Want new Tennis racquet

[jorian]

Started to play some tennis again. I bought my current Wilson ProStaff racquets about 18 years ago and am wondering if I would notice any difference with a new racquet. I just restrung them and they seem fine. Any revolutionary design changes in the past decade or is it just flashy graphics with super-cool words?

[porsche4life]

I would imagine the pricey ones have gone to Carbon Fiber by now.... But I don't play tennis.

[speeder]

All I can tell you is too check Big 5 Sporting Goods if you have one in your area. I got my Prince racket for ~$49.00 and it had an original tag of ~$300. All of the rackets were similarly slashed in price. They are really the cut-rate SG chain and I love them.

[Mo_Gearhead]

If your old racquet feels ok with new strings ...use them and save some money.

Manufacturer's come out with new models every year, but it's like golf clubs, etc., they do it to SELL MORE RACQUET'S. Some people have to chase the latest 'fad'
searching for a 'better game'. Better to spend the money saved on lessons from a Pro.

No major breakthroughs in tech. to speak of. In fact the STRING tech. has changed more than racquet tech. in my opinion. ( I've been playing and stringing racquet's for 27 years.)

Racquet frames do fatigue eventually. The thousands of impacts of the ball over time, make the materials begin to weaken internally and sometimes externally
(cracks). It is usually so slow a process however, the average player would not notice any change in his/her game. So at some point, you will want to replace them.

Now get out there and play!

[JavaBrewer]

Several of my local tennis shops demo new rackets for < $10/day. Might be worth it to try one or two for a day and see how they feel.

[Z-man]

What is your budget? I would go with a new racquet - you will see a difference in 18 years of technology.

Check out Wilson Sporting Goods : Welcome for their latest racquets.

I have a three year old Wilson N-Code 5. Great racquet - but a very stiff racquet - if you have issues with tennis elbow due to the vibration transferring to your arm via the racquet, then perhaps the N-code line is too stiff for your needs. You can probably find the N-code series racquets at Sports Authority or Model's.

Last year, Wilson came out with a K-Factor line of racquets. And I believe this year, they are calling that line the [K] line, as in [K] Tour, [K] Six Tow, [K] Brave, [K] Fury, and [K] Court. These look to be good middle of the line all-around racquets. I haven't used a [K] racquet, but from what I've heard, they are decent.

I got back into tennis about 4 years ago myself - I play every Wednesday - we have a foursome and over the winter time, we play in a bubble and have an hour of drills with a pro, followed by an hour of doubles. In the summertime, we simply play doubles for a couple of hours.

Just my $0.42,
-Z-man.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by jorian

Started to play some tennis again. I bought my current Wilson ProStaff racquets about 18 years ago and am wondering if I would notice any difference with a new racquet. I just restrung them and they seem fine. Any revolutionary design changes in the past decade or is it just flashy graphics with super-cool words?

The pro-staff was a great racquet, some old pros still use'em, and this suggest you had game (it's never been a beginner's racquet)... To me, it was always too stiff though, you could use them as 911 ramps and it wouldn't bend ;-)

You may find out after 18 years that *YOU*, not the racquet, can't handle a freshly strung prostaff anymore...

Personally, while racquets are a very personal choice and you should try them all, I'd spring for something more modern and comfortable on your older elbow... To those that may say they haven't progressed, I tried for fun a friend's antique Wilson T2000 or something (first metal one?) and I could not bend my elbow the next day ! Racquets do change !!!

I've found that the VOLKL brand made something of a great compromise, very nice and controllable, yet comfortable (big damper in the grip), and still is an old style racket for decent players (by that I mean you gotta generate your own power, it's not one of those modern huge things that weighs 3 grams, shoots cannonballs and and is profiled like an F117). The C9 or C10 pro, for instance, are pretty nice in my book... Just add those to your list of tests, along with something from Prince (also comfy), Head (nice too) and a modern wilson pro staff for kicks... Yes, I think you may enjoy a more modern one, again from a soreness standpoint... And ditto on the strings, lots of changes there, some modern strings let you spin the ball with a lot less efort. Not for me, but...

[futuresoptions]

I have played with Wilson, Prince, Yonex, Spalding, Fila, Dunlop, Yamaha, AMF, and Snauwaert rackets... My favorite were the mid size Snauwaerts of the mid eighties. Would love to have a truck load of those vintage rackets as I do not own one now.... I currently own a mid size Prince powerline model. It is stiff yet still has good power... not as good of control as the old Snauwaerts though... I am unsure what newer rackets have to offer, but do know just from experience that it takes playing with one to really find one that fits you and your playing style... I would probably try a few out before making a purchase... I usually buy three at a time...

[jorian]

Thanks. My budget is about $500 for two racquets. Since I started the thread I've tried a Prince and a Babolat but didn't like either. I'll try the Volkl if they make a mid-size. I don't like the big waffle-iron rigs so many play with these days.

[911pcars]

If you haven't played in 18 years, I'd suggest starting out with something more modest until you've gotten your stroke back and have decided the type of racket that suits your current game.

Sherwood

[jorian]

The racquets are 18 years old. I played 3-4 days a week for about a dozen years and then on and off for the past few years. I used a Dunlop last night but didn't like it either. The search continues...