly “grooved.” And the Aero Strike is a little better, but there are still days when I need a larger head to reduce mishits on volleys. Do you have any suggestions besides practice, practice, practice?—Michael D.
Bruce says you should take the Babolat Y 112 for a playtest drive. It’s more comfortable than the Pure Drive Roddick, has more inherent power than the Aero Storm, and has 12 more square inches in the head than the Aero Strike. Compare it against your family of Babolats.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisers will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 I'm still waiting for TENNIS.com to include ProKennex in its racquet lineup. They are really the most arm-friendly racquets ever made. I use the Ki 5x and I love it. I was able to remove my tennis elbow brace the first time I used it. I now have a real forehand and a real backhand again.—Roddy St. Yves
The short answer to your question, Roddy, is there just haven’t been any new ProKennex Ki racquets for us to review. Your Ki 5x was produced a decade ago. It was one of the later incarnations that used the breakthrough arm-friendly Kinetic technology the company introduced in 1994 in the Kinetic Mid Plus.
But after a series of successful additions to the line, including the 5G and 15G, followed by a fine-tuning of the technology in the Ionic series, the company got into a legal squabble with its U.S. distributor that put it in limbo in this country until two years ago when the case was resolved in ProKennex’s favor.
Now the company is making a comeback. They’re starting by selling some of its old Kinetic frames, like yours and also a heritage collection that includes the classic Black Ace, with new cosmetics. You can find them at online retailers and at the 200 or so specialty shops that carry the line. Contact ProKennex to find a location.
The good news for Kinetic loyalists like you is that the company tells us it plans to take the Kinetic “movable mass” technology in your Ki to the next level late this year or early in 2011 in a new line called the Kinetic “Q.”
The technology consists of strips inserted into the hollow chamber inside the hoop that contain hundreds of micro-bearings the size of sand particles. The idea is that when you take the racquet back, the bearings move to the back of the chamber. Then at the moment of impact, they propel forward to counteract the force of the ball crashing against the strings. This absorbs the post-hit vibrations and helps stabilize the frame on off-center hits.
This better-mousetrap concept was the brainchild of Roland Sommer, a German aircraft engineer, who based it on a system he designed to control the fluttering of airplane wings. In fact, when Kinetic was developed, Sommer and ProKennex had to convince the International Tennis Federation it didn’t break a rule against racquets changing from head light to head heavy in mid-swing.
We’re looking forward to ProKennex’s new Q line. In the meantime, we’ve decided to take another look at your Ki 5 and will report back to you in a few weeks after putting it through its playtest paces.
Hi Bill, I recently wrote an article about how to avoid bad tennis racquet deals on eBay. Any chance you might link to it?—Vamsee Konda, Denver
Thanks, Vamsee. You’ve made some points well worth sharing. We feel your best advice is No. 7: Buy only from authorized pro shops, tennis specialty stores and online retailers. We’ve heard a few horror stories from players who have been duped into buying counterfeit or knockoff racquets—the worst was the case of a fake Wilson that virtually collapsed the first time tension was applied to the frame on the stringing machine.
I want to change the balance of my Babolat Aero Pro Lite from head heavy to head light for greater maneuverability. Where should I put lead tape on the racquet to do this?—Chris
We don’t recommend you do a tape job to make this racquet less head heavy, Chris. The already highly maneuverable Aero Pro Lite is made with a head-heavy balance for the very good reason: It provides it with some heft in an otherwise extremely light frame (9.7 ounces). If you were to place lead tape near the handle to move the balance closer to the butt cap, the racquet wouldn’t be able to stand up to the collision of a hard-hit ball on the strings. It would be like trying to hit a tennis ball with a badminton racquet.
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 have developed tennis elbow but don't want to stop playing, especially now that summer has arrived. I'm a 3.0 player using a mid-plus racquet, and my current grip is 4 ¼. I just had my racquet restrung with Gamma Live Wire, tension 54. Would a slightly larger racquet head and perhaps a larger grip help?—Carol Letterman
First, and most importantly, get your doctor’s blessing to return to the court. From an equipment perspective, smaller racquet heads and larger grips provide better elbow and arm protection because they generally minimize vibration and torsion, according to Dr. David Geier, director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also recommends you keep your string tension at the bottom of the recommended range for additional comfort. The Gamma Live Wire you’re currently using is an arm-friendly, resilient string, but you might also consider the Head FXP Power, which we found to be the most comfortable of the new strings on the market. It’s soft due to FiberGel fibers, which help cushion the ball on impact the way a gel insert in a tennis shoe buffers the blow on hard courts.
I have a Head Liquidmetal Radical Oversize and a Pro Kennex Ionic Ki5. The Head is lighter, but it has a higher swingweight (330, to 325). The Pro Kennex definitely feels like it plays a lot heavier; I’m swinging it late and not getting as much pop on serves with it. Does the machine weight lie?—Pete, Rochester
Machine swingweights are merely indicators of a racquet’s maneuverability. The real test is when you put in your hand and use it for at least a set or two. Late hits are one of the best indicators that a racquet is too heavy for you, as is being unable to generate racquet-head speed on your serves to make them pop. Looks like your best bet is to stay with the Liquidmetal, and ignore the machine swingweight.
I am a 5.0 player who is fanatical about my Fischer Vacuum Pro Classic 98 (circa 1996). I have six of them, but they are all breaking down after years of use. Is there a way to buy a racquet with the same specs? I have hit with all of the major brands in an effort to move on, but I always go back to my old trusty Vacuum Pro.—Ed Felson, Las Vegas
We often hear from Fischer fanatics, bemoaning the demise of the racquet brand that was used by top pros Michael Stich and Stan Smith. The good news, Ed, is the new Pacific brand bought the old Fischer molds, and you can come pretty close to your old Vacuum Pro with its Pacific X Force Pro. The specs are almost identical, but the new model is slightly stiffer to accommodate the modern, power-baseline game. Pacific Racquets are hard to find at pro and tennis specialty stores, but on-line retailers Tennis Express, Midwest Sports and Tennis Warehouse carry them. All three have demo programs.
Can you recommend a good Nike tennis shoe for me? I like to play competitively and I’m looking for one that has good support in the heel for jumping.—Eric
Try the Air Max Courtballistec 2.3 on for size. They’ll give you a smooth ride even on hard courts. They’re a bit on the heavy side—15.9 ounces (for a men’s size 9)—but are the latest and greatest incarnation of the brand’s Air Max heritage: big airbags in the heel for maximum protection when you land from a jumping overhead.
TENNIS.com gear editor Bill Gray and his technical advisers will answer your equipment questions every Friday. Click here to send one of your own.
 I'm a 16-year-old baseliner with a semi-Western forehand grip. I like to hit the ball flat although sometimes I hit with some spin for more consistency. I play outside the United States, so I don't know my NTRP rating but I’m guessing around the 3.5–4.0 area. I'm currently using a Prince Hybrid Hornet Midplus with synthetic gut strings, but I'm looking for a new racquet with a bit more control since I tend to hit the ball long on the power shots. What should I be looking for in a new racquet?—John
I don’t know why you’re hitting flat with a semi-Western forehand that’s made for spin. But adding more spin to your repertoire will give you more control, John, especially since you already have the grip for it. Since you’re a Prince devotee, we suggest you take a look at the Prince EXO3 White. It’s a little heftier than your Hybrid Hornet, but it has a dynamic string bed that should increase your topspin, allowing you to hit extremely loopy topspin shots from both sides. If your arm is healthy, you could also trade in your synthetic gut for a co-polyester that will further help you swing away and keep the ball in the court.
I am stringing my own tennis racquets and I need some info about pre-stretching string. What are the disadvantages and advantages of this and what types of string are best suited for stretching?—Renold Duga
Pre-stretching tennis string (either manually by tying one end to a fixed object like a doorknob and pulling it or using the pre-stretch feature on a lot of machines) has been used for years to slow down the initial “creep factor,” or tension loss that occurs in the 24 hours after a racquet has been strung. It also makes stringing a little easier, because pre-stretching will keep the string from recoiling on the reel. But pre-stretching also removes some of the elasticity of a string and will make it feel less responsive particularly if you’re using gut) and more prone to breakage. Our experts recommend that, instead of pre-stretching, you string your racquet a few pounds higher than your desired tension and let nature take its course, decreasing the tension as you hit.
I'm a 62-year-old 3.5–4.0 player and I've played in K-Swiss Si-18s for a very long time. But now I can't find them in my size, and I also imagine the technology has improved quite a bit since they first came out. I play exclusively on Har-tru. What shoe do you recommend?—Mike Sherman
The Si-18 was indeed a fine shoe, Mike. It was a TENNIS Editor’s Pick in 2006. But you’re right: As good as it was, the newer technology in K-Swiss’ current Defier DS is even better. It's also about an ounce lighter than the Si-18, which you’ll really appreciate in the steamy outdoor season this summer. The shoe’s best feature is the sturdy Aösta 7.0 outsole, which is perfect for Har-tru courts and is backed by a six-month guarantee. Our shoe guru, Dr. David Sharnoff, recommends you try a pair on for size. But if you’re a big guy, he suggests you also try the slightly heavier but equally sturdy and comfortable Head Radical Pro and see which feels the most comfortable.
Do you have any suggestions for stringing hybrids? Should I use the same tension for the natural gut in the mains and the co-polyester in the crosses?—Eugene
Racquet adviser Bruce Levine suggests you lessen the tension in the rigid co-poly crosses about 10-20 percent. That will help you get the benefit of poly's spin properties while helping you protect your arm from its harshness.
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