tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9906588862605071622024-03-13T15:57:04.249-04:00forehand.TVMore fun with tennis!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-43196199849181938342023-04-05T14:32:00.001-04:002023-04-05T14:32:44.419-04:00Thinking differently about gearSome of us, myself included, are always trying to find the perfect racquet and setup. Getting that right to the gram and kps. Then put much effort into ending up with additional racquets that match, including the frame itself, the string jobs, the grip feel, and so on.However, part of the fun of playing tennis can also be experiencing different gear. Just as we can appreciate multiple stadium Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-60384587266673161792023-04-05T11:16:00.002-04:002023-04-05T11:16:47.791-04:00Between grip sizes?Personally I really like the shape of the classic Wilson pallets, however I (currently?) seem to fall right between sizes 2 and 3 (4 1/4 and 4 3/8).
2 options: 1) make the thicker one thinner, or 2) make the thinner one thicker.Assuming one uses overgrips, the easiest thing is to apply them with different pull and overlap, and try different kinds brands and models there (e.g. different Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-31778593450644427712023-04-05T08:38:00.000-04:002023-04-05T08:38:04.947-04:00Maximizing court timeTime is always precious, but in places like New York where people queue up at Central Park before 6am or pay ~$140/hour just for the court, you quickly start to wonder how to make the most out of a session. Of course one would want to make sure the gear is in top shape, to fuel up beforehand, and arrive with time for prep and a off-court warm-up.As for the actual hit, here's a sample plan Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-45259963547558674932023-04-05T07:29:00.001-04:002023-04-05T07:29:28.375-04:00Conviction... is probably the opposite of second guessing oneself.From personal experience, I can say if we'd like to e.g. hit that crazy high risk drop shot, then go for it all the way. Any second thoughts and we'll probably mess it up. Putting that doubt into the middle of stroke.Even though I'm conscious of this self-sabotage, it still happens. Hopefully less so over time.Same with anything we do on Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-30410474445079790772022-06-12T07:34:00.006-04:002022-06-12T07:34:47.271-04:00Play to win (esp on match point)I see this quite often and have of course experienced myself: backing off on match point. That might still win the point and hence the match, but if it doesn't a few things tend to happen: Getting even tighter from then on. Handing over control to the opponent. And if the match does slip away, regrets: why didn't I go for it?In a 2x2 of won / lost, and having taken / given charge,Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-51132137973627856212019-08-07T06:37:00.001-04:002021-11-10T15:23:59.911-05:00Light or heavy racquet?
Think this has been covered quite a few times by now, but I'm still seeing and hearing even better players talk about light or heavy racquets, and with that referring to static weight.
However, except for block volleys the racquet is usually in motion, and the measure for how heavy that feels is swing weight - one could argue the most important spec! Tennis-Warehouse e.g. measures andUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-8881059994044668632019-07-24T08:56:00.000-04:002019-07-29T07:04:09.166-04:00New balls, please!
[BETA POST to get the content out there, will brush up if there's interest]
TL;DR: In 2019, still can't go wrong with the Wilson US Open Extra Duty or Slazenger Wimbledon. You know how to shop...
Since a friend asked me about this the other day, here are some quick thoughts on the state of tennis balls in 2019. There surely are a lot of options on the market - but subjectively, Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-76101433440222361472018-12-25T14:10:00.001-05:002018-12-28T09:57:47.962-05:00Prince Phantom 100 line roundup
Alright, so I've put on record before that subjectively, TeXtreme is so far the nicest playing material of the millennium. Well done Prince!
Also, I felt the last couple generations of Prince's lineup were well thought out - nice specs, good range of racquets. Personally I've just been missing a replacement for the somewhat hefty but friendly Speedport Tour that I've played for a few years. TheUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-19508438624310547632018-07-24T05:28:00.001-04:002021-11-09T13:16:35.086-05:00Solinco Hyper-G reviewI've now used the Hyper-G for the last couple of seasons in practice and 100+ competitive matches, so I thought a quick long-term review is in order:
I remember at first, I didn't believe the hype. Supposedly Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, and active pros like Sam Querrey, Donald Young were quite excited about the Hyper-G and were using it voluntarily.
Initially, when I tried the string short afterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-31716873708448567582018-07-23T16:07:00.000-04:002018-07-29T14:16:43.985-04:00Yonex Ezone DR 98 racquet review
(2018 update: added quick EZONE 98 comparison below)
I did quite enjoy hitting with the Ai 98, so have really been looking forward to try its successor. Let's jump right into it:
Specs
Length: 69 cm (measured on demo)
Frame width: 23 / 24 / 19 mm (Yonex)
Head size: 98 in² / 632 cm² (Yonex)
String pattern: 16 x 19
Strung weight: 325 g (measured on demo)
Strung balance: 322 mm (measured)
SwingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-27856625441601006252018-07-22T18:16:00.000-04:002018-07-24T05:52:24.458-04:00Völkl Cyclone color comparsion (2018 update)Opinions seem differ on this, but I found that string color can significantly affect string performance. For example, the Kirschbaum Pro Line 2 feels nice and plush in red, but pretty stiff in black. So how about the Völkl Cyclone, one of the most popular polys out there, and (again) my current string of choice?
In general, the Cyclone has been considered a great half-priced alternative to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-58108813229043404562018-07-21T16:33:00.000-04:002018-12-26T10:25:33.352-05:00Wilson Pro Overgrip color comparison
aka "the best overgrip" for tennis (and maybe other racquet sports like badminton too...):
This can be short one - at the end of the day, the white grips packaged as 2 x 15 rolls seem to be much grippier than the other colors. And in my experience, even white grips in other packaging such as individual wraps or rolls (e.g. in the 60 box).
It's still my favorite overgrip, despite having to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-5118986463115929182018-07-20T04:20:00.000-04:002018-07-26T04:25:21.499-04:00The "Champions Choice" string jobJust a few lines about the popular (and quite expensive!) "Champions Choice" string job - a hybrid of Wilson's own gut and Luxilon's Alu Power Rough.
Of course Roger made it famous. Like a few other top pros like Novak and Andy, he has the gut put in the mains for power. If you want to prioritize spin, you'd put the Rough there (since the racquet head mostly brushes up on the ball sideways).
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-65446030230019155482017-04-04T08:30:00.000-04:002018-05-14T03:58:57.581-04:00Warm up & cool down routines[BETA POST to get the content out there, will build out if there's interest]
A friend asked me the other day for some pointers regarding stretching for tennis, so I might as well publish what I sent him. Disclaimer that I'm not a physio - the below are exercises that have worked well for me over the last decades, maybe some of them work for you as well!
First and foremost, cold-stretching Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-31168511022497675522017-03-16T13:22:00.003-04:002017-03-19T07:33:16.448-04:00Playing with seeing aids[BETA POST to get the content out there, will build out if there's interest]
Some of the questions addressed below
* What happens to my tennis game if seeing / vision improves?* Reversely, if I don't see well, what happens to my game?* Should I play tennis with glasses or contact lenses?* What happens when I start playing tennis with glasses?* How does the magnifying effect affect my game?* HowUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-56450334990899291032016-09-06T11:20:00.001-04:002018-07-24T05:41:25.263-04:00The tennis racquet spectrumThese days, it's thankfully easy to look up specs for individual mainstream racquets. One good resource is Tennis Warehouse (RF 97 example), who also offer their Racquet Finder to find racquets within custom ranges.
However, I haven't found a nice overview showing the current spectrum of what you can buy, so I took a first pass at creating one. The below charts are derived from roughly 250 Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-548823456030517602016-07-31T14:47:00.002-04:002016-09-21T07:45:43.527-04:00Solinco Tour Bite gauge comparisonAfter playing the Tour Bite 1.25 for a good while and occasionally ending up with arm pain, I started looking at the 1.20 and 1.15 mm versions, as they are significantly softer / less stiff. I ended up ordering all 3, and strung up my 3 SixOnes @ 21/20 kg for a direct comparison:
My playing impression was that both thinner gauges are playable, even for someone like me who's been committed to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-83079848334270224592016-07-22T17:19:00.000-04:002017-01-26T04:12:30.152-05:00RF97 Autograph long term reviewAfter about half a year of playing and North of 100,000 ball contacts with the RF, it's probably a good time to post an in-depth review. Remember that Wilson has been stating that the racquet was co-developed with Roger, and that he is actually playing with what you can buy. So here's your chance to feel like Roger, at least a little :) So how does his racquet feel, actually?
Specs
Official:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-48586521881803283472016-07-20T10:34:00.000-04:002018-12-28T10:03:57.301-05:00Prince TeXtreme Tour 95 review
Took me a while to get hands on this one, but the demo was worth the wait: playing with Prince's 2015-year Tour 95 reminded me a bit of the Wilson Tour 90 - a fun to play, fast, precise, can-do-anything frame.
The TeXtreme material was a very positive surprise to me. Out of the last 100+ racquets I've taken for a spin, I'd put the TeXtreme 95 in the top 3 of "most pleasant hitting sensation".
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-37219479639073311492016-06-30T16:32:00.000-04:002019-08-07T05:42:13.952-04:00What are pro racquets like?
[BETA POST to get the content out there, will build out if there's interest]
Now that we have somewhat of an overview of mainstream racquets, it's probably interesting to compare that to what the pros are playing with.
Most top level pros use frames built upon proven basis, so called "pro stock" frames. Those are then build up to the pro's liking. As a final step, they receive the paint Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-75855848202922762202016-06-28T16:42:00.000-04:002016-08-09T05:53:35.689-04:002016 string comparisonTaking the last string related post a step further, here's a comparison between some strings I consider interesting in 2016. Again, I made the highest value for each string property a 1, and the lowest a 0. Now we can somewhat easily see how they compare to each other:
(Click image to enlarge)
Takeaways:
The Babolat RPM Blast is pretty stiff, gives back a decent amount of energy, but Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-11286813185335614632016-06-27T19:30:00.000-04:002018-07-30T13:51:33.448-04:00WeissCANNON Ultra Cable review
Gauge: 1.23mm
Tension: 21/20 kgs (~46 / 44 lbs) for clay court at moderate temperature, strung with Wise Tension Head, slowest speed, constant pull
Racquet: Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph
Estimated number of ball contacts to date: 1,000
Stringing: Tough! String is so edgy it would slip through the clamps (despite tightening), and at times even through the tension head. Also cut into Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-36439285738309834302016-06-26T10:01:00.000-04:002019-01-01T12:22:55.769-05:00Practicing for the long run
[BETA post, wanted to get the content out, happy to rework and/or go into detail later if there's interest.]
As we get older, we tend to get wiser, but unfortunately also slower, less endurant, and might not be able to practice as much. So besides from staying in shape and working to overcome the downward trends, what else can we do to maintain our level of play, and maybe even evolve as a Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-27862145726633329222016-06-25T16:48:00.000-04:002018-07-26T11:43:15.327-04:00Tecnifibre Black Code 4S review
Gauge: 1.25mm / 17
Tension: 21/20 kgs (~46 / 44 lbs) for clay court at moderate temperature, via Wise Tension Head, slowest speed, constant pull
Racquet: Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph
Estimated number of ball contacts to date: 750
Stringing: String feels quite soft, not as edgy as the Dunlop Black Widow, somewhat similar to the WEISSCannon Black5Edge, not as soft as the red Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-990658886260507162.post-10130747007637098852016-06-20T17:55:00.000-04:002017-01-03T08:20:27.944-05:00The Nike Zoom Vapor problemsI loved some of the early Nike Zoom tennis shoes, however the following generations didn't work for me. After years of abstinence, the Vapor 9 finally came around, and it fit like a glove.
The 9.5 is quite similar to the 9, and has been my "editor's choice" since it's been on the market. The only problem is that they tend to tear open along the toe box:
This keeps Unknownnoreply@blogger.com