The general idea is to use the heaviest racquet you can comfortably maneuver. Light racquets are underrated. If the heaviest racquet one can swing is a 280g frames, it's perfectly fine. Great video!!! - Munish, TW
Yes, light or heavy is relative. If there's a significant difference in size and strength between two players, what's heavy to one might be just right for the other.
I'd suggest that these lighter rackets should usually be used with a multifilament string to help with shock absorption and comfort, Velocity MLT is a great one.
I've been playing for 50 years. Now at 62 my Pure Drive seemed to get heavier as I played deeper into sets. A friend lent me a Yonex Vcore Feel. He didn't like it and I never gave it back to him. He added some lead but it's super light. Wow, I'm in love with it. Mostly I've found with the faster swing speed I have more time to prepare. Playing younger players I always felt I was a bit behind and rushing. Now I'm able to swing bigger and through the ball more with more power and control. Also, no pun intended but I "feel" the ball better.
So far my experience with 3 racquets is this: Ps v14 97L - main racquet; quite demanding, comfortable af and best feel. Is the racquet I can do everything with without issues, and modify my swing path and try different strikes without issues. 290g unstrung; light series Blade v8 100, 300g unstrung racquet. Best for baseline playing and much less demanding, but harder to swing through the air even though is more stable. I feel I play more consistent but worse: cant volley, swing slower, hit stronger but I feel like the racquet is not helping my strong points or objectives at all. Is a jack of all trades, master of none. Ps v14 X - 315g unstrung, headlight balance. So far the best of both worlds: consistence, stability, comfort and feel. Not as precise as 97L but that has nothing to do with weight. Problems? My physicality dosnt allow me yet to take it as a main racquet. Feels too heavy to volley fast and comfortable, or to play 2h matches.that said, is the racquet I use for my daily 1h training sessions in order to get stronger and force myself; and when I go back to my beloved 97L I feel I can just do whatever I want with it. (About me: I am 26yo, been training for a year, 176cm tall 78kg; I lift weights aswell even though Im not a bodybuilder). So far I feel that weight is relative to each one physicality and playstyle. I look fordward to play agresive all-court mixing strikes but if I were an agressive baseliner Id obviously stick to a heavy hammer to just abuse balls with tons of swingweight
I will go the same path as you with the same body specs, I have just bought Blade v9 100, 300g, and so far so good with it. The next one would be PS v14 97L, it is just the color of it I don't like much, not sure If I can skip this version and wait for v15 and stick with Blade v9 100 for now.
When I tried a Babolat pure drive lite which weighed in at 285g’s it made my elbow pop when I served and that was painful so I went to a heavier version of the pure drive and it needed up being a lot better for me 🖤💙
You put an important remark on this video: no matter how you feel with a racquet, ask your hitting partner about the quality of the strokes he/she is facing!!! I love to hit with my Gravity, but I've been told that I hit a much heavier ball using a VCore 95, while to me it was just hitting like a moonballer...
great comment, also a powerful stick may feel more fun but in a match you may actually win more points with a more controllable stick. conclusion; take the emotion out of it , measure the results
@@racketman2u agree. In my personal case, it's working the other way: I have much better feeling with control frames and it seems to me that I play better, BUT I get more points with a more powerful frame.
Quality of your shot doesn't have much to do with racquets but with how you hit, assuming you use comparable racquets. And you don't have to ask your hitting partners. You can tell the quality of your shots by how the ball comes back to you, and of course that depends also on the quality of your hitting partner. I could hit a kick serve that would give problem to one guy but would not bother another better player too much.
@racketman2u What I meant is comparable technology and main purpose. For example a Babolat Pure Drive is going to play differently from Wlison ProStaff, but if Djokivic can switch from Wilson to Head, and McEnroe from Dunlop to Head, no amateur should have a reason to blame his game on the racquet.
I use a O3 prince Speedport Gold 27.5 " frame that is 250 grams with a 36.0cm balance which gives me a 285 sw. Longer frames need lower static weight to appeal to the majority of players.
Starting from the very heavy wood racket era in my twenties and later switching to 13- ounce original Prince Graphite I played with in my thirties, it has been difficult for me to switch to too light of a racket over the years (unstable for my elbow). These days (haha in my much older days), I finally settled around 340 grams total Vcore 98 (2021 version) with leather grip and a little weight at 3 & 9. I occasionally use the new version of POG (tour classic) which is about 12.3 Ounces with everything to give myself the illusion of being young again :)
Like with a lot of things, personal preference is the most important thing with tennis racquets. Over the years, I've found that I like racquets that are in the 305g unstrung range with 325-330 strung swing weight, with the swing weight seeming to be the most important stat for me. I also prefer flexible, thin to medium beam widths. I think it's because I started playing in the mid-80s and those are generally the closest specs to the racquets of that era. Strangely, higher swing weights negatively affect my serve (I'm not the strongest dude) and lower swing weights negatively affect my one handed backhand (I swing too fast, have no feel or control). When I was trying out new racquets a few years ago, I really liked the Head Extreme Tour, but I settled on the Angell K7 Red since it felt more solid to me and had better feel. I've tried other racquets since but nothing has made me want to switch.
I can feel that. I learned on wooden frames as a kid, I like the classic plow through. But I won´t ever use a smaller head size than Roger Federer, so 98 it is for me. My home surface is red clay.
@@sebastiandomagala9233 Hehe, yeah, when my brother and I first started playing, we borrowed our uncle and cousin's racquets. Our uncle's was a Wilson T2000 steelie and our cousin's was a Bancroft wooden racquet. The steelie was horrible, incredibly heavy, no feel. I don't know how Connors played so long with it. But our cousin's wooden racquet felt amazing. To this day (of course it may be nostalgia), I don't ever remember playing with a racquet with better feel. Being American, I almost always play on hard courts. But I've played on green clay a few times and even practiced on incredibly fast indoor carpet when I was in college...
@@ronalddelrosario7405 I still play on indoor carpet, it is still standard indoors in Germany. Btw. Federer killed carpet, he hated it so much that he blackmailed the tournament organizers to remove it or he wouldn´t have come at all. I don´t like the wooden era in retrospective. Tennis was even harder to play back then, WAY harder. Equipment was utter garbage in every way possible. Green clay is not the same as red clay. You should try it, but you will probably not like it. Many bad bounces, very limited traction, slow balls, way more work to be done for every single point. And the balls turn into mud marbles over time. Strings get locked up by the dust. And many other drawbacks like dirty socks and shoes (Leather gets brittle). But it is no condensed surface, water can still penetrate to some extend. And clay is friendly to your ankles and knees. Funny thing is: I like clay (my outside surface) more, but I play better on fast surfaces, the faster the better.
I'm 6'5 and weigh 100 kg but use the lightest Wilson Pro Staff that is available. I found it is better on the volley at the net and gets more control on the single hand backhand. They are also cheaper than the heavier versions which suits me fine.
not all light racquets are the same. I really like the Pure rafa 270g. But you know what it's stable and handles shots from 4.5s at the net. With that said, I did add 5 grams + an overgrip to make it a little heavier/headlight. But I have tried other frames in similar weight class and they were okay at baseline but unstable when returning fast serves or volleying vs. hard shots.
100g? That would make your racquet 440g. I've not heard of any pro playing with that weight. Even a giant like John Isner was playing with a strung weight of 346g.
If you're an amateur a light racquet is better. Once you start developing you're technique and get physically stronger, heavier racquets over 330g are the best option
Hi Jonas, at 64 i am thinking of going to a lighter racket, I have speed MPL but not getting the same control, i have modded it a little! Then I saw Prokennex do a Q5 280g 16x20 which is 1 pt HL strung and aprox 315 SW 22mm beam they also do the Ki5 270g again aprox 313SW but its 3pts HH They are Tighter 16x20 so control will be there but might lack a little power! Probably would have to play with a multi in these what do you think?
I'm in my 60s too. I've been playing those TI6 and Hammerheads. I was thinking of going Prince 305g, or 300. Something arm friendly, due to arm pain. I don't know a lot of people, so that is my limiter in investing in a new racquet. I only play in the summer anyway. I tried a Wilson Blade 98 V8. It is 306 unstrung, and it is sweet. I could do a 100 too. Feels plush swings fast.
When enough weight is added I can really feel what it does to the ball and I like it! However, I’m getting a little older and it starts to “weigh” on me some and I get tired . I have elevate tour (real one) and it’s good but seems like it’s missing something so I add weight but haven’t figured it out just right yet could use help from someone
I learned to play tennis as a kid with the Ivan Lendl Adidas GTX Pro so I'm used to swinging heavy clubs. Even though I feel that I serve more better with a lighter racket I prefer to play with the RF Pro staff 97 (340g). I'm a little bit older and slower now and I feel that it's easer to return fast serves with the heavier racket. I just need to stick it in and the racket does the rest. Because of my lack of foot speed I'm all about offense and with the heavier racket I feel that it is easer to crush short balls. I don't need to accelerate it as much as a lighter racket to create rockets, bombs and bullets. I'm a tank now and so is my racket.
I bought a 280g racket and managed to turn it into a 320g strung i feel the head is too light it is very manuverable a little too manuverable to my liking but i will probably add like 5-15 g more. from my experience the lighter racket can cause arm pain but it being a platform racket you can customize it more freely and mold it to your own liking
My player's racquet journey started with the Dunlop CX 200 tour which I still love, Tecnifibre Tfight 305, and has currently landed at the FURI Arma Pro 98 (Stock form) with Restring Zero. The Arma Pro 98 is so connected that it reads my mind when I need a drive winner and immediately responds to my call to action.
Hi Tennis Nerd! I need some advice for my 10-year-old son. He’s currently using a 26-inch Head Gravity Junior racquet, but his coach suggested it’s time for him to transition to a 27-inch racquet. I’m considering two lightweight options: the Head Extreme (the lightest version) and the Babolat Pure Aero (also the lightest version). He mainly plays on clay courts, and I’m looking for something that balances control and power, but isn’t too heavy for him to handle as he adjusts to the bigger size. Which one do you think would be the better choice for him? Any recommendations or insights would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
There is a lot of misconception about raquets weight and stats in general. The tennis raquets manufacturers oriented their production to large masses of newbie players with these light raquets. These players due to bad technique feel they are goin to get hurt if they use heavier raquets. In reality a heavier raquet helps a lot with inertia/plough through and helps get a proper technique faster. Many light raquets introduce parasite movements due to instability and lack of plough through like the tendance to raise your elbow etc. Now what would those super light raquets would be good for? For very young players and for very old players. Both categories lack in power and the old players usually prefer to play doubles, so there is a lot of net time, serves/smashes where a lighter frame helps a lot with manoevering. Also coaches can use lighter raquets when feeding with the ball basket all day, they get less tired this way. So big props to the manufacturers like Yonex who offer a range of raquets for advanced players too which go around 320g and even above with a neutral 7points HL unstrung. I think this a weight and balance everybody should aim for wether being beginner, intermediate or advanced or above for stronger individuals. P.S. Raquets like Wilson RF Autograph imho won't cut it since even it's heavier it has like 12points HL which offers stability but not a lot of power and suits a more offensive player not a baseliner. In the old days the raquet to which resembles a lot its Wilson Prostaff Classic 6.1 used by Edberg and that was played by majority of the pros in early '90s.
Nice to read this because I was trying to understand why heavier rackets are supposed to be used by the pros only...I am a club level player, 45 years old, this year I bought a Yonex Percept 97 D 320 gram which is what people say is too heavy but I am playing very well with it...I love that racket, I feel I have great control and power at the same time
@@Antaniharagione Generation '79 here also and these days I am playing my Yonex Vcore Duel G 330g. My racket of choice in my youth years was a Head Radical Xtreme at 346g even if I played one handed back-hand. And I am not a big guy at 1.75m tall. Back in the day playing heavy raquets was something usual with frames like Edbergs, B.Beckers or Navratilova's Yonex who topped them all. Now for doubles I consider going exactly to the raquet you mentioned above: Yonex Percept 97 D 320g. Many players here find that around 320g is the sweetspot in terms of manoevrability and stability. Instead of tuning with lead a 300g frame I prefer a superbly balanced factory Yonex any day at 320g.
I recall Sampras used an especially heavy racquet and even added lead tape to make it even heavier. Sampras is obviously the exception and doesn’t apply to the average player
Very interesting video and concepts shared (as usual - big fan of your videos). I actually started with a Babolat Evoke 102 (graphite infused) I think the weight was 270g (or close to that). I moved to a head radical mp after 6months as my game and passion for the game increased - and I love this radical, but I am super curious to customize the Evoke 102 racquet by restringing with a hyper g and adding some weight to see what it would do- the only concern is that it being made from a lesser frame material the feel might not be very good or worth customizing. What do you think?
Maybe tbe title should be "...Why you should TRY them". Many valid points in this video, but it all depends on the player. I still use my maroon Ultra 95 graphite from rhe early 90s @ 12.7oz. Im playing regularly again after 25yrs off, and my old heavy racquet helped build up my shoulder and arm strength. I use now for wall training and playing/rallying with slower players. But I have Blade Team V8 leaded up to 330g for games. I have ridiculous power and a very reasonable amount of control. And my arm isnt getting tired.
I think the strings should be different too? Maybe 1.20mm and kilos per braid? It will be interesting not only for 12 year olds, I for beginners 40,50+ developing swing, or..?
Hello! Could you advise me please, I have a Head Intelligence Prestige MP. What raquets on current market have the same feel and comfort but a bit leighter about 300-310 g?
I'm definitely curious on the Dunlops CX 200, the LS is still above the 300g range 10.7 strung.. some of the sub 320 racquets seem unstable depending on the frame.. I wonder if the lower stiffness of the CX 200 LS would be an issue? I have an older Tflight 300 and it hit well but the vibrations wreck my elbow, none of my other racquets cause such issues, didn't matter tension or strings.. the only thing I haven't tried was multi or gut but I usually use thin gauges in poly or soft versions (cyclone tour or standard 17-18g).. I'm looking at sub 320ish racquets mainly.
I play with CX 200 LS (290g unstrung) version 2024. In stock form it could be unstable, so I've put 2 overgrips plus 1.5g to the 2-3 and 10-9 o'clock and the playability has risen significantly. It's string with full poly 24/23 kg. The stiffness is higher than 2021 version, however it does not hurt elbow, is rather comfortable. Maybe also the factor is that I do some fitness almost everyday to have arms in good condition, flexibility and strength. In summary I would say that CX 200 LS is underrated, being one od the best platform racquets available on the market.
help me, im a muscular guy, with a fast swing speed... in todays game, is it better to go light racquet with spin strings or... 330g raquet with gut / hybrid low tension? or higher tension?
@@tylerrauch4655 What was your racquet setup in college?! I would stick with the closest to that before you make any crazy changes. A racquet that's too light strains the shoulder, racquet that's too heavy strains the elbow. You need to find the balance between the two loads. But in conclusion you should go for a heavier setup.
@@HyperHorse i still have my dunlop aero 200, 18x20. been enjoying it for sure with the ALU power and Gut. just trying to dial in the 70-80% effort swing for max good strokes. Spin is tough to generate with the 18x20 at the moment.
Your strength is in the wrist and the whole arm. The matter of racket convenience is just related to your strength and nothing else. However, strong players may play with either heavy or light rackets...same proportion goes for weak arm and swing power players, they can choose light or heavy based on feeling and ball impact quality. In other words, the right formula isn't based on what others play, try just yours and discover your own magic making. Don't underestimate the tension and string to use matching along to the frame weight
I help my friend string racket in a tennis pro shop. I have seen a lot of players who are only an intermediate or even lower level but buy racket that is from 310g to 325g. I learn that some people feel that its shameful to use light racket. Afraid to let their friend to tease them saying they are weak. Some are just tapping the ball over the net using the heavy racket to utilize its stability but their shot really lack of pace. I have either seen player who uses heavy racket are either very good player or really bad player. Sadly majority is bad player. Thats the truth, Some just want to use racket that similar specification with what their idol are using. Just follow blindly. Use the racket that really suits you and you will improve faster. Use your tennis skill to impress your friend instead of using heavy racket. If you use heavy racket and play badly, people can clearly sees your skill level, it doesn't do you any good.
If you are under a 3.0 level player, an under 300g racquet will work. Over 3.0 level, you will start to appreciate more weight. As you play more tennis, weight, balance, stiffness, and string choices will start to make sense. You will grow with the sport and become a Tennisnerd. 👍 😄
Same. Also, with multi it loses control while with polys elbow pain develops quickly, never had any issues playing Tour 90 with polys on mains. Took friend’s Six One Team and couldn’t play with it
The biggest downside to low swing weights and light racquets to me is technique. Can get away with bad technique with light racquets and develop bad habits. Heavy racquets force earlier prep, full swings, less jerky movements (because not possible) etc etc.
Can you explain to us mere mortals why some 300g rackets are easier to swing than others. Ie they feel lighter? My 300g pure aero seems much heavier to my friends head extreme mp?
It's called angular momentum which relates the torque needed to swing with the mass distribution (i.e. amount of mass vs. distance squared from the rotation axis).
It basically comes down to how the weight is distributed. For example, a hammer has all the weight in the head, so if you try to rotate/swing that hammer while holding it at the handle, it will require more effort, compared to if you try to rotate the hammer while you hold it at the head of the hammer (so you’re basically swinging the handle around). But you are still rotating the same object with the same static weight, but it feels quite different. Hope that makes sense.
What I don't see very much is recommendations based on who is actually using the racket. Is it a guy on his 20s? Or a woman in her 40s? IMO this should differentiate recommendations quite a bit.
@@scottcarson3059 Nice. I went down to 310 recently. Came from 345 (unstrung), but that was way too much at some point. Still not sure if it was a good decision to go lighter, but my arm still says "yes".
The blade 100L is awesome. I enjoyed the hitting experience. Lots of room for customization. If you want a stiffer blade 100 to make your own, that frame is perfect.
I suppose it depends on what we define as "light". A standard "power" frame is 300g unstrung with a 325mm balance point. Most people can play with this and not need to go lower.
However, some players can win matches comfortably with light tweeners. They just play fast (hit early, no problem; hit late, no problem) and can get the balls back (retrieve balls) without much effort and their ball trajectory is unpredictable, even they do not know. 🤣🤣🤣 They play to big target areas and restrain on power with light tweeners (providing easy power, easy spin). They can gauge how much power to restain after some experience. That's the reality in recreational tennis 😂 A genuine NTRP 4.0 can take them out though. DO NOT exchange shots with them (they produce shots with unpredictable trajectory and placement but you use high racquet head speed and need to read shots and set up properly). USE good serve to hold service game and make good quality returns. Or simply avoid them 😂
I have not the video yet…but stop. Own it. Heavy racquets are awesome. You know it’s true. Ignore the haters. With that said…I’ve switched from the Perception 97H to the EZone 100 with great results. (I wasn’t going to admit that.)
The biggest benefit is on defense. Lighter weight and easy power/ depth helps in high pressure matches. Aside form that I take the 97H all day but that‘s a big upside in match play against a good opponent.
Tbh if you are a male with above average grip strength,300g is considered very light. I switched from a beginner racket (About 270g without string ) to EZ 100 a few years back,and I barely feel any difference on my wrist. I mean the results are for sure better,but it didn’t cost me any trouble even if I play for over 2 hours. I feel like even I can do 320+ as long as it’s not too demanding,maybe 330~350 is the point you will feel weird after playing for a long period
I stay away from light rackets....vibration - not comfortable and injury / joint pain prone, faster/ longer swing is required for a good momentum (m1v1 = m2v2, 1 = ball; 2 = racket). lack of feel etc..moderately heavy (~10.5 to 11.5 oz) with light head is good..with a swing weight around 300..etc
The advocated reasons for lighter raquects are very biased, and only suitable to a very small set of players. If people really follow his advice, well, good luck.
The general idea is to use the heaviest racquet you can comfortably maneuver. Light racquets are underrated. If the heaviest racquet one can swing is a 280g frames, it's perfectly fine. Great video!!! - Munish, TW
oh hey there
How about the heaviest racket that you can serve? Most people find serving with heavy racket the most difficult. Obviously Pete Sampras is different.
Yes, light or heavy is relative. If there's a significant difference in size and strength between two players, what's heavy to one might be just right for the other.
I'd suggest that these lighter rackets should usually be used with a multifilament string to help with shock absorption and comfort, Velocity MLT is a great one.
I've been playing for 50 years. Now at 62 my Pure Drive seemed to get heavier as I played deeper into sets. A friend lent me a Yonex Vcore Feel. He didn't like it and I never gave it back to him. He added some lead but it's super light. Wow, I'm in love with it. Mostly I've found with the faster swing speed I have more time to prepare. Playing younger players I always felt I was a bit behind and rushing. Now I'm able to swing bigger and through the ball more with more power and control. Also, no pun intended but I "feel" the ball better.
I was playing with hevy rackets and when accidently tried 285 100sq racket i was playing really good especialy my forehands
So far my experience with 3 racquets is this:
Ps v14 97L - main racquet; quite demanding, comfortable af and best feel. Is the racquet I can do everything with without issues, and modify my swing path and try different strikes without issues. 290g unstrung; light series
Blade v8 100, 300g unstrung racquet. Best for baseline playing and much less demanding, but harder to swing through the air even though is more stable. I feel I play more consistent but worse: cant volley, swing slower, hit stronger but I feel like the racquet is not helping my strong points or objectives at all. Is a jack of all trades, master of none.
Ps v14 X - 315g unstrung, headlight balance. So far the best of both worlds: consistence, stability, comfort and feel. Not as precise as 97L but that has nothing to do with weight. Problems? My physicality dosnt allow me yet to take it as a main racquet. Feels too heavy to volley fast and comfortable, or to play 2h matches.that said, is the racquet I use for my daily 1h training sessions in order to get stronger and force myself; and when I go back to my beloved 97L I feel I can just do whatever I want with it.
(About me: I am 26yo, been training for a year, 176cm tall 78kg; I lift weights aswell even though Im not a bodybuilder).
So far I feel that weight is relative to each one physicality and playstyle. I look fordward to play agresive all-court mixing strikes but if I were an agressive baseliner Id obviously stick to a heavy hammer to just abuse balls with tons of swingweight
I will go the same path as you with the same body specs, I have just bought Blade v9 100, 300g, and so far so good with it. The next one would be PS v14 97L, it is just the color of it I don't like much, not sure If I can skip this version and wait for v15 and stick with Blade v9 100 for now.
Try warming up with a heavy racket and then playing with a light one.
When I tried a Babolat pure drive lite which weighed in at 285g’s it made my elbow pop when I served and that was painful so I went to a heavier version of the pure drive and it needed up being a lot better for me 🖤💙
You put an important remark on this video: no matter how you feel with a racquet, ask your hitting partner about the quality of the strokes he/she is facing!!! I love to hit with my Gravity, but I've been told that I hit a much heavier ball using a VCore 95, while to me it was just hitting like a moonballer...
great comment, also a powerful stick may feel more fun but in a match you may actually win more points with a more controllable stick. conclusion; take the emotion out of it , measure the results
@@racketman2u agree. In my personal case, it's working the other way: I have much better feeling with control frames and it seems to me that I play better, BUT I get more points with a more powerful frame.
Quality of your shot doesn't have much to do with racquets but with how you hit, assuming you use comparable racquets. And you don't have to ask your hitting partners. You can tell the quality of your shots by how the ball comes back to you, and of course that depends also on the quality of your hitting partner. I could hit a kick serve that would give problem to one guy but would not bother another better player too much.
@@tomsd8656 "comparable racquets"? that's the whole point, a good stick for one person might be a bad stick for another.
@racketman2u What I meant is comparable technology and main purpose. For example a Babolat Pure Drive is going to play differently from Wlison ProStaff, but if Djokivic can switch from Wilson to Head, and McEnroe from Dunlop to Head, no amateur should have a reason to blame his game on the racquet.
Prince 100L- very nice feel, good power and arm friendly.
I use a O3 prince Speedport Gold 27.5 " frame that is 250 grams with a 36.0cm balance which gives me a 285 sw. Longer frames need lower static weight to appeal to the majority of players.
my experience: with light racket you dont have a chance against a powerful hitter
Cheap Babolat Boost Drive. Perfect spec for most rec players. Great value for money. Add weight at bottom as mod, to make it less head heavy.
Starting from the very heavy wood racket era in my twenties and later switching to 13- ounce original Prince Graphite I played with in my thirties, it has been difficult for me to switch to too light of a racket over the years (unstable for my elbow). These days (haha in my much older days), I finally settled around 340 grams total Vcore 98 (2021 version) with leather grip and a little weight at 3 & 9. I occasionally use the new version of POG (tour classic) which is about 12.3 Ounces with everything to give myself the illusion of being young again :)
tennis truly is a lifetime sport!
"340 grams"...now you're talking... also the Prince OG 110 was a great racket.
Like with a lot of things, personal preference is the most important thing with tennis racquets. Over the years, I've found that I like racquets that are in the 305g unstrung range with 325-330 strung swing weight, with the swing weight seeming to be the most important stat for me. I also prefer flexible, thin to medium beam widths. I think it's because I started playing in the mid-80s and those are generally the closest specs to the racquets of that era. Strangely, higher swing weights negatively affect my serve (I'm not the strongest dude) and lower swing weights negatively affect my one handed backhand (I swing too fast, have no feel or control). When I was trying out new racquets a few years ago, I really liked the Head Extreme Tour, but I settled on the Angell K7 Red since it felt more solid to me and had better feel. I've tried other racquets since but nothing has made me want to switch.
I can feel that. I learned on wooden frames as a kid, I like the classic plow through.
But I won´t ever use a smaller head size than Roger Federer, so 98 it is for me. My home surface is red clay.
@@sebastiandomagala9233 Hehe, yeah, when my brother and I first started playing, we borrowed our uncle and cousin's racquets. Our uncle's was a Wilson T2000 steelie and our cousin's was a Bancroft wooden racquet. The steelie was horrible, incredibly heavy, no feel. I don't know how Connors played so long with it. But our cousin's wooden racquet felt amazing. To this day (of course it may be nostalgia), I don't ever remember playing with a racquet with better feel. Being American, I almost always play on hard courts. But I've played on green clay a few times and even practiced on incredibly fast indoor carpet when I was in college...
@@ronalddelrosario7405 I still play on indoor carpet, it is still standard indoors in Germany. Btw. Federer killed carpet, he hated it so much that he blackmailed the tournament organizers to remove it or he wouldn´t have come at all.
I don´t like the wooden era in retrospective. Tennis was even harder to play back then, WAY harder. Equipment was utter garbage in every way possible.
Green clay is not the same as red clay. You should try it, but you will probably not like it. Many bad bounces, very limited traction, slow balls, way more work to be done for every single point. And the balls turn into mud marbles over time. Strings get locked up by the dust. And many other drawbacks like dirty socks and shoes (Leather gets brittle).
But it is no condensed surface, water can still penetrate to some extend. And clay is friendly to your ankles and knees.
Funny thing is: I like clay (my outside surface) more, but I play better on fast surfaces, the faster the better.
I'm 6'5 and weigh 100 kg but use the lightest Wilson Pro Staff that is available. I found it is better on the volley at the net and gets more control on the single hand backhand. They are also cheaper than the heavier versions which suits me fine.
not all light racquets are the same. I really like the Pure rafa 270g. But you know what it's stable and handles shots from 4.5s at the net. With that said, I did add 5 grams + an overgrip to make it a little heavier/headlight. But I have tried other frames in similar weight class and they were okay at baseline but unstable when returning fast serves or volleying vs. hard shots.
I have a RF 97 340g and I lead taped another 100g to it.
Tell me more
My wife and I have RF 97 340g too, easier to play than light racquet (
What's your string tension, 75-80 lbs I would imagine?
100g? That would make your racquet 440g. I've not heard of any pro playing with that weight. Even a giant like John Isner was playing with a strung weight of 346g.
If you're an amateur a light racquet is better. Once you start developing you're technique and get physically stronger, heavier racquets over 330g are the best option
Hi Jonas, at 64 i am thinking of going to a lighter racket, I have speed MPL but not getting the same control, i have modded it a little! Then I saw Prokennex do a Q5 280g 16x20 which is 1 pt HL strung and aprox 315 SW 22mm beam they also do the Ki5 270g again aprox 313SW but its 3pts HH They are Tighter 16x20 so control will be there but might lack a little power! Probably would have to play with a multi in these what do you think?
I'm in my 60s too. I've been playing those TI6 and Hammerheads. I was thinking of going Prince 305g, or 300. Something arm friendly, due to arm pain. I don't know a lot of people, so that is my limiter in investing in a new racquet. I only play in the summer anyway.
I tried a Wilson Blade 98 V8. It is 306 unstrung, and it is sweet. I could do a 100 too. Feels plush swings fast.
I switched to the Ezone 100 light (285g, 100 sq. in, thick beam), plays light and big at the same time.
When enough weight is added I can really feel what it does to the ball and I like it! However, I’m getting a little older and it starts to “weigh” on me some and I get tired . I have elevate tour (real one) and it’s good but seems like it’s missing something so I add weight but haven’t figured it out just right yet could use help from someone
Thanks for the video. What specifications are best if you have short strokes ?
I learned to play tennis as a kid with the Ivan Lendl Adidas GTX Pro so I'm used to swinging heavy clubs. Even though I feel that I serve more better with a lighter racket I prefer to play with the RF Pro staff 97 (340g). I'm a little bit older and slower now and I feel that it's easer to return fast serves with the heavier racket. I just need to stick it in and the racket does the rest. Because of my lack of foot speed I'm all about offense and with the heavier racket I feel that it is easer to crush short balls. I don't need to accelerate it as much as a lighter racket to create rockets, bombs and bullets. I'm a tank now and so is my racket.
I use heavier rackets that I've leaded up. Never played better. More power and control. Maybe not for everyone, but works well for me.
I bought a 280g racket and managed to turn it into a 320g strung i feel the head is too light it is very manuverable a little too manuverable to my liking but i will probably add like 5-15 g more. from my experience the lighter racket can cause arm pain but it being a platform racket you can customize it more freely and mold it to your own liking
My player's racquet journey started with the Dunlop CX 200 tour which I still love, Tecnifibre Tfight 305, and has currently landed at the FURI Arma Pro 98 (Stock form) with Restring Zero. The Arma Pro 98 is so connected that it reads my mind when I need a drive winner and immediately responds to my call to action.
I’m currently using 354g as my stung racket with 343 as the swing weight. Its become my preferred weight and balance (33cm strung)
Hi Tennis Nerd! I need some advice for my 10-year-old son. He’s currently using a 26-inch Head Gravity Junior racquet, but his coach suggested it’s time for him to transition to a 27-inch racquet. I’m considering two lightweight options: the Head Extreme (the lightest version) and the Babolat Pure Aero (also the lightest version).
He mainly plays on clay courts, and I’m looking for something that balances control and power, but isn’t too heavy for him to handle as he adjusts to the bigger size. Which one do you think would be the better choice for him? Any recommendations or insights would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
I think the new HEAD Extreme Team or Speed Team could work well
There is a lot of misconception about raquets weight and stats in general. The tennis raquets manufacturers oriented their production to large masses of newbie players with these light raquets. These players due to bad technique feel they are goin to get hurt if they use heavier raquets. In reality a heavier raquet helps a lot with inertia/plough through and helps get a proper technique faster. Many light raquets introduce parasite movements due to instability and lack of plough through like the tendance to raise your elbow etc.
Now what would those super light raquets would be good for? For very young players and for very old players. Both categories lack in power and the old players usually prefer to play doubles, so there is a lot of net time, serves/smashes where a lighter frame helps a lot with manoevering. Also coaches can use lighter raquets when feeding with the ball basket all day, they get less tired this way.
So big props to the manufacturers like Yonex who offer a range of raquets for advanced players too which go around 320g and even above with a neutral 7points HL unstrung.
I think this a weight and balance everybody should aim for wether being beginner, intermediate or advanced or above for stronger individuals.
P.S. Raquets like Wilson RF Autograph imho won't cut it since even it's heavier it has like 12points HL which offers stability but not a lot of power and suits a more offensive player not a baseliner. In the old days the raquet to which resembles a lot its Wilson Prostaff Classic 6.1 used by Edberg and that was played by majority of the pros in early '90s.
Nice to read this because I was trying to understand why heavier rackets are supposed to be used by the pros only...I am a club level player, 45 years old, this year I bought a Yonex Percept 97 D 320 gram which is what people say is too heavy but I am playing very well with it...I love that racket, I feel I have great control and power at the same time
@@Antaniharagione Generation '79 here also and these days I am playing my Yonex Vcore Duel G 330g. My racket of choice in my youth years was a Head Radical Xtreme at 346g even if I played one handed back-hand. And I am not a big guy at 1.75m tall.
Back in the day playing heavy raquets was something usual with frames like Edbergs, B.Beckers or Navratilova's Yonex who topped them all. Now for doubles I consider going exactly to the raquet you mentioned above: Yonex Percept 97 D 320g. Many players here find that around 320g is the sweetspot in terms of manoevrability and stability. Instead of tuning with lead a 300g frame I prefer a superbly balanced factory Yonex any day at 320g.
When do you go lighter or heavier though? Assuming you can be efficient with either..
I recall Sampras used an especially heavy racquet and even added lead tape to make it even heavier. Sampras is obviously the exception and doesn’t apply to the average player
Control is more important than power at lower level. Matches are decided by unforced errors.
Agree with this
Yes, but the control comes 99% from the technique and not the frame, especially at the lower levels.
Very interesting video and concepts shared (as usual - big fan of your videos). I actually started with a Babolat Evoke 102 (graphite infused) I think the weight was 270g (or close to that). I moved to a head radical mp after 6months as my game and passion for the game increased - and I love this radical, but I am super curious to customize the Evoke 102 racquet by restringing with a hyper g and adding some weight to see what it would do- the only concern is that it being made from a lesser frame material the feel might not be very good or worth customizing. What do you think?
do it, you know you want to! customising rackets is fun, and you already have it anyway!
Testout the Wilson Prostaff 97UL. I think it's the smallest and lightest tennis racquet out there.
Maybe tbe title should be "...Why you should TRY them". Many valid points in this video, but it all depends on the player. I still use my maroon Ultra 95 graphite from rhe early 90s @ 12.7oz. Im playing regularly again after 25yrs off, and my old heavy racquet helped build up my shoulder and arm strength. I use now for wall training and playing/rallying with slower players. But I have Blade Team V8 leaded up to 330g for games. I have ridiculous power and a very reasonable amount of control. And my arm isnt getting tired.
Just went to clash 100. Works fantastic on the clay. Far more control than the 11.9 -12.2 ounce rackets I was using
I think the strings should be different too? Maybe 1.20mm and kilos per braid? It will be interesting not only for 12 year olds, I for beginners 40,50+ developing swing, or..?
Hello! Could you advise me please, I have a Head Intelligence Prestige MP. What raquets on current market have the same feel and comfort but a bit leighter about 300-310 g?
Radical MP 2021
I'm definitely curious on the Dunlops CX 200, the LS is still above the 300g range 10.7 strung.. some of the sub 320 racquets seem unstable depending on the frame.. I wonder if the lower stiffness of the CX 200 LS would be an issue? I have an older Tflight 300 and it hit well but the vibrations wreck my elbow, none of my other racquets cause such issues, didn't matter tension or strings.. the only thing I haven't tried was multi or gut but I usually use thin gauges in poly or soft versions (cyclone tour or standard 17-18g).. I'm looking at sub 320ish racquets mainly.
I play with CX 200 LS (290g unstrung) version 2024. In stock form it could be unstable, so I've put 2 overgrips plus 1.5g to the 2-3 and 10-9 o'clock and the playability has risen significantly. It's string with full poly 24/23 kg. The stiffness is higher than 2021 version, however it does not hurt elbow, is rather comfortable. Maybe also the factor is that I do some fitness almost everyday to have arms in good condition, flexibility and strength. In summary I would say that CX 200 LS is underrated, being one od the best platform racquets available on the market.
help me, im a muscular guy, with a fast swing speed... in todays game, is it better to go light racquet with spin strings or... 330g raquet with gut / hybrid low tension? or higher tension?
im a past college player, removed for 12 years but still have my form etc.
@@tylerrauch4655 What was your racquet setup in college?! I would stick with the closest to that before you make any crazy changes. A racquet that's too light strains the shoulder, racquet that's too heavy strains the elbow. You need to find the balance between the two loads.
But in conclusion you should go for a heavier setup.
@@HyperHorse i still have my dunlop aero 200, 18x20. been enjoying it for sure with the ALU power and Gut. just trying to dial in the 70-80% effort swing for max good strokes. Spin is tough to generate with the 18x20 at the moment.
Your strength is in the wrist and the whole arm. The matter of racket convenience is just related to your strength and nothing else. However, strong players may play with either heavy or light rackets...same proportion goes for weak arm and swing power players, they can choose light or heavy based on feeling and ball impact quality. In other words, the right formula isn't based on what others play, try just yours and discover your own magic making. Don't underestimate the tension and string to use matching along to the frame weight
Wrong. Tennis uses the whole body.
@HyperHorse Hey, I think what I said, you can think whatever you want
Vcore 98L!!
i like light racquets
I help my friend string racket in a tennis pro shop. I have seen a lot of players who are only an intermediate or even lower level but buy racket that is from 310g to 325g. I learn that some people feel that its shameful to use light racket. Afraid to let their friend to tease them saying they are weak. Some are just tapping the ball over the net using the heavy racket to utilize its stability but their shot really lack of pace. I have either seen player who uses heavy racket are either very good player or really bad player. Sadly majority is bad player. Thats the truth, Some just want to use racket that similar specification with what their idol are using. Just follow blindly. Use the racket that really suits you and you will improve faster. Use your tennis skill to impress your friend instead of using heavy racket. If you use heavy racket and play badly, people can clearly sees your skill level, it doesn't do you any good.
If you are under a 3.0 level player, an under 300g racquet will work. Over 3.0 level, you will start to appreciate more weight. As you play more tennis, weight, balance, stiffness, and string choices will start to make sense. You will grow with the sport and become a Tennisnerd. 👍 😄
Its gotta be 300+ grams at least. Otherwise at higher levels of play you can literally get "hit off the court".
Its only a matter of technique, racket weight doesnt matter unless its literally a junior racket
@ We agree to disagree.
My arm hurts with light racquets.
Me too! I develop painful tennis elbow using lighter rackets with my continental grip . its especially painful on my return shots for fast serves.
@@jomacron1106 I think they vibrate differently to the arms in comparison to what we are use to with heavier racquets.
Same. Also, with multi it loses control while with polys elbow pain develops quickly, never had any issues playing Tour 90 with polys on mains. Took friend’s Six One Team and couldn’t play with it
The biggest downside to low swing weights and light racquets to me is technique. Can get away with bad technique with light racquets and develop bad habits. Heavy racquets force earlier prep, full swings, less jerky movements (because not possible) etc etc.
Can you explain to us mere mortals why some 300g rackets are easier to swing than others. Ie they feel lighter? My 300g pure aero seems much heavier to my friends head extreme mp?
It's called angular momentum which relates the torque needed to swing with the mass distribution (i.e. amount of mass vs. distance squared from the rotation axis).
@@berfavai don’t think that’s what he meant by explaining it to mere mortals 😂
It basically comes down to how the weight is distributed. For example, a hammer has all the weight in the head, so if you try to rotate/swing that hammer while holding it at the handle, it will require more effort, compared to if you try to rotate the hammer while you hold it at the head of the hammer (so you’re basically swinging the handle around). But you are still rotating the same object with the same static weight, but it feels quite different. Hope that makes sense.
Watching this video the day when I add 8g to my racquet for the first time in my life !
Good idea!
I think about it as well, I went down 30g in the last 5 years. I miss the plow through. But my arm does not.
Im going to use head instinct power 110 looses teings as possible .. i will be in tv soon
Prototype could be the new Ezone
What I don't see very much is recommendations based on who is actually using the racket. Is it a guy on his 20s? Or a woman in her 40s? IMO this should differentiate recommendations quite a bit.
I bought the dunlop cx400 tour and it cames with 306g. Terrible quality control.
Same to me. My cx400 tour with strung is 332gr. I measured SW is 325gr
I often find myself going back to my Prince 100x Twistpower…. Me likey😊
Mans playing both sides so he always wins
Jabroni 😂
Are the racquet weights in the video for frame only without string?
Downside is horrendous net volleys.... 325g plus for me
Strung or unstrung?
@@sebastiandomagala9233 unstrung
Unstrung
@@scottcarson3059 Nice.
I went down to 310 recently. Came from 345 (unstrung), but that was way too much at some point. Still not sure if it was a good decision to go lighter, but my arm still says "yes".
@@sebastiandomagala9233 you'd be better off going for a hybrid string setup in your heavy racket tbh
12 oz....perfect!
I remember the times when 340 gram racquets were considered light😂😂😂.
You NEED to test blade 100L with heavy soft leather grip and favorite soft shaped poly...it will be your match day stick
What shaped poly are u referring to
@jeansioufi9046 whatever his favorite is,,everyone has their own.. blade 100L played best with me with hyper g soft 1.20mm
The blade 100L is awesome. I enjoyed the hitting experience. Lots of room for customization. If you want a stiffer blade 100 to make your own, that frame is perfect.
Blade 100L is awesome but very stiff and I had shoulder pain after 1 year played it
@@anhtuannguyen9728 strings and techniques are what cause most injuries
Racquet manufacturers take the piss when it comes to lite versions.
Wilson had a v8 blade Team and it was just a steam 99 with new paint.
Light racquets are toys, come on.😜
If you're a beginner/intermediate, sure use light racquets but once your technique is on point, move on.
I suppose it depends on what we define as "light". A standard "power" frame is 300g unstrung with a 325mm balance point. Most people can play with this and not need to go lower.
However, some players can win matches comfortably with light tweeners. They just play fast (hit early, no problem; hit late, no problem) and can get the balls back (retrieve balls) without much effort and their ball trajectory is unpredictable, even they do not know. 🤣🤣🤣
They play to big target areas and restrain on power with light tweeners (providing easy power, easy spin). They can gauge how much power to restain after some experience.
That's the reality in recreational tennis 😂
A genuine NTRP 4.0 can take them out though. DO NOT exchange shots with them (they produce shots with unpredictable trajectory and placement but you use high racquet head speed and need to read shots and set up properly). USE good serve to hold service game and make good quality returns. Or simply avoid them 😂
I have not the video yet…but stop. Own it. Heavy racquets are awesome. You know it’s true. Ignore the haters. With that said…I’ve switched from the Perception 97H to the EZone 100 with great results. (I wasn’t going to admit that.)
@BrooklynZue can u say how is the feel and power(depth) of ezone 100
The biggest benefit is on defense. Lighter weight and easy power/ depth helps in high pressure matches. Aside form that I take the 97H all day but that‘s a big upside in match play against a good opponent.
I'd recommend watching the video before complaining about it
Just as a general rule of decency
Tbh if you are a male with above average grip strength,300g is considered very light.
I switched from a beginner racket (About 270g without string ) to EZ 100 a few years back,and I barely feel any difference on my wrist. I mean the results are for sure better,but it didn’t cost me any trouble even if I play for over 2 hours.
I feel like even I can do 320+ as long as it’s not too demanding,maybe 330~350 is the point you will feel weird
after playing for a long period
I stay away from light rackets....vibration - not comfortable and injury / joint pain prone, faster/ longer swing is required for a good momentum (m1v1 = m2v2, 1 = ball; 2 = racket). lack of feel etc..moderately heavy (~10.5 to 11.5 oz) with light head is good..with a swing weight around 300..etc
Prototype looks like a Yonex to me 🤔
Don‘t use ligtht racquets.
Light racquet? Never 😂
Light racquets = injuries
Expect to see a lot of low level rec players in denial lol
Light racket is like a slow train to take you to tennis elbow in the long run.
270g is just way too light
The advocated reasons for lighter raquects are very biased, and only suitable to a very small set of players. If people really follow his advice, well, good luck.
No, we shouldn't.