Harry, Anthony here. Thank you for the video and please keep them coming! I will take your advise and get a Clash 100Pro. For Christmas I got my wife an updated Banana lite and put the the Solinco Cofidential 16L at 48 ilbs and she loves it!
I am 63 and started playing for something to do in retirement. I bought a Head Speed PWR 115 on the advice of my local shop, and quickly enjoyed playing with it. Yes, I blasted many shots over my unsuspecting beginners classmates heads into the back fence at first, causing them to smile at my misfortune, but quickly came to the conclusion I needed to master that, so spent hours on the practice wall developing topspin. Now I chuckle inside as those same people cower, as I loop topspin groundstrokes 8 feet over the net, landing them two feet inside the baseline. Ruin my game? No, it’s turned me into a rookie topspin demon! Next racquet I’ve got my eye on is that lovely yellow Extreme pro! Berettini, watch your back! Seriously though, thanks for the great content, your insights and knowledge have helped and entertained me on my learning journey. Keep it up. Who knows, one day I might be a Clash convert, after all, I don’t know what I don’t know. In the meantime, I’ll just keep blasting my equally geriatric classmates off the court!😉
I re-learned tennis after a 40-year break with a big-head Prince 03. I absolutely love it. I'm a spin-meister too. Just know you'll have to ditch it if you want to get past 3.5 play. It's a terrible racket for precision & painting lines which you need against quality players. Now I only use it against 3.0 and some 3.5 players. But I sure enjoy it when I do! My serves are much more confounding with large heads.
I think you are absolutely right. when I first start tennis my game is totally ruined by a powerful racket head extreme mp. Although not oversized but I can barely connect my self to the ball. How could you familiarize tennis without even connecting the balls? I really don't know what these oversized racquets are made for except from elderly people.
The advice to a fit young athlete beginning the game is probably correct. However no mention is made about those lower level veterans who have played the game for years , are not really now going to develop a better swing , maybe through age arthritis , accumulated injuries etc are now are unable to swing as they once did, and as result may have developed tennis elbow . They do however wish to continue playing against young club players with the ball flying at pace yet a need to find power to put the ball away given the opportunity. I switched in my 50s to a larger head racquet and found my tennis elbow disappeared . Usually i can rally with young players without wrecking my body. The mechanics of tennis still apply with an oversize racquet.
I learned to play tennis with Pro Staff 85. It made me perfect my shots. Today, it is unthinkable for someone to play with such a small head. Otherwise for me the best racket ever.
I think learning with a Pro Staff 90 or a mid can be really beneficial. I didn't play for about 20 years and restarted tennis 5 years back and played/trained, attended classes for 6 months with the PS90. Now playing with the RF97 is fun and has continued to help my game.
I have learned tennis with wooden rackets such as the Dunlop Maxplay Fort and later the Donnay Borg Pro always played with single handed backhand Racket has a weight of 410 gramm
Played college with the TI OS Radical. Haven’t been able to switch to a smaller head size ever since. OS still works for me. I’m using the Clash 108, lead taped to 342 grams, Volkl Cyclone 18 g, and Xcel 17 g, @37x39 lbs. All my hitting partners think my setup is crazy until they give it a try.
I just picked up tennis during this quarantine and within 2 months I realized the 105 head sized racket I first grabbed was the wrong choice. I’ve since settled on the pro staff 97 (I’m a 6’ 23 year old athletic male). Wish I would’ve seen your video before I spent my money haha. Cheers from the East bay!
Demo racquets should be tested a lot more. Here in Spain we Don't that culture of testing demo racquets ...but that definately would work of done right
I guess from a consumer perspective, I see the issues stated toward the end a little different ... maybe kind of flipped? I would say that the reason they don't sell a lot of 108 Clash racquets is because that size is a beginner's size, and that market is already very well served by big-box retailers and all of the 108-112 rackets hanging on the wall for $15-$30, as opposed to $270 for the Clash 108. The problem I have had is that racquets in that economy price range do NOT come in 100s and below. If you want a budget racquet, it's going to be an oversized. I had to do on eBay and order some older racquets in order to get something good in the 94-100 range because at a place like Scheels, for example, they've got a lineup of about three dozen racquets. The least expensive racquet 100 or lower is the Head Microgel Rad MP98, starting at $100. Not horrible at all, but probably more than most beginners may be willing to spend until they know they enjoy the sport. Besides, if you save on your starter racquet, you can afford to pick up an air rifle to chase off those pesky pickleball players on Sunday mornings. 🤣 Note: It's been a blast getting these older racquets. I got an Emrik in the mail today with about a 94 head and it was a good time hitting with it. I picked up a Chemold Roy Emerson Contender model off the wall at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago. It and I are both 51 years old, but it was fun hitting with 67 sq. in. (?) and around 13-14 oz. like I grew up with. I've always been fairly fortunate to have a knack for the sweet spot, so the heads don't really matter as far as that goes, and I feel I work more on my looking the ball all the way in and discipline when the margin for error is greater. Looking forward to getting the 1980s Wilson T2000 next week as well. Seems like a beast. 🤣
It's not a trap. All he needs to do is string the racquet tighter before investing in a new $250 frame. There is also a big difference in the balance of the Clash 108 (even balance) and Clash 100 (very headlight). That's a bigger difference than the 8 square inch difference in racquet head size.
Yes, this is more the issue with oversized rackets today IMO...they are too head heavy compared to their smaller 100 version. The best rackets I had were the old Head Agassi oversized that I had added weight to the butt which made them very headlight...awesome racket for doubles!
@@ericbryant796 I own 3 Head MicroGel Radical Oversize racquets! They have lots of control and are very comfortable. I am considering getting a new Prince Phantom 107G for its more open string pattern.
Hello Harry Am writing from Johannesburg, South Africa. You actually meant ‘100’ as a maximum NOT as minimum. Love your videos. Learning so much. You have managed to help me decide on my next racquet. Been 12 years - long overdue. Thank You brother🙏🏼
You're the best thing to happen to me when it comes to choosing the ideal string tension for my racquets (slightly below the minimum recommended tension)! I'm really, really enjoying playing with both my Head Prestige Classic 600 Mid and my Pro Kennex Kinetic 5G. I'm hitting the sweet spot on almost 85% of my shots and the feedback I'm getting from the racquets is just awesome! Thank you from Hyderabad, India.
I wish I would've seen this when I first started playing tennis. I bought my first racket at Dick's. I just picked one off the rack, not knowing what I was buying. The racket was huge - something like 118 sq in - and it was very light. After taking lessons for a couple of months, I was in the middle of a lesson when the instructor stopped me, ran off the court, and got a demo racket for me. It was a Head Gravity with a 100 sq in head. Wow - that racket was much much better! When I finished the lesson, I told the pro to order me one of those rackets, and I've been playing with it ever since.
I got 13 tennis rackets, and what I love using now is the Wilson BLX Pro Staff 90”. I got 2 of them, and they are fantastic rackets! From the year 2012 & 2013. 😍😍😎😎👍👍
I Wish I could have seen this video 20 years ago. I used to play with big oversize racquet while having a good technique...it messed up my game...for so long until I started to use a 95in2 MP racquet. Then my game really bloomed but Gosh... that OS racquets messed me up for so long. Your videos are awesome. You just give the right tip. Merry Christmas
Interesting perspective. I had a similar opinion when I was racket-shopping for my wife. The guy at the shop kept recommending her a racket with a head size of 110 and it still costed about 190-200 usd. (a "worse" racket for that price was a no go and a bigger frame rackets tend to feel less surgical as you hit through the ball) She's hitting much better and is happier with a 100 sq-inch racket right now
clash 100 pro with confidential is my favorite thanks to you. tons of spin to keep it in the court, and my opponents often comment on my spin catching them off guard.
My tennis racquet journey as a teen / young adult was entirely driven by what Sports Authority had in my price range...Went from 100"-ish to oversized, back to 100"
I love 98's I started off with a blade 98 v3 that I still miss to this day and then moved on to a clash 98. I sting them with luxalon 4G in the mains at 56 pounds and Wilson NXY in the crosses at 58 pounds
Another great video! I hadn't touched a racket in about 25 years and just started playing again. I was using a 105 sq in Head racket and found myself having to pull my strokes. Last week I picked up a Head Speed MP. Hoping to grow into this racket and develop my swing. So who are these oversized rackets marketed towards exactly?
What about a 98 instead of 100 for a beginner? I was between the RF pro staff 98, 290gr and the Head Speed MP 100, 300gr, finally I bought the Head, I don’t know if I made the right decision!!!
Harry is so right on the money (not a huge surprise, he usually is!). I played with wooden racquets until I was 15 ... the mid 1980s and the oversize heads were super fun, but we had developed fundamentals using wooden racquets. Oversize racquets and 60+lbs strings makes for some fun times at the net, especially when you are playing doubles ... but this was the opposite of how John McEnroe's racquet set-up when he was dominating with a midsize wooden racquet strung at 45lbs. If you want to improve, master the fundamentals. Another winning presentation from Harry!
Another part of the market that kind of went away was player oversize raquets. I really enjoyed the Prince graphite 107. It had a lot of control with tons of forgiveness. I bet a the Head Radical OS would work for him , but most OS frames today are too powerful.
I use that racquet strung with synthetic gut @ 70 lbs. Tenniswarehouse still sells it. They just recently came out with a rerelease of the single stripe version, the one Agassi started with. They're supposed to get the lighter "tour" version back in stock in January.
Hi Harry I'm Sandip from India . . . age 48 height 6ft . . . been playing tennis for the past 33 years . . . would request you to do a video with your usual pros & cons on the mid-size racquets range (like the wilson/yonex/dunlop/prince 102/103/105 square inch head size) .
@@christoscholevas I think the Textreme is a Hybrid between the Beast and the Tour. The Textreme plays well. I think Harry has a video rating the Textreme. It's a great racquet!
I found that going from the 110in to the 100in i kept on hitting the frame which i was convinced at the time was due to the fact that that there was less area to hit. However, what i found after a lot of research was that racquet balance plays a role too. I found the 110in was head heavy and my 100in was equally balanced even though both racquets roughly weighed the same. All i did was to add racquet weight balance strips on the head of my 100in and it solved my problem. 3 strips(9g) on the head and the balance was sorted to what i was used to. Amazing how balance affects the positioning of the racquet head to the ball.
See I’m in the opposite camp. I learned and played in Highschool 98-01. I played with a PS 6.0 95. Trying to find something similar is hard these days. No thin or bad beams. Also no one really makes a 95 headsize I found when I started looking. I actually purchased 2 Wilson Hammer H6’s that seem to do pretty good.
I went from a pro staff 6.1 to a radical 110 oversize back in 2000. I had a good swing but the racquet made me very erratic in matches and stringing them became a nightmare. Being a string breaker and before luxilon came about i was using terrible kevlar that would drop so much tension. Went to babolat pure drive 98 with way better match play and less string problems with kirschbaum hybrids
Nice. Loving your channel Harry. So what’s you take on an experienced player with a honed fast swing trying something like the 108? Or a Tsi6, gamma 117, etc etc etc? Obviously might work as a doubles stick but how about singles.
My friend has an RF97 and that thing is HEAVY. I don't recommend it for beginners because after a 30 minute session it'll leave your arm feeling like a wet noodle. With a 340g static weight and 330g swing weight it's a lot to handle. It feels really great when you hit the ball clean though.
100% true. I bought 102 and after playing 2 month I realized that it’s difficult to control the ball and I need something else. I now bought Clash 100 and I have played with it for 1 month and kind regret that I didn’t buy 98. I still feel it’s a bit too powerful and I still want more control.
I’m using clash 108 with hyperg 19g 57lbs. I can swing away and keep the balls in as a 5.0, 5.5. But on serve it’s lack a lot of power. From a prince phantom 100 o3 and Stan’s yonex with a lot more oomph on serve, the clash 108 actually is much less powerful on serve. Why’s that
My first ever racket was 102inch babolat. Now I am using 100inch yonex vcore si and thinking about new racket but i dont know if I should stay on 100 or go for 98.
I've been using a drive max 110 for the last few years I'm a sophomore in high school tennis i want to switch to a smaller racket bit I don't know where to start
Interesting given that there used to be low powered os frames. Think Prince Pro and Graphite, Head Radical OS. Mfgs not going that way now. Maybe materials and design are better now.
Hey thanks so much for the video. I am looking for an intermediate racquet for my girlfriend who I play with on a regular basis. She is moving from a big box babolat 100 sq. Inch racquet to something more modern and updated. She is comfortable in the 285 g weight range and I am currently debating between the clash 100L, the new radical S 2021, the ezone 100L, or the Speed MP lite. Was hoping you could help me narrow down my choices! Any suggestions would be great. She’s an all court player.
People was thinking of me as i was stupid buying a pro staff 95 when i started playing. I just wanted this racket because of it beautiness and elegance and i did not want a racket to correct my mistakes. it wanted to know and feel the mistakes to learn better. if you can deal with frustration well and accept the learning process than it will be the right decision like in my case
@@Doty6String Agree that it has made some amazing tennis to watch and at the same time what can be done now has cut out variety and other elements of the game. Why move in when you can blast winners from the baseline all the time?
He could try a different string and a higher tension to change the feel and characteristics of that Clash. If he wants more control, I would begin there. String tension is huge and 45lbs is low to start. A higher tension will bring those long shots inbounds and he already owns the racket.
hey mr, i have a pro staff. I 've been using them for 3 years, but i want to change it. How can i pick a racket? I want a racket that generates power, coz with the PS i had to do a lot of effort when hitting. Thanks.
I’ve gone through a lot of racquets in my time. Have a garage full of 90’s era Head Ti Radicals, 2000 era Babolat Pure Drives and now 2010 era Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 BLX 100’s and Steam 99S’. Personally, I LOVE my Wilson’s. If I had to buy new racquets again (and, I might) I will likely buy Wilson. If I had to recommend a racquet to new players…Yonex EZONE 100 for men, VCORE 100 for ladies.
Hehe, when I started playing back in the mid-80s, racquet technology was just starting to advance. Graphite racquets were the fairly new technology and they were just starting to experiment with different materials, bigger head sizes, unconventional head shapes, and different beam widths and cross sections. Because we weren't rich, my brother and I started out with a Wilson T2000 steely and a really nice Bancroft wood racquet borrowed from an uncle and cousin. The Bancroft was amazing, but the steely was horrible (how in the world did Connors play with that thing for so long?!). Eventually another uncle gave us a couple really nice Donnay graphites that a cousin didn't use anymore. We basically grew up learning on "mid-size" racquets, which were probably around 90-95 sq inches. Strangely, there's nothing like the feeling of hitting a ball with a 80 sq inch wooden racquet in the sweet spot. It's just that with a head that small, finding the sweet spot consistently is sometimes difficult...
Love my longbody Yonex Anna Koernikova racquet... Big sweetspot and extra power and length... Nowadays I use Head Maria Sharapova raquet which is a far better one
If you’re a decent player 100sq in is plenty large enough, but I’d recommend 98 or 97 instead. Actually, for a beginner and up I wouldn’t suggest a larger head size than 100sq in
Thank you for the information. I have a question regarding to the string for clash 100. Would you recommend solinco confidential for all players with clash 100? Are there any other strings you would recommend? Thank you!
I think the perfect beginner's racquet should be the Wilson PS 97. It is extremely stable, best control, and very low powered. Beginner can build good swing technics on it. It is a huge mistake for beginners to pick a light and oversized racquet! Normally beginners do not have good full swing techniques and do not have enough top spins to handle the high powered racquet. I think the super light and high powered racquets are totally market gimmicks -- beginners should use the opposite type of racquet which is normal sized and slightly heavier one (around 310gram unstrung).
Wish this video existed a few months ago... My dad and I both just bought new Clash rackets; me the 100 pro, and my dad the 108. Hes been playing tennis his entire life and is still a great player with a lot of power but he wouldnt listen to me when i told him not to get the 108 :(
But IF he has good technics (and clever play) and he can handle the plus power, than maybe Clash 108 is better for him. The larger head racquets has some advantages IF the player CAN handle and play accurate with the extra power...
I had this same problem. Used to use oversize frames because I didn't know any better and I probably bought what the shop recommended or was trying to unload on me. Now that I'm actually taking tennis more seriously, I've gone to a 100, heavy racket, and all of a sudden the game is fun again. I used to patty cake shots over all the time because even when I strung the big rackets as tight as possible, shots would still fly on me. I feel like I can take full swings now and have improved so much.
@@ceejay257 it helps with the shanks but ur volleys always end up a lot more unreliable and less predictable, if u can hit the strings on a 110 u can do it with a 100 after about a month of practice, unless of course your a older player or don’t move well then ig the big frames help a lot.
Or just string your tension lower 🤦♂️it’s a hidden gem that no one uses with Polys I use a Prestige pro with 43/44, starting with lower tension poly will let you feel the ball more. Synthetic gut is junk
This isn't true. Beginners are recommended with larger square heads and then gradually decrease. Unless you just have that innate ability for tennis. I started with a smaller head and had no Idea. Ended up mishitting shots and had arm issues. Went larger and was much easier. Eventually I got more comfortable..
Bigger head racquets are GREAT for spin-meister and counter-punch play for intermediate players. I love my old Prince O3. Put a smaller, better racket in my hand and my entire game suffers, especially my cut serves. So yeah, big head rackets will help take you from 2.5 to 3.5, but the habits you develop will make getting to 4.0+ play much more difficult. You have to re-learn most strokes.
Because when stringing a racket with such high tension will cause the string to stretch. The string becomes “dead”. You will also lose power and spin when stringing it so tight. You are not a ATP player so there is no reason for you to string them at 26 kg because you don’t need the control. The only advantage is that you save money because the string breaks less frequently.
@@toonsoffun5733 do you mean only ATP players should string them at 26kg or higher and only ATP players need control? also, if i string at 26kg and the string stretches a little, (a lot of strings are pre-stretched these days), the tension might drop to 25kg? that's still a lot higher than 22kg. so if 25kg is 'dead', wouldn't 22kg be even more 'dead'? personally, i don't need power on my groundstrokes, i want control.
@@sultanabran1 It's hard to believe you are a advanced player (Above 5.0 NTRP/12 UTR) when asking such questions on youtube. With that logic you do not need the extra control. You are probably just overestimating your skill. Stringing at a lower tension will help your game and elbow in the long run IMO.
The size of your racquet should be proportional to your swing style .... A bigger swing will require a smaller head, and a compact swing will require a bigger head.
@@BullyGarfield. i got a pure strike team(lighter version), and i think its a pretty good racket. I dont actually know what to comment on it, good swing weight very light, looks good, idk how but this racket doesnt scratch srsly. But its nice overall.
I went from 100 to 97 when I was 17 and it was so hard to get use to but my game got so much better because of it I had no more training wheels so it forced me to get better
I fell for this trap back in the 90s, since then my life has spiraled down and my wife left me for a man with a smaller racket.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa XDDD
😂
i died
Her lost because size matters, but maybe his grip size was through the roof.🤔 😮
You know what they say, smaller the racquet, larger the....
Harry, Anthony here. Thank you for the video and please keep them coming! I will take your advise and get a Clash 100Pro. For Christmas I got my wife an updated Banana lite and put the the Solinco Cofidential 16L at 48 ilbs and she loves it!
How’d you get on with it ? Thinking of the same
@@clivep8218 I ordered the 100Pro and love it. The 108 just sits in my bag now. I'll be looking to sale it here shortly.
I am 63 and started playing for something to do in retirement. I bought a Head Speed PWR 115 on the advice of my local shop, and quickly enjoyed playing with it. Yes, I blasted many shots over my unsuspecting beginners classmates heads into the back fence at first, causing them to smile at my misfortune, but quickly came to the conclusion I needed to master that, so spent hours on the practice wall developing topspin. Now I chuckle inside as those same people cower, as I loop topspin groundstrokes 8 feet over the net, landing them two feet inside the baseline. Ruin my game? No, it’s turned me into a rookie topspin demon! Next racquet I’ve got my eye on is that lovely yellow Extreme pro! Berettini, watch your back! Seriously though, thanks for the great content, your insights and knowledge have helped and entertained me on my learning journey. Keep it up. Who knows, one day I might be a Clash convert, after all, I don’t know what I don’t know. In the meantime, I’ll just keep blasting my equally geriatric classmates off the court!😉
I re-learned tennis after a 40-year break with a big-head Prince 03. I absolutely love it. I'm a spin-meister too. Just know you'll have to ditch it if you want to get past 3.5 play. It's a terrible racket for precision & painting lines which you need against quality players. Now I only use it against 3.0 and some 3.5 players. But I sure enjoy it when I do! My serves are much more confounding with large heads.
Thanks Tennis Spin, your answer for Anthony is exactly for me too! I just ordered a Clash 100L following your recommendation!
I think you are absolutely right. when I first start tennis my game is totally ruined by a powerful racket head extreme mp. Although not oversized but I can barely connect my self to the ball. How could you familiarize tennis without even connecting the balls? I really don't know what these oversized racquets are made for except from elderly people.
The advice to a fit young athlete beginning the game is probably correct. However no mention is made about those lower level veterans who have played the game for years , are not really now going to develop a better swing , maybe through age arthritis , accumulated injuries etc are now are unable to swing as they once did, and as result may have developed tennis elbow . They do however wish to continue playing against young club players with the ball flying at pace yet a need to find power to put the ball away given the opportunity. I switched in my 50s to a larger head racquet and found my tennis elbow disappeared . Usually i can rally with young players without wrecking my body. The mechanics of tennis still apply with an oversize racquet.
I learned to play tennis with Pro Staff 85. It made me perfect my shots. Today, it is unthinkable for someone to play with such a small head. Otherwise for me the best racket ever.
I think learning with a Pro Staff 90 or a mid can be really beneficial. I didn't play for about 20 years and restarted tennis 5 years back and played/trained, attended classes for 6 months with the PS90. Now playing with the RF97 is fun and has continued to help my game.
I have learned tennis with wooden rackets such as the Dunlop Maxplay Fort and later the Donnay Borg Pro always played with single handed backhand Racket has a weight of 410 gramm
I love the pro staff 85
@@codyross1000 I am playing now with the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph 2018 This is one of the best rackets I have ever played with it
@@Bikerbeest At what level do you play at, and how is your arm?
Played college with the TI OS Radical. Haven’t been able to switch to a smaller head size ever since. OS still works for me. I’m using the Clash 108, lead taped to 342 grams, Volkl Cyclone 18 g, and Xcel 17 g, @37x39 lbs. All my hitting partners think my setup is crazy until they give it a try.
I just picked up tennis during this quarantine and within 2 months I realized the 105 head sized racket I first grabbed was the wrong choice. I’ve since settled on the pro staff 97 (I’m a 6’ 23 year old athletic male). Wish I would’ve seen your video before I spent my money haha. Cheers from the East bay!
Demo racquets should be tested a lot more. Here in Spain we Don't that culture of testing demo racquets ...but that definately would work of done right
I guess from a consumer perspective, I see the issues stated toward the end a little different ... maybe kind of flipped?
I would say that the reason they don't sell a lot of 108 Clash racquets is because that size is a beginner's size, and that market is already very well served by big-box retailers and all of the 108-112 rackets hanging on the wall for $15-$30, as opposed to $270 for the Clash 108.
The problem I have had is that racquets in that economy price range do NOT come in 100s and below. If you want a budget racquet, it's going to be an oversized. I had to do on eBay and order some older racquets in order to get something good in the 94-100 range because at a place like Scheels, for example, they've got a lineup of about three dozen racquets. The least expensive racquet 100 or lower is the Head Microgel Rad MP98, starting at $100. Not horrible at all, but probably more than most beginners may be willing to spend until they know they enjoy the sport. Besides, if you save on your starter racquet, you can afford to pick up an air rifle to chase off those pesky pickleball players on Sunday mornings. 🤣
Note: It's been a blast getting these older racquets. I got an Emrik in the mail today with about a 94 head and it was a good time hitting with it. I picked up a Chemold Roy Emerson Contender model off the wall at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago. It and I are both 51 years old, but it was fun hitting with 67 sq. in. (?) and around 13-14 oz. like I grew up with. I've always been fairly fortunate to have a knack for the sweet spot, so the heads don't really matter as far as that goes, and I feel I work more on my looking the ball all the way in and discipline when the margin for error is greater. Looking forward to getting the 1980s Wilson T2000 next week as well. Seems like a beast. 🤣
It's not a trap. All he needs to do is string the racquet tighter before investing in a new $250 frame. There is also a big difference in the balance of the Clash 108 (even balance) and Clash 100 (very headlight). That's a bigger difference than the 8 square inch difference in racquet head size.
Yes, this is more the issue with oversized rackets today IMO...they are too head heavy compared to their smaller 100 version. The best rackets I had were the old Head Agassi oversized that I had added weight to the butt which made them very headlight...awesome racket for doubles!
@@ericbryant796 I own 3 Head MicroGel Radical Oversize racquets! They have lots of control and are very comfortable. I am considering getting a new Prince Phantom 107G for its more open string pattern.
Hello Harry
Am writing from Johannesburg, South Africa.
You actually meant ‘100’ as a maximum NOT as minimum.
Love your videos. Learning so much. You have managed to help me decide on my next racquet. Been 12 years - long overdue.
Thank You brother🙏🏼
You are right about 100 being MAX. I hope people read your correction.
You're the best thing to happen to me when it comes to choosing the ideal string tension for my racquets (slightly below the minimum recommended tension)! I'm really, really enjoying playing with both my Head Prestige Classic 600 Mid and my Pro Kennex Kinetic 5G. I'm hitting the sweet spot on almost 85% of my shots and the feedback I'm getting from the racquets is just awesome! Thank you from Hyderabad, India.
I wish I would've seen this when I first started playing tennis. I bought my first racket at Dick's. I just picked one off the rack, not knowing what I was buying. The racket was huge - something like 118 sq in - and it was very light. After taking lessons for a couple of months, I was in the middle of a lesson when the instructor stopped me, ran off the court, and got a demo racket for me. It was a Head Gravity with a 100 sq in head. Wow - that racket was much much better! When I finished the lesson, I told the pro to order me one of those rackets, and I've been playing with it ever since.
I got 13 tennis rackets, and what I love using now is the Wilson BLX Pro Staff 90”. I got 2 of them, and they are fantastic rackets! From the year 2012 & 2013. 😍😍😎😎👍👍
I Wish I could have seen this video 20 years ago. I used to play with big oversize racquet while having a good technique...it messed up my game...for so long until I started to use a 95in2 MP racquet. Then my game really bloomed but Gosh... that OS racquets messed me up for so long. Your videos are awesome. You just give the right tip. Merry Christmas
Interesting perspective. I had a similar opinion when I was racket-shopping for my wife. The guy at the shop kept recommending her a racket with a head size of 110 and it still costed about 190-200 usd. (a "worse" racket for that price was a no go and a bigger frame rackets tend to feel less surgical as you hit through the ball) She's hitting much better and is happier with a 100 sq-inch racket right now
clash 100 pro with confidential is my favorite thanks to you. tons of spin to keep it in the court, and my opponents often comment on my spin catching them off guard.
Same setup, best for now.
My tennis racquet journey as a teen / young adult was entirely driven by what Sports Authority had in my price range...Went from 100"-ish to oversized, back to 100"
I love 98's I started off with a blade 98 v3 that I still miss to this day and then moved on to a clash 98. I sting them with luxalon 4G in the mains at 56 pounds and Wilson NXY in the crosses at 58 pounds
Another great video! I hadn't touched a racket in about 25 years and just started playing again. I was using a 105 sq in Head racket and found myself having to pull my strokes. Last week I picked up a Head Speed MP. Hoping to grow into this racket and develop my swing. So who are these oversized rackets marketed towards exactly?
What about a 98 instead of 100 for a beginner?
I was between the RF pro staff 98, 290gr and the Head Speed MP 100, 300gr, finally I bought the Head, I don’t know if I made the right decision!!!
Harry is so right on the money (not a huge surprise, he usually is!).
I played with wooden racquets until I was 15 ... the mid 1980s and the oversize heads were super fun, but we had developed fundamentals using wooden racquets.
Oversize racquets and 60+lbs strings makes for some fun times at the net, especially when you are playing doubles ... but this was the opposite of how John McEnroe's racquet set-up when he was dominating with a midsize wooden racquet strung at 45lbs.
If you want to improve, master the fundamentals.
Another winning presentation from Harry!
Another part of the market that kind of went away was player oversize raquets. I really enjoyed the Prince graphite 107. It had a lot of control with tons of forgiveness. I bet a the Head Radical OS would work for him , but most OS frames today are too powerful.
I use that racquet strung with synthetic gut @ 70 lbs. Tenniswarehouse still sells it. They just recently came out with a rerelease of the single stripe version, the one Agassi started with. They're supposed to get the lighter "tour" version back in stock in January.
Merry Christmas everyone i hope every one got what they wished for🎾❤
Hi Harry
I'm Sandip from India . . .
age 48 height 6ft . . .
been playing tennis for the past 33 years . . .
would request you to do a video with your usual pros & cons
on the mid-size racquets range (like the wilson/yonex/dunlop/prince 102/103/105 square inch head size) .
Love my Prince 98 Beast. The 98 gives me control and I can do the rest.
Hi~~메리 메리 크리스마스 ♡ merry Christmas
Great racquet! Have you ever tried the 100 Beast or Textreme Warrior 100(the previous model)? If so, how do you compare them? Thanks
@@christoscholevas I think the Textreme is a Hybrid between the Beast and the Tour. The Textreme plays well. I think Harry has a video rating the Textreme. It's a great racquet!
I found that going from the 110in to the 100in i kept on hitting the frame which i was convinced at the time was due to the fact that that there was less area to hit. However, what i found after a lot of research was that racquet balance plays a role too. I found the 110in was head heavy and my 100in was equally balanced even though both racquets roughly weighed the same. All i did was to add racquet weight balance strips on the head of my 100in and it solved my problem. 3 strips(9g) on the head and the balance was sorted to what i was used to. Amazing how balance affects the positioning of the racquet head to the ball.
I learned with a very small faced, bent, duct-taped racket from the 80’s. I’ve now promoted myself to a modern racket and I have no regrets lol
Why is a reflection always there in FRONT of him? Is the camera behind a plexiglass of some sort?
plexiglass, covid-19 protection since there's no mask :D
flare from camera lens. if the camera guy uses a lens hood or more expensive lens with better glare coating it will solve that issue.
Marry Christmas people!!!!
Merry Christmas
Lmao marry
Same to you bud
Merry Christmas kid
Merry*
What do you recommend as head size and weight for a 50 yrs plus beginner? And strings. Clash? Or the babolats?
See I’m in the opposite camp. I learned and played in Highschool 98-01. I played with a PS 6.0 95. Trying to find something similar is hard these days. No thin or bad beams. Also no one really makes a 95 headsize I found when I started looking. I actually purchased 2 Wilson Hammer H6’s that seem to do pretty good.
I went from a pro staff 6.1 to a radical 110 oversize back in 2000. I had a good swing but the racquet made me very erratic in matches and stringing them became a nightmare. Being a string breaker and before luxilon came about i was using terrible kevlar that would drop so much tension. Went to babolat pure drive 98 with way better match play and less string problems with kirschbaum hybrids
Nice. Loving your channel Harry. So what’s you take on an experienced player with a honed fast swing trying something like the 108? Or a Tsi6, gamma 117, etc etc etc? Obviously might work as a doubles stick but how about singles.
I agree with Anthony. I have no issues with power. Thinking of the RF97 and learning the game without aids.
Anthony should change the strings. His technique is not good enough to use strings at 45 lbs. Period.
That rf frame is a rhino! You gotta have legs to hit that thing.
My friend has an RF97 and that thing is HEAVY. I don't recommend it for beginners because after a 30 minute session it'll leave your arm feeling like a wet noodle. With a 340g static weight and 330g swing weight it's a lot to handle. It feels really great when you hit the ball clean though.
I might also add that RF frame feels CHEAP, hollow, stiff and rattly mess. Hits a big ball though if you get it moving.
@@Doty6String
You mixed apples with oranges.
RF97 is great frame
100% true. I bought 102 and after playing 2 month I realized that it’s difficult to control the ball and I need something else. I now bought Clash 100 and I have played with it for 1 month and kind regret that I didn’t buy 98. I still feel it’s a bit too powerful and I still want more control.
What are the 100 size requested on the HEAD and the Wilson brands? That are quality.
I’m using clash 108 with hyperg 19g 57lbs. I can swing away and keep the balls in as a 5.0, 5.5. But on serve it’s lack a lot of power. From a prince phantom 100 o3 and Stan’s yonex with a lot more oomph on serve, the clash 108 actually is much less powerful on serve. Why’s that
Its more sluggish through the air, the bigger the head size the more sluggish it will be
If you are wondering you aren’t 5.0 lol. Btw the answer is mass.
I'm 4.5 and play with the 108 every day. Big Banger Rough at 53. No control problems.
@@Doty6String sounds like you and I got a set to play
I’m computer rated 4.5. I use the Clash 108. I added a lot of lead tape but it works for me too.
My first ever racket was 102inch babolat. Now I am using 100inch yonex vcore si and thinking about new racket but i dont know if I should stay on 100 or go for 98.
I've been using a drive max 110 for the last few years I'm a sophomore in high school tennis i want to switch to a smaller racket bit I don't know where to start
Extremely interesting. Thank you. 🙏
What’s the best beginner budget tennis racquet. I’m new to the sport and want to upgrade from a Walmart racquet.
Interesting given that there used to be low powered os frames. Think Prince Pro and Graphite, Head Radical OS. Mfgs not going that way now. Maybe materials and design are better now.
Hey thanks so much for the video. I am looking for an intermediate racquet for my girlfriend who I play with on a regular basis. She is moving from a big box babolat 100 sq. Inch racquet to something more modern and updated. She is comfortable in the 285 g weight range and I am currently debating between the clash 100L, the new radical S 2021, the ezone 100L, or the Speed MP lite. Was hoping you could help me narrow down my choices! Any suggestions would be great. She’s an all court player.
Gravity S maiby a good option
Demo the rackets! 👍👍👍👍👍
People was thinking of me as i was stupid buying a pro staff 95 when i started playing. I just wanted this racket because of it beautiness and elegance and i did not want a racket to correct my mistakes. it wanted to know and feel the mistakes to learn better. if you can deal with frustration well and accept the learning process than it will be the right decision like in my case
We need more 95's, 93's and 90's. Not sure what would help tennis more--set racquet head size limits (under 100) or ban poly.
Poly makes the game fun to watch tho, the shots are absurd now
@@Doty6String Agree that it has made some amazing tennis to watch and at the same time what can be done now has cut out variety and other elements of the game. Why move in when you can blast winners from the baseline all the time?
I'm using a old 93' RevPro with a soft poly! I'm also looking to upgrade rackets to today's standards from 2015.
@@Lohikanitelegend does that mean bigger and lighter? Or will you search out for another 93?
@@SquatLife 93-98 sq.
What string tension for a low moderate player looking for control spin and power? Thank you
What about Agassi or Chang with their oversize racquet
Baseline players with excellent technics and can handle the extra power from larger head racquets. Some advantages...like return serves, etc.
Good video. 9:50 - "100 minimum" Presumably meant "100 maximum"
He could try a different string and a higher tension to change the feel and characteristics of that Clash. If he wants more control, I would begin there. String tension is huge and 45lbs is low to start. A higher tension will bring those long shots inbounds and he already owns the racket.
I am a weak hitter though so I bought 2 Hyper Hammers 5.3, suits me really good like a cheat code 😅, easy to control for me and less weight.
hey mr, i have a pro staff. I 've been using them for 3 years, but i want to change it. How can i pick a racket? I want a racket that generates power, coz with the PS i had to do a lot of effort when hitting. Thanks.
Merry Christmas Harry and the team
I’ve gone through a lot of racquets in my time. Have a garage full of 90’s era Head Ti Radicals, 2000 era Babolat Pure Drives and now 2010 era Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 BLX 100’s and Steam 99S’. Personally, I LOVE my Wilson’s. If I had to buy new racquets again (and, I might) I will likely buy Wilson. If I had to recommend a racquet to new players…Yonex EZONE 100 for men, VCORE 100 for ladies.
Hehe, when I started playing back in the mid-80s, racquet technology was just starting to advance. Graphite racquets were the fairly new technology and they were just starting to experiment with different materials, bigger head sizes, unconventional head shapes, and different beam widths and cross sections. Because we weren't rich, my brother and I started out with a Wilson T2000 steely and a really nice Bancroft wood racquet borrowed from an uncle and cousin. The Bancroft was amazing, but the steely was horrible (how in the world did Connors play with that thing for so long?!). Eventually another uncle gave us a couple really nice Donnay graphites that a cousin didn't use anymore. We basically grew up learning on "mid-size" racquets, which were probably around 90-95 sq inches. Strangely, there's nothing like the feeling of hitting a ball with a 80 sq inch wooden racquet in the sweet spot. It's just that with a head that small, finding the sweet spot consistently is sometimes difficult...
Love my longbody Yonex Anna Koernikova racquet...
Big sweetspot and extra power and length...
Nowadays I use Head Maria Sharapova raquet which is a far better one
If you’re a decent player 100sq in is plenty large enough, but I’d recommend 98 or 97 instead. Actually, for a beginner and up I wouldn’t suggest a larger head size than 100sq in
do you think beginners should start with small head racquets such as 85-95 sq inches?
No. Start out with 110 or larger. Not too large though..
Get yourself a Prince Original Graphite OS!
I tried them all. CLASH 108 the best of all the Clashes. Its not hard to control at all. Not for flat hitters. You can crush balls with it.
Thank you for the information. I have a question regarding to the string for clash 100. Would you recommend solinco confidential for all players with clash 100? Are there any other strings you would recommend? Thank you!
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@@shpingalet7895 Thanks! I meant any specific string recommendation for this racquet (clash 100)?
Hey what should I string my clash 100L at? With luxillok 4G strings
Can't the power offered by the larger racket be reduced by tightening the strings a bit?
I think the perfect beginner's racquet should be the Wilson PS 97. It is extremely stable, best control, and very low powered. Beginner can build good swing technics on it. It is a huge mistake for beginners to pick a light and oversized racquet! Normally beginners do not have good full swing techniques and do not have enough top spins to handle the high powered racquet. I think the super light and high powered racquets are totally market gimmicks -- beginners should use the opposite type of racquet which is normal sized and slightly heavier one (around 310gram unstrung).
Wish this video existed a few months ago... My dad and I both just bought new Clash rackets; me the 100 pro, and my dad the 108. Hes been playing tennis his entire life and is still a great player with a lot of power but he wouldnt listen to me when i told him not to get the 108 :(
But IF he has good technics (and clever play) and he can handle the plus power, than maybe Clash 108 is better for him. The larger head racquets has some advantages IF the player CAN handle and play accurate with the extra power...
I think at the end there, you meant to say 100 maximum, right?
What do you think about the Clash 98 and string combo?
my wife and I grew up on Prince classics. Our son is in 8th grade.
I had this same problem. Used to use oversize frames because I didn't know any better and I probably bought what the shop recommended or was trying to unload on me. Now that I'm actually taking tennis more seriously, I've gone to a 100, heavy racket, and all of a sudden the game is fun again. I used to patty cake shots over all the time because even when I strung the big rackets as tight as possible, shots would still fly on me. I feel like I can take full swings now and have improved so much.
I have the Clash Pro 100 and wish it were the 98...
I am a 3.5, playing doubles 99% of the time. My pure drive 107 is like a wall in front of the net 🤣
Smaller rackets are better than bigger ones at the net😂🤦♂️
@@yomamacrib3297 I got pure drive 110. I thought it's more forgiving to shrank the ball.
@@ceejay257 it helps with the shanks but ur volleys always end up a lot more unreliable and less predictable, if u can hit the strings on a 110 u can do it with a 100 after about a month of practice, unless of course your a older player or don’t move well then ig the big frames help a lot.
@@ceejay257 most oversized rackets are also pretty thick in the beam which makes it harder to execute a volley.
Can't volley well or with proper technique with an oversize racket. Definitely not for competing with 4.0 or above players.
Good video for beginners.
Is 2018 pure drive 110 too much power? It's only 255 g unstrung.
Pure drives are all too powerful
@@Doty6String Doesn't lighter racquet hit less power, compared to heavy racquet?
@@ceejay257 pure drives get their pop from stiffness string pattern and head size. They are really efficient frames
IMO no one starting new or playing for fun with family should start with Poly strings....they should start with synthetic gut or multifilament...
Or just string your tension lower 🤦♂️it’s a hidden gem that no one uses with Polys I use a Prestige pro with 43/44, starting with lower tension poly will let you feel the ball more. Synthetic gut is junk
Low tension poly is great! I really wish it had that “fresh poly feeling” longer.
@@Doty6String get string savers
Good point. That poly stuff is rough on the wrist, elbow and shoulder for a newbie.
Welcome to tennis spin, were we put our spin on your tennis
Who is a 108 for then? Really really old people?
Merry Christmas!
100 MAXIMUM!!!
100 MAXIMUM!!!
100 MAXIMUM!!!
100 MAXIMUM!!!
100 MAXIMUM!!!
...NOT 100 minimum
This isn't true. Beginners are recommended with larger square heads and then gradually decrease. Unless you just have that innate ability for tennis. I started with a smaller head and had no Idea. Ended up mishitting shots and had arm issues. Went larger and was much easier. Eventually I got more comfortable..
yesss
A 108 should only be used by a 90 year old lady who is just starting tennis, honestly it would counterproductive otherwise..
this is strange, I never liked oversized rackets from the start, 95's always felt ideal
Great, I've just ordered 105 Blade XD
Bigger head racquets are GREAT for spin-meister and counter-punch play for intermediate players. I love my old Prince O3. Put a smaller, better racket in my hand and my entire game suffers, especially my cut serves. So yeah, big head rackets will help take you from 2.5 to 3.5, but the habits you develop will make getting to 4.0+ play much more difficult. You have to re-learn most strokes.
Why not string it at 58lbs ?- will give more control and save buying a new racket. 45lbs is too low.
Higher tension will break racquet quickly.
@@ceejay257 within Wilson specs so should be OK depends if you want to buy a new 100 sq inch racket- just the cheaper option.
True. tighten stings will help with control and cheaper than a new racket
Merry Christmas guys. I think this person has to take first some tennis lessons...
Longtime Oversize guy here... the industry left us behind but not making OS frames with weight. But maybe I’m the dinosaur.
I never liked over size racquet
Very sound advice, especially for singles.
My elders said, the bigger the head, the bigger the brain 🧠.😄
Do you think a pro would pick up the clash and endorse it at some point?
why 21.7kg? that's quite low. i'm stringing at 26kg. not that i'm the standard anyone should be going by.
Because when stringing a racket with such high tension will cause the string to stretch. The string becomes “dead”. You will also lose power and spin when stringing it so tight. You are not a ATP player so there is no reason for you to string them at 26 kg because you don’t need the control. The only advantage is that you save money because the string breaks less frequently.
@@toonsoffun5733 do you mean only ATP players should string them at 26kg or higher and only ATP players need control? also, if i string at 26kg and the string stretches a little, (a lot of strings are pre-stretched these days), the tension might drop to 25kg? that's still a lot higher than 22kg. so if 25kg is 'dead', wouldn't 22kg be even more 'dead'? personally, i don't need power on my groundstrokes, i want control.
@@sultanabran1 It's hard to believe you are a advanced player (Above 5.0 NTRP/12 UTR) when asking such questions on youtube. With that logic you do not need the extra control. You are probably just overestimating your skill. Stringing at a lower tension will help your game and elbow in the long run IMO.
And a smaller size provides more control...
The size of your racquet should be proportional to your swing style .... A bigger swing will require a smaller head, and a compact swing will require a bigger head.
So I guess Agassi had a slow swing...sheer genius.
@@robertclary1718 😂
Agassi wasn't slow, but he did have a compact swing. Just watch his video course on Udemy
@@adamlawyer1 imagine that. 3 people on one You Tube tennis thread qualified to critique Agassi.
Not critiquing Agassi. He TEACHES a compact swing in his course, along with an Eastern grip, and a backswing that doesn't go past 5 o clock.
OS rackets are always a problem.
Just got a pure strike yesterday!
how is it
@@BullyGarfield. i got a pure strike team(lighter version), and i think its a pretty good racket. I dont actually know what to comment on it, good swing weight very light, looks good, idk how but this racket doesnt scratch srsly. But its nice overall.
I use the clash 100, it feels nice
I went from 100 to 97 when I was 17 and it was so hard to get use to but my game got so much better because of it I had no more training wheels so it forced me to get better
100 maximum he should have said at the end not minimum..
Lesson: don’t buy the 108.