Racquet Commitment Issues

One of the most troublesome things about being a racquetholic is that you’re never really becoming a hundred percent in tune with one racquet. This can play havoc on your mind and game.

The year of 2017 is coming to a close and during the year I’ve tested countless racquets, which I will try to summarize in a “Gear of the Year” post (coming shortly). If you’re curious about last year’s post, click here for the Gear of the Year 2016. With all the tennis I’ve been playing I’ve improved as a player, which is always my main goal, but lately I’ve noticed that I’m also suffering from racquet commitment issues.

What are racquet commitment issues then? Well it’s a new term, coined by yours truly (as far as I know), describing how you keep second-guessing your racquet of choice and keep thinking about the next best racquet to use. This obviously gives you an excuse about your poor play and you also get something to look forward to with each new racquet you try: “Could this be the ONE?” Changing racquets is fun and not exactly harmful in any way except for your game and potentially your wallet.

I don’t think switching between racquets frequently has really hurt my game in the long run, I’ve grown used to adapting my technique or style of play to the racquet, but I notice that when you play tight matches you’re not in tune with your gear and you can end up missing shots with relatively small margins, especially since I’m a streaky player that usually live on small margins. The dream situation here is obviously to commit to one racquet and one string and keep working on your game, but it’s not always that easy! And it’s not always what’s the most fun either. And tennis is a lot about FUN, right?

I’ve written about this topic before (many times I’m beginning to realize), but I think I’ve reached a moment where I need to settle with a frame for the long run alongside my play-testing and reviewing and that racquet for me will be the HEAD Liquidmetal Radical Tour (the link leads to my review). It’s not a perfect racquet by any means, but I think it works with my strengths (taking the ball early, moving in, going for winners). Knowing myself, there is a significant risk that I change my decision already next week, but I’ve been using this frame back and forth now for a couple of months and it’s been a mostly positive experience for me so I thought it’s about time I choose it as my main racquet for competitive play (I will still be doing the regular reviews).

Here’s a selection of posts I’ve written about racquet commitment issues in the past:

Switching racquet mania
Do professional players change racquets?
The Journey Continues
Searching for a new racquet
The Racquet Honeymoon
How often do you switch racquets?
Mixed bag

The next step for me is to find the perfect string for the racquet. So I’ll be testing some new poly strings the next month or so. Right now my go-to strings are Solinco Hyper-G and RS Lyon, but I’m curious how the racquet will play with Luxilon Alu Power, Weisscannon Ultra Cable, the new RS Lyon Octagon and the new Volkl V-Torque Tour. What I’m looking for in a tennis string is control and spin in a relatively comfortable package. It’s not that the Solinco Hyper-G or RS Lyon don’t deliver in these regards, I’m just curious to see if I find something even better (here we go again…).

Here’s a video from this morning’s tennis session which, despite the early morning start (7 AM), was pretty successful.

Have you committed to a racquet? Which one and why? Please comment below!

***

Do you like Tennisnerd? Don’t miss a word or video by stalking us on social media. Every like and follow is appreciated!

YouTube
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook Page

Racquet buying guides

Here is a great racquet buying guide to get you started.
What tennis racquet should I buy?
Top tennis racquets to buy right now
The Gear of the Year 2016
Tennis racquets for juniors
Tennis racquets for kids