Racquet Commitment Issues

by Jonas Eriksson

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!

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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

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6 comments

Alf November 29, 2017 - 14:39

Looking forward to gear of the year!. Wher is the tennis court u playing at ? Looks like a old wearhouse a truck/lift on the side of the court?

Reply
Tennisnerd November 29, 2017 - 15:45

Thanks. Will do my best with that monster of a post. It is actually a really nice tennis club in Stockholm, Sweden called SALK. 14 indoor tennis courts, gym, shop and café. Cheers / Jonas

Reply
Magnus Pettersson December 2, 2017 - 15:15

You should try TIerOe FireWire with your LM Rad Tour. Soft and with a huge bite. Works extremely well in 18×20 racquets.

Magnus

Reply
Tennisnerd December 6, 2017 - 09:39

Thanks! I will try it. Regards / J

Reply
Keith Brodhead Jr June 3, 2018 - 13:24

I’ve been playing with my Volkl DNX 9 for 10 years, or more, and absolutely love the flexible racket, feel, control, etc… I have two strung with Hyper-G @56lbs and two strung with Technifibre Black Code 4s @56lbs (not a smart move). The black code is so stiff…after playing with it the control and spin is stunning. The power on the serve is horrible. The Hyper-G gives me what I need, all around. However, I recently purchase a Babolat Pure Strike 16×19 and love the power and spin. It has zero feel and zero touch. I can’t commit to the racket yet. I switch back and forth even in matches to my DNX and can’t seem to get comfortable with the Babolat, yet. I may need to look at the 18×12 or the VS Tour versions…still very hard to commit after more than 10 years of amazing feel and control.

Reply
Tennisnerd June 4, 2018 - 05:20

Hi Keith,
Sounds like you really enjoy the DNX 9! Why are you looking for a new racquet? Sometimes we should stick with what we enjoy. Are you looking for more power? Regards / Jonas

Reply

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