Testing for flex

On my continued quest for a spin friendly, flexy, and head light racquet, I went to racquetfinder.com (unfortunately the site is down most of the time...), looked up the Federer racket, and lowered the stiffness rating.

I chose the following 4 racquets from the results, and ordered demos from Tennis Warehouse. They ship you 4 racquets and include a return label for the box. You can keep the racquets for a week - all for $20. So if you are in the US, need a new racquet, or like trying racquets from their big selection, this is a nice offer to consider.

From Racquets

Here are my observations:

Völkl DNX 10 Mid

• Would have liked to try the Mid+ version, however TW didn't have it. So this one is not for topspin hitter, but might be a good alternative to Pete's racket for people who prefer a more head light balance and softer frame.

Völkl DNX 9 Mid+

• Very light and easy to handle. Doesn't feel as stiff as Tennis Warehouse indicates. Personally, I like rackets which support and accelerate a natural swing a bit more.

Pro Kennex Heritage Type C Redondo

• I was sponsored by Pro Kennex in my teens, so have fond memories about a few sticks. Also, the specs looked almost perfect for me. My verdict: swings nicely, but can't see how this frame is as soft as everyone is saying (there's a "Redondo Club" on the Tennis Warehouse forums). Doesn't convince me in terms of feel or power. I restrung it which made it a bit better, but it still didn't feel soft.

Avery M3 Control Mid+

• Frame is so soft it can even be tricky to pick up a ball - the frame just seems to bend back. Swings very nicely. Good serves but a little shaky on ground strokes - can't see how you would hit a winner from the baseline with this racquet.

So what did I learn? A head-light racket does need a good amount of weight in the grip area, otherwise it doesn't do anything by itself. Stiffness rating doesn't always indicate how flexy a frame feels. And frames can actually feel too soft. Overall, I think I'm getting a bit closer...

New Prince Exo, plus Sampras and Federer racquets

I was very curious to try the new Prince racquets and Wilson's new Sampras racquet, and still wanted to give the Federer racquet another try, so I went to Paragon in New York and picked them up ($5/racquet/day). In general, I am currently looking for a head light, flexy racket that accelerates my swings and generates a lot of spin.

I'm currently playing the Prince Speedport Tour - the head size seems right for me, and I like the open string pattern. But it's on the stiffer end of the spectrum and could swing a bit more easily. So I was curious if Federer's nCode Tour 90 would be too stiff for me, whether I could generate enough spin with the dense-patterned Rebel, and how good the Graphite would feel. I picked up the Sampras as a "must try", given the history of its predecessor.

From Racquets

Here are my thoughts:

Prince EXO3 Rebel 95

• I like the flex, you can really whack the ball. The bending of the racket actually seems to take away from spin generation, so a little bite in the string bed is advised. Grip looks nice but was so abrasive that I needed to stop testing the racket. I think I'd love this frame if it came with a 16x18 string pattern.

Prince EXO3 Graphite 93 Mid

• Head accelerates nicely due to the balance, but overall there was nothing I loved about the racquet. Too generic-feeling.

Wilson K Factor KPro Staff 88 (the Sampras racquet)

• A rifle. Great for flat, classic strokes, and serve and volley. Will be hard for topspin hitters to generate spin with this racket, and it would be quite exhausting.

Wison K Factor KSix-One Tour 90 (the Federer racquet)

• Specs are perfect for me, except for the stiffness. Not as stiff as its predecessor, but would be really nice if the production frame came a bit softer. Heavy on paper but swings nicely if you relax your arm and let it do its thing.

All in all a fun experience, but I think I will to keep on looking for an upgrade. I'll be testing the new Head "YouTek" racquets shortly, and will share my thoughts here.