String Tension for power?

The frame is your best source of power usually by a choice of stiffness, weight, and balance based on your swing speed. String tension and type make it playable for your needs such as spin and control.

Murray Asks

Tennis Racket Effect

 This is of minimal use for most tennis players but it is interesting in the way science uses a tennis racket to explain a physical effect noticed first in space.

Tennis Racket Effect (Dzanibekov Effect)

 Tennis Racket Theorem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_racket_theorem

String Sensistive Rackets

I can't make an overly stiff frame soft enough with a change of strings to make me like the frame. The same goes for a flexible frame that cannot be changed enough by string tension or type to stop that trampoline effect. Maybe a frame that has all of the mid range attributes of moderate head light balance, and flex combined with weight to allow you to choose it's best characteristic with the right string and tension is the ideal and could be seen as string sensitive. Or taken the other way, a stiff and powerful frame can be ruined with rotgut string at the wrong tension just as a sponge bucket frame can be made to lose all feel with the wrong tension and poly.

The best answer is to experiment and test different frames that augment and compliment your game taking into account any predisposition toward injuries you may have. You can always change the characteristics of weight and balance but changing racket flexibility doesn't happen. You can loosen strings to reduce shock but at some point it will alter your stroke results and may require a change of approach which at that point might be best to consider a change of rackets.

Tennis Equipment Costs - It's a bargain

I'm guessing at these prices based on memory but here is a representation of how to value your tennis gear.

Late 1970's Corolla $2k, Stan Smith Shoes $12-15, Jack Kramer Racket $20-25. Current price Corolla $20k, Newest Endorsed Shoes $60-130, Newest Endorsed Racket approx. $200. Everything went up 10x since mid 70's as the dollar went down in value.

The quality has improved generally along with the technology so I'd say we're good on most things. Don't buy the latest frame and when you find a frame you love pick up a dozen of them when they are being discontinued. You can always get your money back on Ebay if you switch out.

Pick shoes that work for you and avoid the logos with endorsements that add cost. If you are hard on shoes get and apply shoe-goo at Wal-M and wear those shoes when practicing and not playing or teaching.

Clothing, well that's your call but the modern fabrics are so much better at surviving stains, wear, and maintaining color that if you get the top quality stuff and wash cold you'll have it for years.

No matter what you think the value versus cost of tennis equipment right now is as good as it has ever been. Just don't think that you can buy skill with fancy equipment. Do the deep and repetitive spending on training, instruction , and competition whenever possible.


Addendum: Everything went up but tennis balls. I think they were $2 a can in 1960 and haven't seemed to budge since then. Spend your money on new tennis balls and laugh.

Golden Ace Tennis Racket - One of the Best Wood Graphite Composite Frames from the 80's

This is a new frame that is almost 40 years old.  It's going up for sale on Ebay along with some others.  If you are interested in buying one please contact me through tennis at brentherrick dot com.

I'm asking $60 for a New Pro Kennex Golden Ace with $11 shipping.

Here is the Ebay Listing  

Lendl Racket Style from the 80's - War Club on the Tennis Court

Kneissl White Star

This is the type of racket Lendl used to bludgeon his opponents from the baseline.

Kneissl Returns

If you're interested in getting one of these I just put mine up for auction on Ebay.  Starting price $39.50









Ivan Lendl Wiki

Wilson Clash Tennis Racket - A new concept that includes control and power

Wilson Clash 100

I always look for new tennis technology so here is a promised innovation I thought I'd pass along. This new frame promises both control from flexibility that adds dwell time and power from stability.

I've always preferred control frames and accepted that I had to produce my own power and accept some reduction relative to a very stiff and powerful frame.  This does sound like an innovation.

A stable yet very flexible frame hopefully offers some injury protection for those who have elbow problems and those of us aging and finding the shock of hard hits much more noticeable than before.

Metal Rackets from the Old Days, All Pro Racket - Steel 1960's

Whenever you think that you're stuck playing with a racket that is hurting your game just remember that you could be trying to hit a topspin drive with this war club.  It weighs 13.0 oz. making it one of the lighter ones among the six shown.

Imagine an all steel welded frame that is strong enough to use as a pry bar or shovel.  Seriously off center hits would send shockwaves up your arm or cause the frame to spin in your hand.  Yet when serving a flat serve this racket along with a whole generation of aluminum and steel frames gave you what we used to call a cannonball serve.

As a self defense tool this has no equal for the combination of concealment by function and being seriously dangerous.  I used to keep one in the car in the place of a nightstick.  In a snowstorm if you had one of these handy and not a shovel you could use it for one especially if you had a cover on it.

The grip sizes on these frames always seemed too large.  One major benefit of tubular frames is no wind resistance that translates into more racket head speed.  Add this to the tennis museum for evolution of tennis rackets.



From Left to right; Rawlings Steel - 13.4 oz, Tensor Aluminum 13.2 oz, Tensor Pro Steel 13.8 oz, High Skore  Aluminum 13.O oz, and the Chemold Aluminum 13.7 oz.

As you can see these things all have much more weight to them than most rackets made today.  Even the heaviest rackets of today top out at 12 ounces or less.  The one thing in favor of all of these frames was the improved wind resistance most had over wood frames of the time.  As you can also notice the racket head size was close to 85 square inches.

Current Market Price at Flea Markets $1-$2

Current Possible Uses:  Defensive Club, Snow Shovel, Snow Shoes, Spaghetti Strainer/ Colander, Bee Swatter, Wall Display, Welding Art Material.

High Tech Racket Selection

Trying to find the right tennis racket? High Tech Solution

This is interesting and may  become standard someday, but for now your best bet is to choose a racket that feels good in your hand and doesn't strain your arm, wrist,  or shoulder to wield it.

If you can hit your strokes the way you want to with this racket that is what matters.  Tweaking a racket is best done by choosing first the stiffness and balance.  You can adjust the  weight and balance later with lead tape.  You can somewhat alter the feel of stiffness by the type of string, but it is best to find a frame that matches your play style.  Then the string is best chosen to manage your spin preferences.  You can alter the string tension to also change the characteristics but keeping in mind that too much tension of too hard a string can cause injuries.

 Head light rackets help in racket speed but add shock to the arm.

Head heavy rackets are slow to move and therefore are mostly suited to slow courts.

Stiff frames have massive power but very little shock absorption.

Flexible frames give better feel and much more protection against injury.

Gut string had great feel, spin generation, and control with minimal shock, but they are expensive.

Poly strings have great power and spin production but are tough on arms.

Nylon is a a great compromise string and there are types that can fit your style of play.

Hybrid string setups are a solution some players find useful but I never really found it ideal.