I sometimes get comments on my YouTube reviews where players call certain racquets “garbage”. I wanted to make a vlog about it.
Can a racquet be garbage? Yes, well, there are some really bad racquets out there, but they’re rarely the top-end models made by well-known manufacturers, which is mainly what I review on YouTube. If you get a fake racquet from Ali Baba or buy a cheap beginner model from a Wallmart-style store, then you might be in for racquet garbage. But if you get a racquet from TW, TWE or Tennis Only for example, it’s highly unlikely you will end up with a “garbage racquet”.
It might be a racquet you dislike strongly, but I can assure you there are some players out there that will love that racquet. Racquets, racquet specs, strings and various setups are all highly personal. That’s why I keep repeating the point that you can’t imitate the pros. You need to find a racquet and setup that works for you. There are no real rules as long as it feels good and plays good for your game.
In the vlog…
In the vlog, I use the example of my tennis buddy Estoy (from Makati, Philippines) who hits a whopper of a tennis ball and uses a Wilson Blade 98 CV (V6) 18×20 strung with Solinco Hyper-G at 49 lbs. Â I strongly disliked the Blade 98 V6 when I demoed it a few years back. And I have been a fan of the Blade racquets for a long time. I find the Blade 98 V7 to be a great frame, while Estoy said he hated that one and couldn’t play with it. It’s just one small example that shows how different our games, preferences and tastes are when it comes to the racquet setups we use.
I wouldn’t call the Blade 98 V6 garbage. It’s a decent racquet, but I didn’t particularly care for the feel. Then there are plenty of others who do. So don’t worry if some players say that a racquet is “bad”. If you like that racquet, play with it. And calling racquets or other things garbage is a pretty immature way of approaching it. It’s often just a matter of what YOU like or dislike.
I hope you like this vlog. Do you have any examples of times when you loved/hated a racquet and someone else disagreed? Please share below!
