frontpage Posted by Exposure • Aug 23, 2022
Aug 23, 2022 6:24 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
frontpage Posted by Exposure • Aug 23, 2022
Aug 23, 2022 6:24 PM
Head Speed Graphene 360+ Pro or MP Tennis Racquets
+ Free Shipping$149 each
$239
Tennis Warehouse
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I've been playing tennis since 10 and after 40 years, I like middle of the road racquets such as the Wilson Ultra 100 and Babolet Pure Drive. I own both of them and with slight mods they play somewhat similar. As others mentioned the Slickdeal is going to a local tennis shop and demoing some rackets first, that way you get a racquet you will keep for a long time.
FYI- there are other/better racquets on sale at TW for similar prices:
Yonex eZone- last year's model $179- much more friendly all around racquet
Wilson Ultra 100 V2 older model - $159 one of the best selling raquets 7 years ago
and the best selling racquet in the world:
Babolet Pure Drive 100 , the 2018 model is $179
but I would go to a local tennis shop and demo some to see which one fits your style, Tennis is half psychological so you would p[lay better if you are comfortable with your racquet.
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https://youtu.be/felBKlPrAd8
When metal rackets first came out in 1980s, the Prince Classic was a great racket.
I'm sure the ones at Walmart have similar basic characteristics. Aluminum, light.
Intuitive Tennis did a comparison and he recommended the $15 Walmart racket.
There's also a YT video of a rec player pulling a Classic or and playing really well with it.
Holds tension longer, so it'll be cheaper.
Literally.
I stopped playing for 16 years, and when I started again, the multi strings in my rackets were still about 3-4 pounds within what I had string them at. Before I restrung, I played a little with them, and they felt good.
Today, I use a hybrid setup with poly mains and multi crosses. I string my own, so the cost is like $5 for me. Unless you string yourself, at $40+ a job, using poly is going to be expensive because tension is lost quickly. I'm currently an intermediate player looking to get back to 4.5-5.0 level (probably never going to happen due to age, knees, and shoulder), and I practice/exercise two-three times a week rotating 5 rackets each time (50-60 balls per racket), and I restring all of them monthly. If I go too long, when I play in groups, my balls sail, so it is definitely noticeable. I use Alu Power Rough or Tourna Silver as my mains with synthetic gut as my crosses. Since I do my own stringing, I buy reels and limit waste to maximize the number of jobs that I can do.
Well, I am in a similar boat and used to play in college and after college, then moved into VB and soccer with friends before life happened, kids, wife and job.
Now, going back to tennis again and right at this age with knee issues and all and between gym days I will be targeting intermediate level not going to be advanced or pro for sure.
So let me try hybrid.
But, I do have one question what tool should I get to do it myself and am I able to do it?
I don't want to spend $40 every time.
https://youtu.be/felBKlPrAd8
The $15 Wal-Mart racket hits great for a beginner. It will not work for an intermediate or above player because the cheap aluminum can't handle the power and will start to bend quickly. (I suppose a hard hitting beginner could have the same problem but that is not typical.)
If you are just starting to play tennis some of the Walmart rackets are are better to start with than expensive professional level equipment. But, if you are pretty sure you will be playing for a bit you can get something a little more expensive than the Wal-Mart options that will serve you well for longer.
In general, a larger head size gives you more power, a larger sweet spot, and better results on off center hits. Smaller head size gives more control and good power when hit in the sweet spot. The pros have great footwork and technique so they can generate power. The player who is just learning can pick up bad habits using a large racket because they can get away with bad technique and still hit good shots.
For old people like me who used to play a lot but only plays occasionally now, the large head size makes the game fun. We can still hit the occasional ace, hit some really good volleys, and we don't play enough to be accurate anyway. The bad habits don't really matter when you don't play much.
*Aluminum was the material of choice and was used by some pros for a while. But the expensive aluminum rackets of that were were made with better materials than the $15 Walmart rackets.
I've been playing tennis since 10 and after 40 years, I like middle of the road racquets such as the Wilson Ultra 100 and Babolet Pure Drive. I own both of them and with slight mods they play somewhat similar. As others mentioned the Slickdeal is going to a local tennis shop and demoing some rackets first, that way you get a racquet you will keep for a long time.
FYI- there are other/better racquets on sale at TW for similar prices:
Yonex eZone- last year's model $179- much more friendly all around racquet
Wilson Ultra 100 V2 older model - $159 one of the best selling raquets 7 years ago
and the best selling racquet in the world:
Babolet Pure Drive 100 , the 2018 model is $179
but I would go to a local tennis shop and demo some to see which one fits your style, Tennis is half psychological so you would p[lay better if you are comfortable with your racquet.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I don't want to spend $40 every time.
The $15 Wal-Mart racket hits great for a beginner. It will not work for an intermediate or above player because the cheap aluminum can't handle the power and will start to bend quickly. (I suppose a hard hitting beginner could have the same problem but that is not typical.)
If you are just starting to play tennis some of the Walmart rackets are are better to start with than expensive professional level equipment. But, if you are pretty sure you will be playing for a bit you can get something a little more expensive than the Wal-Mart options that will serve you well for longer.
*Aluminum was the material of choice and was used by some pros for a while. But the expensive aluminum rackets of that were were made with better materials than the $15 Walmart rackets.
I always wanted POGs so I bought 4 for $225 about 6 years ago. Pre-pandemic, tennis was not as hot as it is today, and used rackets and ball machines were more reasonable in cost...as was shipping.
I went hybrid because I was used to multis and didn't want any more elbow or shoulder problems. I might consider a full bed as a test, but I think what I have is good enough for me. If I were younger without health problems and could go all out with league play, matches, etc., I would research and test those setups more.(*) In the end, for rec players, it's the player on the court and most likely not the string that yields W/L. Of course, if you play tournaments where players sandbag, then it may be more the opponent quality than you.
*not sure about you, but I string 57 lbs main and 60 lbs cross. For full poly setups, people are doing below 50 lbs on both. I just can't wrap my mind around tension that low. Low tension can cause elbow and shoulder problems, too.
The easy route would be change your strings to a softer multifilament. If you have arm problems you should not be using poly strings. I was at an Open tournament couple of years ago sponsored by Technifibre. I spoke to the Technifibre string specialists and they do not recommend poly string to anyone with arm problems or anyone under 18 who plays a lot. They have seen lots of injuries with kids that always play with poly. That is why even the pros use a hybrid set-up.
Yes there are softer polys but they are still stiffer strings compared to multifilament. Start with multifilament like Wilson NXT comfort. If you do not want to go to multifilament a typical hybrid set up for your raquet would be Babolat RPM Blast 17 on the mains and natural gut on the cross at mid tension.
If you want to change your racquet try the Yonex Vcore, Yonex Ezone, Wilson Ultra, Wilson Clash and Babolat Pure Drive, in this order ( all standard 100 size), they are more arm friendly racquets but because they have dampening, you loose some feel. Try them first, these are very different then what you are used to. Good luck
I agree that the aluminum and quality is probably no where near the Prince Classic. If anyone were to go that route, buying a used Classic at Play It Again Sports or via eBxx would work also.
I always wanted POGs so I bought 4 for $225 about 6 years ago. Pre-pandemic, tennis was not as hot as it is today, and used rackets and ball machines were more reasonable in cost...as was shipping.
There are polys on the market that are tagged "co-poly" now that are softer. Some players use full beds of copoly. Examples are Hyper G Soft, Tour Bite Soft, Isospeed Cream, etc. Players can just go to TT and search for strings and filter under COMFORT.
I went hybrid because I was used to multis and didn't want any more elbow or shoulder problems. I might consider a full bed as a test, but I think what I have is good enough for me. If I were younger without health problems and could go all out with league play, matches, etc., I would research and test those setups more.(*) In the end, for rec players, it's the player on the court and most likely not the string that yields W/L. Of course, if you play tournaments where players sandbag, then it may be more the opponent quality than you.
*not sure about you, but I string 57 lbs main and 60 lbs cross. For full poly setups, people are doing below 50 lbs on both. I just can't wrap my mind around tension that low. Low tension can cause elbow and shoulder problems, too.
>>>Thanks very much, a huge help and insight. Appreciated.
I'm a 55+ 4.0 NTRP player.
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No neighther of these racquets are good for someone trying to just get into tennis. Neighther of these are beginner racquets, and you will struggle to learn the game.
When you are starting to learn the game, the MOST important factor is to not get bored. For that you NEED to get a rally going. Which means should have to be able to get the ball across the net multiple times in a row, and preferably not too far from you are aiming. $15 Walmart rackets are going to serve you a lot better for that, than these advanced level racquets. If you are in doubt and don't know what the specs means, DO NOT BUY this racquet. The reviews are done mostly by advanced players, and there is no point in looking at reviews of these racquets.
Expensive==better does not translate well in tennis.
These racquets are for someone who are already well into their game (more advanced level , around 4.5 NTRP or above), to control their pace and spin. This needs more good setup into the shots, and better technique, which most folks below 4.5 NTRP lacks. And these racquets WILL hurt their ability to play consistent tennis.
When racquets can provide you some help, there is no reason to not use it. And for that look for more beginner level racquets. They are usually less than 9.5oz and head heavy balanced.
Head TI S6 is a really good beginner racquet if you are someone starting the game, and thinks that they are going to play for many years. Walmart rackets are not bad either, and is definitely more value if you are not sure whether you will be playing beyond a year.
You can get a Head TI S6 racket for around $75 or less most of the time, even though the advertised retail price is higher. They are available at many retail shops (Dicks Sporting) and also online.
Ofcourse, if you insist... go ahead and do whatever you prefer to do.
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